Game Notes: (WBK) Elmhurst College @ North Central College (1/5/19)

Final Score
Elmhurst 75, NCC 59

Game Summary
This game started well enough for the Cardinals (3-12, 1-5), as they opened the game with a 4-0 lead about a minute in. Then the wheels fell off as the Blue Jays (6-8, 2-3) scored the next nine to take control. The Cardinals were able to keep it relatively close though through the first quarter, trailing 17-13 after ten minutes. But then the Blue Jays started to hit from outside to build a double digit lead as the Cardinal offense stalled, with Elmhurst going into the break up 39-20. The Cardinals started the second half strong, scoring the first eight points, but the Blue Jays were able to push the advantage back to the mid teens as the quarter dragged on, leading 55-39 after three. North Central again managed to make a push in the fourth quarter, cutting the margin back to single digits about halfway through the frame, but at that point the teams began to trade baskets, with a late three point play effectively ending the contest.

Key Players

• Kellee Clay (ELM): 5-7 FG (1-1 3PT), 4-5 FT; 15 pts, 5 reb (1 off), 2 ast. The senior had a solid night here with a very efficient offensive performance, and helping contribute to a solid defensive night by the team. She also did a good job on the glass, tying for the second most rebounds on the team.
• Lisa Logan (ELM): 2-6 FG (2-2 3PT), 7-8 FT; 13 pts, 4 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl. Most of Logan's damage came at the line, but she hit a couple big threes to give her team a huge advantage while also doing some damage on the glass and on defense.
• Lyndsay Brennan (NCC): 1-6 FG (0-3 3PT), 1-2 FT; 3 pts, 11 reb (4 off), 5 ast, 1 blk, 1 stl. This was a bad shooting night, but Brennan found a way to have an impact elsewhere, leading the game in rebounding and picking up quite a few dimes in this one. Too bad the shooting just wasn't there.

Key Stats

• NCC: 2-20 3PT (10.0%), 11-28 FT (39.3%). I had to include both shooting numbers in this one. The Cardinals didn't take many threes in the first half, but missed all of them, and their struggles continued in the second half. The bigger, and far more alarming stat, was the abysmal night at the free throw line. Such a night is unacceptable, and in a game where you lost by 16 (but some of those points came due to intentional fouls late)... you do the math.
• ELM: 7-15 3PT (46.7%). It sure seemed like the Blue Jays both shot and hit more threes than what this line says. They went 4-7 in the first half, doing a ton of damage especially in the second quarter to pull away.

CCIW Scoreboard Watch

• @ WHE 62 (11-3, 5-0), CRL 52 (7-7, 2-3)
• @ CAR 68 (9-5, 3-2), MIL 63 (5-9, 1-4)
• AUG 77 (10-5, 4-2), @ NPU 65 (6-9, 2-4)
• Bye: IWU (11-3, 4-1)

Final Thoughts

The first half of this game, in particular the second quarter, was one of the worst showings I've seen. I want to try to be optimistic about this team; knowing they're young and that they won't shoot this poorly probably ever again the rest of the way. But they're in last place in the conference and haven't won a single conference home game this year, even though most of the opposition has been beatable. The four teams that have left Naperville with victories this season have a combined three other victories in the conference.

I want to have confidence, especially with a date against Carthage coming up on Wednesday. This is going to be an emotional one: it's the first matchup for Maggie McCloskey-Bax against her former team, and the Lady Reds have lost four straight in Naperville, including last year's overtime victory that I'm still not sure how it happened. Hopefully that streak can continue.