December 10, 2022: Solid slate of games on this second weekend of December
I’m back with another post as we kick off the weekend, and plan to get back into daily coverage next week. But for now (and in part because the schedule has been fairly light) I’ll tough on a few of my thoughts and look ahead to today’s action, with my Top 25 ballot breakdown coming Monday, so stay tuned for that!
Game of the Day: #8 Baldwin Wallace @ Marietta, 4 pm EST
BW is #8 for a reason, at 7-0 overall, and off to a 2-0 start in OAC play. The only team who has really tested the Yellowjackets late in a game was Trine in the season opener. But Marietta is at home, and in a very deep league, no team can be taken for granted. Marietta was a Top 20 team when the season began, but is now unranked. Despite this, I really like the depth Marietta brings to the table. I believe this one won’t get outside of single digits for quite some time, and if there’s one game with upset potential, this is it, though I don’t see BW losing this game either. If anything, it will be a useful measuring stick in determining where both teams are at as we pass the 1/3 mark of the regular season.
Thoughts…
Got the chance to watch a bit of UW-Stout and Finlandia last night. Stout has snuck up on my in the WIAC, as I honestly did not realize that last night’s 58-47 win marked the Blue Devils’ sixth straight victory. After losing the season-opener to Gustavus-Adolphus, they’ve really begun to click, notably beating then-ranked UW-Oshkosh last Saturday. The WIAC schedule (along with the non. conf. game vs WashU on 12/30) will really test them, but it’s a great start nonetheless for a program that made tremendous strides in 2021-22.
As far as Finlandia goes, first-year HC Brandi Hainault has done a nice job in getting the Lions competitive games and they’re off to a 4-7 start. Understanding the scheduling challenges with where Finlandia is located, to be able to go .500 is an accomplishment. Natalie Bartle, who I’ve mentioned before and is a transfer from D-I Omaha (where she actually started a couple games last year), had 14 points last night and is averaging around 17 a game. Her impact has been huge for Finlandia this season.
After dropping out of the Top 25, St. John Fisher has won its three. It seems the 10-day break after the Hamilton loss recharged the Cardinals, following up on a 116-23 win over Elmira with an 86-45 win at Clarkson last night. Kaitlyn Walker had 20 points in 20 minutes for SJF, with 8 rebounds.
Taking a look at some of the intriguing matchups today, I’m interested to see how #10 UMHB performs in their second road duel of the week, at ETBU. ETBU has been navigating without the presence of several of its key pieces from last year who graduated, but does have PG Kaia Williams, G Bridget Upton, and G/W Kenidi White, who have all stepped up. UMHB on the other hand, is playing exceptional basketball. This is my third year covering the team, and quite possibly the best team I’ve had the chance to cover. The defensive intensity was key in holding LeTourneau to just 3 points in the entire first quarter on Thursday, and the Crusaders have more scoring threats on the perimeter than they did a year ago. UMHB has a 4-point win over Emory that seems to be looking better and better by the week, but playing at ETBU will be the Cru’s toughest test in ASC play so far.
Keep an eye on Misericordia’s matchup against #16 DeSales. DeSales has looked very sharp throughout this season, notably having beat both Messiah and Ithaca. Misericordia' started off 7-0, but has lost its last two and will be looking to avenge those losses in a big-time conference matchup. Misericordia lacks height in the post, but has a solid group of guards who can all score. 1 pm EST tip-off in that one.
#9 UW-Eau Claire has played a total of just three road games, but will be on the road in one of today’s latest games, facing Loras at 8 pm EST. The Blugolds’ lone loss remains against Hope, and they’re undoubtedly my pick to win the WIAC. But Loras shouldn’t be overlooked, with its two losses coming by a total of just 7 points to UW-Platteville and Augustana, two quality programs. We’ll find out how much home-court advantage comes to Loras’ aid in this one tonight.
John Carroll plays Capital in what might be an interesting OAC duel this afternoon. JCU is looking fairly strong out of the gates, 5-1 overall and 2-0 in the OAC, but Capital has some scorers who, if given the opportunity, can keep them in this game. I don’t anticipate this one being decided by more than single digits.
I’ll stop there, but write up my thoughts after today’s action concludes. I’ll be keeping a close eye on several of these matchups as I work on my Top 25 ballot. Anyway, hope you have a great start to the weekend and if you get a chance, tune into the D3 football national semifinals…there will be some exciting finishes with two teams reaching the Stagg Bowl, set for Friday. As always, be sure to drop any questions/comments/thoughts below…your comments are always welcome!