Will it ever get old? I doubt it. For the third time this season, the girls' team at Galesburg (Ill.) HS made 21 3-pointers in a single game, tying its state record set earlier this season in a 90-45 victory over Quincy on Thursday night in the Western Big 6 conference.
Eight different players made at least one 3: Jessica Howard (eight), Jessica Lieber (five), Mickey Rodriguez (three), Megan Young (two), Jamie Johnson (one), Myra Diggins (one) and Sharron Diggins (one). Here are the other stats for the Streaks (17-3, 5-1 WB6):
- Attempted 76 shots (goal is 72)
- Attempted 59 3-pointers (goal is 36)
- Rebounded 36 percent of the misses on offense (goal is 40 percent)
- Forced 30 turnovers (goal is 26)
- Attempted 10 more shots than Quincy (goal is 15)
Here's some individual numbers:
Rebounds - Johnson nine and Sadee Hamilton six
Assists - Paige Klinck eight and Tai Peachey seven
Steals - Howard four, with Lieber and Young adding three each.
All in all, a great night for coach Evan Massey and his team. The Streaks now are leading the WB6 standings by a half-game over Rock Island. Galesburg stepped out of conference Friday night to play Normal West at home, and I'll have the results this weekend.
Meanwhile, the boys' team at Eisenhower HS in Blue Island, Ill., got back on a winning note, beating Bremen on the road 91-85. This likely was particularly special for Cardinals coach Mike Curta, who previously coached at Bremen.
Here are the numbers for the Cardinals:
- Attempted 84 shots (goal is 80)
- Attempted 47 3-pointers, or 56 percent of total shots (goal is 40 percent)
- Rebounded 37 percent of the misses on offense (goal is 35 percent)
- Forced 28 turnovers (goal is 26)
- Attempted 34 more shots than Bremen (goal is 24)
Nice bounce back for Coach Curta and his team. They traveled to TF South on Friday, so check back in for the results. I wish Eisenhower the best of luck.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
ONU wins CCAC opener easily, Grinnell takes a loss on the road
Anyone who ever has read this blog knows how The System allows a coach, and a team, to spread the love among the entire roster. And by love I mean points, rebounds, assists and steals. You know, playing time, run. It is one of the beauties of this style, and easily my favorite facet.
Sure, I love the 3-pointers, and the high scoring, yet the most perfect part of teams employing this is how so many players are a part of any success. The NAIA women's team at Olivet Nazarene proved this again Tuesday night.
The Tigers trailed only twice -- the final time at 9-8 -- and pulled away in the second half to beat Roosevelt University 120-84 in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference. It was ONU's first CCAC game; the Lakers had won their first conference game, beating St. Francis 87-66 last Saturday.
Here is what the Tigers (13-4, 1-0 CCAC) did:
- Attempted 94 shots
- Attempted 56 3-pointers
- Rebounded 38 percent of the misses on offense
- Forced 39 turnovers
- Attempted 12 more shots than Roosevelt (12-6, 1-1)
Individually, the numbers speak for themselves. ONU sent 16 players on the court at one time or another, each for at least 8 minutes and no one for more than 15. Seven different players scored in double figures, led by Miranda Geever's 16 points and followed by Danielle Pipal (14), Malory Adam (14), Holly Schact (12), Lexie Heinold (12), Stephanie Denius (12) and Simone Coburn (11). Three players -- Geever, Rachel Kearney and Lisa Beyer -- finished with four steals apiece. Five different players totaled at least five rebounds, led by seven from Denius. Oh, and three players made four 3-pointers apiece (Schacht, Adam and Heinold).
Amazing, right? Nice effort for coach Doug Porter and his team. They stay in the CCAC with a trip to St. Francis on Saturday, with the opening tip scheduled for 7 p.m. EST. The best of luck to the Tigers.
At Grinnell, the NCAA Division III men's team fell behind early and never really recovered, losing on the road to Illinois College 104-92 in the Midwest Conference on Tuesday. The Blueboys (9-2, 5-1 MWC) shot 62.5 percent for the game and led by at least 10 points over the final 14 minutes or so.
Here are the numbers for the Pioneers (7-4, 2-4):
- Attempted 89 shots
- Attempted 51 3-pointers
- Rebounded 40 percent of the misses on offense
- Forced 28 turnovers
- Attempted 25 more shots that Illinois College
Patrick Maher led Grinnell with 24 points, followed by Aaron Levin (21 points, all on his seven 3s) and Griffin Lentsch (16). The Pioneers host conference foe Lawrence on Friday, followed by a visit from Carroll on Saturday. Here's hoping coach David Arseneault and his team get it going again. I'll let you know how it goes.
Sure, I love the 3-pointers, and the high scoring, yet the most perfect part of teams employing this is how so many players are a part of any success. The NAIA women's team at Olivet Nazarene proved this again Tuesday night.
The Tigers trailed only twice -- the final time at 9-8 -- and pulled away in the second half to beat Roosevelt University 120-84 in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference. It was ONU's first CCAC game; the Lakers had won their first conference game, beating St. Francis 87-66 last Saturday.
