Lady Shocks v Northern Iowa

[flyingMoose]

Since the conference schedule opens this weekend, I thought it might be useful to post the preseason poll.

1. 400 Illinois State (40)
2. 310 Creighton
3. 279 Drake
4. 251 Evansville
5. 245 Northern Iowa
6. 215 Missouri State
7. 166 Indiana State
8. 161 Bradley
9. 108 Southern Illinois
10. 47 Wichita State

[WuDrWu]

I hope to God that Bradley isn't the 8th best team in the conference. If so it would appear that women's basketball is going to be just as painful, if not more so, than the mens.

[flyingMoose]

I hope to God that Bradley isn't the 8th best team in the conference.

Entering the weekend, Bradley was 2nd and 2nd in the power ratings and RPI ratings respectively at RealTimeRPI.com while Wichita State was 3rd and 7th. Northern Iowa and Missouri State were 9th or 10th in both ratings. Northern Iowa beat Missouri State 65-62 Friday night. So the game with Northern Iowa should tell us something about where we stand in the conference. Caveat. This year is my first exposure to the RealTimeRPI numbers, so I have no idea if they are of any utility at all.

http://realtimerpi.com/ncaab/mvc_Women.html

http://realtimerpi.com/rpi_mvc_Women.html

[LION]

Northern Iowa's best player is out for the season. Jacqui Kalin re-injured a sprained ankle.

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20081211/SPORTS020505/812110370/1093/hawkeye_insider

She was freshmen of the year last season and earned honors on the second team all MVC.

[WuDrWu]

Hey, whaddya know, the Shox getting pasted in a basketball game by a crappy team. Just not as crappy as us.


17-6 DIII school.

[WuDrWu]

PS Grey Goose wore off.

[WuDrWu]

Lady Shocks tell the Doc to shove it where the sun don't shine and take a 28-26 lead going in to the 2nd half.

[WuDrWu]

Shox continue to flip me off, lead 39-31 at the 1st media timeout.

[Denny Crane]

Lady Shocks kick Doc to the curb winning 64-53. Frazier and Sudbeck both with double doubles. We played the last several minutes without Hoyt and Henderson who had fouled out.

[flyingMoose]

FWIW, Bradley defeats Missouri State, 68-59.

[WuDrWu]

Lady Shocks kick Doc to the curb winning 64-53. Frazier and Sudbeck both with double doubles. We played the last several minutes without Hoyt and Henderson who had fouled out.

They certainly did and they showed a level of character after being down 13 in the first half from which our men's team could learn.

[dregn]

It was nice to see that after 50 minutes of Valley play the team from the non-conference part of the schedule finally showed up. That team can compete with anyone in the Valley.

[1972Shocker]

Shocks with a nice comeback win after getting off to another very poor start and trailing 20-7 with 9:36 remaining in the half and Daria Frazier already saddled with 2 fouls.

Shockers came alive behind Daria and Ashley Gladden who had her best game as a Shocker to close the half on a 21-6 run, which included some tough defense, to lead 28-26 at the half.

Shocks with a much more consistent effort in the 2nd half and could have won by more than the final 64-53 score with better free throw shooting.

I thought Daria was outstanding with the exception of her free throw shooting (3-9). She needed the ball in her hands every time down the floor.

I know Doc shows little respect for UNI, but the fact is today's win broke a 20 game losing streak against the Lady Panthers.

It was not particularly pretty, but it was a good win for the Ladies.

I still think we have too much one-on-one play offesnively and no one is going to mistake Marisah and Jacie for Jackie Stiles. Nevertheless, the Ladies hung in their and despite the short-bench I think they actually wore down the deeper UNI team by the end of the game.

It was great to see Shantel Pointer knock down a big three-pointer with 2:13 left to extend the lead to 56-46 and force UNI into end of game foul mode. Her other three point attempt was in and out. If she could gain some confidence and start knocking down some shots it would be a big boost to the Shocks.

