MMC Women Live Blog vs. Indiana Wesleyan

Hola, welcome to the Lancers live blog against Indiana Wesleyan. It’s five minutes before tip-off. For more info on Indian Wesleyan, check out the preview by fellow P&D sports writer Matt Dahlseid. The link is right below.

http://www.yankton.net/articles/2009/03/12/sports/doc49b89372b3d34796971663.txt

The Lancers just went to the locker room after going through warm-ups. They have been in Sioux City since Tuesday because of the weather. They decided it would be easier to come down early and not deal with any mishaps Mother Nature might provide. They practiced at Briar Cliff college the last couple of days at 8 in the morning.

The Lancers just came back out to a nice ovation. It may be 8:30 in the morning, but the Lancers have a good contingent here. The MMC crowd clearly outnumbers Indiana Wesleyan’s crowd, which is not surprising considering it’s about an hour drive from Yankton. If it weren’t for the MMC crowd, I think there would be 12 fans here.

Matt Dahlseid just said Indiana Wesleyan is good at clapping. They are called the Wildcats and at the moment, I haven’t been given their roster. It’s just about tip-off right now…..hopefully going to get the rosters soon.

Just got the roster, right at tip-off. The tip-off actually went out of bounds and possession went to Mount Marty.

The starting roster for the Wildcats is Kayla Thompson, Andrea Fichter, Rachel Steinbarger, LeAnn Douglas, and Elaine Hessel.

The Lancers are up 3-2 thanks to a three-pointer by Lacey Powell. The MMC starting roster is the same as it has been all year: Michelle Amundson, Dana Marquardt, Katelynn Kunz, Lacey Powell, and Amber Marsden.

Marsden just got called with her first foul, the team’s first foul of the game, with 16:06 left in the first half. The Wildcats are having trouble with Marsden in middle. She has altered a couple shots, has a block and has drawn a charge already. MMC is up 7-6 after Marquardt made a lay-up after Douglas made a couple free throws.

The game is tied at 9-9 with 14:00 left in the first half. There are a couple of Wildcats’ fans right behind us at press row and their eam can do no wrong, but I think two MMC players would’ve fouled out by now and there is a travel or carry on every Lancer possession. Got to love the bias I guess. The game is now tied at 11-11.

I don’tkonw how much homework Indiana Wesleyan did before the game because Marsden has had faked two three pointers so far and the Wildcats have bought it hook, line and sinker. Marsden is 5-21 for three this year. Considering all the people who can make a three pointers for the Lancers, I don’t think its in their game plan to have Marsden shoot the three. She has driven it to the hole both times as well.

The Wildcats are up 13-11 with 11:22 left in the first half and MMC just called a time-out. Neither team has grabbed control of the game and it’s back and fourth.

Just got a kick out the officiating. There was a collison in the middle when MMC was on defense involving Kylie Gross. Then about two second later Amundson got called for a touch foul. I’m not saying it’s wrong and there was no foul on the collison, just funny timing for a touch foul.

The Wildcats have grabbed a small lead and have keeping the Lancers a little off-balance offensively, but the Lancers have tied it up at 15-15 after Amundson made a lay-up and Kunz on the next possession did the same. The Wildcats are up 18-15 after a three from Steinbarger with 6:39 to go in the half.

It will be interesting to see both teams shooting percentages and this game is definitely coming down to defense. The MMC crowd has been a little quiet. The game should have a home feel to it because of the distance. I think as it gets later and I mean prolly by 9-9:30, it will help.

Powell just made a lay-up and the Lancers are down 18-17 with 4:50 left in the half. The Wildcats have been wearing down the shot clock all day. Cassie Neth grabs a rebound and the Lancers go on a fast break and Marsden puts up the easy bucket to putMMC up 19-18 with 4:34. A serious comedy performance about the officiating by the Indian Wesleyan fan behind me. I think all of MMC has fouled out by now on his account.

Amundson has the Lancers last four points and MMC has a small one-point lead at 23-22 with 2:30 to go.

