November 26, 2022: Back in action...

Took a couple of days off for the Thanksgiving holiday but I’m back, and so is a full slate of Saturday D3 hoops action! As a Top 25 voter, I routinely keep a list of games I want to pay especially close attention to. Today’s list is especially long, because so many teams are playing in pivotal games, especially as we prepare for the first in-season poll of the year. That’s good news for you D3 women’s basketball fans, because you’ll be entertained from midday until the evening. Look no further than the Game of the Day, which falls at the convenient time of 5 pm EST, 4 pm CST.

#18 Hardin-Simmons @ #5 Trinity

The Tigers made the trip out to Abilene on Tuesday of this week, and now it is time for HSU to return the favor, traveling southeast to the home of the Alamo for what should be an intriguing matchup. Trinity won the first meeting between the ranked opponents, 76-69, defending HSU’s three-point shooting with remarkable success. But I expect this one will be a little different, not necessarily in who emerges as the victor, but in how the matchup is assessed. Facing the same team twice in a week is something more common in baseball or softball, where conferences conclude the season with double-elimination tournaments. With Tuesday’s matchup fresh in their minds, I am interested to see what each team took away, and what they will be looking to tweak or improve. A win for Trinity could easily put the Tigers in contention for the #4 spot in next week’s Top 25, considering HSU is both a Top 20 team and the ASC preseason favorite. A win for HSU would be a huge SOS boost for the Cowgirls, who play in a conference with at least four real contenders. Lots on the line this afternoon in San Antonio.

Keep an eye on…

• Calvin (4-0) @ #4 UW-Whitewater (5-0), 5 pm EST

• WashU (3-0) @ Rose-Hulman (2-0), 4 pm EST

• Illinois Wesleyan (3-2) @ DePauw (2-2), 2 pm EST

• Wilmington (4-0) @ #2 Transylvania (2-0), 3 pm EST

• Ohio Northern (3-1) @ #8 Trine (3-1), 3 pm EST

Thoughts…

• Not a ton of good games on the slate yesterday, but I did tune into a good portion of #24 Puget Sound’s home game against Chapman. After losing by 6 to Wheaton a week ago, I have some questions about how Puget Sound stacks up against the best in the nation. But they looked sharp in yesterday’s game, utilizing full-court pressure and traps in the backcourt well. I was also impressed by how they used their height around the rim, patiently working the ball into the post on plays when they were unable to push the ball up the floor.

• #13 UW-Eau Claire had no trouble getting past Northland in an 83-41 win. The Blugolds showed just how efficient their offense was in the opening half, outscoring Northland 57-14. UWEC continues to impress me, whether it be playing against the #1 team in the nation or a winless team from the UMAC. Jessie Ruden had 18 pts on 7-of-10 shooting in the victory.

• One of the day’s best contests came late, as Claremont-Mudd-Scripps hosted Augsburg. CMS came out strong, and I was surprised at the level at which the Athenas were playing, until the fourth quarter, when Augsburg just seemed to flip a switch. Augsburg outscored CMS 16-6 in that final quarter, upping the intensity on both ends of the floor, to win 65-61. That moves them to 3-1, though I’ll need to see a more convincing performance to consider Augsburg a legitimate contender on a more national level.

  Not a ton of other notes for you as I write this late Friday night. But teams outside of the preseason Top 25 that I’d be keeping an eye on would be WashU (has a notable win over #14 Millikin), UW-La Crosse (7-0 to start the season), Washington & Jefferson (5-1, 3-0 to start PAC play), and Augustana (if they remain consistent offensively, they could be a contender in a very deep CCIW). That’s all for today. Enjoy your weekend! And be sure to subscribe if you haven’t already! You can also find this daily blog on D3hoops.com’s Daily Dose.