UW-Whitewater 82 Hope 80

So, so close
Boxscore
Recap

Within your grasp kind of losses can be hard to take.  Within your grasp kind of losses to defending National Champions are harder.  Hope was there, with the lead, the ball and so many chances but just couldn't quite close it out.  The champions displayed their pedigree in full making some really big shots down the stretch and grasping a game by the throat that Hope just missed out on.

For a November game this was high, high quality with only one brief hint either team could reach a double-digit lead when Steven Wittenbach's 3 missed and Hope leading 21-14.  Otherwise it was tight throughout with loads of important possessions each way for long extended periods of play.

For me this was the game:

With Hope leading 74-72

2:57   Turnover
2:17   Turnover
1:44   Turnover

This was 2 chances to expand on a 2 point lead, and one chance following a Whitewater 3 that grabbed the lead.  It ended up an 8-0 Whitewater run that could have been thwarted several times and the last minute or so would have been possession basketball rather than salting away FT's.

Transport this game to March and everyone in attendance is raving about what a great tournament game that was.  Whitewater may or not be D3's best team, but I sure felt like I was watching two teams that will have a lot to say about who wins their respective conferences and could be players come March.  We'll see.

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Efficiency:

Whitewater  121.39  Hope: 114.57

What a National Champion looks like, what a team that would like to be National Champion looks like.  Whitewater was really good the second half, this looks quite different without those two late 3's that won the game. 

Pace:

Call it 69-68, pretty normal.  I think both teams probably enjoy running a bit more but not many turnovers and pretty good defense kept that in check.  Virtually everything was good, solid, well executed half-court play

Rebounding:
Hope 30  Whitewater 26

Hope had 38.5% of available offensive rebounds
Whitewater had 33.3% of available offensive rebounds

Second chance points was 18-2 to Hope, so a wash but not a wash in any way at all.  Rebounding on the offensive glass was much bigger for Hope.


Turnovers:  Hope 15  Whitewater 11

The difference really was that 1 minute stretch of 3 turnovers late for Hope.


Random Thoughts:

Ron Patten --  Not on the roster was Whitewater's 6-7 Ron Patten who played enough and scored enough to possibly influence the outcome.  A quick halftime google search showed Ron was a star high school player from Whitefish Bay, WI and went to Southeastern JC in Iowa.   He was one of 9 players dismissed for breaking team rules.  That was in 2012 so Ron's one of those JC guys that kind of disappears and resurfaces a couple years later.  He seems a great find for the Warhawks and will probably play a bigger role for them as the year goes on.


Almost hero --  Keith Brushwyler

57 mins.  22 pts.  17 rbs.
20 mins.  10 pts.  7 rbs

The above line is Keith's 2014 contributions for the whole season, the bottom is last night and doesn't really do his effort and influence justice.  Keith was big in this one and provided exactly what I hoped he would from my GVSU review.  Brock Benson picked up two rather dubious fouls early again, which meant Hope needed Keith to step-up bad.   At least so far Cody Stuive looks a little lost in this new system, although I think the physical match-ups of GVSU and Whitewater probably have more to do with that than Cody not understanding his role.  He'll come along, and hopefully bring Brushwyler with him.


Subbing patterns  --   At least so far through an exhibition and last night Coach Mitchell appears to like to play everyone he can in the first and then picks the match-ups for the second half.  Hope played 11 for the game, but Stuive, McMahon and Wittenbach saw no second half minutes.

I was a little surprised Fr. Dante Hawkins didn't get a look or two in the first half.

Game Strategy --  Its been awhile since I watched a Hope point guard call out a play and have no idea whats coming.  Its refreshing in some ways, also scary.  Sometimes it felt like I was watching 'old school Hope' under VanWieren and other times something completely new.  The ball movement was excellent and so, so Hope College basketball.

A zone defense made an appearance a couple times.  I hope people understand its not going to be pretty or shut anyone down anytime soon, but in the second half it bought Hope a couple more possessions of Brock Benson on the floor before foul #4.  It just makes sense Hope will have to pull it out a few times a game with foul trouble.


Up Next:

UW-Stevens Point, the team that actually won the WIAC over Whitewater last year.

The Pointers opened their year with a 70-59 win at home over St. John's(MN).  Tonight (Wed) they'll play at St. Olaf who was a pretty good team to me last year.

The Pointers lost some guys from last year, most notable All-American Tyler Tillema and two other starters.  Out of their top 9 minutes guys, 4 return and all 4 started against St. John's.  In that game they were heavy on the starters minutes with one bench player going over 20 and a second having 9.  Even with those losses to graduation Stevens Point is picked 2nd in the WIAC with this handy fluff piece from the WIAC season preview.

  UW-Stevens Point, ranked seventh by D3hoops.com, is slotted for second in the nine-team league race.  The Pointers secured the 28th first-place finish in program listings last season and made their 13th NCAA appearance.  Seniors Joe Ritchay and Austin Ryf are back after starting all 30 games last year.  Ritchay posted 7.7 points per contest, while Ryf contributed 4.9 and was second on the team with 76 assists.  Gone from last year's squad is Tyler Tillema, who claimed WIAC Player of the Year honors.  Head coach Bob Semling's .826 career winning percentage is the highest among active NCAA Division III coaches.  The Pointers have accumulated a 117-13 record on Bennett Court at Quandt Fieldhouse in Semling's nine seasons.

Likely UWSP Lineup:
G  6-0  Ryf  Sr.
G  6-1  Pelkofer  Jr.
G/F  6-3  Ritchay  Sr.
F  6-4  Richard Sr.
F  6-4  Lutz  Sr.
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G/F  6-4  McGann  Jr.
F  6-7  Goedecke  Fr.

Last year's Hope loss at Stevens Point looked like this with Tillema and Alex Richard really having their way on offense.  Not a particularly tall team, but if I'm remembering right more athletic than Hope. 

By any measure another really tough game.  Hopefully it will be just as watchable as last night with less blizzard outside.