Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League Results For Wednesday 7-23-25

 Another full night of action last night at the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League:

6:15 PM Games

St. Kate's - 81

She Got Game - 48

Curry Crew - 67

Washed-Up Warriors - 58

Arden Hills - 57

MN-NYCE - 53

Wash-Ups - 53

Beavs - 47

7:10 PM Games

Scrubs - 47

Hammies - 37

GAC Alumni - 57

Auggies - 34

Beavs - 69

Alumni - 67

Sara's Shooters - 59

GAC Gold - 57  OT

8:05 PM Games

Baddies Elite - 69

St. Olaf - 64

Rusty Buckets - 37

GAC Black - 33

CSB - 58

GAC Alumni - 44

Swish - 58

Anoka-Ramsey - 41

Over on Court 1 in the 6:15 PM slot, the St. Kate's team; fresh off of their big win from the night before, was taking on the She Got Game team and the St. Kate's team showed from the outset that the previous night was no fluke as they raced out to a 17-3 lead by the 6:10 mark of the opening period and upped the lead to 20-3 near the midway point.  By the end of the first period, the St. Kate's team had a hefty 26-8 advantage.  The She Got Game team was still struggling on the offensive end once the second period got underway as the St. Kate's team got its lead to 29-11 by the 8:30 mark and that lead would balloon to 37-11 near the midway point.  By the halftime break, the St. Kate's team was sitting on a 44-13 score.  The She Got Game team finally got something going once the third period got underway but they were still on the wrong end of a 49-26 game with 3:15 left and the St. Kate's team was in excellent shape with a 51-33 lead by the end of the third period.  By the 6:50 mark of the fourth period, the St. Kate's team was rolling again with a 63-36 lead as they romped to an easy win.........A much more competitive contest was ensuing over on Court 2 as the Curry Crew team was taking on the Washed Up Warriors team.  The Curry Crew team would hold a 6-4 lead at the 6:40 mark of the opening period but the Washed Up Warriors team would have this game leveled at eight a piece near the midway point.  The Curry Crew team, however, would get the upper hand down the stretch and would assume a 19-13 lead by the end of the first period.  The Washed Up Warriors team would attempt to make inroads on this deficit as a tough lay-up by Carla Meyer (CSB '24) cut the deficit to four at 19-15 at the 9:35 mark of the second period but the Curry Crew team would step on the gas again and get its cushion up to eight at 31-23 near the midway point.  Undaunted, the Washed Up Warriors team would make another bid to get close and a three-point bomb  by Sophia Jonas (CSB '25) got them back to within a single possession down 31-29 with 2:35 left but the Curry Crew team was able to establish a bit more breathing room with a 39-34 advantage by the halftime break.  The Curry Crew team would continue to hold the upper hand once the third period got underway and would get their lead to 48-40 with 3:40 left before the Washed Up Warriors team could trim the deficit to six at 50-44 with 2:00 left and get it down to five at 52-47 by the end of the third period.  But the Washed Up Warriors team was unable to sustain their drive as the Curry Crew team opened up more space when the fourth period got underway as they rebuilt the eight-point lead at 57-49 at the 7:10 mark and although the Washed Up Warriors team would make one last-gasp attempt to get close down 60-54 with 2:30 left in regulation, the Curry Crew team was able to close the door down the stretch to claim the dub.........One of the better games on this night took place on Court 3 in the 6:15 PM slot as the Arden Hills team took on the MN-NYCE team.  The MN-NYCE team would hold a 5-3 advantage at the 6:50 mark of the opening period and would increase its lead to 14-10 with 1:45 left and they would maintain this four-point cushion with an 18-14 lead by the end of the first period.  But the Arden Hills team started to strut its stuff as they took the initiative once the second period got underway and got the deficit down to a single point at 24-23 near the midway point and poking their nose out in front soon thereafter.  With 1:00 left, the Arden Hills team now had a four-point lead at 28-24 but a late three-point bomb by the MN-NYCE team sliced that cushion down to just one at 28-27 by the halftime break.  The Arden Hills team would establish some more breathing room with a 33-29 lead at the 8:40 mark of the third period but a stubborn MN-NYCE team refused to play nice and would come back and assume a 35-33 lead by the 6:45 mark.  Fittingly, the Arden Hills team would get this contest leveled at 37 a piece with 4:05 left and that seemed to give the Arden Hills team a second wind as they would take a 44-39 lead with 1:00 left and stretch the lead to 46-39 by the end of the third period.  But the Arden Hills team would have to withstand a strong effort from the MN-NYCE team once the fourth period was underway as the Arden Hills team's lead was cut to 49-45 by the 8:20 mark and by the midway point, the Arden Hills team saw their lead dwindle to a single possession at 53-51.  With 2:45 left, the Arden Hills team was still clinging to the 53-51 lead but they had enough gas in the tank to increase their safety net to six at 57-51 with 1:40 left and that was enough to get the hard-earned win on this night.........An interesting matchup was going down over on Court 4 meanwhile between the Beavs team and the Wash-Ups team although things were made difficult coverage-wise at the outset due to a clock malfunction.  The Beavs team would get a 4-2 lead early on in the opening period of this game but this game would be tied up at 11 a piece late in the first period and by the end of the first period, the Wash-Ups would hold a slim 14-13 advantage.  With the clock issue resolved at the start of the second period, this one would stay close as the game would be tied at 20-all by the 6:35 mark and the Beavs team would assume a 23-20 lead near the midway point.  The Beavs team was able to stretch its lead to 31-24 with 1:10 left and by the halftime break, things were looking good for the Beavs team as they held a 32-24 advantage.  But the Beavs team would see its lead slimmed down to to five at 34-29 by the 6:30 mark of the third period and near the midway point the Wash-Ups team made further inroads; cutting the deficit to a scant point at 34-33.  With 2:05 left, the Wash-Ups team was able to grab a 38-35 lead and they would get a bit more cushion with a 45-41 advantage by the end of the third period.  By the 6:50 mark of the fourth period, the Wash-Ups team appeared to have a safe 51-41 lead but they had to withstand a late push by the Beavs team as they reduced the deficit to four at 51-47 with 3:50 left but they could never get closer than that down the home stretch as the Wash-Ups team claimed the victory on this night.