Here is what the Tigers (13-4, 1-0 CCAC) did:
- Attempted 94 shots
- Attempted 56 3-pointers
- Rebounded 38 percent of the misses on offense
- Forced 39 turnovers
- Attempted 12 more shots than Roosevelt (12-6, 1-1)
Individually, the numbers speak for themselves. ONU sent 16 players on the court at one time or another, each for at least 8 minutes and no one for more than 15. Seven different players scored in double figures, led by Miranda Geever's 16 points and followed by Danielle Pipal (14), Malory Adam (14), Holly Schact (12), Lexie Heinold (12), Stephanie Denius (12) and Simone Coburn (11). Three players -- Geever, Rachel Kearney and Lisa Beyer -- finished with four steals apiece. Five different players totaled at least five rebounds, led by seven from Denius. Oh, and three players made four 3-pointers apiece (Schacht, Adam and Heinold).
Amazing, right? Nice effort for coach Doug Porter and his team. They stay in the CCAC with a trip to St. Francis on Saturday, with the opening tip scheduled for 7 p.m. EST. The best of luck to the Tigers.
At Grinnell, the NCAA Division III men's team fell behind early and never really recovered, losing on the road to Illinois College 104-92 in the Midwest Conference on Tuesday. The Blueboys (9-2, 5-1 MWC) shot 62.5 percent for the game and led by at least 10 points over the final 14 minutes or so.
Here are the numbers for the Pioneers (7-4, 2-4):
- Attempted 89 shots
- Attempted 51 3-pointers
- Rebounded 40 percent of the misses on offense
- Forced 28 turnovers
- Attempted 25 more shots that Illinois College
Patrick Maher led Grinnell with 24 points, followed by Aaron Levin (21 points, all on his seven 3s) and Griffin Lentsch (16). The Pioneers host conference foe Lawrence on Friday, followed by a visit from Carroll on Saturday. Here's hoping coach David Arseneault and his team get it going again. I'll let you know how it goes.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Glenville State snaps losing skid; North Shore HS dominating
The NCAA Division II women's team at Glenville State ended a two-game losing streak with an emphatic 89-74 victory over the University of Charleston on Monday night in the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The Pioneers (9-5, 7-2) rallied from a 14-point deficit in the first half to win for the first time since Dec. 18.
Tenisha Wilson led the way with 19 points and eight assists, while Mishae Miles added 14 points and Kenyell Goodson had 11. Here are the relevant stats:
- Attempted 90 shots
- Attempted 34 3-pointers
- Rebounded 39 percent of the misses on offense
- Forced 29 turnovers
- Attempted 15 more shots than the Golden Eagles
Charleston (9-5, 5-3) jumped to a 25-11 lead 8 minutes into the game on a jumper by Tiana Beatty, leading to a 30-second timeout by Glenville State coach Bunky Harkleroad. He must have worked his magic, since the Pioneers rallied to within six points by the end of the first half.
They took their first lead of the second half on a 3-pointer from Goodson to make it 50-48, then moved in front to stay about 5 minutes later when Goodson worked inside for a layup. The score was 63-61 at that point, and Glenville State steadily pulled away down the stretch.
Nice W for Coach Harkleroad and his team, who stay at home to face Bluefield State on Thursday night. Game time for that one is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. EST, so check back in for an update.
Meanwhile, the girls' team at North Shore HS in Glen Head, N.Y., continue to roll with the start of conference play. The Vikings are 5-2 overall this season and 3-0 in Conference A-III, and coach Keith Freund's team is coming off two impressive outings.
On Jan. 6, North Shore won at Great Neck North 77-48, and as the saying goes, it likely wasn't that close. The Vikings led 25-2 after the first quarter, leading Coach Freund to really call off the dogs the rest of the way. The result was similar two days before at West Hempstead: the lead after one quarter this time was 21-2, on the way to a final of 67-24.
Coach Freund reports North Shore is ranked second in Nassau County and fourth on Long Island (among public schools) by highschoolhoops.org, an independent Website covering, well, high school hoops in that area. The Vikings were back at it Tuesday night at home against Floral Park, the only other undefeated team in the conference. C'mon back to see how they did.
Tenisha Wilson led the way with 19 points and eight assists, while Mishae Miles added 14 points and Kenyell Goodson had 11. Here are the relevant stats:
- Attempted 90 shots
- Attempted 34 3-pointers
- Rebounded 39 percent of the misses on offense
- Forced 29 turnovers
- Attempted 15 more shots than the Golden Eagles
Charleston (9-5, 5-3) jumped to a 25-11 lead 8 minutes into the game on a jumper by Tiana Beatty, leading to a 30-second timeout by Glenville State coach Bunky Harkleroad. He must have worked his magic, since the Pioneers rallied to within six points by the end of the first half.
They took their first lead of the second half on a 3-pointer from Goodson to make it 50-48, then moved in front to stay about 5 minutes later when Goodson worked inside for a layup. The score was 63-61 at that point, and Glenville State steadily pulled away down the stretch.
Nice W for Coach Harkleroad and his team, who stay at home to face Bluefield State on Thursday night. Game time for that one is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. EST, so check back in for an update.
Meanwhile, the girls' team at North Shore HS in Glen Head, N.Y., continue to roll with the start of conference play. The Vikings are 5-2 overall this season and 3-0 in Conference A-III, and coach Keith Freund's team is coming off two impressive outings.
On Jan. 6, North Shore won at Great Neck North 77-48, and as the saying goes, it likely wasn't that close. The Vikings led 25-2 after the first quarter, leading Coach Freund to really call off the dogs the rest of the way. The result was similar two days before at West Hempstead: the lead after one quarter this time was 21-2, on the way to a final of 67-24.