[WuDrWu]

I know Doc shows little respect for UNI, but the fact is today's win broke a 20 game losing streak against the Lady Panthers.

I admit little to no knowledge of women's basketball. I know only that which I have witnessed personally.

I haven't had nor will I ever have respect for the UNI school added to the Valley in what has to be considered one of the worst decisions in sports all time. I have respect for their sporting programs that consistently play above their heads. It's a third rate school in a 4th rate town with no money and no support. It's a joke they were added to the conference.

That being said, how disgusting was it to hear the last time we beat UNI in women's basketball the twin towers were still standing? Streaks like that make us a total laughing stock.

It is great that Jody has been able to change the atmosphere so quickly.

[flyingMoose]

I like commenting off of 72's comments rather than generating my own. :)

I arrived in the middle of the first half with the score at 7-17. My wife, an on-time arriver, said that they had made about every mistake imaginable - that Marisah in particular had made a number of bad passes.

Shockers came alive behind Daria and Ashley Gladden who had her best game as a Shocker to close the half on a 21-6 run, which included some tough defense, to lead 28-26 at the half.

I agree. The defensive intensity especially appeared to pick up. Ashley provided a nice lift, especially offensively, and she was solid with her free throws.

I thought Daria was outstanding with the exception of her free throw shooting (3-9).

Daria and Ashley demonstrated how much of free throw shooting is confidence. Heretofore, Ashley was just 6 of 14, but was 4 of 5 today, hitting her first four. Daria is not much above .500 for the season, but when she hits her first couple, she seems to have a good day at the line.

(Daria) needed the ball in her hands every time down the floor.

When both of our point guards had four fouls with lots of time to play, I asked my wife who was going to play point. She said, "Daria." Maybe I should let her write this stuff! :)

It was not particularly pretty, but it was a good win for the Ladies.

Yes. We are more athletic than Northern Iowa and a better team. This is a game we should have won and we did.

I still think we have too much one-on-one play offensively ... It was great to see Shantel Pointer knock down a big three-pointer with 2:13 left ... If she could gain some confidence and start knocking down some shots it would be a big boost to the Shocks.

I agree and it is not entirely clear to me why. Do our posts not show well enough? Do we not use all our opportunities for entry passes? (Does Marisah bounce passes off Marcy's shins, or does Marcy not get wide and low enough? Why doesn't the offense generate more opportunities for the shooting, in our case, forward? Getting offense off of our defense is great, but we need to offense off of our offense, too. And if Shantel starts knocking down threes, she will get the same face guarding treatment that Val gets. (But yes, Shantel was a much better shooter today.)

Other comments. There were a lot of offense/defense substitutions by Coach Adams - some later in the first half and a number with six or seven minutes (or more?) in the second half.

I do not pay a whole lot of attention to the officiating. Normally, I think it is pretty good. Most of the hooting and hollering you hear is unwarranted and just frustrations because we are not doing well. But today, I did not think this crew could agree about how to call the game at all - 50 fouls! And the lead guy is usually pretty good - he calls some Big 12 games. Towards the end, the younger male official calls a rebound out off Val's hands with a UNI player on her back and the female official overrules him from outside. I think he missed the call but there is no way she can overrule him (it seems) given the player positioning. Marcy gets an offensive rebound late outside the lane and is getting mugged. The female official is furthest away and has to call the foul as the outside official on the opposite side of the court when neither of the guys is willing to make the call. Robert, the lead guy, fouls out the UNI point guard late when they are trying to trap Daria against the sideline and she barely touched Daria, if at all. They let go some of the traveling that other crews would have called in a heartbeat. But they were death on three-second violations. Just a few examples - just not consistent on what was going to be called.

Drake and Creighton were both 0-2 on the road. Our road trip to their places next weekend should tell us more about where we stand. Lutz thinks we will finish in the top half of the Valley (Saturday's column?). We shall see.