It’s been a pretty clean game so far. Only five total fouls so far. Marsden just picked up her second and Hessel just made a couple of free throws to put the Wildcats up 24-23. Whitney Licktieg comes in for Marsden with 1:15 left in the half.

Licktieg got pass from Kunz down low and puts in the easy shot underneath the basket. With 15.4, Licktieg fouls Dougla, who makes only one of the free throws. Powell misses a three with 8 seconds left, but the Wildcats knock it out of bounds with one second left. The inbounds pass is knocked away and after one half, the game is tied at 25-25. I will update with stats right when I get them, and hopefully they come faster than the Wildcats’ roster.

I wonder how much time is in between games because the Ozarks College and King College are getting their warm-ups in. This is the first time I have ever seen this. Interesting.

I just got halftime stats. Neither team is trouble getting their shots, as the Lancers have taken 29 shots and Indiana Wesleyan have 32 shots. MMC is 12-29 (41 percent) and the Wildcats are 9-32 (28 percent). The Wildcats only have two turnovers and MMC has six. MMC has hit one three-point on six three’s taken. The Wildcats are 2-9 from three point range.

Amundson leads the Lancers with 8 points and Powell has five points. Both Kunz and Marsden have five rebounds. Hessel leads the Wildcats with 8 points and Douglas has five points and four rebounds.

Interesting halftime warm-up music with Michael McDonald. I don’t think basketball and Michael McDonald have ever been put together before. Might be time to review the warm-up music that is played in the Tyson Event Center…..

On the Lancers first possession of the second half, Amundson misses her first shot, but grabs the rebound and Powell ends up nailing a three pointer to give the Lancers a 28-25 lead.

The MMC crowd is ready to go in this second half with a protest of what they thought was a charge on the Wildcats. The guy behind me just broke out a new word that I have never heard before after a Marsden block with the word ridicliouscity. That word is just sums up what I am hearing behind me, plus it was a clear block. Marsden has four blocks in the game and was just called witih her third foul on an over the back when she went up for an offensive rebounds. The Lancers extend their lead to 30-27 thanks to a couple free throws by Kunz with 16:38 to go in the game.

The game is tied at 30-30 when Fichter hit a three pointer. MMC just turned the ball over as well. It’s been a back and fourth game the whole time and the Wildcats have momentum after Douglas hits a lay-up with 14:52 to go and a 32-30 lead. Marquardt hits one of two free throws and MMC is down 32-31.

Burtch hits a running jumper for a 34-31 lead, but Powell follows up with a quick lay-up. The Wildcats turn the ball over and Amundson goes for the lay-up, but the ball was knocked out of bounds. Amundson tries another lay-up but it’s no good. The Wildcats miss their shot and the Lancers get the rebound. Gross misses the shot but grabs her own rebound. Marsden might have been fouled and head coach Tom Schlimgen isn’t liking the non-calls right now. Hessel hits a jumper and the Wildcats are up 36-33. Marsden was just fouled on a lay-up and made both and MMC is down 36-35 with 12:50 to go.

Lickteig comes in for Marsden and fouls Krystal Stoneking who makes the lay-up and free-throw and the Wildcats have their biggest lead at 39-35 and have the edge in momentum. Schlimgen calls a time-out to try and stop it.

The Lancers turn the ball over on an errant pass out of the time-out. Definitely not what they wanted there.

The Lancers get a turnover on the Wildcats next possession. Kunz gets her shot blocked, but MMC keeps the ball. Jenny Miller goes up for the lay-up with five seconds left on the shot clock. She nails both and the Lancers are down 39-37 with 11:16 to go.

The fans for King College and Ozark College are flowing in. It definitely helps to have a game later than 8:30 in the morning. The Wildcats are going on a small run and have extended the lead to 43-37 and the Lancers can’t get their offense going and they turn the ball over. There is still plenty of time for MMC to get back into the game and Schlimgen calls a time-out. The Lancers will have to get something going soon though.