Coach Freund reports North Shore is ranked second in Nassau County and fourth on Long Island (among public schools) by highschoolhoops.org, an independent Website covering, well, high school hoops in that area. The Vikings were back at it Tuesday night at home against Floral Park, the only other undefeated team in the conference. C'mon back to see how they did.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
ONU, Galesburg HS roll to victories; Glenville State, Eisenhower HS lose
The NAIA women's team at Olivet Nazarene returned to action from the holiday break Saturday, and the results nearly were the same was when we left the Tigers. They jumped out to a quick lead and never looked back, beating Lindenwood-Belleville 118-69 in the friendly confines of McHie Arena.
This appears to have been a perfect way to get back into the swing of The System; Lindenwood-Belleville (4-16) is a program in its infancy, so it is likely the players weren't quite ready for the type of pressure ONU was going to bring. The margin quickly ballooned in the first half, going from 13-2 to 23-4 before it stabilized a bit with Tigers coach Doug Porter subbing even more liberally than normal: all 15 players saw between 6 and 8 minutes of run, and that continued for the remainder of the game.
Lexie Heinold made the most of her time, making six 3-pointers and finishing with 18 points to lead ONU. Five teammates joined her in double figures, including Holly Schacht (15 points), Simone Coburn (14), Taylor Haymes (12, all on 3s), Malory Adam (11) and Stephanie Denius (10).
Danielle Pipal, whom I enjoy referring to as the "glue" for the team, got hers in only 10 minutes of play, finishing with six points, three rebounds (all offensive), three assists and NINE steals. Pretty amazing, right? Lisa Beyer dropped five dimes (assists, remember?) and added four steals for Coach Porter.
Here are The Formula stats:
- Attempted 111 shots
- Attempted 73 3-pointers
- Rebounded 45 percent of the misses on offense
- Forced 42 turnovers
- Attempted 35 more shots than the Lynx
All in all, a nice effort for the Tigers, who have averaged 116 points in their three-game winning streak that began on the trip to Hawaii. They open Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference play Tuesday night, at home, against Roosevelt University, with tip scheduled for 8 p.m. EST. Best of luck to Coach Porter and ONU.
At Galesburg (Ill.) HS on Saturday, the girls' team coached by Evan Massey continued to march through its schedule, improving to 16-3 with a 68-48 non-conference victory over Queen of Peace. The Streaks trailed at the half after an uninspired effort in the opening two quarters before responding with a dominant third quarter: they outscored the Pride 24-8 to regain control and held on to win their 11th consecutive game.
Jessica Howard and Paige Klinck each made four 3-pointers as Galesburg finished 14-for-61 on the game, guaranteeing free cheeseburgers for the members of its "Three-diculous" club at school. Oh, c'mon, surely you know that anytime the Streaks make at least 13 3s, the local McDonald's donates the burgers to the members? OK, good, you had me worried.
Here are the other stats:
- Attempted 77 shots (goal is 72)
- Attempted 61 3-pointers (goal is 36)
- Rebounded 31 percent of the misses on offense (goal is 40 percent)
- Forced 32 turnovers (goal is 26)
- Attempted 34 more shots than Queen of Peace (goal is 20)
Nice effort for the Streaks, who host Quincy on Thursday night in the Western Big 6. Go, Galesburg!
Meanwhile, things didn't go quite so well for the NCAA Division II women's team at Glenville State, who lost its second consecutive game on the road in the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference on Saturday, falling to conference leader West Liberty 84-63.
The Hilltoppers (11-1, 6-0 WVIAC) used a 15-2 run early in the game to take control, then steadily pulled away in the second half. Danielle Woodmore led the Pioneers (8-5, 6-2) with 16 points, with Tenisha Wilson and Kristen Golden adding 13 apiece.
The Formula:
- Attempted 91 shots
- Attempted 19 3-pointers (only made one)
- Rebounded 37 percent of the misses on offense
- Forced 24 turnovers
- Attempted 13 more shots than West Liberty
Coach Bunky Harkleroad and his team return to the court Monday, at home, against Charleston, the beginning of a busy week at home. Bluefield State comes into town Thursday, followed by Fairmont State next Saturday. Here's hoping Glenville State gets rolling again.
The boys' team at Eisenhower HS in Blue Island, Ill., lost a tough one Friday night to defending Class 3A state champ Hillcrest 90-72. Here were the numbers:
- Attempted 73 shots (goal is 80)
- Attempted 35 3-pointers (goal is 40 percent of total shots, this was 51 percent)
- Rebounded 25 percent of the misses on offense
- Forced 24 turnovers (goal is 26)
- Attempted four fewer shots than Hillcrest (goal is 24 more)
Here is the report from coach Mike Curta: "Best team that we will play all year and it was obvious. Their Division I point guard was unflustered all night. We just aren’t at the point where we will 'let go' and take chances, gamble and be aggressive. We play tentative, 'not to get beat' too much in the press and we lose our edge. We will get there for several possessions but definitely not enough to overcome the disparity in talent that we saw tonight.
"They also had a D-I big, 6-foot-6 who we didn’t challenge and make work enough up and down the floor. Just got physically dominated which has happened a few times with the number of sophomores that we put out on the floor.
"Not crushed or terribly disappointed, I know that we will get better with System basketball. One of the things that we cannot make big strides in right now is our lack of strength and fundamental skill in our young kids. That will show in a big jump over the offseason we anticipate with these kids."