In the 7:10 PM slot, an interesting game was taking place on Court 1 between the Scrubs team and the Hammies team although you didn't exactly need an abacus to keep track of the scoring early on as the Scrubs team would hold a 4-3 advantage at the 6:05 mark of the opening period and would be up 8-6 with 1:25 left.  By the end of the first period, the Scrubs team was still holding onto a two-point lead at 11-9.  The Scrubs team was able to gradually grow its lead once the second period got underway as they would be up 17-12 near the midway point and would increase the lead to eight at 20-12 with 4:25 left.  The Scrubs team was able to maintain this cushion down the stretch and hold a 22-14 lead by the halftime break.  The Scrubs team would be up 24-17 by the 8:00 mark of the third period and would grow the lead to nine at 32-23 with 3:10 left.  By the end of the third period, the Scrubs team had built a double-digit cushion at 36-25.  Not much changed once the fourth period got underway with the Scrubs team up 38-27 by the 8:05 mark and they would lead by as much as thirteen at 47-34 with 3:00 left in regulation as they claimed the dub on this night.........Over on Court 2, the GAC Alumni team was taking on the Auggies team and it didn't take long for the GAC Alumni team to assume full control of this contest as they would hold a 6-3 advantage by the 6:15 mark of the opening period and that lead would grow to 10-3 a couple of minutes later with 4:15 left.  By the end of the first period, the GAC Alumni team was rolling with an 18-3 advantage.  Things weren't getting any better for the Auggies team as the GAC Alumni team increased its lead to 21-5 near the midway point of the second period and the GAC Alumni team was sitting pretty at the halftime break with a 32-17 advantage.  The Auggies team finally found some semblance of offense once the third period got underway but even so the GAC Alumni team still owned a cozy 34-21 advantage at the 7:35 mark and they would stretch the lead to 42-23 with 4:00 left.  By the end of the third period, the GAC Alumni had a twenty-point cushion at its disposal up 44-24.  By the midway point of the fourth period, the GAC Alumni team owned a 49-28 lead as they cruised to an easy win.........One of the best two games on this night took place over on Court 3 in this time slot as the Alumni team took on the Beavs team which was doing double-duty on this night.  That certainly didn't seem to faze the Beavs team as they jumped out to a 7-2 advantage by the 7:45 mark of the opening period but the Alumni team would eventually get things tightened up as the Beavs team's lead was cut to 18-16 with 3:10 left.  The Beavs team would try and establish some more breathing room with a 24-20 lead with 1:00 left but that lead was cut to a scant point at 24-23 by the end of the first period.  Despite the relatively slow start, the Alumni team seemed to have new life injected once the second period got underway as they would take the lead at 28-27 by the 7:15 mark and they would eventually grow this lead to nine points at 39-30 with 3:05 left.  A 5-0 spurt by the Alumni team down the stretch seemed to have the Alumni team in great shape with a 44-30 advantage by the halftime break.  Things still looked very good for the Alumni team as they enjoyed a 51-40 lead by the 6:25 mark of the third period and with 4:00 left with a 53-40 advantage, one had to think that the Beavs team was probably spent.  But the Beavs team hunkered down the home stretch of the third period, chopping the deficit to just six at 56-50 with 1:05 left and even though the Alumni team held a 58-50 lead by the end of the third period, the momentum seemed to be swinging the other way.  The Alumni team saw its lead reduced to six at 62-56 by the 6:45 mark of the fourth period and a key 6-1 push by the Beavs team suddenly had the deficit down to a scant point at 63-62 near the midway point.  The Beavs team would finally take a 67-66 lead with 2:05 left in regulation and would get the lead to 69-66 with 1:00 left.  The Alumni team would cut the deficit down to two at 69-67 but faltered in the final moments as the Beavs team made amends for the earlier defeat to claim an exciting win.........The other humdinger on this night was taking place over on nearby Court 4 in this time slot between the GAC Gold team and the Sara's Shooters team.  The tone for this contest was set early on with things leveled at four a piece by the 8:25 mark of the opening period and although the GAC Gold team would grab an 11-10 advantage with 4:05 left, the Sara's Shooters team would take the lead right back at 12-11 with 2:35 left.  This back-and-forth went on until the GAC Gold team was holding a 15-14 advantage by the end of the first period.  Not to be outdone, the Sara's Shooters team would assume a 21-17 lead by the 7:20  mark of the second period and they would maintain this four-point cushion with a 25-21 lead with 3:30 left.  But this young and fearless GAC Gold team would come right back with a 5-0 spurt to claim a 26-25 advantage with 2:05 left and, somewhat fittingly, this game would be knotted at thirty a piece by the halftime break.  The Sara's Shooters team would again grab the upper hand with a 36-35 lead by the 6:20 mark of the third period and would get a bit more breathing room with a 38-35 advantage near the midway point.  The Sara's Shooters team would grow its lead to six at 43-37 with 1:20 left but the GAC Gold team got back to within a single possession down 45-42 by the end of the third period.  The Sara's Shooters team finally looked to have things in control with a 51-42 lead at the 6:20 mark of the fourth period and there was no reason for any panic at all as they still enjoyed a 51-44 lead near the midway point.  But it was no surprise at all that this young GAC Gold team would make a furious comeback down the home stretch of regulation as they cut the deficit down to six at 54-48 with 2:10 left and less than a minute later with 1:30 left, the GAC Gold team had climbed back to within a single possession down just 54-51.  With :45 left in regulation, the GAC Gold team suddenly got this game leveled again at 54 a piece.  The Sara's Shooters team would take a 56-54 lead with :25 left but the GAC Gold team would nail a "3" with :16 left that suddenly had them out in front 57-56.  On their subsequent possession, the Sara's Shooters team got a bit of a break on a foul call and they were able to get one free throw to go down with just :04 left on the clock that tied this game at 57-all.  In the one-minute overtime period, the Sara's Shooters team scored early on to take a 59-57 lead and although the GAC Gold team had several opportunities, they were unable to find any more magic as the Sara's Shooters team escaped with a thrilling victory.  

