WBB: Northwest Conference

Started by swiss, March 07, 2005, 12:40:48 AM

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BruinFan

Significant game tonight as Whitman hosts Whitworth. Both teams still in the hunt to host a conference playoff semi-final.  If Whitworth continues the trend from last weekend, Whitman is the clear favorite.

BruinFan

Week 5 of NWC Play in Review
Whitworth nearly went 0-2 on the road after a 11 point loss at Linfield and trailing most of the game at Lewis and Clark. LC had them on the ropes, but it slipped away and the Pirates prevailed by 3. Congrats to Willamette by securing their 4th conference win of the season when they won at PLU by 3. George Fox had a large double digit lead at UPS in the 3rd quarter and the Loggers fought back to tie it late in the 4th quarter. The Bruins had one more spurt left to close out a 6 point victory. Whitman and George Fox went 2-0 for the week, while PLU and LC went 0-2.

Interesting note on the Saturday games. All the road teams won by single digits (6, 5, 3, and 2 points) - close games.

Week 6 Preview
The marquee game of the week is going on right now in Walla Walla between Whitman and Whitworth. UPS will be on the road at Lewis and Clark and then Willamette. Both the Pioneers and the Bearcats have the potential to cause trouble for UPS if they are not careful in their quest to finish in the top 4. George Fox can nearly lock up the conference title with a win at PLU and a victory at home over Lewis and Clark

Dave 'd-mac' McHugh

For the third consecutive year, Hoopsville will air for 12 hours as the regular season enters the final four weeks. Dave McHugh will chat with coaches, administrators, student-athletes, and others involved in Division III basketball from around the country. Other guests will include those who have Division III roots or appreciate the division and the game along with the student-athletes who play the sport.

Hoopsville will air from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. (and maybe later) on Thursday, February 4 live from the WBCA/NABC Studio. You can see what guests are scheduled, get more information, and watch the show here: http://www.d3hoops.com/hoopsville/archives/2015-16/feb4

You can also read the press release about the show: http://www.d3hoops.com/hoopsville/hoopsville-marathon-2016

Here is the guest list as we speak. All times are Eastern and subject to change. Additional guests to be added if and when necessary:


   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
TimeGuestSchool
10:15amConnie TilleySt. Norbert (WBB) - WBCA Center Court
10:40amJamie PurdyPeidmont (WBB)
11:00amKeri CarolloUW-Whitewater (WBB) - Nat'l Committee Chair
11:20amBrent PollariSaint Mary's (Minn.) (WBB)
11:40amKent MadsenNo. 21 Wheaton (Ill.) (WBB)
12:00pmRussell LoydRose-Hulman (MBB)
12:20pmKevin BroderickNazareth (MBB)
12:40pmJustin ScottArcadia (MBB)
1:00pmSam HargravesNo. 12 Alma (MBB)
1:20pmLenny ReichMount Union (SID)
1:40pmMaureen WebsterClarkson (WBB)
2:00pmBetsy WitmanYork (Pa.) (WBB)
2:20pmSara LeeDenison (WBB)
2:40pmKlay KneuppelWisconsin Lutheran (MBB)
3:00pmBrian Van HaaftenBuena Vista (MBB) - Nat'l Committee Chair
3:30pmSydney MossNo. 1 Thomas More (WBB)
3:45pmAaron RousellBucknell (WBB) - former Chicago coach
4:00pmTim ShanahanStaten Island (WBB)
4:20Pat CunninghamTrinity (Texas) (MBB) - NABC Coach's Corner
4:50pmBubba SmithSewanee (MBB)
5:15pmBen StrongFormer Guilford All-American
5:30pmKevin ConnorsESPN SportsCenter Anchor - Ithaca alumnus
6:00pmKristen DowlingClaremont-Mudd-Scripps (WBB)
6:20pmAllison ColemanSage (WBB)
6:40pmLandry KosmalskiSwarthmore (MBB)
7:00pmDave NilandNo. 23 Penn State-Behrend (MBB)
7:20pmAaron GallettaLasell (MBB)
7:40pmJohn BaronGwynedd-Mercy (MBB)
8:00pm
8:20pm
8:40pmMelissa HodgdonWheaton (Mass.) (WBB)
9:00pmG.P. GromackiNo. 2 Amherst (WBB)
9:20pmJames Wagner
9:40pmHAPPY HOURFree-for-all of calls, tweets, and fun!