Next up for the the Cardinals is a trip to Bremen on Wednesday, where Coach Curta previously coached. Hope he and Eisenhower get it going again.
This appears to have been a perfect way to get back into the swing of The System; Lindenwood-Belleville (4-16) is a program in its infancy, so it is likely the players weren't quite ready for the type of pressure ONU was going to bring. The margin quickly ballooned in the first half, going from 13-2 to 23-4 before it stabilized a bit with Tigers coach Doug Porter subbing even more liberally than normal: all 15 players saw between 6 and 8 minutes of run, and that continued for the remainder of the game.
Lexie Heinold made the most of her time, making six 3-pointers and finishing with 18 points to lead ONU. Five teammates joined her in double figures, including Holly Schacht (15 points), Simone Coburn (14), Taylor Haymes (12, all on 3s), Malory Adam (11) and Stephanie Denius (10).
Danielle Pipal, whom I enjoy referring to as the "glue" for the team, got hers in only 10 minutes of play, finishing with six points, three rebounds (all offensive), three assists and NINE steals. Pretty amazing, right? Lisa Beyer dropped five dimes (assists, remember?) and added four steals for Coach Porter.
Here are The Formula stats:
- Attempted 111 shots
- Attempted 73 3-pointers
- Rebounded 45 percent of the misses on offense
- Forced 42 turnovers
- Attempted 35 more shots than the Lynx
All in all, a nice effort for the Tigers, who have averaged 116 points in their three-game winning streak that began on the trip to Hawaii. They open Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference play Tuesday night, at home, against Roosevelt University, with tip scheduled for 8 p.m. EST. Best of luck to Coach Porter and ONU.
At Galesburg (Ill.) HS on Saturday, the girls' team coached by Evan Massey continued to march through its schedule, improving to 16-3 with a 68-48 non-conference victory over Queen of Peace. The Streaks trailed at the half after an uninspired effort in the opening two quarters before responding with a dominant third quarter: they outscored the Pride 24-8 to regain control and held on to win their 11th consecutive game.
Jessica Howard and Paige Klinck each made four 3-pointers as Galesburg finished 14-for-61 on the game, guaranteeing free cheeseburgers for the members of its "Three-diculous" club at school. Oh, c'mon, surely you know that anytime the Streaks make at least 13 3s, the local McDonald's donates the burgers to the members? OK, good, you had me worried.
Here are the other stats:
- Attempted 77 shots (goal is 72)
- Attempted 61 3-pointers (goal is 36)
- Rebounded 31 percent of the misses on offense (goal is 40 percent)
- Forced 32 turnovers (goal is 26)
- Attempted 34 more shots than Queen of Peace (goal is 20)
Nice effort for the Streaks, who host Quincy on Thursday night in the Western Big 6. Go, Galesburg!
Meanwhile, things didn't go quite so well for the NCAA Division II women's team at Glenville State, who lost its second consecutive game on the road in the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference on Saturday, falling to conference leader West Liberty 84-63.
The Hilltoppers (11-1, 6-0 WVIAC) used a 15-2 run early in the game to take control, then steadily pulled away in the second half. Danielle Woodmore led the Pioneers (8-5, 6-2) with 16 points, with Tenisha Wilson and Kristen Golden adding 13 apiece.
The Formula:
- Attempted 91 shots
- Attempted 19 3-pointers (only made one)
- Rebounded 37 percent of the misses on offense
- Forced 24 turnovers
- Attempted 13 more shots than West Liberty
Coach Bunky Harkleroad and his team return to the court Monday, at home, against Charleston, the beginning of a busy week at home. Bluefield State comes into town Thursday, followed by Fairmont State next Saturday. Here's hoping Glenville State gets rolling again.
The boys' team at Eisenhower HS in Blue Island, Ill., lost a tough one Friday night to defending Class 3A state champ Hillcrest 90-72. Here were the numbers:
- Attempted 73 shots (goal is 80)
- Attempted 35 3-pointers (goal is 40 percent of total shots, this was 51 percent)
- Rebounded 25 percent of the misses on offense
- Forced 24 turnovers (goal is 26)
- Attempted four fewer shots than Hillcrest (goal is 24 more)
Here is the report from coach Mike Curta: "Best team that we will play all year and it was obvious. Their Division I point guard was unflustered all night. We just aren’t at the point where we will 'let go' and take chances, gamble and be aggressive. We play tentative, 'not to get beat' too much in the press and we lose our edge. We will get there for several possessions but definitely not enough to overcome the disparity in talent that we saw tonight.
"They also had a D-I big, 6-foot-6 who we didn’t challenge and make work enough up and down the floor. Just got physically dominated which has happened a few times with the number of sophomores that we put out on the floor.
"Not crushed or terribly disappointed, I know that we will get better with System basketball. One of the things that we cannot make big strides in right now is our lack of strength and fundamental skill in our young kids. That will show in a big jump over the offseason we anticipate with these kids."
Next up for the the Cardinals is a trip to Bremen on Wednesday, where Coach Curta previously coached. Hope he and Eisenhower get it going again.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Galesburg HS keeps on Streak-ing, Eisenhower HS readies for challenge
In the finale of the 2009-10 season, the Moline (Ill.) girls' basketball ran past Galesburg 97-53, the largest loss of the season for coach Evan Massey and the Streaks. Well, they got a little payback Thursday night, beating the Maroons 62-53 behind 13 points from Jamie Johnson and contributions from a host of others.
