WBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[iwu70]

GreenBeer, exactly.  Those are the two I had in mind in mentioning the injury bug that has plagued the Titans early on this year.  Both of those players have potential.  We'll see.  The Titans need to get "run and jump" going and have a better margin on TOs, and reduce their own TOs and mistakes.  They play at an incredibly fast pace, but when doing so you can shoot yourself in the foot when turning the ball over too much.  I actually think that Bardic has not really found her stroke as yet this year. 

Overall, I think this team when it comes into form, knows more about its identity, will have a great chance of winning the conference again.  Lots of uncertainties when playing so many freshmen and so many new combinations in the rotation.

Time will tell . . .

IWU'70

[iwu70]

By all reports so far, the games at IWU are being played today -- snow or no snow. 

IWU'70

[Green Beer]

IWU70, that's my understanding too. Unfortunately, I have to drive in from Lexington, and the roads are getting bad. I'm stuck with watching online. Oh well, I'll cry into my green beer.

[iwu70]

#17 IWU over #16 UW Lacrosse, 64-53. 

For LX:
Janke 17 and 11
Waukau 9
Welsch 9

LX had 25 TOs, with the IWU press having its impact today.

For IWU:
Bardic 22 with 6 assists
Kobylarczyk 18
White 12 with 5 steals
Leyden 12 rebounds

IWU shooting 40%, 24% from three, and 100% from the line.

IWU winning the TO line 16-25, with 16 total steals.

IWU moves to 3-2 and will play a very strong Wash U team tomorrow for the Midwest Challenge Championship at 4 p.m.

Lacrosse plays DePauw in the Consolation Game at 2 p.m.

The freshmen are really making their presence known.

IWU'70

[iwu70]

A wonderful weekend to be a Titan, with IWU taking down two top 20 opponents to win the Midwest Challege Tournament at The Shirk.  They beat UW Lacrosse last night, and took down #19 Wash U tonight, 59-54.  Wash U was up by 11 with about 7 minutes to go, but IWU came roaring back with key take-aways and FTs, to win.  Absolutely smothering defense on All-American Lexy Harris by freshman Caitlyn Leyden, causing her great frustration and fouls, keeping her off the floor much of the first half.  She finished with 5 points and 7 rebounds. 

For Wash U:

Rogers, making the All-Tournament team, 18
Hughes 11
Rich 10
Harris only 5 and 7,  also making the All-Tournament team

Wash U had 21 TOs against IWU's constant pressure and press.

For IWU:
White 22 and 7 with 4 steals, named the Tournament MVP, most deservedly.
Balli, perhaps her best game, 18 and 12
Bardic 10
Leyden 9 rebounds and tenacious defense on Harris and other Wash U bigs all evening.

Bardic and Kobylarczyk also named to the All-Tournament team.

IWU shooting 35%, 30% from three, and 75% from the line.

A great win, especially when March rolls round.  IWU moves to 4-2 in this rugged pre-CCIW phase. 

A gritty, gusty win tonight, with the two freshmen playing a key part in this win. 

IWU'70

[Green Beer]

Went to the Titan game yesterday. Freshman Lucy Hynes had a boot on each foot. That has to be dangerous walking on ice.

[iwu70]

IWU moves up to #13 in the new poll, after a successful weekend defeating two top-20 teams.  Carroll also moves up to #16.

Yes, GreenBeer, two boots.  Not good.  At least Sears is back now and it sounds like Laura Mahlum may be closer to a return too.  We'll see.

The defense of Heyden on the All-American Harris from WashU was really something, perhaps some of the best defense I've seen in my many years watching IWU basketball.  Harris with 5 points and sitting on the bench major portions of the first half with two fouls, and with great frustration.  Heyden did a terrific job and was the MVP of the Championship Game IMHO.  Of course, for the tournament as a whole, Sawyer White was a very deserving MVP.  She's really picking up her offensive game to match here tremendous defense, as well as being the court general for the Titans this season. 

IWU to Augie tomorrow night -- weather permitting.  The CCIW race begins . . .

IWU'70

[iwu70]

IWU starts off the CCIW season on a good note -- 74-70 over Augie in Rock Island.  This IWU team is good, but they are not going to blow anybody away. 

For AC:
Melton 14
Erickson 12
Jones 10

Augie shooting 50%, 43% from three, 74% from the line.  42 points in the paint.  But, 25 TOs.

For IWU:
Bardic 22
White 18
Kobylarczyk 13
Balli 11 and 6  (very balanced by the starters)
Leyden 8 rebounds and 7 steals

IWU shooting 40%, 30% from three, 77% from the line.  Scoring 27 points off Augie's TOs.

IWU moves to 5-2, 1-0 in CCIW play.

IWU'70

[lmitzel]

NCC 70
Carthage 66

I wasn't feeling great about this one for a chunk of it. The Cardinals gave up a second chance buzzer beating three to end the first down two, then gave up a go-ahead basket in the closing seconds of the first half to trail by two, then gave up a bunch of easy layups to go down 10 midway through the third. But Taylor Marquardt and Kennedy Hartwig hit back to back threes, followed by an Ameli Sanchez three point play to get NCC back into it. Even with that though it took until Biz Daly hit a layup with 82 seconds left to put the Cardinals up 66-64. Malia Green answered with a layup at the other end, but Jocelyn Trotter gave the Cardinals the lead for good by splitting a pair of free throws with 33 ticks left.

Ameli Sanchez: 14 pts, 3 ast
Biz Daly: 14 pts, 7 reb, 3 blk
Jocelyn Trotter: 13 pts, 10 reb

Alyssa Orozco: 15 pts, 5 reb
Mallory Winters: 15 pts (10 in the 2nd half)
Grace Cord: 12 pts, 8 reb