After all the drama in the 7:10 PM slot, the 8:05 PM slot seemed somewhat anti-climactic but there were still some interesting games nonetheless.  On Court 1, the St. Olaf team was taking on the Baddies Elite team and the St. Olaf team was able to get a 6-3 lead by the 7:30 mark of the opening period but the Baddies Elite team would get this contest on even terms at eight a piece with 3:35 left.  Still, the St. Olaf team had enough in them to hold a slim 14-13 advantage by the end of the first period.  But things would change in the second period as the Baddies Elite team started to take control of things and got a 24-20 lead near the midway point and they would grow that lead a bit with a 27-22 advantage.  Then the Baddies Elite team launched an 11-4 run down the stretch that gave them a nice cushion up 38-26 by the halftime break.  Likely knowing it was near the breaking point, the St. Olaf team got things turned around on the offensive end once the third period got underway and launched a 9-3 push that cut the deficit down to six at 41-35 by the 7:15 mark of the third period and by the midway point, the St. Olaf team had the deficit down to just four points at 41-37.  But the Baddies Elite team recovered just enough to get a 48-43 advantage with 2:45 left and they would maintain this five-point edge at 50-45 with 1:45 left and were still up 56-51 by the end of the third period.  The Baddies Elite team would grow its lead to eight at 59-51 by the 7:20 mark of the fourth period and they would enjoy a ten-point cushion up 67-57 with 2:10 left in regulation.  Despite a last-gasp push by the St. Olaf team down the stretch, the Baddies Elite team held on for the win.........A defensive struggle was taking place over on Court 2 between the GAC Black team and the Rusty Buckets team.  This one would be tied at two a piece by the 8:15 mark of the opening period and the GAC Black team was eventually able to grab an 8-4 advantage with 3:55 left.  But the Rusty Buckets team would get this contest leveled again at eight a piece by the end of the first period.  This game would still be knotted at nine a piece by the 7:35 mark of the second period and the Rusty Buckets team would eventually get a 14-11 lead near the midway point.  The Rusty Buckets team would get their lead to as many as five points at 18-13 with 2:00 left but the GAC Black team would get on a spurt and close to within a single possession down 20-18 by the halftime break.  But the Rusty Buckets team would have control of this game once the third period got underway as they would hold a 22-18 advantage by the 7:00 mark and would get the lead stretched to 27-20 near the midway point.  The Rusty Buckets team still held a 29-23 advantage with 2:30 left and maintained this cushion to hold a 31-25 lead by the end of the third period.  The Rusty Buckets team would then grow its lead to as many as eight at 33-25 by the 8:00 mark of the fourth period and still had control of things up 34-27 with 3:55 left.  The GAC Black team would cut the deficit down to four at 37-33 with 1:00 left but could never get any closer as the Rusty Buckets claimed the win on this night.........Over on Court 3, the GAC Alumni team; doing double-duty on this night as well, took on the CSB team.  Although this game would be tied at two a piece at the 7:20 mark of the opening period, the GAC Alumni saw things quickly go downhill for them as the CSB team with fresher legs took a 6-2 lead by the 6:00 mark and grew that lead to 12-6 with 3:00 left.  By the end of the first period, the CSB team was rolling along with a 21-10 advantage.  By the midway point of the second period, the CSB team had stretched its lead to 31-15 and by the halftime break, the CSB team was enjoying a hefty 40-21 advantage.  Not a lot changed once the third period got underway with the CSB team up 43-23 at the 7:45 mark and they still enjoyed a 48-30 advantage with 2:00 left.  By the end of the third period, it was easy to see how this one was going to go with the CSB team up 50-30.  Things only got worse for the GAC Alumni team from there as the CSB team assumed a 52-36 lead by the 7:20 mark and at the midway point, the CSB team was enjoying a 56-33 advantage as they had things in cruise control the rest of the way.........Another low-scoring affair - at least initially anyway - was going down over on Court 4 between the Swish team and the Anoka-Ramsey team as this one would be knotted at nine a piece with 3:05 left in the opening period and the Swish team would get a slim 11-9 advantage with 2:20 left.  But a key 8-2 push down the stretch by the Swish team had them up 19-11 by the end of the first period.  The Swish team would hold a 24-17 advantage near the midway point of the second period and by the halftime break, the Swish team had a ten-point cushion up 31-21.  The Swish team would grow its lead to as many as twelve at 36-24 near the midway point of the third period before the Anoka-Ramsey team could get things slimmed down a bit trailing 38-30 by the end of the third period.  But that's as close as they would get as the Swish team started putting the finishing touches on this one once the fourth period got underway.  Still holding an eight-point 47-39 lead by the 7:00 mark, the Swish team would then go to work and up its lead to double-digits as they would hold a 54-38 lead with 3:05 left and get the relatively easy win on this night.

Next week is another Tuesday/Wednesday night deal to close out this season with playoff action underway.  Make sure you get down to the Midtown YWCA to catch all the action!

Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League Results For Tuesday 7-22-25

After an unexpected respite last week, the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League was back in full swing last night with several good games.  Here are the results from last night's action:

6:15 PM Games

Blue Devils - 45

Alumni - 42

Hammies - 48

Curry Crew - 47

Rusty Buckets - 62

Swish - 39

Wash-Ups - 61

Auggies - 48

7:10 PM Games

Anoka-Ramsey - 41

Alumni - 38

GAC Black - 45

Scrubs - 43

Blue Devils - 60

CSB - 30

St. Olaf - 66

MN-NYCE - 59

8:05 PM Games

Sara's Shooters - 74

Arden Hills - 47

St. Kate's - 81

Anoka-Ramsey - 51

Washed-Up Warriors - 72

Baddies Elite - 69

GAC Gold - 57

She Got Game - 47

In the 6:15 PM slot, a good one was going on over on Court 1 between the Alumni team and the Blue Devils team.  The Blue Devils team would hold a slim 10-9 advantage near the midway point of the opening period but it would be the Alumni team holding the upper hand by the end of the first period with a 14-13 advantage.  The Alumni team would forge a 19-16 lead at the 7:45 mark of the second period and they would continue to hold the upper hand up 28-24 with 1:05 left and a 31-27 lead by the halftime break.  But the Blue Devils team would waste little time in turning the tables once the third period got underway as they climbed back to within a single possession down 31-29 at the 9:20 mark and a short time later, a three-point bomb suddenly had the Blue Devils team up 32-31 by the 8:45 mark.  The Blue Devils team would establish some breathing room with a 38-33 advantage with 1:10 left and they would hold onto this lead by the end of the third period.  The Alumni team, however, would make a determined effort in the fourth period to try and bring this one back and they would get back to within a single possession down 38-35 by the 7:45 mark but it would be a frustrating endeavor for them as the Blue Devils team refused to give up their lead and they would hold a 45-42 lead with 2:20 left in regulation and they would hold the Alumni team scoreless down the stretch to hang on for the dub..........Another nail-biter was taking place over on Court 2 between the Hammies team and the Curry Crew team.  This game would be tight from the opening tip with the Hammies team holding a slim 9-7 edge near the midway point of the opening period and the Curry Crew team would get this one leveled at nine a piece with 3:50 left.  That seemed to inject new life into the Curry Crew team as they would gain the upper hand and would hold a 16-13 lead by the end of the first period.  The Curry Crew team seemed to have control of things as they would launch a quick 10-0 run to hold a 26-13 lead by the 7:20 mark of the second period.  The Hammies team looked to be in a tough spot at this point but they were able to trim the deficit and get back to within single digit range down 31-22 with 1:40 left and cut the deficit down to seven down 31-24 at the half.  Now the Hammies team had new life injected into them and they quickly got the deficit down to a single possession at 31-28 by the 8:15 mark of the third period and they would eventually get their noses out in front.  With 1:30 left, the Hammies team held a 39-35 advantage and they would get some more breathing room up 43-37 by the end of the third period.  But the Curry Crew team wasn't going to let this one get away just yet as they climbed back to within a single possession down 44-42 by the 6:55 mark of the fourth period and with just 2:45 left in regulation, the Hammies team was clinging to a one-point 48-47 lead with a ton of time left.  Despite numerous opportunities down the home stretch, the Curry Crew team was held scoreless as the Hammies team hung on for an exciting win........No such drama on Court 3 where the Rusty Buckets team was taking on the Swish team.  A low-scoring affair early on, the Rusty Buckets team would hold a 3-2 edge near the midway point of the opening period but the Swish team would come back and hold an 8-6 lead with 2:15 left and the Swish team would increase that lead to 9-6 by the end of the first period.  But the Rusty Buckets team would start taking control of things in this contest once the second period got underway and they would own a 19-14 lead near the midway point and they would maintain this five-point edge up 25-20 with 1:50 left.  By the halftime break, the Rusty Buckets team increased their lead to eight at 31-23.  The Swish team would manage to cut the deficit down to six at 33-27 by the 6:35 mark of the third period but they were unable to stem the tide of the Rusty Buckets team as they would open up a 40-29 lead with 2:40 left and the Rusty Buckets team would increase their lead to 49-32 by the end of the third period.  By the 7:00 mark of the fourth period, the Rusty Buckets team was cruising along up 52-35 and they would have full control of this one up 56-37 near the midway point as they got the easy win on this night........An interesting contest was going on over on Court 4 between the Auggies team and the Wash-Ups team.  The Wash-Ups team would bolt out to a 6-0 lead by the 7:40 mark of the opening period and they would hang onto this six-point cushion up 15-9 with 3:00 left.  But the Auggies team would then go on a 6-0 spurt to get this game leveled at 15 a piece by the end of the third period.  However, it was all downhill for the Auggies team after that as the Wash-Ups team would slowly but surely get a stranglehold on this game as they would hold a 21-18 lead by the 6:35 mark of the second period and they would up that lead to 26-18 near the midway point.  By the halftime break, the Wash-Ups team held a 31-24 advantage.  The Wash-Ups team would build on their cushion getting their lead to 37-26 by the 6:35 mark of the third period and a three-point bomb by Macy Hatlestad (UST '21) upped that lead to 43-28 near the midway point.  The Wash-Ups team would maintain this fifteen-point cushion as they enjoyed a 50-35 lead by the end of the third period.  By the 7:50 mark of the fourth period, there was little doubt as to how this one was going to go with the Wash-Ups team up 55-36 and although the Augsburg team was able to make a bit of an inroad down the stretch, the Wash-Ups team came away with a comfortable victory.

