Alright, pencils down! It’s time for the TW Courtside mid-term grades. I should have written this last week, but you know how things go sometimes. Anyway, in issuing the following grades, I am only taking into account the first half of Big Sky Conference play. In other words, I didn’t count last weekend’s games. Without further ado…
Mid-Term Report Cards
Portland State (7-1) A
The Vikings were picked to finish 2nd in the conference, but thanks to a tie-breaker win over the Grizzlies, they are sitting at the top of the conference after the first half. The Vikings have played very well and have come to play in each game so far. With exception to their loss to MSU, the Viks have been able to put games away fairly early thanks to strong play by Kelsey Kahle, Claire Faucher, and Kelli Valentine. Freshman Eryn Jones has been a surprise with her very efficient play and defensive abilities. The second half won’t be nearly as spotless as the Viks still have to go to Montana and Montana State where road trips seldom go their way.
Best Win: 72-62 over Montana Worst Loss: 90-94 OT to MSU
Montana Grizzlies (7-1) A
The Grizzlies have the best defense in the Big Sky and we have all heard that defense wins championships. Mandy Morales is making a strong case for league MVP, which would be her second career award. I think Montana’s defining moment of the first half was its win over EWU. After coming off of a deflating loss to the Viks, the Lady Griz had to play an EWU team that was still flying high after its win over MSU. UM crushed the Eagles and righted the ship quickly. The fact that Montana only has one loss despite playing 5 of 8 games away from Dahlberg is pretty impressive. The only thing that might trip up the Griz down the stretch may be their lack of depth and inconsistent bench play.
Best Win: 81-56 over EWU Worst Loss: 62-72 to PSU
Northern Colorado (4-4) C
NCU played all but 2 of its first half games in Greeley yet is only .500. That makes me worry about this team. If you can’t win at home, don’t expect to win on the road. I have been impressed by the way NCU has handled losing Jaime Schroeder. A lot of teams would be deflated by losing their star player, but Courtney Stoermer and Kate Kevorken have stepped in to provide some great leadership as sophomores. That said, with only 2 home games left and those being PSU and EWU, I think the Bears may be in real danger of staying home for the tournament.
Best Win: 55-53 at EWU Worst Loss: 53-71 to Sac St at home
Eastern Washington (4-4) B+
The Eagles play in the first half of the conference schedule far exceeded anyone’s expectations. Julie Piper has turned into a force to be reckoned with, Nicole Scott probably deserves the sixth man award if their was one, and the backcourt tandem of Kyla Evans and Brianne Ryan is very potent. EWU is another team with an unfavorable second half schedule that includes just 2 home games. This team may have peaked early and will have some work to do as they weren’t able to put any distance between themselves and the rest of the “muddled middle.” I think their 2 point loss to NCU at home will haunt them. While I do think the Eags will make the tourney, I think next year is when you need to really be scared of this team.
Best Win: 90-75 over MSU Worst Loss: 54-71 to ISU
Montana State (3-5) C
The Bobcats played well below their expectations in the first half. The Bobcats only managed 1 road win in the first half of conference play, despite being in every game with the exception of the season opener in Missoula. MSU’s defense is very spotty and may be the Achilles Heal for this team. However, the ‘Cats played much of the first half on the road (6 of 8 games) and have a very favorable schedule in the second half. Thanks to the parity of the league, MSU may well achieve its predicted third place finish. The consistently good play of Erica Perry will ensure that MSU will be in every game, if not winning them. The reason I gave MSU a ‘C’ rather than a ‘D’ is because of their road win at PSU in OT. The ‘Cats showed tremendous poise in that game and handed PSU its only L in the first half.
Best Win: 94-90 OT at PSU Worst Loss: 61-76 to NAU
Idaho State (3-5) B-
The fact that ISU has won a conference game at all is a mere miracle in my opinion. The Bengals had a very light roster to start the year, and now go only 7 deep after a rash of injuries. Michelle Grohs is having a stellar year and may be the most versatile player in the league. She leads the league in blocks and is third in 3’s made, which is a rare combination. With the short bench and a difficult remaining schedule, wins will also be rare for ISU in the second half. I just don’t think the Bengals will have the juice necessary to make a second half push. The Bengals didn’t get enough Ws in the first half to set themselves up for the second half.
Best Win: 60-55 at NCU Worst Loss: 60-66 vs NAU
NAU (3-5) B+
The Lumberjacks had a tough first half schedule, playing just 2 games at home, but were able to get 2 road victories to keep themselves in the hunt. Their home win over MSU was impressive and their win at Sac State over a surging Hornets team showed great poise. Sade Cunningham continues to impress me, though for a senior point guard I think she turns the ball over too much. Calling the Skydome home in remote Flagstaff gives NAU one of the best home court advantages in the Big Sky, and for the last 4 games in conference play, they won’t have to leave there. This will be a hot team come tournament time.
Best Win: 76-61 over MSU Worst Loss: 58-87 at PSU
Sac State (3-5) B+
The Hornets are teacher’s pet after being the biggest surprise of the first half. After picking up just 2 wins in the non-conference, I was beginning to wonder if Sac would win a game in conference play. Well, they have won 3 conference games, including 2 on the road. The Hornets’ execution in OT in a home win over MSU was excellent and gave the Hornets momentum. Since that game, the Hornets are 2-3, picking up wins in Greeley and Ogden and never losing by more than 10 points. The Hornets will play 4 home games in the second half and have themselves in a good position to make their first conference tourney in recent memory.
Best Win: 88-86 OT over MSU Worst Loss: 58-61 to NAU
Weber State (2-6) D
After a promising non-conference schedule that included a Pac-10 win and a win over the Mountatin West favorite, Weber took 6 losses before it finally won a conference game. I know the Wildcats are young, but they must get more consistent effort from their stars if they are going to make anything out of this season. The Wildcats won just one of four home games in the first half, which may be too big a hole to climb out of. With road trips remaining to Portland, Cheney, Flagstaff, and Sacramento, things may be grim for the Wildcats.
Best Win: 73-51 over NAU Worst Loss: 68-82 to EWU
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