Galesburg's 10th victory in a row was the first over Moline in four years and left the Streaks (15-3, 4-1 Western Big 6) a half-game behind league leader Rock Island (5-1).
After the Maroons (10-11, 3-2) closed within 53-56 with about 3 minutes left in the fourth quarter, Johnson corralled an offensive rebound and found teammate Mickey Rodriguez lurking at the 3-point line. The senior made her shot for a five-point margin and Galesburg made 6-of-8 at the line down the stretch to hold on.
Here are Coach Massey's comments from his blog: "Not our best game of the year but a good road win. There are MANY things I like about this team. But one of the things I like about this team is their enthusiasm. I think it comes from them caring about each other. After the win, after they shook hands, it was so exciting to see our players hugging the coaches and hugging each other. As hard as they have worked in the offseason and during this season, it is good to see how much they enjoy their successes."
Word that. Here is the Formula stuff:
- Attempted 55 shots (goal is 72)
- Attempted 23 3-pointers (goal is 36)
- Rebounded 58 percent of the misses on offense (goal is 40 percent)
- Forced 21 turnovers (goal is 26)
- Attempted four more shots than Moline (goal is 15)
So, much as Grinnell did a night earlier, Galesburg found a way to win when The System was taken away by an opponent. Nice going. The Streaks host Queen of Peace at 2:30 p.m. EST on Saturday, and I wish them the best of luck.
Hey, remember the Eisenhower HS boys' team from Blue Island, Ill.? The first-year System team coached by Mike Curta? Yeah, I figured you did.
Well, over the Holidays, they went through an amazing streak of games, six in seven days during one stretch, followed by another tournament featuring back-to-back games less than a week later. All this denied Coach Curta the necessary practice time to make adjustments, make improvements and otherwise coach his team.
And, really, Eisenhower (7-9) didn't need much tweaking on the offensive end, at least on its effort from the 3-point line. The Cardinals are 225-for-796 from beyond the arc, on pace to set state records for both numbers and should at least challenge the national marks, as well. Pretty impressive.
Coach Curta and his team face a tough challenge Friday night, defending Class 3A state champ Hillcrest travels to play on Eisenhower's home court. Game time was scheduled for 8 p.m. EST, and I'll be sure to let you know how it goes.
Now, as he has all season, Coach Curta was kind enough to give us a glimpse into what he worked on with his team during its recent practice sessions. This included some suggestions from System guru Gary Smith, the retired coach from the University of the Redlands, and Coach Massey. This is great stuff, so please pay attention:
Coach Curta: "We had a really solid six days of practice since last Friday. We spent quite a bit of time watching video of our games over Christmas and really tried to get the kids to see what was happening on the floor and then tell us what were the good things and what we needed to work on. I’ve always thought that when the kids respond initially to what they see on video with their thoughts it gives our team much better insight into where we are at.
"Once on the floor, we tried to keep things simple and work on refining those few things that we are really trying to do well. We incorporated more varied shooting drills to try and simulate getting quality shots up while going at our pace. They were also more competitive than we had been doing which got the kids juices flowing. Coach Smith was a great help to us with a couple of ideas that I think will help us on both offense and defense. I went back to the message board and printed out all of his messages and our staff bounced around some of the things that he had found successful with his group at Redlands.
"Offensively we are, as always, concentrating on the speed with which we convert from defense to offense. We also tweaked a few things with our 2 man diving back through the lane if we are unable to get him an open look off the staggers, or we are unable to get a slip. In addition, we have really been pushing our point guards to be more aggressive in looking to score first.
"Defensively we were able to spend more time with our presses, particularly our STAY call. We spent most of our time in this area walking through ball movement and rotations so that the kids could see how we need to be more aggressive. Coach Massey’s 5-on-4 drill with a coach inbounding and dictating various offensive looks for the defense was really helpful to the kids.
"As far as (Friday), we play a conference opponent who is the defending 3A state champion and is currently having another great season….I think that they have something like 23 or 24 straight seasons of 20 wins or more. This is the game that I have been looking forward to the most because they are really good, well coached, they like to pressure and run, and it will be a great challenge for us. It also has put our kids in the spotlight this week.
"We started late last week with a big spread in one of our major papers here in Chicago. Then we started getting calls from television outlets telling us that they have heard about our style of play and had an interest in coming out to see our kids. There was an interview for a high school sports show in the area on Monday. Next Comcast Sports came out on Wednesday for a feature that they will be doing on their highlight show next Friday night. Finally, our local NBC morning show gave us some notice as their game of the week tonight.
"Everyone has been very complimentary and what has stood out for all of them is the fact that all of the kids are playing and we are having fun playing the game of basketball. Now if we can string some wins together we will really have something going here in Blue Island!"
Wow, I spoke the truth, right? Best of luck to Coach Curta and the Cardinals.
Galesburg's 10th victory in a row was the first over Moline in four years and left the Streaks (15-3, 4-1 Western Big 6) a half-game behind league leader Rock Island (5-1).
After the Maroons (10-11, 3-2) closed within 53-56 with about 3 minutes left in the fourth quarter, Johnson corralled an offensive rebound and found teammate Mickey Rodriguez lurking at the 3-point line. The senior made her shot for a five-point margin and Galesburg made 6-of-8 at the line down the stretch to hold on.
