January 14, 2023: #1 NYU goes down at Chicago!
The nation's top-ranked team fell on the road to a very talented Chicago squad
Well, I took a short break as school and some other things came up over the course of the last few days, but I am back and wow, was it a great last few days of basketball. I got the chance to cover the Top 20 matchup in Belton between #20 UMHB and #16 Hardin-Simmons last night (yes, writing this up late Friday night), and was very impressive by the overall poise and composure of HSU in that 87-78 win. HC Kendra Whitehead has her team at 8-0 now in the ASC. And shoutout to Parris Parmer, who scored her 1000th career point at HSU in the win. She has been such a vital part of that program for so many years now.
Anyway, getting to tonight’s action, it was the usual suspects with the UAA and NESCAC taking the headlines…so here’s a look at how the evening unfolded!
A week ago, the biggest conversation topic in the D3 WBB world was then-10th ranked Chicago’s loss at WashU. Less than a week later, the Maroons became just the second team to upend the nation’s top-ranked team. Oh, how the tables will turn. And Chicago didn’t win by just a little bit either. The Maroons made a statement, beating NYU, 71-57, as the visitors from the Big Apple suffered their first loss of the year. Chicago entered the UAA duel ranked 15th nationally, but should end up near or in the Top 10 come Monday. This was the sort of performance Chicago needed to stay in the national conversation…and in the UAA title race. Though Chicago should have no problem getting a Pool C bid if the Maroons don’t win the conference championship, it should be noted that the Pool A bid from the UAA is based on the final regular season standings, rather than a conference tournament. So every league game matters that much more. The key stat for me? Chicago outrebounded NYU, 56-29. That doesn’t happen very often in games involving the Violets, traditionally a team with strength in the post. Credit to Ellie Gross and Mallory Brodnik, who each had 11 rebounds. Brodnik came up with seven offensive boards. And Grace Hynes had a double-double with 22 points and 10 boards.
If you were looking for some more excitement in the UAA Friday night, you might have wanted to tune into the final seconds of Emory’s duel with Carnegie Mellon. This was a game I had noted on Twitter as being one to pay attention to, and it certainly lived up to the expectation. The entire was incredibly close in margin, especially in the fourth quarter. It seemed like a forgone conclusion that the game would go into OT when CMU’s Megan Matsko drilled an uncontested jumper with 0.5 seconds left. I mean, that’s not much time to work with. But it was just long enough for the Eagles, who advanced the ball into the frontcourt on a timeout, to win it at the buzzer on Mariana Auza’s quick “catch-and-shoot” shot. It was probably the most incredible play of the night, hands-down.
Now Chicago wasn’t the only team to pull off an upset. I’m really starting to buy into Middlebury. The Panthers, who started the year somewhat rough, have won four straight, and shocked #25 Bowdoin on the road by a dominant score of 84-68. Who saw that coming? Ever since I saw Middlebury play against Babson in an overtime loss a few weeks ago, I’ve felt this is a team that could emerge as a dark horse in the NESCAC title race. That’s seeming to be the case, as the Panthers have now beaten consecutive Top 25 opponents in Amherst and Bowdoin, and are 3-0 in the NESCAC. Also, Alexa Mustafaj might be the most exciting player in the league. If you don’t believe me, watch tonight’s game back, and you’ll see what I mean. She is averaging 22.1 PPG now, and put 38 on the board for Middlebury against Bowdoin, including a perfect 16-of-16 mark at the free throw line. Certainly will be in the All-American conversation if she keeps playing like this.
Let’s see…oh yes, there’s more NESCAC news, as there always seems to be on these Friday evenings. One of the more anticipated NESCAC matchups each year is the battles between Tufts and Amherst, and when the two met Friday, it resulted in a thrilling conclusion, with Tufts getting back into the win column in a 66-64 road win. Sofia Gonzalez put the Jumbos in front for good with six seconds left, and the key takeaway for me was Tufts’ points in the paint. The Jumbos had 28 of those compared to Amherst’s 16, and just seemed more aggressive when it came to getting to the rim. That will win you a lot of games in a league known for its defensive prowess.
Another game I tuned into for a bit was #6 Scranton’s contest against Elizabethtown. The two are the Landmark Conference’s top two teams and certainly displayed that, though the story was Scranton’s offensive attack. The Lady Royals had been averaging 71 PPG entering the matchup, but had 68 through just three quarters. Kacie Kranson was very impressive for Scranton, and had 29 points. Maddy Ryan chipped in with 24. No shot was wasted, as they shot 52 percent. Elizabethtown did its best to counter when it had possession, but it just wasn’t enough. This is a very strong and cohesive Scranton team that has now proven it can play with the best, having beaten Ithaca and now, Elizabethtown. Interestingly, Elizabethtown’s Pool C resume improved tonight, as the SOS number went up quite a bit for the Blue Jays, who hadn’t played a high-quality opponent yet this year.
#10 Rochester’s Katie Titus scored 20-plus points for the fifth time in the last six games in the 77-50 win over Case Western. She’s now averaging 21.7 PPG.
Some games I’ll be playing attention to tomorrow…
#13 UW-Whitewater at UW-Stout (4 pm EST)-How will Stout respond to the La Crosse loss? Can Whitewater keep its win streak intact on the road?
Tufts at Hamilton (3 pm EST)-Might be the best game on the NESCAC slate tomorrow…can Tufts remain perfect in league play against a battle-tested and hungry Hamilton squad?
Gustavus Adolphus at St. Catherine (4 pm EST)- After taking down Augsburg in a minor upset earlier in the week, can St. Catherine keep the momentum going on its home floor?
UW-La Crosse at UW-Oshkosh (4 pm EST)-Both teams were in my most recent Top 25 ballot and need this win badly. Though UWO is 1-4 in the WIAC, the Titans have a very good shot to emerge with a much-needed victory at home.
Cal Lutheran at Redlands (8 pm EST)- Redlands is tied for second right now in the SCIAC and looking to extend the win streak to four, but Cal Lutheran will not be easy to beat. Could be a west coast battle that comes down to the final minutes.
As always, feel free to reach out with any questions/comments/feedback. I always love hearing from the readers, and am happy to be of help with any questions anyone might have. This is a great time in D3 women’s hoops with conference races really heating up. Here’s to having a