December 6, 2023: Thoughts from Tuesday's games + 3 games to watch tonight
Illinois Wesleyan at Wheaton highlights tonight's slate of games
This is an evening edition of the newsletter, as we prep for a huge slate of games across the country tonight, including some high-profile midwest matchups (and some games that are already close to halftime as I finish this). We saw plenty of great basketball last night, as well, especially in the northeast, as Framingham State and MIT each picked up a quality non-conference win. Not to mention a history performance from Western New England and a strong start from Trinity (CT) in the Bantams’ win at Emmanuel.
This is the last week in which we see many of these teams play, as the majority of D-III schools will have a break from games next week (especially later in the week) while their players take finals. And then, in several cases, we won’t see these teams again until the final week of December. So these are important games for teams to make a strong final push as their December schedules draw to a close, and get ready for the heart of conference play in January and February.
Take Emory for example. The Eagles battled Piedmont yesterday and will not play again until Dec. 30, when Hardin-Simmons comes to Atlanta. That is a long break, but not uncommon. The lack of top teams playing will provide an interesting situation when it comes to the Top 25 Poll in coming weeks, so keep an eye on that. It always tends to be a matter of balancing what we are currently seeing from the teams still playing (such as UW-Stout and Trine, who face off on Dec. 16), and those like Emory and Trinity (CT), who aren’t.
Speaking of Emory, I thought the Eagles looked fairly strong against a quality Piedmont squad in yesterday’s 69-54 win. Piedmont entered the game with a 5-1 record and has really impressive depth, so it did not surprise me that the Lions kept it competitive throughout. But Emory outscored Piedmont in all four quarters, improving to 8-1 overall. Claire Brock was at the forefront of that scoring attack, with 21 points, but forward Katherine Martini is another outstanding player to keep an eye on for Emory. A sophomore, she is averaging 18.4 minutes per game right now (up about 10 minutes from her average last year), and came off the bench with 12 points yesterday. Emory has no shortage of offensive contributors this year.
Other thoughts…
Trinity (CT), 60, Emmanuel, 44: With a matchup against MIT ahead on Saturday, Trinity opened yesterday’s road duel with an 18-4 run, taking control right from the jump.
Emmanuel scored first, 42 seconds into the contest, but did not score again until the 16-second mark of the first quarter. In the meantime, Trinity put up 18 points with several different players contributing on the offensive end.
Overall, the Bantams looked very balanced, utilizing the depth and experience on the roster, as five different players scored at least seven points in the win.
While we know what Reilly Campbell can do in the post, and have seen Trinity work the ball into the paint in every game this season, the Bantams really seemed to step up in the 3-point shooting game. Trinity finished 7-of-21 from beyond the arc, which proved key as the Bantams gained a double-digit lead early.
Western New England, 104, Nichols, 84: WNE finished game on 11-2 run: WNE did something last night it had not done since 1983…score 100+ points in a game. Yes, that’s right. It had been 40 years since WNE surpassed the century mark in a game…that immediately adds to the historical value of this December win for the Golden Bears.
WNE accomplished this feat largely thanks to the efforts of three 20+ point scorers: Lindsey Carey (29), Tara Laugeni (22), and Lilly Hedge (20). Wow.
Making this even more interesting is the fact that WNE did not convert on a single 3-pointer in the win. Almost as if they were still playing in 1983 (when there was no 3-point line), WNE scored all 44 of its field goals from inside the arc, shooting 61%.
Framingham State, 64, Babson, 61: Kelly Walsh had a strong game for Babson, scoring 21 points, but the Beavers dropped below .500 (4-5) as Framingham State kept its perfect record intact last night.
It appears FSU is well on its way to an 11-0 start, and when it comes to high offensive production from the starting five, the Rams are one of the best example of that. 63 of FSU’s 64 points came from the starting five, with Kelsey Yelle tallying a double-double, with 19 points and 11 rebounds.
FSU seems to be playing with a lot of confidence right now and this strong start could set up a Top 25 duel with Trinity (TX) at the D3hoops.com Classic in Las Vegas later this month in a Dec. 29 matchup.
MIT, 89, Bridgewater State, 82: 31 pts for Kylie Grassi in losing effort, MIT 14-of-33 from 3 MIT caught fire from beyond the arc, and connected on 14 of its 33 3-point attempts, picking up yet another key non-conference win after beating Tufts on the road just last week.
The 3-point shooting was a product of excellent ball movement from MIT, as the Engineers combined for 21 assists in a very balanced effort. Five different players scored in double figures, as Christina Antonakakis led the way with 20 points.
MIT held a double-digit lead early in the fourth quarter, but credit to Bridgewater State, who may be in for a strong year as well. BSU cut what was a 77-66 deficit to 86-81 with 1:11 left. But Sarah Berman’s 3-pointer for MIT sealed the Engineers’ victory, as she put her team back up by eight points with just 44 seconds left.
Kylie Grassi is continues to be extremely impressive on the offensive end for Bridgewater State. A junior guard, she scored 31 for BSU last night and is currently averaging 21.7 points per game.
Looking ahead to tonight as tip-off approaches…
I think the Illinois Wesleyan at Wheaton game is going to be the one you absolutely have to tune into…I know Wheaton is coming off a one-sided loss to Carthage last week that was very uncharacteristic, but this a solid Thunder team who is 6-1 entering tonight’s 8 p.m. ET matchup in the CCIW. Led by Annie Tate, Wheaton definitely has some playmakers and will be playing at home, which could help the cause. That said, IWU is playing at such a high level right now. Whether Lauren Huber ends up playing or not for IWU (she did not play against Carroll on Saturday), the Titans have so many key contributors who will be ready to make an impact. This is the type of game that could be decided in the final minute, and a win would definitely be a momentum-builder for either team. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/c/WheatonThunder
DeSales at Messiah is another interesting one…both are one-loss teams (DeSales lost to Muhlenberg, Messiah lost to Dickinson) and this is one of those games that by itself could have a noticeable impact on either team’s place in the regional rankings. Both could really use an RRO win, especially Messiah. And Messiah is at home in this one. Expect a solid defensive battle. 7:00 p.m. ET tip-off.
Randolph-Macon at Marymount: A little bit of an under-the-radar game here, but RMC enters with a 3-0 record in ODAC play and a 6-2 record overall. Marymount is 6-3, and doesn’t have a bad loss on its resume, along with a win over Case Western Reserve. This is going to be a key non-conference contest and one that I expect will be decided by single digits. 8:00 p.m. ET tip-off.