Here are Coach Massey's comments from his blog: "Not our best game of the year but a good road win. There are MANY things I like about this team. But one of the things I like about this team is their enthusiasm. I think it comes from them caring about each other. After the win, after they shook hands, it was so exciting to see our players hugging the coaches and hugging each other. As hard as they have worked in the offseason and during this season, it is good to see how much they enjoy their successes."
Word that. Here is the Formula stuff:
- Attempted 55 shots (goal is 72)
- Attempted 23 3-pointers (goal is 36)
- Rebounded 58 percent of the misses on offense (goal is 40 percent)
- Forced 21 turnovers (goal is 26)
- Attempted four more shots than Moline (goal is 15)
So, much as Grinnell did a night earlier, Galesburg found a way to win when The System was taken away by an opponent. Nice going. The Streaks host Queen of Peace at 2:30 p.m. EST on Saturday, and I wish them the best of luck.
Hey, remember the Eisenhower HS boys' team from Blue Island, Ill.? The first-year System team coached by Mike Curta? Yeah, I figured you did.
Well, over the Holidays, they went through an amazing streak of games, six in seven days during one stretch, followed by another tournament featuring back-to-back games less than a week later. All this denied Coach Curta the necessary practice time to make adjustments, make improvements and otherwise coach his team.
And, really, Eisenhower (7-9) didn't need much tweaking on the offensive end, at least on its effort from the 3-point line. The Cardinals are 225-for-796 from beyond the arc, on pace to set state records for both numbers and should at least challenge the national marks, as well. Pretty impressive.
Coach Curta and his team face a tough challenge Friday night, defending Class 3A state champ Hillcrest travels to play on Eisenhower's home court. Game time was scheduled for 8 p.m. EST, and I'll be sure to let you know how it goes.
Now, as he has all season, Coach Curta was kind enough to give us a glimpse into what he worked on with his team during its recent practice sessions. This included some suggestions from System guru Gary Smith, the retired coach from the University of the Redlands, and Coach Massey. This is great stuff, so please pay attention:
Coach Curta: "We had a really solid six days of practice since last Friday. We spent quite a bit of time watching video of our games over Christmas and really tried to get the kids to see what was happening on the floor and then tell us what were the good things and what we needed to work on. I’ve always thought that when the kids respond initially to what they see on video with their thoughts it gives our team much better insight into where we are at.
"Once on the floor, we tried to keep things simple and work on refining those few things that we are really trying to do well. We incorporated more varied shooting drills to try and simulate getting quality shots up while going at our pace. They were also more competitive than we had been doing which got the kids juices flowing. Coach Smith was a great help to us with a couple of ideas that I think will help us on both offense and defense. I went back to the message board and printed out all of his messages and our staff bounced around some of the things that he had found successful with his group at Redlands.
"Offensively we are, as always, concentrating on the speed with which we convert from defense to offense. We also tweaked a few things with our 2 man diving back through the lane if we are unable to get him an open look off the staggers, or we are unable to get a slip. In addition, we have really been pushing our point guards to be more aggressive in looking to score first.
"Defensively we were able to spend more time with our presses, particularly our STAY call. We spent most of our time in this area walking through ball movement and rotations so that the kids could see how we need to be more aggressive. Coach Massey’s 5-on-4 drill with a coach inbounding and dictating various offensive looks for the defense was really helpful to the kids.
"As far as (Friday), we play a conference opponent who is the defending 3A state champion and is currently having another great season….I think that they have something like 23 or 24 straight seasons of 20 wins or more. This is the game that I have been looking forward to the most because they are really good, well coached, they like to pressure and run, and it will be a great challenge for us. It also has put our kids in the spotlight this week.
"We started late last week with a big spread in one of our major papers here in Chicago. Then we started getting calls from television outlets telling us that they have heard about our style of play and had an interest in coming out to see our kids. There was an interview for a high school sports show in the area on Monday. Next Comcast Sports came out on Wednesday for a feature that they will be doing on their highlight show next Friday night. Finally, our local NBC morning show gave us some notice as their game of the week tonight.
"Everyone has been very complimentary and what has stood out for all of them is the fact that all of the kids are playing and we are having fun playing the game of basketball. Now if we can string some wins together we will really have something going here in Blue Island!"
Wow, I spoke the truth, right? Best of luck to Coach Curta and the Cardinals.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Grinnell back in action with a W
After nearly a month off for the holidays -- at least from games -- the NCAA Division III men's team at Grinnell returned to the court with a tough 98-93 victory over Beloit on Wednesday night in Midwest Conference play at Darby Gymnasium. Griffin Lentsch led way with 22 points, Matt Skelly had 21 and Matt Chalupa scored 14 of his 17 in the first half for the Pioneers (7-3, 2-3 MWC).
Freshman Aaron Levin added 13 points and made two clutch free throws with with 29 seconds remaining in the game to give Grinnell that 98-93 lead. Beloit's Michael Horton turned it over on the other end, and despite Skelly missing a pair at the line, the Pioneers hung on.
Kind of a weird game for The System. At the half, Grinnell led 63-51, well on pace for a typical scoring game. And the Buccaneers (3-7, 2-3) finished the opening 20 minutes with 19 turnovers, so the pressure clearly was having an effect. It was much the same after the break, with the Pioneers sprinting to an 17-point lead with 12 minutes left in the game thanks to Chalupa's only points of the half, a 3-pointer to make it 84-67.