We hope to get at least the full show on a podcast, or several podcast, during the on Friday. You can find it here:
SoundCloud: www.soundcloud.com/hoopsville
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hoopsville/id1059517087

Don't forget you can always interact with us:
Website: www.d3hoopsville.com
Twitter: @d3hoopsville or #Hoopsville
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Hoopsville
Email: hoopsville@d3hoops.com
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/d3hoopsville

And a reminder the Hoopsville Fundraising Project has begun yet again. Please consider helping us cover Division III basketball the way it deserves to be covered. If you can not donate, please don't worry about - we understand. At least share the campaign with anyone you think might be interested: http://igg.me/at/hoopsville-fundraiser/x/6029509

Also, if you know any advertisers interested in promoting their company or products on the show, send them our way: hoopsville@d3hoops.com

Thanks!
Host of Hoopsville. USBWA Executive Board member. Broadcast Director for D3sports.com. Broadcaster for NCAA.com & several colleges. PA Announcer for Gophers & Brigade. Follow me on Twitter: @davemchugh or @d3hoopsville.

Pat Coleman

Alright, folks -- the NCAA's first women's basketball regional rankings are posted. Check out the full list from D3hoops.com:
http://www.d3blogs.com/d3hoops/2016/02/10/first-2016-regional-rankings-released-today/
Publisher. Questions? Check our FAQ for D3f, D3h.
Quote from: old 40 on September 25, 2007, 08:23:57 PMLet's discuss (sports) in a positive way, sometimes kidding each other with no disrespect.

BruinFan

Week 6 Review
Whitworth came up big with a win on the road at Whitman. UPS won 2 games on the road and remains hopeful of being able to host a conference play-off game. George Fox was dreadful for 6 consecutive quarters. PLU played them tough to the very end and lost by only 2 points. The next night, Lewis and Clark, with only 1 conference win, outplayed and out hustled the Bruins for the first half and led by 8. A big 3rd quarter by the Bruins put them on track for a 15 point victory. Pacific secured the upset of the week with a 4 point road win at Whitman.

I was greatly entertained by the Lewis & Clark men during the Pioneer vs. Bruin game at George Fox. They were yelling out lines from Dr. Seuss, "Green Eggs and Ham" when the Bruins were at the free throw line. It had a good spirit to it and was much more fun than the typical attempts to distract the shooter.

Week 7 Preview
Senior nights will begin this week as Pacific, Whitman, and Whitworth all have their final regular season home games. Congratulations to all seniors for your hard work in the classroom and on the court.
George Fox travels to Whitworth and Whitman. The Bruins are one win away from guaranteeing at least a share of the NWC title. The Whits are wanting to win out in an attempt to catch UPS for the #2 seed in the conference tournament. UPS travels to Linfield and Pacific and the Loggers must stay focused if they intend to win both.

First Regional Rankings are out.
Not surprisingly the undefeated Bruins are ranked #1 in the West. I realize the criteria used to create the rankings justifies not having another NWC team in the top 8 in the West right now. However, I wish there was a way to consider the historical strength of the conference. Unless there is an obvious downturn in the conference, it seems that the 2nd place team in the conference should always be in the top 8 in the West.

BruinFan

Week 7 Review
The home team went 2-7 this week with only Whitman and Whitworth each picking up a victory while hosting Willamette.  Congrats to GFU, UPS, and PLU for all going 2-0 on the road. Bruins had to work to come up with single digit victories (by 8 at Whitworth and then by 7 at Whitman). A tough conference.

Week 8 Preview
Senior nights for George Fox, Linfield, PLU, Lewis and Clark, UPS, and Willamette. Congratulations to all.

