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Posts Tagged ‘Sweet 16’

The joyride continues!!

Posted in Basketball, Wolves in college, tagged , , , , , on March 10, 2017| 3 Comments »

   Makana Stone (23), seen here earlier in the NCAA Championships, went for nine points and 11 rebounds Friday as Whitman rolled into the Elite Eight. (John Fisken photo)

They’re crying deep in the heart of Texas right now.

Sparked by fab frosh Makana Stone, who threw down nine points and snagged a game-high 11 rebounds, the Whitman College women’s basketball team pulled off a major upset Friday to roll into the Elite Eight.

Playing in frigid St. Paul, Minnesota, the #16 Blues stunned #7 Trinity University (Texas) 69-59 in the third round of the NCAA D-III women’s basketball championships.

Whitman improves to 26-4 and advances to play #2 St. Thomas (30-0), which nipped Marymount (Va.) 62-55.

Saturday’s match-up, played on the same floor at Schoenecker Arena, tips off at 5 PM Pacific time and can be streamed at:

http://tommiesports.com/broadcast/w7vf6i

Win there and the Blues are bound for the Final Four.

To make the jump from the Sweet Sixteen to the Elite Eight, Whitman had to overcome some poor shooting and some questionable passing in the early going.

Instead, the Blues used their shut-down defense to frazzle the Tigers, who finished 28-2.

Whitman also shredded any semblance of a press Trinity tried to throw on them, with Casey Poe darting, weaving and constantly finding the right target to thwart Trinity.

Down 15-14 after one (Trinity hit a buzzer-beater to nab the lead), the Blues steadily pulled away after that.

A 16-14 edge in the second gave them a one-point lead at the break, before 17-13 and 22-17 advantages in the third and fourth, respectively, sealed the deal.

Once Whitman had the lead, they never let it go, stretching the margin from six to 10 points throughout the second half.

Stone, making the 13th start of her college career, used her time wisely, garnering seven points and seven boards during a well-played second half.

The former Coupeville star also collected two steals and picked up an assist on a nice feed to Emily Rommel, who finished with a team-high 16 points.

Poe added 14, while Chelsi Brewer banged away for 11.

In her first season of college ball, Stone has played in 29 games, scoring 202 points (7.0 a night) and grabbing 186 boards (6.4).

She’s #2 on the squad in rebounding, while also racking up 31 assists, 16 steals and 11 blocked shots.

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Clear your schedule, post haste!!

Posted in Basketball, Wolves in college, tagged , , , , on March 9, 2017| Leave a Comment »

   Makana Stone (23) answers the question, “Who’s playing in the Sweet 16 Friday?” (John Fisken photo)

The biggest game of Makana Stone’s relatively short college hoops career tips off Friday afternoon.

The Coupeville High School grad and her Whitman College teammates face Trinity University (Texas) in the third round of the NCAA D-III women’s basketball championships.

The Blues (25-4) are playing in St. Paul, Minnesota, at the home of St. Thomas University, and tip-off for the Sweet 16 contest is 3:30 PM Pacific time.

Knock off Trinity, the #7 team in the nation at 28-1, and Whitman advances to the Elite Eight Saturday, where it would face the winner of St. Thomas and Marymount (Virginia) for a trip to the Final Four.

Stone, who has played in 28 of 29 games this season, starting her last 12, is averaging 6.9 points and 6.3 rebounds a night.

She’s #2 on the team in rebounding and field goal percentage.

To stream the game live, pop over to:

http://tommiesports.com/broadcast/w7vf6i

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Heart of gold, elbows of fury!!

Posted in Girls Basketball, Happy birthday, Track, Volleyball, tagged , , , , , on January 28, 2016| 1 Comment »

Allison Wenzel: Beast Mode (John Fisken photos)

Allison Wenzel: Beast Mode (John Fisken photos)

Now, let’s imagine you’ve never been to a game of any sorts at Coupeville High School before.

At first, you see Allison Wenzel, with the ever-present smile, the serene sweetness of nature, the way she jokes around with bench buddy Skyler Lawrence.

A few words, and it becomes quickly obvious she’s smart as a whip, sensitive to others, a young woman who loves (and is loved by) her teammates.

So, you have one image of what you think she is.

Then, it begins.

A volleyball match, a basketball game, a track meet, and the second Allison Wenzel unleashes and it is … freakin’ awesome.

She is, quite simply, a beast at times, and I mean that in the best way possible.

At a recent basketball game, I was sitting next to Jodi Crimmins, the Nicest Woman in the Universe, but also someone who used to tear arms off of people on the basketball court in the ’90s.

As we watched Wenzel uncork a butt-whuppin’ on anyone who would dare to get between her and the basketball, I looked at Jodi and said, “You know, she is you reincarnated, isn’t she?”

Jodi’s smile covered one side of the gym to the other.

Allison Wenzel, kind, caring, smart, lover of animals and people, is a destroyer of worlds in the arena, and it is beautiful to see.

As she celebrates her birthday today, I hope she knows how many fans she has, people who appreciate her huge heart and never-say-die spirit on the floor.

Like her older sister Rachel, also a talented athlete and scholar and amazing young woman, Allison is a blessing to her parents, Susan and Tim, and to her town.

We are lucky to get to be a small part in her journey, to witness as she, day by day, shines even more brightly.

I always love to see young athletes like Allison get rewarded for the time and effort they put in, for showing you can play like a demon on the court and still be an angel in real life.

Happy cake day, Miss Wenzel. Never stop being awesome.

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