D3 WBB Daily: ETBU's impressive upset of UMHB, Bates/Middlebury, Whitman/Willamette
Good afternoon! I’m publishing this from the Grand Rapids airport, and would’ve had it out sooner today, but due to three flights and a very fast layover, the publishing of this edition of D3 WBB Daily is a bit delayed. Anyway, hope everyone is enjoying their Friday afternoon!
Tipping Off
ETBU upsets #14 UMHB in dominant fashion, 79-47
We had our fair share of stunners on Wednesday night, as #4 UW-Whitewater, #17 Smith, and #18 UW-Oshkosh fell in conference duels. But I certainly didn’t see another stunner on the horizon when #14 UMHB headed east for an ASC contest against ETBU. While traditionally a strong program, the Tigers were fairly inconsistent through the first half of the season, with five new starters in the lineup, and a series of daunting matchups away from home. It all led to a 1-7 start for the Tigers, who were quickly dismissed from the Top 25 conversation.
But then came a 66-65 upset of Hardin-Simmons on Dec. 2, which was then followed soon after by a three-game win streak, as things began looking up for the Tigers. That said, ETBU entered last night’s contest against a surging UMHB squad having lost three of its last four.
Rankings don’t mean much in league play, though, and ETBU dominated on both ends of the floor from start to finish. The Tigers put up numbers that were very surprising considering the opponent, a team that had won 16 straight entering the game. That included a +31 rebounding margin, notable because of UMHB’s dominance on the boards all season. Heading into the game, UMHB had been outrebounded just twice all season, and by no more than three rebounds. ETBU simply attacked the boards significantly better than The Cru, and added 23 offensive rebounds, which lengthened their time of possession, especially in the second half.
It is important to note that UMHB’s leading scorer Arieona Rosborough was on the floor for just four minutes in the contest, as she comes off an injury. Her absence created a sizable hole within the offense and in the rebounding category, but give credit to ETBU. The Tigers were tougher, quicker, and more aggressive. That won them the game in what is ETBU’s largest win over a ranked opponent in program history. I still think UMHB is the team to beat in the ASC. But it makes things a little more interesting now that The Cru has just a one-game lead over HSU.
(Read more here from etbutigers.com).
#NESCACtion tonight: Keep an eye on Bates at Middlebury
Bates earned its way into the D3hoops.com Top 25 poll this past Monday, breaking in for the first time this season at No. 25 after the monumental win over Tufts last Saturday. The Bobcats are playing terrific basketball right now, and are 4-0 in the NESCAC, one of just two undefeated teams in league play (Bowdoin being the other). But watch out for Middlebury. I continue to say it, but Alexa Mustafaj is such a dynamic scoring threat, and she can easily take over a game by herself. Even when defenses know she’s going to take the shot, it doesn’t make things much easier considering what she can do with the ball in her hands. Led by her efforts, and Augusta Dixon’s strong performances as well, Middlebury is rising each week. The Panthers have already beaten Amherst, and took Bowdoin down to the wire in a three-point loss. You’ll see two big-time playmakers in Bates’ Elsa Daulerio and Middlebury’s Mustafaj, Should be a very competitive contest…tip-off at 7 p.m. ET.
Intriguing matchup in the Pacific Northwest
#22 Whitman travels to Willamette tonight in a game that should be pretty impactful in the Northwest Conference title race. Whitman could use a win here, as the Blues remain one game out of first place in the league standings and could be in danger of ending up on the wrong side of the Pool C bubble with a loss. The way things are shaping up, Willamette has a good probability of being regionally-ranked, which could give Whitman another valuable RRO win and would certainly help the Blues claim a Pool C bid in the event that they don’t win the NWC Tournament. Now, the very reason why Willamette has a solid chance of being regionally-ranked is the Bearcats hold a fairly impressive resume, and already beat Whitman once before. Willamette is currently tied with Pacific atop the league standings, and led by forward Elyse Waldal and post player Ava Kitchin, the Bearcats are playing great basketball when it matters most. The 10-7 overall record is not indicative of how good Willamette is at this point, and those early-season tests against top teams have prepared the Bearcats for the challenging NWC schedule. We saw Whitman taken into overtime by Puget Sound a week ago, and I will not be surprised if a similar type of contest unfolds in this one.
Looking Ahead
Rochester at #1 NYU, 5:30 pm ET
Carnegie Mellon at WashU, 6:30 pm ET
Trinity (CT) at Hamilton, 7:00 pm ET
Oglethorpe at Millsaps, 7:00 pm ET
#25 Bates at Middlebury, 7:00 pm ET
#22 Whitman at Willamette, 9:00 pm ET