The Lancer crowd and the Lancer players are starting to get frustrated by the officiating as they are getting down in the ball-game. That tends to happen. There is another accidental collision in the middle and the guy behind me goes irate. The Lancers get the ball back on a rebound and Amundson is fouled and hit one free throw and the Lancers are down 43-38. Hessel gets a bucket down low after hitting the floor a little bit ago. It looked like a clear block, but Hessel makes the free throw. Kunz hits a lay-up and MMC is down 46-40 with 8:50 to go.

Another collision and Steinbarger hits a three. All the contact has been incidental. The three puts the Wildcats up 49-40 with 7:09 to go.

The Lancers just can’t get the shot they want right now and have had to settle for a couple of threes. The Wildcats are able to get some offensive rebounds too. Marsden just picked up her fourth foul with 5:42 to go.  Hessel hits one free throw for the ten point 50-40 lead. Marsden stays in the game, gets free and hits a lay-up, but a collision in the middle causes Marsden to pick up her fifth foul and she fouls out of the game with 8 points. It’s now a one on one for the Wildcats and Hessel hits both and it’s a 52-42 lead with 5:26 to go.

Amundson draws a foul and the Lancers are shooting one on ones. She nails both and the Lancers are down 52-44 with 5:14 to go. The Lancers are using the full court press now and Amundson comes away with a steal at midcourt and hits the lay-up. Marquardt picks up a foul and Hessel hits both and MMC is down 54-46 with 4:50 to go.

Neth is fouled on the next possesion and hits one of two, but the Wildcats travel on the in bounds pass. The Lancers are unable to convert and are down 54-47, but the Wildcats throw the ball away at midcourt. The Wildcats are having major trouble with the full-court press with three turnovers in the last minute. The Wildcats call a time-out with 4:14 left and up 54-47.

Fichter get a shot off underneath the basket with one second left on the shot clock. Neth answers with a shot of her own and the Lancers are down 56-49 with 2:50 to go.

Douglas misses a lay-up but grabs her own rebound and is fouled. She makes one three-pointer. Powell tries a three which was somewhat forced and misses it. Amundson is called for a reach-in and Thompson hits only one. Miller is in for more three-pointers. The Lancers turn it over and Steinbarger’s lay-up is good, but Powell nails a three with 1:31 to go and the Lancers are down 60-52. Time-out Lancers.

Thompson just nailed a dager of a three and the Lancers turn the ball over. That might be it as the Wildcats are up 63-52 and Steinbarger is at the line. MMC just wasn’t able to get the shots they wanted in this half and the ones they did like didn’t fall. Steinbarger misses both and Neth hits as shot and Schlimgen calls a time-out. The Lancers are down 63-54 with 39.5 left in the game.

Miller picks up the foul and the Lancer crowd thought it should’ve been a jump ball. Thompson makes one of two free throws and Miller loses the ball going down the court. Hessel makes an easy lay-up to go up 66-54 with 18.4 to go and it’s all but certain. Another easy lay-up and it will be the last points and the Lancers drop a tough one 68-54. The game was a lot closer than the final score.

I will try and put some post-game comments up. Matt Dahlseid will have the game story and I will have a game column tonight in the paper on the tough loss.

Final stats tell the story of the game. MMC only shot 8-26, 31 percent, in the second half and 36 percent, 20-55, for the game. The Wildcats shot 56 percent, 14-25, in the second half and only shot 28 percent, 9-32, in the first half.

Amundson and Powell both had 13 points for the Lancers.

Hessel scored 23 points on 8-12 shooting and 7-7 from the free-throw line. Douglas had 11 points and Steinbarger had 10 points.

Some post-game comments from coach Schlimgen.

He said it was a tough loss and the second half the shots weren’t falling and he didn’t know why really. He did say it was a great season and the team played hard which is exactly what he wanted. He also said how the team could be back next year and has a great, young core. There will be more comments in the game story and column. Thanks for reading and check out the paper and yankton.net for more coverage on the game.

—-Justin Rust