Getting geeked up for this one!

Lots of nice story lines shaping up for discussion...

That is slightly encouraging for Wash-U fans and followers, but most of the folks around the Hilltop Campus are keeping the mantra "Leave No Doubt" firmly in mind and on their tongues, as the final game of the regular season with Chicago approaches.

I truly did not believe that was an intentional foul by Samantha Anderson.  She was trying to gather a rebound and didn't have an additional intent to clear out space with her elbows at the expense of anyone else who happens to be in the way.

It's a tough call to make...officials have to determine what contact comes from the natural flow of the game, vs. the contact that comes from a player intending to put an extra "effort" into a play or situation to gain an unfair advantage.  I don't think Anderson put in that extra effort or intent.

Yes, when I saw Wash-U drop out of the Central Region rankings, I knew that the
Bears will need to win their last 3 games to get a chance to grab what Willy Wonka might call a "Golden Ticket" to the D-III tournament.

D-III is very fascinating.  Very, very different than D-1; where teams can loaf through a non-conference schedule, and if you have 20 wins against decent competition, you get in much more often than not.  However, with so many more teams in D-III, and hence a lot more teams with great records looking for a Golden Ticket, EVERY game is important--even the early-season non-conference contests.

I wonder how many schools learn that lesson the hard and painful way each season?

I guess the large conferences with divisions have to settle the crown via a post-season tourney...forgot about those scenarios.  Keeping the interest high in the midst of challenging academics is a good idea, too.

Regarding the calls of games, thanks 'deis for the compliment!  PBP is one of my grand passions in life...I very much love the craft of it.

Right now, though, I'm going through withdrawals...two straight weekends without games!  I'm getting a little cranky as a result...

Good stuff...now I have another reason to dislike post-season conference tournaments!  I would much rather give a conference crown to a team that displayed excellence throughout an entire season, than to a team that had a 2-3 game hot stretch.  Add the negative change to an in-region winning% for a loss, and I'm surprised that there aren't more conferences discarding post-season tourneys.

I guess somebody is making money from them.  Do the conference teams share in said revenue from those tournaments?

Thanks for all the informative feedback!  Since this is only my second year in the D-III rodeo, I'm still learning how the regional rankings work and other subtleties of D-III.  Until I get a handle on it, I will feel much a tax-preparing neophyte trying to decipher the federal tax code.

Bottom line is to keep winning, to dissolve whatever warts you have before the end of the season (especially if you have to place your fate in Pool C).

What concerns me about this regional-ranking process is the inordinate amount of effect that conference games may have on the rankings. 

I find it hard to fathom that a team like Washington U. could actually drop a place in the regional standings, despite having a current healthy winning streak.  It shouldn't be penalized for playing a struggling team twice in a season, nor should it be rewarded profusely for playing a tough conference foe.  You don't have much choice in this matter...you can't tell your conference that you aren't going to play conference rival Team A, because by doing so your regional ranking will suffer.

Now, if you go out of your way to schedule tough non-conference foes, then you should get beaucoup credit for that; and be penalized for playing softies just to pad an overall and in-region record.

Just my 2 cents, which may be trading at only 1.3 cents in the market of public opnion.

I am enjoying Ben's increased confidence in taking the ball to the basket and dissolving the blankets draped on Gay and Richter.  Having 3 players with double-digit scoring capability seems to exponentially improve a team's chances to be successful, compared to just 2.

Washington did a much better job contesting 3-point shots in the 2nd half.  I don't mind seeing the Bears trade 2s with teams, but they can't afford to get buried from 3-point range or trading their 2s for opponent 3s.

Well done Bears! 

The URL of the Wash-U website should read:

http://bearsports.wustl.edu

My apologies for the earlier mistake.  Looking forward to a fun game tonight!

Washington at Webster Wednesday night on the Wash-U website:

http://bearsports.wusti.edu

Pre-game 7:45, tip-off 8:00.

I agree...the UAA gauntlet will be especially tough to get through this season.  Lots of nail-biting fun for fans every weekend!

I hope you are right!  Although, I feel that there will several more close games and nail-biting finishes this conference season. 

It will be fun...can't wait to get started!

A friendly reminder...

Washington U. plays Hope in a rematch of last season's national championship game Wednesday, December 29th in the first round of the Ohio Wesleyan Classic.

Tip-off is slated for 6:00 p.m. Eastern.