Nope. We get the Trees Thursday @ 6pm. If we win, we get Belmont 🤦🤦 on Friday.
"The bureaucratic mentality is the only constant in the universe." ~Dr. Leonard H. McCoy
I just realized we get the Trees for the third straight year in our first game in the Valley tourney.
"The bureaucratic mentality is the only constant in the universe." ~Dr. Leonard H. McCoy
Valley awards should start coming out Tuesday and Wednesday.
This is what I would like to see.
Ashley Jones 1st Team.
Promise Taylor Honorable Mention. (There is no second team just a group of ten other honorees.)
Que Love and Taylor All-Defensive Team.
My guess is Katelyn Young (Murray State) is POY, Kristen Gillespie is COY. Bart Brooks (Belmont) might win COY with Belmont winning 14 straight to finish the season. Paige Robinson (Illinois state) Newcomer of the Year.
Defensive POY is anybody's guess. Taylor finished twenty-two blocks better than next most in the category. She also finished in the top twenty in a crowded rebounding category. She finished just over two rebounds per game less than league-leader Grace Boffeli (UNI). Anna McKendree (Indiana State) led the league in steals. Que Love finished 3rd .2 behind. Quite a few coaches called Que the best on-ball defender in the league. Coach Gillespie said she has nightmares about her! LOL!
My first team predictions:
K. Young (POY) F
P. Robinson (NOY) G/F
Ashley Jones G
Destinee Wells (Belmont) G
Grace Boffeli (UNI) F
"The bureaucratic mentality is the only constant in the universe." ~Dr. Leonard H. McCoy
Well The Valley changed its structure of its awards. There is a first, second and an honorable mention this year for all conference.
Ashley Jones made second team and all-newcomer team. (Kind of bullshit she didn't get 1st team). Que Love made all-defense. Jaidyn Mason made all-freshman (a welcome surprise).
Promise Taylor was NOT named to the all -defense team. Major bullshit.
She led the conference in blocks by 22 blocks and didn't make the all-defensive team. DPOY winner averaged only .2 rebounds more (not even the most on her team) than Taylor and was second to Taylor in blocks.
Major.
Big-time.
Bullshit.
"The bureaucratic mentality is the only constant in the universe." ~Dr. Leonard H. McCoy
Hoops In The Heartland
Missouri Valley Conference Tournament
Vibrant Arena - Moline, IL
First Round
#7 SIU vs #10 Indiana State
6pm Thursday 3/9
Streaming ESPN+ / Radio 95.1 Steve FM
WarrenNolan.com Prediction: SIU -8
As predicted - SIU finished seventh in The Valley. Indiana State was picked eighth but finished tied for ninth with Evansville. We got to play The Trees twice this season beating them both times. By two at their place and fifteen in Carbondale. Last time out for the Trees an eleven-point loss to MVC co-champs Illinois State in Terre Haute. Our last game, a 91-68 loss to Drake in Des Moines in a game they had to have to avoid Thursday. We were without Second Team All-Conference and New-Comer Team Honoree Ashley Jones.
This is the third time in a row that we have played ISU-B in our first game in Moline - each game an SIU win. The cliché as always; Its tough to beat a team three time in one season. We’ll see how this goes.
With our up-tempo “controlled chaos” style of play, does Coach Kelly keep letting us run or does she slow things down a bit with the potential of four games in four days?
I see Coach letting these Dawgs run as there is no tomorrow unless we win.
GO DAWGS!!!
"The bureaucratic mentality is the only constant in the universe." ~Dr. Leonard H. McCoy
After the first...
SIU 16
TREES 16
We came out firing up 14-4. ISU regrouped at the media T/O finished the quarter on a 12-2 run.
"The bureaucratic mentality is the only constant in the universe." ~Dr. Leonard H. McCoy
Halftime in a game of runs...
SIU 39
ISU-B 34
Williams with a steal and a buzzer beater by Randle.
"The bureaucratic mentality is the only constant in the universe." ~Dr. Leonard H. McCoy
After 3 down by one. Third time we've been down to the Trees headed into the fourth this season.
"The bureaucratic mentality is the only constant in the universe." ~Dr. Leonard H. McCoy
Williams gets laid out driving to hole no foul. ISU-B on a 14-2 run. Trees up 1 with 10 seconds left in our season. 79-78
"The bureaucratic mentality is the only constant in the universe." ~Dr. Leonard H. McCoy
Jones at the line to put us up!
"The bureaucratic mentality is the only constant in the universe." ~Dr. Leonard H. McCoy
Jones makes both 80-79 Southern. 10.5 left.
"The bureaucratic mentality is the only constant in the universe." ~Dr. Leonard H. McCoy
Taylor with a huge block!!!! Mason hits 1 of two FT's Randle get offensive board and we win 81-79
"The bureaucratic mentality is the only constant in the universe." ~Dr. Leonard H. McCoy
Crazy game. Game of runs. Belmont tomorrow at 6pm.
Taylor with 7 blocks. Jones and Love with 15. Williams 14. Mason with 10. Jones with 5 assists and 4 steals. Mason with 5 steals and 4 assists.
"The bureaucratic mentality is the only constant in the universe." ~Dr. Leonard H. McCoy
Way to go Dawgs
Hoops In The Heartland
Missouri Valley Conference Tournament
Vibrant Arena - Moline, IL
Quarterfinal #3 6pm
#7 SIU vs #2 Belmont
Streaming ESPN+ / Radio 95.1 Steve FM
WarrenNolan.com Prediction: ???
No prediction at this time. Will see if one is published sometime on Friday.
As predicted – Belmont won The Valley….sort of. They tied Illinois State for the regular season title thanks to a FOURTEEN game winning streak to close out the season. Belmont started the season 3-7 and finished 21-10 overall. That Valley winning streak started with a 75-66 home win over Missouri State right after a 70-56 home loss to Illinois State. The game after the Missouri State win was the game where we had our asses handed to us by the Bruins 101-45. The second game against Belmont was a bit more competitive; an 80-70 loss in Carbondale. We had a lead after the first quarter, but 3-17 shooting 10 point second quarter kinda doomed us. The game was pretty much a draw in the second half as the Bruins outscored us 47-44. The Bruins barely won their season finale against the Beacons 70-67. The Bruins were down 13 at one point deep in the second half.
Our win over the Trees was interesting to say the least. We started the game on a 14-4 run then ISU-Blue went on a 24-4 run that carried over into the second quarter. Down nine, we went on a 21-6 run to end the half thanks in part to a steal (Shemera Williams) and a bucket (Laniah Randle) with less than two seconds on the clock.
On a side note – Did you know that Laniah Randle is the daughter of former All-MVC Saluki RB John Randle?
The third quarter was pretty quiet. Then fourth quarter craziness. We were up twelve just after the media time out, then The Trees started one last push. Del’Janae Williams hit a three to put the Sycs up one with 18 seconds left. Ashley Jones was fouled with 10.5 seconds left hit both FT’s to put us up one. Williams made the mistake of taking it right at Promise Taylor who swatted the ball right to Jaidynn Mason who was fouled, hit one, Randle got the rebound and we ran out the clock.
WHEW!!
I’m sticking with me not making predictions, but I believe we can run with the Bruins!
GO DAWGS!!!
"The bureaucratic mentality is the only constant in the universe." ~Dr. Leonard H. McCoy