So, let's see, 84 points with 12 minutes left, after scoring 21 points in the first 8 minutes. Pretty nice. Not sure what happened after that, since Grinnell managed only 14 points the rest of the way. Not bad for most teams, just not on the usual pace of the nation's highest-scoring team.
Oh, well, at least coach David Arseneault and his team came up with a W in their return to the court. Here are your Formula numbers:
- Attempted 75 shots (goal is 94)
- Attempted 43 3-pointers (goal is 47)
- Rebounded 36 percent of the misses on offense (goal is 33 percent)
- Forced 31 turnovers (goal is 32)
- Attempted five more shots than Beloit (goal is 25)
I tend to look at most things, particularly my favorite men's college team, with a "glass-half-full" approach, so it's striking that the Pioneers won this game while failing to reach four of the five goals. Remember, when they reach all five, they win about 95 percent of the time.
Coach A and the boys have a little more time off, getting back at it on the road at Illinois College (7-2, 3-1) on Tuesday night. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST, and you know I'll be following the action. Good luck, Grinnell.
Also on Wednesday, the NCAA Division II women's team at Glenville State had its five-game winning streak come to an end on the road at Shepherd University in the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The Rams won 102-93, holding off a furious rally by coach Bunky Harkleroad's bunch.
The Pioneers (8-4, 6-1 WVIAC) trailed 73-55 with 14:26 left in the game after Shepherd's Hannah Safren completed a personal 5-0 run with a 3-pointer. The margin still was 11 about 7 minutes later before Glenville State really turned it on -- a 12-2 spurt cut that to a single point, thanks to eights points from Danielle Woodmore.
It was nip and tuck over the next few minutes, with the Pioneers getting within one again at 94-93 with about 90 seconds remaining on LaToya Hambrick's layup. But the Rams (8-3, 6-1) went 8-for-8 at the line down the stretch to complete the scoring, with Glenville State unable to add to its total.
Great comeback for Coach Harkleroad and his team, just too bad they couldn't quite complete it. Here are the goals:
- Attempted 93 shots
- Attempted 29 3-pointers (made only five)
- Rebounded 36 percent of the misses on offense
- Forced 30 turnovers
- Attempted 23 more shots than Shepherd
Next up for the Pioneers is another road game, this time at West Liberty, at 5-0 the only remaining team unbeaten in the conference. Tip is scheduled for 2 p.m. EST. The best of luck to them.
Freshman Aaron Levin added 13 points and made two clutch free throws with with 29 seconds remaining in the game to give Grinnell that 98-93 lead. Beloit's Michael Horton turned it over on the other end, and despite Skelly missing a pair at the line, the Pioneers hung on.
Kind of a weird game for The System. At the half, Grinnell led 63-51, well on pace for a typical scoring game. And the Buccaneers (3-7, 2-3) finished the opening 20 minutes with 19 turnovers, so the pressure clearly was having an effect. It was much the same after the break, with the Pioneers sprinting to an 17-point lead with 12 minutes left in the game thanks to Chalupa's only points of the half, a 3-pointer to make it 84-67.
So, let's see, 84 points with 12 minutes left, after scoring 21 points in the first 8 minutes. Pretty nice. Not sure what happened after that, since Grinnell managed only 14 points the rest of the way. Not bad for most teams, just not on the usual pace of the nation's highest-scoring team.
Oh, well, at least coach David Arseneault and his team came up with a W in their return to the court. Here are your Formula numbers:
- Attempted 75 shots (goal is 94)
- Attempted 43 3-pointers (goal is 47)
- Rebounded 36 percent of the misses on offense (goal is 33 percent)
- Forced 31 turnovers (goal is 32)
- Attempted five more shots than Beloit (goal is 25)
I tend to look at most things, particularly my favorite men's college team, with a "glass-half-full" approach, so it's striking that the Pioneers won this game while failing to reach four of the five goals. Remember, when they reach all five, they win about 95 percent of the time.
Coach A and the boys have a little more time off, getting back at it on the road at Illinois College (7-2, 3-1) on Tuesday night. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST, and you know I'll be following the action. Good luck, Grinnell.
Also on Wednesday, the NCAA Division II women's team at Glenville State had its five-game winning streak come to an end on the road at Shepherd University in the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The Rams won 102-93, holding off a furious rally by coach Bunky Harkleroad's bunch.
The Pioneers (8-4, 6-1 WVIAC) trailed 73-55 with 14:26 left in the game after Shepherd's Hannah Safren completed a personal 5-0 run with a 3-pointer. The margin still was 11 about 7 minutes later before Glenville State really turned it on -- a 12-2 spurt cut that to a single point, thanks to eights points from Danielle Woodmore.
It was nip and tuck over the next few minutes, with the Pioneers getting within one again at 94-93 with about 90 seconds remaining on LaToya Hambrick's layup. But the Rams (8-3, 6-1) went 8-for-8 at the line down the stretch to complete the scoring, with Glenville State unable to add to its total.
Great comeback for Coach Harkleroad and his team, just too bad they couldn't quite complete it. Here are the goals:
- Attempted 93 shots
- Attempted 29 3-pointers (made only five)
- Rebounded 36 percent of the misses on offense
- Forced 30 turnovers
- Attempted 23 more shots than Shepherd
Next up for the Pioneers is another road game, this time at West Liberty, at 5-0 the only remaining team unbeaten in the conference. Tip is scheduled for 2 p.m. EST. The best of luck to them.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
MVP Howard, Peachey lead Galesburg to tourney title
The final statistics might not have screamed "SYSTEM," as they did when the girls' team at Galesburg (Ill.) HS set and then tied a state record for 3-pointers in a single game twice in one day, the day before the final. Yet the result was all the same -- the Streaks came out on top.
