Game Notes: (WBK) Augustana College @ North Central College (1/11/17)

Final Score
Augustana 83, NCC 76

Game Summary
This one started out okay as the Cardinals (9-6, 3-3) were able to get some early points, but the Vikings (11-3, 4-1) went on a 12-0 run to open up a ten point lead, which they would carry into the second quarter. The Vikings kept up the pace, leading by as many as 13 before taking a 47-35 lead into the locker room. North Central trailed by 17 early in the third quarter, but rallied to cut the lead to seven, but the Vikings closed the quarter on a 12-2 run to take a 67-50 lead into the final quarter. They kept it up early in the fourth and pushed the lead to 20. Just a couple minutes into the frame though, the Cardinals woke up and caught fire, exploding for a 19-2 run to cut the deficit to three. But the Vikings had a sustained possession that resulted in a pair of free throws, and North Central ran out of steam at the end.

Key Stats

• Kaycee Kallenberger (AUG): 6-16 FG (0-1 3PT), 2-3 FT; 14 pts, 18 reb (7 off), 7 blk, 1 stl. I think the three attempted by Kallenberger was a typo in the stats, but whatever. Kallenberger should have done better from the floor, as she blew quite a few clean looks at layups, but she more than made up for it on the glass and on the defensive end. Her seven blocks are the most I can remember against the Cardinals in my tenure.
• NCC: 16-27 FT (59.3%). This has been an alarming trend all year, and it continued at a bad time for the Cardinals. North Central hit just five of 12 free throws in the third quarter when they were making a mini run, and even just hitting three or four of those misses makes it a totally different ball game. The lesson, as always: make your damn free throws.
• Shannon Ryan (NCC): 6-6 FG (3-3 3PT), 3-6 FT; 18 pts, 1 reb (1 off), 1 ast, 4 stl. Ryan had a monster game and did a decent Mayson Whipple impersonation. She had confidence getting to the rim at times, and was hitting her threes when a lot of other players were struggling. She'll need to continue to step up the rest of the way.

North Central System Watch

• Augie Turnovers: 32. I thought for sure the way the game was going, NCC would end up with more turnovers than Augustana, but that was not the case. Augie had its struggles against North Central's press despite running one themselves, as the Cardinals picked up 16 steals led by four apiece from Ryan and Diamond Calicott.
• NCC 3PT: 13-42 (31.0%). To be fair, this number is a little misleading. It was an awful night early on as the Cardinals were 7-30 after three quarters, and just 5-21 at the half. This is the second straight game of some struggles, though that fourth quarter rally skewed the numbers a little bit.
• NCC Charges Drawn: 2+. I didn't do a great job of keeping track, but Anita Sterling drew two just in the fourth quarter alone. I think she may have had at least one more earlier on as well. Augie committed a number of offensive fouls, with Kallenberger picking up two on the offensive end in the first half.

CCIW Scoreboard Watch

• @ Wheaton 73 (10-3, 4-1), Carroll 43 (1-12, 1-4)
• @ Illinois Wesleyan 93 (9-5, 4-1), North Park 54 (8-7, 1-5)
• Elmhurst 87 (11-3, 3-2), @ Millikin 57 (7-8, 1-5)
• BYE: Carthage (8-5, 3-2)
• (MBK): @ Carroll 72 (8-6, 3-2), NCC 65 (8-7, 2-4)

Final Thoughts
This one hurt. I figured going in that we would be in for a barn burner, but it didn't end up happening with the Cardinals' struggles from the line and beyond the arc. This was a winnable game, especially given that five minute stretch where the Cardinals exploded. It got the crowd into it, and I haven't heard Merner that loud for a long time. The video above doesn't do it justice. It also doesn't do justice to how that 19-2 run nearly killed me. I don't know how much more I could have turned it up had the Cardinals tied the game.

Big picture wise, this one hurt. The Cardinals are still in the mix at 3-3 in the CCIW, but that's only good for sixth place now. All three losses have come from that three-headed monster atop the standings, and two of those losses have come at home. But all three losses were by single digits, Wesleyan has had some injury issues, Wheaton might not be as good as they've been in years past, and this Augie team can be beat. That's what made last night so tough. Coach Roof said after the game what I mentioned already: free throws and threes. If they do a little better there, last night's game would have been the stuff of legend. It still is to a degree, but the result wasn't what I would have liked.

The Cardinals are on a bye this weekend, which will be good for them to rest up a little bit and prepare, because their next game is a key one at home against Carthage. The Lady Reds are a half game up on the Cardinals pending Saturday's result, and with only the top four teams making the CCIW Tournament, it's a critical matchup for standings position even though there are still 10 games left.