Monmouth College Summer Shootout (Girl's Basketball)
6/26/10
There was no agenda for my Saturday coverage at the Monmouth College girl's basketball shootout (Day 2). I had pondered on going early for the first games at 9:00 a.m. and leaving early, or getting there about noon and staying the rest of the day. As it turned out, I woke up early and reached the Huff Athletic Center around 10:30 a.m.
In the early sessions, I didn't grab too much video, as I spent some time talking. Ottawa Marquette beat Lanark Eastland, 42-40. Illini Central downed Wethersfield, 37-29, Sherrard beat Jacksonville Routt Purple, 38-21, Eastland beat Ridgewood, 30-20, and Routt Gold beat Stockton, 48-20.
Before his 11:00 game against Eastland, I talked with Ridgewood head coach Bryan Brooks. He wasn't too happy with the Friday night performance, and was looking at a much better Saturday. I was going to ask him about a post player that played pretty well down low. It turns out, she will just be a freshman.
Speaking of Ridgewood, I ran into my Monmouth-Roseville football broadcast partner, Kevin Ferry. He will be taking his Velocity choir group down to Busch Stadium next Saturday, as they perform the National Anthem before the Cardinals/Brewers game. His niece, plays for Ridgewood and was there watching her.
After the pool play games wrapped up at about 12:45, the seeds were released for the single elimination tournament. The seeds were based on records in pool play. I was surprised by some of the seeds, specifically United (#22), of the 25 teams.
Before the tournament, I ran into Jerry Wilson, head coach of the Havana Ducks. I asked him to make sure how many girls he had back, and he returns all of his top players (8 or 9). I have already annointed the Lady Ducks, my preseason #1 in Class 1A for 2010-11.
I also ran into Monmouth-Roseville head coach Jim Cole upstairs, as he was watching some action on the Glennie Gymnasium courts. Sherrard guard Aimee Iverson's grandmother approached me, asking me where I was from, as she had seen me taking video of various games.
Tournament Seeds
1) Havana
2) Jacksonville Routt (Gold)
3) Dunlap
4) Freeport Aquin
5) Lake Villa Lakes (Blue)
6) Burlington (IA)
7) Bureau Valley
8) Sherrard
9) Orion
10) Lanark Eastland
11) Wethersfield
12) Lake Villa Lakes (White)
13) Flanagan-Cornell/Woodland
14) Illini Central
15) Forreston
16) B-PC/A
17) Stockton
18) Pekin
19) Monmouth-Roseville
20) Ridgewood
21) Ottawa Marquette
22) United
23) Oregon
24) Burbank Reavis
25) Jacksonville Routt (Purple)
In first round games, B-PC/A beat Routt (Purple), Wethersfield beat Ridgewood, United beat Flanagan/Woodland (29-7), Eastland beat Monmouth-Roseville (16-10), Forreston beat Reavis (17-7), Sherrard downed Pekin (7-5 in OT), Stockton beat Orion (16-5), Lakes (White) beat Ottawa Marquette, and Oregon beat Illini Central (14-12).
During tournament play, I ran into Miriam Rutzen, who just finished up her freshman season playing basketball in the Ivy League, for Harvard. She told me a story about playing at Florida State, quite the difference than playing against the Ivy League competition, as far as the fans in the stands. She said she, "Couldn't put the ball in the ocean", referencing her (2-16) day from the field, though she did mention she had a very solid defensive game against the Seminoles. Rutzen averaged 16 minutes/game at Harvard this past season. She said she loves being back in the area, and is keeping very busy, giving basketball lessons to kids, and then painting when she finishes the lessons.
2nd round tournament results
Havana over B-PC/A (27-15)
Wethersfield beat Burlington (18-10)
United over Freeport Aquin (26-15)
Lanark Eastland over Bureau Valley (18-10)
Jacksonville Routt over Forreston (24-6)
Sherrard beat Stockton (16-13)
Lakes Blue beat Lakes White
Dunlap over Oregon (22-11)
Havana looked really solid in the game against their Prairieland Conference counterparts (B-PC/A). The Ducks press was really giving BPCA fits. Havana is such an unselfish ball club, and the team chemistry is amazing. I was much more impressed with Wethersfield's play on Saturday, than on Friday. The Geese have a lot of younger talent to go along with 1,000-point scorer, Shelby Steger. Aquin's post, sophomore to be, Sophie Brunner is very talented, and the United Red Storm handled the Bulldogs. United was without Augusta Chandler and Gina Long in the morning, but they made it back for the tournament. Gina Long is such a tremendous athlete, and the Red Storm will be solid this year. I was really impressed with Sherrard's defense all weekend long. They should be contending for a league title in the new West Central Conference, but my preseason favorite for the new league's north division will be (Carthage) Illini West. I saw Dunlap last weekend at the Galesburg Shootout, and was impressed by a couple of their girls. They have a really nice team, and Lexi Hobbs is really good. Of the guards this weekend, I liked Hobbs, Stockton's #14, Steger, B-PC/A's Kendra Pierce, and of course Havana's guards. My apologies because I am sure I am missing some, but those are the ones that popped out, and that I have been familiar with.
Quarterfinals
Havana beat Wethersfield (21-10)
United beat Lanark Eastland (19-7)
Sherrard beat Jacksonville Routt (15-11)
Dunlap beat Lakes Blue (25-16)
The Havana/United semifinal game had already started, and the officials were waiting on Dunlap, as their game had just finished up with Lakes Blue over in the Huff courts. It was the final game over in the Huff Center, with the rest of the games now in the Glennie Gym. The Dunlap girls came in at the doors I was at, and somebody had to tell them that they were ready to start.
How about United, making a run to the Final Four?!?! I was impressed with them all weekend, and pretty surprised by their seed (#22). I asked Monmouth College assistant women's coach Gary Martin how the seeds were drawn up, just in case I didn't understand right. He did say it was based on pool play. That does make sense, because United lost a couple close ones on Friday, and were without Long and Chandler for the two pool play games in the morning. Martin and I talked for several minutes, and he also said he was very excited about the Fighting Scots women this upcoming season. They will be running the old Nolan Richardson "40 minutes of hell".
The United Red Storm played Havana very tough in the semifinals, and it was a one-point game throughout most of the game. These tournament games were just 20 minute games, as opposed to the two half pool play games, hence the lower scores. The Ducks made a run at about the 7 or 8 minute to play mark, and would prevail by nine points, (22-13). In the other semi, Dunlap downed Sherrard, 25-13.
Dunlap would have to play four consecutive games with zero breaks in between, while Havana had quite a long break early in the tournament waiting out an overtime game, plus a bye. They also had a few minutes before the championship, since they started about five minutes before the Dunlap game.
It seemed that the more tired the Eagles were, the better they played. It looked like Dunlap would wrap up this championship, leading by as many as eight points midway through the contest. It was a four-point game throughout most of it, with Dunlap leading. Free throws at the end of the game by Havana capped off their rally, and won, 27-26 and finished (8-0) over the two days.
After a long day of a hot gym, sweating and getting pretty stinky, it was time for a break!
No comments:
Post a Comment