December 13, 2023: UW-Stout, Knox earn big wins on Tuesday night
UW-Stout looks to be in top form for Saturday's matchup at Trine, and Knox upset Aurora on the road
Just wanted to check in with some thoughts from around D3 women’s hoops last night, as we saw some competitive games unfold in what was a fairly light Tuesday night slate. If you haven’t gotten a chance to read my Top 25 ballot breakdown, that write-up can be found here.
I had the chance to watch a few quarters of NYU’s 91-46 win over Brooklyn. It marked NYU’s final game until the Violets resume play on the West Coast against UC-Santa Cruz on Dec. 29, and NYU can now head into the holidays on a high note. Eight different players scored seven points or more, and overall, it was a very balanced performance from NYU. That is what we’re now used to seeing from the Violets, and the 50-24 halftime margin only increased the number of players who saw action for at least a handful of minutes in the win. Consistency is key, and that is what makes NYU so tough right now, in my opinion. The Violets do not have one go-to player. They have several. And that makes it very tough to defend them, considering you really cannot double-team any one player on the court, as the other four are all ready to step up and score—and very capable of doing so—in that type of situation.
I tweeted earlier in the night that the matchup between Manhattanville and Mount St. Mary College would be pretty big in the Skyline Conference as both were 3-0 in league play. That proved to be the case, especially through a very well-contested first half that saw Manhattanville leading, 30-25. But the Valiants really took charge over the next two quarters, pulling away for a 63-42 road win. Manhattanville is now 7-0 on the year and one of just two teams still perfect in Skyline play. I thought the pace of play from Manhattanville was really solid, and the ball movement was also at a fairly high level. I saw very few turnovers, and while the shooting wasn’t great for either side, the shots were certainly created in good spots. And that is often half the battle when it comes to offensive success. Julianna Kascic was outstanding in the post for Manhattanville, finishing with 31 points on the night, and really gives the Valiants an edge against other Skyline opponents around the rim.
I thought UW-Stout really made a statement against Northwestern (MN) last night in a 72-48 win. Watching Stout play, I’m still surprised the Blue Devils weren’t ranked before this week. Sure, I had them on my ballot since the preseason…but several others didn’t. This is a very athletic, skilled team that has looked better and better each week. And let’s be clear: Northwestern is a good opponent. Picked to win the UMAC this year and #98 in Massey Ratings coming into the matchup, Stout absolutely left nothing to chance against the Eagles. It was 17-3 by the 3:51 mark of the first quarter. Obviously this sets up a big matchup at Trine on Saturday. Both teams would really like to pick up another key non-conference win, especially for regional ranking purposes. So keep an eye on that one. Much like NYU, Stout’s depth is very intriguing. On any given night, a different player can step up as the leading scorer. Against Northwestern, it was Anna Mutch, who had 18. Amanda Giesen had 15 and Raegan Sorensen had 14. You love to see that kind of balance within an offense.
If we’re talking about the most impactful win of the night, I think that honor goes to Knox, as the Prairie Fire went on the road to Aurora last night and came away with a 96-80 win. Let me add in some context before going into my thoughts…Knox entered this one having lost two of its last three, with a 6-3 record overall, and #154 in Massey. Aurora was significantly better, at #81 in Massey, and had been considerably higher before losing to MSOE last Wednesday. Regardless, the Spartans were 7-1 and playing on their home court. And Knox went to Aurora and won by double digits. This was a key non-conference win for Knox, and more than anything, I expect it was a confidence builder. They were down a couple of players due to injuries as well, and it just speaks to the job that Seth McDowell is doing in his first year as head coach there. They’ve got scorers on their roster, including Kylee Callahan, who has been absolutely fantastic at guard, and scored 31 in last night’s big win. I like the direction they are going heading into next week’s matchups in Puerto Rico. Knox faces St. Mary’s (MD) and Manhattanville there before MWC play resumes. Definitely a potential team on the rise to keep an eye on. Congrats to Knox on that big road win.
Looking ahead to tonight…
I’ll be keeping an eye on… (All tip-off times are eastern time)
Rowan at NJCU, 5:30 p.m.—The NJAC is a wide-open conference this year and certainly is shaping up to be a one-bid league. Very possible it will come down to these two programs for that AQ to the NCAA Tournament. Should be a competitive matchup and every game in league play is a big one, no matter if it’s in mid-December or late February.
Westfield State at SUNY-Cobleskill, 6:00 p.m.—People may not realize that SUNY-Cobleskill is actually 10-0 this season, which is outstanding. The Fighting Tigers are playing well, and the favorite in this one, but Westfield State has plenty of talent, and fell by just six to MIT on Monday. It could end up being an interesting non-conference matchup for both teams.
UW-Eau Claire at UW-Superior, 6:30 p.m.—Superior enters this game on a three-game win streak, with a 5-4 overall record, and the 59-41 win over Minnesota-Morris on Saturday was a pretty big step forward for the Yellowjackets. UWEC is 3-4, but with a tougher SOS, having fallen to Wartburg by just 3, and Wisconsin Lutheran by 10. The Blugolds’ best win is Bethel, who they beat on Nov. 18, 76-62. I think UWEC is still the clear favorite here, but don’t count out the chance for a win from Superior.