NAIA D-II
WBB National Tournament Preview – First Round vs. Indiana Wesleyan (March 7, 2013)
By Zachary Weiss -- Women's Basketball Beat Writer for
The Globe, Pittsburgh Sports Report and The Pittsburgh Sporting News. Follow
Zachary on Twitter @ZacharyMWeiss
#8 Point Park 25-6 [11-4 KIAC] vs.
#1 Indiana Wesleyan 30-3 [16-2 Crossroads]
8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT -- Sioux City,
Iowa (Tyson Events Center)
How to watch the game:
Fans can pay $9.95 for a daily pass or $29.95 for a tournament pass on the NAIA
website to watch live video of the game. Fans also can find live stats courtesy
of Dakstats. WPPJ 670 AM will also be broadcasting the game with Chris Hoffman
and Tim Hardy on the call. You can also listen online at www.msasports.net
and looking on the right hand side for the broadcast under latest broadcasts.
The matchup:
Indiana Wesleyan won the Crossroads regular season title however it was upset,
54-48, by Saint Francis (Ind.) in the finals of the Crossroads conference
tournament. The loss dropped Indiana Wesleyan from No.1 to No. 4 in the NAIA DII
Top 25 Poll (Feb. 27). Point Park won its conference tournament defeating the
previous four time KIAC tournament champion Indiana University Southeast, 71-56,
in the semifinal and Asbury in the final, 67-58, for the KIAC Tournament
championship. Despite the conference title, the Pioneers went up just one spot
in the polls to No. 28 overall and in the ‘others receiving votes’ category.
The last team to get an at-large berth to the tournament was ranked No. 27
overall and as a result Point Park received a No. 8 seed.
Projected starters:
#8 Point Park
University (25-6, 11-4 KIAC):
#23
April Austin [Sr] 10.8 ppg 4.8 rpg
#3
Katresa Savisky [Jr] 8.6 ppg 6.0 rpg
#11
Emily Schartner [Sr] 12.3 ppg 5.6 rpg
#24
Teresa Davis [Jr] 10.0 ppg 5.1 rpg
#32
Ja’Nia McPhatter [Soph] 15.2 ppg 9 rpg
#1 Indiana Wesleyan
University (30-3, 16-2 Crossroads):
#21
Emma Stahl [So] 6.4 ppg 2.5 rpg
#3
Claire Ray [Sr] 10.4 ppg 4.7 rpg
#2
Taylor Goshert [Jr] 9.0 ppg 6.2 rpg
#41
Paige Smith [Sr] 16.1 ppg 6.6 rpg
#33
Karina Blackmon [So] 9.4 ppg 4.1 rpg
Who
will win and Why – Point Park vs. Indiana Wesleyan
As
a matchup of two of the top defenses in the country – Indiana Wesleyan is No. 1
in the nation in scoring defense at 48 ppg, and Point Park is 10th
at 55 ppg – the game will come down to a few key areas. Below is a breakdown of
how each team will win and why:
If
Indiana Wesleyan wins, it will be due to:
1. Controlling the tempo --
Indiana Wesleyan is a slower-tempo team. On offense, the Wildcats will utilize
the shot clock as much as possible. This is done by using ball fakes and ball
movement from right to left. This works well for IWC as evidenced by its
field-goal percentage of 47.4 precent from the field, ranked sixth in NAIA
D-II.
2. Experience --
The Wildcats will not be afraid of the moment. Indiana Wesleyan has made at
least the round of 16 every year since the 2002-03. In 2006-07, they were
national champions. They are very disciplined and have the top scoring defense in
the country allowing just 48.2 points a game.
3. Paige Smith -- The
senior -- plain and simple -- is a force inside. Point Park might not have one
defender who can guard her and that may mean extra pressure. Smith’s hook shot
can give her an advantage.
4. Make Point Park get to their bench
-- The
Pioneers’ bench is largely unproven. With the starters you know what you’re
going to get; however, with the bench, you really don’t.
If Point Park wins, it will be due to:
1. Controlling the tempo – Yes,
I realize this is the same first point used above, but these teams play at different
speeds. If Point Park can play their tempo then the Wildcats would be very
uncomfortable. The Wildcats are very smart with the basketball; however, in the
Crossroads tournament finals against St. Francis, they were unable to play
their game and turned the ball over 21 times. Make Indiana Wesleyan
uncomfortable.
2. Making free throws -- Obtaining
free points is harder than it seems, and the Pioneers shoot 67.6 percent from
the free throw line. There are many inconsistencies from the line. Yes, Point
Park makes the free ones down the stretch, but the misses add up.
3. Help from bench -- The
bench players need to make an impact on offense. There have been too many games
this season where only one person -- or other times no one – scores off the
bench. The starting five cannot do it all themselves and they will need help.
4. Say cheese -- Following
the last second win against Daemen on Feb. 1, Point Park got into an offensive
slump that lasted through their KIAC Tournament quarterfinal matchup versus
Carlow. Getting baskets became a struggle, and the Pioneers were carried by
their 10th-ranked defense. In the second half against Indiana
Southeast in the KIAC semifinals, the offense came back and so did the smiles.
