Game Notes: Millikin University @ North Central College (2/18/12)

Final Score
NCC 76, Millikin 65

Summary
In a great game on Senior Day, the Cardinals (7-18, 1-13) were competitive early, hitting some big 3's to keep it close. The Big Blue (15-10, 7-7) led 26-19 with less than 7 minutes to go in the opening half (causing me to think "Here we go again..."), only to see the Cardinals go on a run to tie it up and ultimately take a 32-30 lead into the locker room. Whatever Coach Roof said to them during the intermission, it worked; the Cardinals went on a 15-2 run in the first 6 minutes of the second half. That was as big as the lead got, with Millikin closing to within 7 a couple times. Fortunately the Cardinals kept attacking and getting to the free throw line (see below) to close out the game, avoid a winless conference season, and send its two seniors out with one last victory for the road.

Key Stats

• NCC: 30-37 FT (23-30 in the 2nd half). Though it was an excellent overall shooting day (20-41 from the field, including 6-13 from deep), it was the constant trips to the line that helped the Cardinals win today. I was worried at times as the game went on when there were a few misses here and there, but they kept getting stops at the other end. It also helps when you draw 20 fouls in the half and get to the bonus with 7 minutes left, but the Cardinals really took advantage today.
• NCC Seniors: 25 pts, 12 reb, 8 ast. Helen Muleya (11-7-7, 1 stl) got to the line early and often, converting those opportunities, while Emily Collins (14-5-1, a couple 3's) was able to hit a few key buckets, especially in that early stretch of the 2nd half when the Cardinals pulled ahead for good. I'm thrilled that these two had pretty good games and were able to go out victorious.
• Callie Rezin (NCC): 5-8 FG (3-4 3PT), 3-4 FT, 16 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast. I don't remember if I've mentioned Callie here before or not, but she was hitting big shots all game as well. She finished her freshman year on a high note, leading her team in scoring in the finale. She'll be a great part of this team going forward.

Cardinal Turnover Watch
Even though the Cardinals came away with a win, this was kind of an ugly game. The Cardinals finished their season with a 26 turnover output. 8 of them were steals by the Big Blue, with a few travels in there as well. It was not that pretty a sight, especially in the 2nd half when protecting a lead. Unfortunately, Helen Muleya led the team in this category today... with 8. That's way too many, but Millikin often couldn't take advantage. Conversely, the Big Blue turned it over 23 times, with only 3 coming on Cardinal steals. That helped level things out today.

Final Thoughts
I had mentioned yesterday that I thought a Cardinal win could spoil Millikin's bid for the tournament. Unfortunately, Elmhurst also lost, and somehow Millikin got into the tournament. I'm not sure how the selection process works in terms of a tiebreaker (Millikin and Elmhurst split their games this season, and Elmhurst had a better overall record). Either way, the Cardinals didn't get to play spoiler, but it was great to see smiles on the Cardinals' faces at the end of the game. The year may be over, but the team has good players in place next year to contend for the tournament.

A big thanks goes out to Clark Teuscher for the opportunity to be the public address announcer for Lady Cardinal basketball this season. Unfortunately they only went 3-9 at home, but I had a blast doing these games. I also want to thank Coach Michelle Roof for being a supportive coach throughout a rough season, and to these players for never giving up and staying with each other every game. I hope to be able to have a great seat for more basketball again next season!