In the 7:10 PM slot, a good one was going down on Court 1 between the Anoka-Ramsey team and the Alumni team.  The Alumni team seemed to have full control of this one from the outset as they would forge a 6-2 advantage near the midway point of the opening period and they would increase that lead to 8-2 with 2:35 left.  By the end of the first period, everything seemed to be going the Alumni team's way with a 12-7 advantage.  But despite their early shooting woes, the Anoka-Ramsey team finally moved into gear once the second period got underway as they managed to get back to within a single possession down 15-12 by the 6:35 mark and the Anoka-Ramsey team then got this game knotted at 15 a piece near the midway point.  The Anoka-Ramsey team would soon get its nose out in front and with 1:30 left, they were up 21-17 and by the halftime break, the Anoka-Ramsey team increased their lead to 23-17.  By the 8:10 mark of the third period, the Anoka-Ramsey team still had the momentum with a 25-20 advantage and they would be able to maintain this five-point edge up 31-26 with 2:50 left.  By the end of the third period, the Anoka-Ramsey team was up 36-31.  The Anoka-Ramsey team would continue to maintain this five-point lead up 38-33 near the midway juncture of the fourth period and although the Alumni team managed to get back to within a single possession late in regulation, they could not get over the hump as the Anoka-Ramsey team recorded a good win on this night.........Perhaps the best game of this night took place over on Court 2 in this time slot as the GAC Black team took on the Scrubs team.  The GAC Black team would get out to a 5-0 lead by the 8:00 mark of the opening period and they would maintain this five-point edge up 7-2 near the midway point.  With 1:30 left, the GAC Black team had increased its lead to 13-6 and by the end of the first period, the GAC Black team had a ten-point cushion at 18-8.  The GAC Black team would maintain this cushion up 20-10 by the 7:00 mark of the second period and when the GAC Black team built a 23-11 lead near the midway point, they certainly seemed to be in full control.  But the Scrubs team would slyly cut into this cushion; reducing it to eight at 25-17 with 2:05 left and getting even closer down 25-18 by the halftime break.  By the 7:25 mark of the third period, the Scrubs team had definitely found new life as they cut the deficit down to five at 25-20 and with 3:30 left, they were able to draw closer down 29-25.  A late score by the Scrubs team cut the GAC Black team's lead down to 29-27 by the end of the third period.  And the Scrubs team wasted little time once the fourth period got underway as they would get this contest leveled at 29 a piece by the 9:30 mark and a short time later, the Scrubs team would get their nose out in front.  By the midway point, the Scrubs team was trying to hold onto a 39-36 advantage but the GAC Black team refused to give in as they got the deficit down to a scant point down 41-40 with 2:55 left in regulation.  A short time later, a three-point bomb by the GAC Black team suddenly had them out in front at 43-41 with 2:30 left but the Scrubs team would get this game on even terms again at 43 a piece with 2:10 left.  With 1:35 left, the GAC Black team would forge ahead 45-43 and they were able to hold off several scoring attempts down the stretch by the Scrubs team as the GAC Black team hung on in an absolute nail-biter.........A much different story over on Court 3 as the Blue Devils team; doing double-duty on this night, took on the CSB team.  The Blue Devils team would jump out to a 4-0 lead by the 7:05 mark of the opening period and they would up that lead to 6-0 near the midway point.  With 1:20 left, the Blue Devils team would be up 10-5 and they would hold this lead by the end of the first period.  The Blue Devils team would maintain this five-point cushion up 13-8 by the 8:05 mark of the second period and with 3:57 left, they were able to up this lead to 20-14.  A 5-2 push down the stretch by the Blue Devils team had them up 25-16 by the halftime break.  The Blue Devils team would then get a double-digit cushion up 29-18 by the 6:45 mark of the third period and that lead would grow to 31-18 near the midway point.  By the end of the third period, the Blue Devils team was able to maintain this fifteen-point cushion up 41-26.  Things only got worse for the CSB team once the fourth period got underway as the Blue Devils team would up its lead to 43-26 by the 8:05 mark and they started running away with this one after that as they rolled to an easy win.........Another interesting contest was ensuing over on Court 4 in this time slot as the MN-NYCE team was taking on the St. Olaf team.  This game would be tied at two a piece at the 7:30 mark of the opening period but the MN-NYCE team would manage to get the upper hand after that as they would be holding a 16-13 lead with 1:25 left and they would still be up 17-15 by the end of the first period.  The MN-NYCE team would continue to hold the upper hand as they would enjoy a 25-19 advantage near the midway point of the second period but it was here where the St. Olaf team was finally able to get some solid footing as they managed to cut the deficit down to one at 29-28 with 1:15 left and a late three-point bomb by the St. Olaf team suddenly had them up 31-29 by the halftime break.  The St. Olaf team would hold onto a 33-32 lead by the 8:50 mark of the third period but the MN-NYCE team would regain the lead at 35-33 by the 8:15 mark.  The MN-NYCE team would still be up 48-47 with 1:05 left and they would up their lead to 50-47 by the end of the third period.  Things still looked to be going the MN-NYCE team's way once the fourth period got underway but in the latter stages, the St. Olaf team got control of this game for good as they would hold a 60-57 lead with 2:50 left.  The MN-NYCE team would cut this lead down to a scant point at 60-59 with 2:20 left but the St. Olaf team got the job done at the charity stripe down the stretch as they held on for the win.  