Of note:
Indiana Wesleyan and Point Park each played Mount Vernon Nazarene this season.
The Pioneers beat MVNU both times, and those were the first wins ever for the
Pioneers over the Cougars. On Dec. 1, the Indiana Wesleyan beat MVNU, 57-50. Indiana
Wesleyan played MVNU total of three times, and the other two matchups were won
in lopsided fashion.
Point
of emphasis – Free Throws
Since
free throws figure to play a big role in a defensive game, here’s a look at Who
to Foul and Who not to Foul for both teams:
Who to Foul:
Indiana Wesleyan --
Emma
Stahl 55.8%
Karina
Blackmon 60.1%
Paige
Smith 64.3%
Point Park --
Maeve
Gallagher 33.0%
Anna
Shaw 38.9%
Brittany
Dunmire 44.4%
Who Not to Foul:
Indiana Wesleyan --
Claire
Ray 80.4%
Taylor
Goshert 79.1%
Carlee
Cotrell 78.6%
Point Park --
Emily
Schartner 82.6%
Alexa
Xenakis 77.3%
Katresa
Savisky 73.9%
Looking
ahead: A glimpse at other games in the bracket
If
Point Park gets by Indiana Wesleyan, it will play the winner of No. 4 Purdue
Calumet (Ind.) and No. 5 Grand View (Iowa). The Pioneers would play Friday
night, March 8 at 8:45 p.m. CT if they advance. Here’s a look at some of the
other games in Point Park’s quadrant of the bracket:
#4 Purdue Calumet
(Ind.) (21-9) v. #5 Grand View (Iowa) (21-6) – Thursday, 8:45 p.m.
This
matchup will occur right after the Point Park game and features a classic
offense-versus-defense battle. Purdue Calumet is third in the nation in scoring
at 83.9 points per game, fourth in total rebounds with 45.2 per game and sixth
in free throw percentage at 74.9 percent. Purdue Calumet is led in scoring by
Kami Graber and Alex Starr who each have 16.6 points per game. Also of note is
that they played Indiana University Southeast, who like the Pioneers, is a KIAC
member. Purdue Calumet won that game, 83-73, after being tied at halftime.
Grand View is fourth in blocks per game with nearly five a game, fifth defensive
rebounds per game with 31.8 and fifth in field-goal percentage defense at 33
percent. Morgan Hamner averages 15.2 points a game and 7.1 rebounds. The winner
of this game faces the winner of Point Park-Indiana Wesleyan.
#3 Briar Cliff (Iowa) (23-9)
vs. #6 Siena Heights (Mich.) (23-9) – Thursday, 5:15 p.m.
Briar
Cliff is fourth in NAIA D-II in steals per game with 15, total steals with 480
and seventh in total scoring offense with 2,584 points. Three scorers are in
double figures led by Kelsey Evans with 14 points a game, Mattie Murren with 12
and Sara Reeves 11.8. Summer Gordon leads Briar Cliff with 5.4 rebounds a game.
Siena Heights is second in the nation in field-goal defense at 33.3 percent and
fifth in three-point shooting percentage at 36.3 percent. Morgan Warfield leads
her team with 11.4 points a game while Sierra Calhoun [11.3] and Amanda Duke
[11.2] also join her in double figures. Duke’s 6.31 boards a game lead her
team.
#2 College of the Ozarks
(Mo.) (29-4) vs. #7 Milligan (Tenn.) (23-9) – Thursday, 3:30 p.m.
College
of the Ozarks always has a big support system making the trip to Sioux City,
Iowa, and they were rewarded when the team made the finals against eventual
champion Northwestern (Iowa), losing 75-62 last year. Ozarks is first in assist-to-turnover
ratio at 1.261, total rebounding margin at +11.727 and field goal defense at
33.2 percent. The team is led by Morgan Smith who is third in the NAIA DII in
scoring at 24 points per game. This is behind only KIAC players Ariel Nickell
of Alice Lloyd and Trenia Barbee of Asbury. Smith’s 8.2 rebounds a game also
lead her team. Milligan is fifth in the country in 3-point field goal defense
at 25.8% and have made 219 treys of their own, good for 16th
nationally. Milligan has three double-digit
scorers in Kayla Kelly [13.8], Johneshia Good [13.2] and Jaimee Hill [11.6].
Dorian Freeman’s 6.7 rebounds a game lead her team.
They said it – Quotes from
Point Park players:
“We’re
very excited to just get out there and experience the excitement of the
tournament, but we’re not settling with just the experience. This year, we’re
looking to make a run.” – Katresa Savisky on the team’s mindset for the
tournament
“This
is just another smack in the face to add to the list. Obviously it does not
bring us down, if anything it’s putting a fire under us.” – Maeve Gallagher on
being drawing a No. 8 seed.
“They’re
beatable and honestly I think it will be a great matchup. The biggest thing is
not beating ourselves. We’ve just got to do what we do no matter who we play.”
– Katresa Savisky on what needs to be done to defeat Indiana Wesleyan.