George Fox beat Willamette by 32 points on Tuesday, but if you look closely you will see the score was 10-4 Bearcats with about 4 minutes to go in the first quarter. The Bruins then went on a 17-0 run and never looked back.

GFU is the Northwest Conference champion, which secures the #1 seed for the 4-team conference tournament, and have a game at Linfield as the remaining obstacle to their second consecutive undefeated regular season. It is set that UPS, Whitman and Whitworth will be the other 3 teams in the tournament. However, it is far from clear what the seeding will be. If UPS were to drop both home games to the Whits this weekend we could easily see a 3-way tie at 11-5 and have to go to a tiebreaker format, because head-to-head has nothing but same records as well. The most simple solution that will not involve any tiebreakers is if UPS defeats just one of the Whits. That would make UPS #2, the losing Whit #4, and the winning Whit #3. (This is all assuming that PLU does not pull of an upset.) Should UPS win both games, a tiebreaker will still be needed to determine which Whit is #3 and which is #4.

I think Pacific has the best shot at finishing on top of the current 3-way tie in 5th place. They have really battled through the season ending loss of their point guard several weeks ago. They are on the road at Linfield and then at Lewis and Clark.

Willamette has a shot to finish with 5 conference wins for the first time in about 10 years if they defeat Lewis and Clark on Friday.

It is almost tournament time! Semi-finals will be on Thursday, February 25.

BruinFan

3 OT game last night between Whitman and PLU!
If you missed it Megan Abdo, a senior and leading scorer for PLU, hit a half-court shot at the buzzer to send it to overtime. Unfortunately for PLU, a pair of free throws were missed with under 3 seconds to play that could have broke the tie at the end of the first overtime.

PLU came so close. It will be interesting to see if Whitman has anything left at UPS today. UPS easily defeated Whitworth by 23 points and claimed the #2 seed and a home game for the conference tournament.

All that is left is to clarify seeds 3 and 4 between the Whits. Whitman plays at UPS and Whitworth plays at PLU. I think tonight's games may not change a thing - here's why:
If either both teams lose or both teams win - no tie and Whitman gets the 3 seed and a return trip to UPS next Thursday.
If Whitman wins, but Whitworth loses - same result as above.
If Whitworth wins and Whitman loses, so they both finish 10-6, they then have identical records against GF and UPS. The next team to measure against for the tiebreaker should be Linfield. Even if Linfield loses today and finishes tied with Pacific, Linfield is 2-0 against Pacific this year. Against Linfield Whitman is 2-0 and Whitworth is 1-1, breaking the tie in Whitman's favor.

So, I think we are all set for Thursday's conference tournament semi's
#4 Whitworth at #1 George Fox
#3 Whitman at #2 Puget Sound

UPS appears hot right now. I would love to see 2 teams make the NCAA tournament, and the best chance for a second team is UPS, either with the automatic qualifier or a strong enough finish to hopefully have the numbers needed to get in.

Pinecone_Curtain

BruinFan you do a great job keeping this site up to date on NWC womens hoops. As a Whitworth fan, they played GF tough in Spokane. Do you think Whitworth has any chance? Do you think Whitman could pull an upset on UPS? Or do you think the seeds will play out?

BruinFan

Pinecone, thanks for checking in. I think UPS is playing the most consistent right now. Whitworth, Whitman, and George Fox have looked vulnerable for at least 1-2 quarters a game over the last few weeks in games they should have dominated.

I say about 75% likelihood that top seeds will win out - but all of these teams are feisty with established coaches - so no guarantees. The odds are stacked against the Pirates because in six seasons Coach Meek's Bruins are 74-3 at home.

BruinFan

OK - a lot to catch up on as other priorities took my attention this week.

Week 8 in review
As detailed in a previous post, PLU took Whitman to 3 OTs! Other close games had UPS winning at home by 7 over Whitman and claiming the season sweep over both Whits. Pacific won by 5 at Lewis and Clark, LC won on Friday at Willamette by 9 and denying the Bearcats their quest to get to 5 conference wins for the first time in many years. GF won at Linfield by 10 with what appeared to be a record number of players either being DQed or finishing with 4 fouls.