In the 8:05 PM slot, an intriguing matchup took place on Court 1 between the Sara's Shooters team and the Arden Hills team.  The Sara's Shooters team would jump out to a 6-1 lead by the 7:50 mark of the opening period but the Arden Hills team was able to get things tightened up as this first period progressed as they got back to within a single possession down 10-7 with 1:55 left and by the end of the first period, the Arden Hills team was still very much in this one down only 12-9.  By the 6:50 mark of the second period, the Sara's Shooters team was hanging onto a slim 18-17 lead and it definitely seemed like this one could go either way.  However, a 6-2 push by the Sara's Shooters team had them up 24-19 near the midway point and by the halftime break, the Sara's Shooters team had increased its cushion to eight at 31-23.  By the time the third period got underway, the Sara's Shooters team was in full control as they would own a 40-29 advantage by the 6:55 mark and that lead would bulge to 55-34 with 2:00 left.  By the end of the third period, the Sara's Shooters team was rolling along up 57-35.  With 3:00 left in regulation, it was plain to see how this one was going to go with the Sara's Shooters team up 67-45 as they cruised to an easy win.........The game on Court 2 between the St. Kate's team and the Anoka-Ramsey team took on a similar tone as this one would start out very tight with the St. Kate's team nursing a 9-8 advantage near the midway point of the opening period but the St. Kate's team would soon open up some distance as they pushed their lead to 17-11 with 1:30 left and would still be up 19-15 by the end of the first period.  The St. Kate's team would get its lead to six again at 25-19 by the 7:20 mark of the second period but this time they didn't let their collective foot off the accelerator as their lead would balloon to 40-24 with 2:50 left.  By the halftime break, the St. Kate's team was enjoying a hefty 45-26 advantage.  Not much changed once the third period got underway with the St. Kate's team up 52-34 at the 7:15 mark and up 57-38 with 3:15 left.  By the end of the third period, the St. Kate's team was on a roll up 64-39.  Near the midway point of the fourth period, things were pretty much academic with the St. Kate's team up 73-41 as they romped to an easy win.........A much tighter affair was ensuing over on Court 3 between the Washed-Up Warriors team and the Baddies Elite team.  The Baddies Elite team would hold a 12-7 lead near the midway point of the opening period and they would still be up 14-11 by the end of the first period.  The Washed-Up Warriors team would cut the deficit to a scant point at 14-13 by the 7:40 mark of the second period and although the Baddies Elite team would eventually get a bit more breathing room up 27-23 with 1:05 left, the Washed-Up Warriors team certainly wasn't going anywhere as the Baddies Elite team was cut to 27-25 by the halftime break.  The Baddies Elite team would still hold a 44-42 lead near the midway point of the third period but the Washed-Up Warriors team eventually turned the tables as they would forge ahead 46-44 with 1:40 left and they would hold a slim 51-50 advantage by the end of the third period.  The Washed-Up Warriors team would be hanging onto this one-point lead at 59-58 by the 6:10 mark of the fourth period and they would still have the upper hand with a 64-61 lead with 3:10 left in regulation.  The Baddies Elite team had several opportunities in the home stretch of regulation but was unable to cash in as the Washed-Up Warriors team held on for the narrow victory.........Yet another good game was taking place over on Court 4 in the 8:05 PM slot as the She Got Game team was taking on the GAC Gold team.  The She Got Game team would have the edge from the outset as they would grab a 6-3 lead by the 6:25 mark of the opening period and they would get that lead to 8-3 by the midway point.  The GAC Gold team would continue to struggle offensively and that allowed the She Got Game team to stretch its lead to ten at 15-5 by the end of the first period.  The She Got Game team put the GAC Gold team in an even bigger hole as they upped their lead to 18-5 by the 9:05 mark of the second period but the GAC Gold team finally shook off the cobwebs and got things into gear as they picked away at the deficit.  With 1:05 left, the She Got Game team saw their lead shrink to five at 26-21 and a 4-0 spurt down the stretch by the GAC Gold team reduced the deficit to just one at 26-25 by the halftime break.  Things would continue to stay close once the third period got underway and the GAC Gold team would get this one leveled at 36-all with 3:20 left.  A key 4-0 spurt by the GAC Gold team over the next minute suddenly had them up 40-36 but the She Got Game team would get on a run of their own down the stretch to retake the lead at 44-43 by the end of the third period.  But the She Got Game team saw the wind go out of their sail once the fourth period got underway as the GAC Gold team would take the lead for good and they would hold a 50-46 advantage near the midway point.  With 3:35 left in regulation, the GAC Gold team got their lead to eight at 54-46 and the She Got Game team ran out of options after that as the GAC Gold team came away with the dub. 

Another big night of action coming up tonight so make sure you get over to the Midtown YWCA to catch all the action! 

Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League Results For Wednesday 7-9-25

 A busy night Wednesday evening at the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League with a ton of good games to take in:

6:15 PM Games

Beavs - 65

Hammies - 61

Blue Devils - 56

GAC Alumni - 55

GAC Black - 58

Alumni - 49

Auggies - 57

Washed-Up Warriors - 50

7:10 PM Games

Swish - 53

Wash-Ups - 49

Arden Hills - 46

Rusty Buckets - 42

Beavs - 80

GAC Gold - 63

St. Olaf - 58

She Got Game - 56

8:05 PM Games

Sara's Shooters - 77

Anoka-Ramsey - 44

CSB - 49

MN-NYCE - 42

Curry Crew - 82

Scrubs - 66

St. Kate's - 59

Baddies Elite - 51

Over on Court 1 in the 6:15 PM slot, the Hammies team was taking on the Beavs team in something of a MIAC/NSIC clash.  The Beavs team would get a 7-3 lead by the 6:00 mark of the opening period but that lead would soon be down to a scant point at 7-6 near the midway point.  Things would stay tight down the stretch and by the end of the first period, the Beavs team was holding onto a 17-15 advantage.  The Beavs team would manage to open up a bit more breathing room once the second period got underway and by the midway point, they had established a 24-19 lead.  But a stubborn Hammies team was not going away anytime soon and by the halftime break, they had closed to within a single possession down 29-27.  Once the third period got underway, the Beavs team shifted gears and got on a key 12-2 run to open up a 41-29 lead by the 6:10 mark and by the end of the third period, the Beavs team had an even bigger cushion up 53-38.  The Hammies team would try and erase some of this cushion once the fourth period got underway as they cut the deficit to twelve at 56-44 by the 6:05 mark but things still looked dim with the Beavs team holding a 61-48 advantage near the midway point.  Coming down the stretch, the Hammies team found one last run in them and they were able to cut the deficit down to four at 65-61 with under a minute left but could not get any closer as the Beavs team held on for the narrow victory.........One of the more exciting games of this night took place over on Court 2 in this time slot that saw the Blue Devils team taking on the GAC Alumni team although you wouldn't have guessed it at the beginning as the Blue Devils team sprinted out to a 6-1 lead by the 6:20 mark of the opening period and grew that lead to 12-1 with 3:50 left.  The GAC Alumni team finally found some semblance of offense down the stretch but were still on the wrong end of a 21-7 score at the end of the first period.  But the GAC Alumni team quickly made up for earlier transgressions once the second period got underway as they slyly cut into the Blue Devils team advantage and by the midway point, they had cut the deficit down to five at 25-20.  With 3:15 left, the Blue Devils team saw their lead shrink to four at 27-23 and they would at least maintain this four-point edge down the stretch to hold a 30-26 advantage by the halftime break.  But the GAC Alumni team was riding on newfound momentum once the third period was underway and by the 8:15 mark, they had cut the deficit down to a scant point at 32-31 and near the midway point, the GAC Alumni team finally got this game leveled at 36 a piece.  With 1:20 left in the third period, the GAC Alumni team forged ahead at 42-40 thanks to a three-point bomb by Anna Sanders (GAC '23) but the Blue Devils team would at least get this game tied up again at 42 a piece by the end of the third period.  The GAC Alumni team appeared to have a head of steam as they built a 49-44 lead by the 7:25 mark of the fourth period but a resourceful Blue Devils team would come right back and retake the lead at 51-49 near the midway point.  Nip and tuck and back and forth could best describe things coming down the stretch in regulation with the Blue Devils team nursing a 53-52 advantage 2:25 left.  With 1:15 left, the GAC Alumni team got this game knotted again at 55 a piece.  Then, with :09 left in regulation, a foul would be called on the GAC Alumni team and the Blue Devils team got the front-end of the "one and one" to go down to inch ahead 56-55 and although the back-end attempt was errant, the Blue Devils team secured the offensive rebound to secure the narrow victory in a very exciting and fun game.........Another good game was ensuing over on Court 3 during this timeslot between the GAC Black team and the Alumni team.  The GAC Black team would jump out in front by a 6-2 count at the 7:05 mark of the opening period but the Alumni team would come back strong and grab a 12-9 lead with 3:25 left.  That was quickly answered by the GAC Black team as they would finish off this first period with a 7-0 run to hold a 16-12 lead by the end of the first period.  Not to be outdone, the Alumni team would come back to take a 19-18 lead by the 6:40 mark of the second period and they would establish a bit more breathing room with a 26-21 advantage with 1:50 left.  A 4-0 push in the final stages of the second period had the Alumni team in good shape with a 30-21 lead by the halftime break.  However, a 5-0 burst by the GAC Black team at the beginning of the third period cut the Alumni team's lead down to 30-26 by the 9:05 mark and the GAC Black team would follow that up with a 12-6 run that had them up 38-36 with 3:38 left.  By the end of the third period, the GAC Black team had a bit more breathing room with a 44-40 advantage.  The GAC Black team would expand its lead to 49-42 by the 8:50 mark of the fourth period but they would have to withstand a comeback attempt by the Alumni team as they managed to crawl back to within a single possession down 50-47 with 4:30 left in regulation.  However, the GAC Black team held firm when they had to as they would be up 52-47 with 1:45 left and they got out of Dodge with the dub..........Meanwhile, an interesting clash was ensuing over on Court 4 between the Auggies team and the Washed-Up Warriors team.  This contest would be leveled at three a piece at the 8:25 mark of the first period and things would stay close as the Washed-Up Warriors team would hold a slim 11-10 advantage with 3:30 left but the Auggies team would come back and find themselves up 15-14 by the end of the first period.  The Auggies team then started taking control of this game as they would build a 25-16 lead by the 6:20 mark of the second period and would still be in control of things with 1:35 left with a 27-20 lead.  By the halftime break, the Auggies team was holding a somewhat surprising 29-20 advantage.  The Auggies team would proceed to put more separation between themselves and their opponent as their lead would grow to 42-29 with 2:55 left in the third period and they would be enjoying a nice cushion with a 48-34 lead by the end of the third period.  The Washed-Up Warriors team would make a valiant comeback attempt once the fourth period got underway and with 2:55 left, they managed to cut the deficit to seven down 55-48 but could not get any closer than that as the Auggies team pulled out a good win for them.

Games in the 7:10 PM slot certainly didn't disappoint either.  Over on Court 1, a pair of alumni/mixed teams were going at it as the Wash-Ups team took on the Swish team.  The Swish team would grab the upper hand in this contest early on; building a 14-9 lead by the midway point of the opening period and growing that lead to 17-9 with 4:20 left.  By the end of the first period, the Swish team already had a double-digit cushion with a 28-13 advantage.  Not much would change once the second period got underway as the Swish team would be up 37-24 with 4:00 left and by the halftime break, the Swish team appeared to be cruising with a 42-26 advantage.  And the Swish team still appeared to be in full control of things near the midway point of the third period with a 44-31 lead but the Wash-Ups team would slyly start picking away at this cushion and by the end of the third period, the Swish team's lead had been cut to eleven at 47-36.  With newfound momentum, the Wash-Ups team started to make significant inroads on this deficit once the fourth period got underway and by the 6:55 mark, the Swish team's lead had been cut to five at 49-44 and they would be clinging to this same lead near the midway point.  With 2:20 left in regulation, the Wash-Ups team cut the deficit to four down 53-49 but they could never get closer than that as the Swish team held on for dear life and the narrow victory...........Yet another tight affair was ensuing over on Court 2 between the Rusty Buckets team and the Arden Hills team.  The Rusty Buckets team would be clinging to a 5-3 advantage near the midway point of the first period and they would still be up a possession at 8-6 with 1:30 left and they would be holding this same 8-6 lead by the end of the first period.  Both teams started opening up on offense once the second period got underway and that allowed the Arden Hills team to grab a 14-12 lead by the 8:20 mark.  Undeterred, the Rusty Buckets team would flip the script and grab a 21-19 lead near the midway point and they would get a bit more breathing room with a 25-21 lead with 1:20 left.  But that lead would be short-lived as the Arden Hills team found new life and was able to forge a 25-25 tie by the halftime break.  Defense would center stage once the third period got underway as the Arden Hills team would own a a slim 27-25 advantage at the 6:05 mark and that score would stand at the midway point.  The Rusty Buckets team would find a spark and retake the lead at 29-27 with 3:05 left but once again the Arden Hills team would come back and grab the upper hand and a 33-31 lead by the end of the third period.  Somewhat fittingly, this contest would be leveled at 35 a piece at the 6:50 mark of the fourth period and with things hanging in the balance coming down the stretch of regulation, the Arden Hills team would again find a way to grab the upper hand as they would hold a 39-36 lead with 3:30 left and although the Rusty Buckets team had a glimmer of hope down just 43-42 with 1:05 left in regulation, they were unable to stem the tide as the Arden Hills team earned the tough win...........Over on Court 3 in the 7:10 PM slot, the Beavs team; doing double-duty on this night, took on the GAC Gold team.  This one initially looked like it could be a nail-biter as well as the contest would be knotted at six a piece at the 7:05 mark of the opening period and near the midway point, this game would still be tied at 13-all.  The GAC Gold team would get a spark and grab a 17-13 advantage with 1:10 left but the Beavs team would close this first period out very strong with a 7-2 run to own a 20-19 lead.  The Beavs team slowly but surely started taking over this game once the second period got underway as they would hold a 28-23 advantage near the midway point and they would up that lead to 30-23 with 3:10 left.  The Beavs team was able to maintain this cushion down the stretch as they would own a 36-29 lead by the halftime break.  The Beavs team would build a double-digit cushion once the third period was underway as they would enjoy a 48-36 advantage at the 7:05 mark and they would still have a ten-point cushion up 50-40 near the midway point.  The Beavs team would increase its lead to 55-41 with 1:45 left and still enjoyed a 57-46 lead by the end of the third period.  The Beavs team would maintain this cushion once the fourth period got underway as they would hold a 62-51 lead at the 6:20 mark and had things in cruise control the rest of the way for a relatively easy win.........Still another wild affair was going on over on Court 4 in this time slot as the She Got Game team was taking on the St. Olaf team.  The St. Olaf team couldn't have asked for a better start in this one as they would find themselves up 7-0 at the 7:05 mark of the opening period.  But that was quickly wiped away by the She Got game team as they would launch an 11-3 burst to hold an 11-10 lead with 1:40 left and they would up that lead to 13-10 by the end of the first period.  The She Got Game team would increase its lead to 19-14 by the 6:10 mark of the second period but just when they appeared to be taking control of things, the St. Olaf team would get on a burst and cut the deficit down to a single possession at 25-23 with 1:40 left.  The St. Olaf team would then consolidate this run and find themselves up 26-25 by the halftime break.  The St. Olaf team would still hold the upper hand with a 31-28 lead at the 8:15 mark of the third period and it would still be a one-possession game with the St. Olaf team up 35-33 near the midway point.  The She Got Game team would finally forge a 38-38 tie with 2:25 left but the St. Olaf team would find another gear with a 6-3 push that had them up 44-41 by the end of the third period.  Undeterred, the She Got Game team would launch another bid to try and take control of things as they would get a 52-49 lead near the midway point of the fourth period but somehow, you knew that wouldn't last long and sure enough, the St. Olaf team got this contest leveled again at 54 a piece with 3:20 left in regulation.  With both sides refusing to concede an inch, the St. Olaf team was able to grab a 58-56 lead with exactly 1:00 left in regulation and although the She Got Game team had chances in the final minute, the St. Olaf team managed to hold on for a thrilling win. 