Tourney Most Valuable Player Jessica Howard had 23 points, point guard Tai Peachey missed only one of her 10 free throw attempts in the fourth quarter and Galesburg held on to beat Teutopolis 79-67 in the championship game of the Charleston Holiday Tournament last Wednesday at Eastern Illinois University.
Peachey added six rebounds and three steals on her way to the all-tournament team, where she was joined by Howard and Jamie Johnson. The Streaks (14-3) have won their past 10 games, a great run of success for coach Evan Massey and his players. The most recent one wasn't easy. The Wooden Shoes of T-Town (12-2) were ranked seventh in the state in Class 2A and had about 2,000 of their fans in attendance hoping to will them to victory.
The opening possession set the tone. According to Coach Massey's blog, Teutopolis started four players 5-foot-10 or taller, while Galesburg doesn't have anyone that tall. Yet after winning the opening tip, the Steaks got off four 3-pointers (and rebounded the first three), with Howard making the final one for a quick 3-0 lead.
It was that type of effort that helped Galesburg win a holiday tournament for the first time since 1999. With the Wooden Shoes frantically denying as many opportunities as possible from beyond the arc, The Formula numbers are a bit skewed. Here they are:
- Attempted 52 shots (goal is 72)
- Attempted 27 3-pointers (goal is 36)
- Rebounded 43 percent of the misses on offense (goal is 40 percent)
- Forced 28 turnovers (goal is 26)
- Attempted three less shots than T-Town (goal is plus-20)
Coach Massey wrote on the blog that Wooden Shoes point guard Jessie Wendt was one of the top players his team had faced all season, and she was everywhere in the first half that ended with the Streaks leading 39-38. The pace took its toll on Wendt and her teammates in the final two quarters, allowing Galesburg to pull away.
Who could blame them? Both teams played four games in three days, and since Galesburg was able to go 15-deep in both of its outings the day before, its players were better prepared for the final. Another bonus of The System.
A huge congrats to Coach Massey and the Streaks. They return to action Thursday, traveling to Western Big 6 conference foe Moline, with opening tip scheduled for 8 p.m. EST. Good luck to them.
With the holidays now over and the world comfortably in 2011, the schedule gets busy again this week. The NCAA Division III men's team at Grinnell gets back at it Wednesday with a visit from Midwest Conference opponent Beloit, the NCAA Division II women's team at Glenville State travels to Shepherd in a West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game that same night and the NAIA women's team at Olivet Nazarene hosts Lindenwood-Belleville on Saturday.
All our favorite high school teams get going again, too, so check back in for updates. A belated Happy New Year to everyone.
Tourney Most Valuable Player Jessica Howard had 23 points, point guard Tai Peachey missed only one of her 10 free throw attempts in the fourth quarter and Galesburg held on to beat Teutopolis 79-67 in the championship game of the Charleston Holiday Tournament last Wednesday at Eastern Illinois University.
Peachey added six rebounds and three steals on her way to the all-tournament team, where she was joined by Howard and Jamie Johnson. The Streaks (14-3) have won their past 10 games, a great run of success for coach Evan Massey and his players. The most recent one wasn't easy. The Wooden Shoes of T-Town (12-2) were ranked seventh in the state in Class 2A and had about 2,000 of their fans in attendance hoping to will them to victory.
The opening possession set the tone. According to Coach Massey's blog, Teutopolis started four players 5-foot-10 or taller, while Galesburg doesn't have anyone that tall. Yet after winning the opening tip, the Steaks got off four 3-pointers (and rebounded the first three), with Howard making the final one for a quick 3-0 lead.
It was that type of effort that helped Galesburg win a holiday tournament for the first time since 1999. With the Wooden Shoes frantically denying as many opportunities as possible from beyond the arc, The Formula numbers are a bit skewed. Here they are:
- Attempted 52 shots (goal is 72)
- Attempted 27 3-pointers (goal is 36)
- Rebounded 43 percent of the misses on offense (goal is 40 percent)
- Forced 28 turnovers (goal is 26)
- Attempted three less shots than T-Town (goal is plus-20)
Coach Massey wrote on the blog that Wooden Shoes point guard Jessie Wendt was one of the top players his team had faced all season, and she was everywhere in the first half that ended with the Streaks leading 39-38. The pace took its toll on Wendt and her teammates in the final two quarters, allowing Galesburg to pull away.
Who could blame them? Both teams played four games in three days, and since Galesburg was able to go 15-deep in both of its outings the day before, its players were better prepared for the final. Another bonus of The System.
A huge congrats to Coach Massey and the Streaks. They return to action Thursday, traveling to Western Big 6 conference foe Moline, with opening tip scheduled for 8 p.m. EST. Good luck to them.
With the holidays now over and the world comfortably in 2011, the schedule gets busy again this week. The NCAA Division III men's team at Grinnell gets back at it Wednesday with a visit from Midwest Conference opponent Beloit, the NCAA Division II women's team at Glenville State travels to Shepherd in a West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference game that same night and the NAIA women's team at Olivet Nazarene hosts Lindenwood-Belleville on Saturday.
All our favorite high school teams get going again, too, so check back in for updates. A belated Happy New Year to everyone.
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