A foreshadowing of the conference tournament semi-finals took place with GF and UPS being the only teams to go 2-0 during the final week of the season.

Conference Tournament Semis
Recently it seems like GF has been based on only 1-2 dominant quarters. Not so much on Thursday, as they stayed sharp most of the game and defeated Whitworth 95-64 in Newberg. Whitman had to travel back to Tacoma and play UPS again after losing to them by 7 on Saturday. This time it went to overtime and UPS prevailed 84-79.

Tournament Final
Takes place tonight at 7 PM with GFU hosting UPS for the AQ. GF will be in NCAA tournament win or lose, but UPS is likely a long shot to get in with an at-large bid and needs the victory tonight. The Bruins players and coaches will never say it, but there is some angst on campus outside the program that Coach Meek was not COY even though they went 25-0. Justine Benner made first team, but POY went to Emily Sheldon of UPS. So ... UPS comes to Newberg with the COY and POY honors and I think the Bruins will have a little extra motivation. Earlier this season this match-up started with a 33-6 lead by GF.

I personally think selecting POY can be a challenge and don't begrudge Sheldon receiving the honor. COY however is a bit of a head scratcher. Both GF and UPS repeated their conference records from last season (16-0 and 13-3 respectively), so you can't look to improvement. Both teams lost 3 starters from 2014-15. I would think that repeating a 25-0 campaign would still get you Coach of the Year. Oh well, I will take cutting down the nets tonight over the ups and downs of conference honors.

Congratulations to all the hard working players and coaches.
2016 All-NWC Women's Basketball Team Announced; Sheldon and Payne Take the Top Honors
http://nwcsports.com/sports/wbkb/2015-16/news (see Feb.23 release for list of all-NWC honors)

This post is getting long, so in my next one I will evaluate the conference predictions I made in December.

DBQ1965

What is the NCAA rule or requirement that keeps George Fox from hosting a tournament game?
Reality is for those who lack imagination 😀

bballfan13

Quote from: DBQ1965 on March 03, 2016, 08:43:21 PM
What is the NCAA rule or requirement that keeps George Fox from hosting a tournament game?

It's the NCAA's overall budget constraint. They would need to fly multiple teams to George Fox. If the schools are within 500 miles of each other the NCAA will bus the team, over that then they need to fly per policy. The NCAA tries to limit total amounts of flights per tournament as the costs run up. It's unfortunate for George Fox but with no one close enough (and no one else from their conference qualifying as they have in the past few years) then they must hit the road early.

BruinFan

Here is something I had not thought about before regarding the financial constraints and the cost of flights. Not all flights are created equal as far as cost depending on the destination. For example, it certainly costs a lot more for George Fox to go to Wisconsin then California. Now, whether or not it would ever balance out that flying two teams to California equates to one team flying to Wisconsin is highly unlikely - but it did make me curious.

The only road to the championship game this year for the Bruins is through the air to the midwest as many as 4 times depending on how many games they win.

Dave 'd-mac' McHugh

Quote from: BruinFan on March 03, 2016, 11:52:55 PM
Here is something I had not thought about before regarding the financial constraints and the cost of flights. Not all flights are created equal as far as cost depending on the destination. For example, it certainly costs a lot more for George Fox to go to Wisconsin then California. Now, whether or not it would ever balance out that flying two teams to California equates to one team flying to Wisconsin is highly unlikely - but it did make me curious.

The only road to the championship game this year for the Bruins is through the air to the midwest as many as 4 times depending on how many games they win.

The NCAA and committees aren't going to spend more time bracketing, deciding which flight(s) would be cheaper and bracketing that way. Also, flights at this point in the time line (days, not weeks, in advance) are probably negligible.
Host of Hoopsville. USBWA Executive Board member. Broadcast Director for D3sports.com. Broadcaster for NCAA.com & several colleges. PA Announcer for Gophers & Brigade. Follow me on Twitter: @davemchugh or @d3hoopsville.

D O.C.

Well, the Foxy Ladies were not negligible.
Great win.
I tease Whitworth and I laud George Fox.