Inevitably, you do get some blowout games from time to time and such was the case in the 8:05 PM slot over on Court 1 that had the Anoka-Ramsey team taking on the Sara's Shooters team.  The Sara's Shooters team would get a 5-2 advantage by the 7:25 mark of the opening period and would get that lead to 17-8 with 2:50 left.  Still, the Anoka-Ramsey team was able to trim the deficit down to six at 20-14 by the end of the first period.  From there on, however, things quickly went to hell in a handbasket for the Anoka-Ramsey team as the Sara's Shooters team started getting more separation once the second was underway.  By the midway point, the Sara's Shooters team was enjoying a 33-18 lead and they would up that lead to 44-23 by the halftime break.  The Sara's Shooters team would continue to grow its lead once the third period was underway as they would be up 49-25 at the 7:25 mark and with 3:20 left, the Sara's Shooters team's lead ballooned to 55-28 and by the end of the third period, the Sara's Shooters team was enjoying a cozy 59-32 advantage.  The writing had long since been on the wall with 3:10 left in regulation with the Sara's Shooters team having things in cruise control with a 70-41 lead as they romped to an easy win.........A much tighter contest was taking place over on Court 2 in the 8:05 PM slot with the MN-NYCE team taking on the CSB team.  The CSB team would get off to a solid start in this one; getting a 4-1 lead by the 6:30 mark of the opening period and padding that lead a bit at 10-6 with 3:15 left.  By the end of the first period, the CSB team had established a six-point cushion at 14-8.  The CSB team was able to maintain this cushion as the second period got underway as they would be up 23-17 near the midway point and they would enjoy a 28-22 advantage by the halftime break.  The CSB team still had things going their way once the third period was underway as they would enjoy a 31-24 advantage at the 6:50 mark but it was here where the MN-NYCE team finally was able to make a move as they were able to reduce the deficit down to four near the midway point and with 4:10 left, the CSB team saw their lead cut to a scant point at 31-30.  The CSB team, however, did not falter and re-established some breathing room with a 36-30 lead with 1:45 left and they were able to maintain this six-point edge with a 38-32 lead by the end of the third period.  The CSB team was able to get things in gear again once the fourth period got underway as they got their lead to 42-33 by the 8:15 mark and although the MN-NYCE team made one last bid and cut the deficit to six at 44-38 with 4:35 left in regulation, they could never get any closer as the CSB team got the dub on this night.......Over on Court 3, an interesting match-up was taking place between the Scrubs team with a former standout from my alma mater, Iowa, in Monika Czinano (Iowa '23) and the Curry Crew team.  The Scrubs team would get off to a good start in this one; getting a 9-5 lead by the midway point of the opening period but the Curry Crew team would get this game leveled at 11 a piece with 3:55 left.  The Curry Crew team would then forge ahead at 21-15 with 1:10 left and they were able to maintain this six-point edge at 23-17 by the end of the first period.  The Curry Crew team would increase its lead to 31-23 by the 6:10 mark of the second period and they would maintain this eight-point edge at 34-26 near the midway point.  The Curry Crew team would then up its lead to double-digits at 40-28 with 2:50 left and by the halftime break, the Curry Crew team was enjoying a 47-31 advantage.  The Scrubs team would manage to get the deficit reduced to ten at 49-39 by the 6:40 mark of the third period but they were unable to sustain this momentum as the Curry Crew team got their lead to 53-41 near the midway point and the Curry Crew team was able to stretch their lead to 62-46 with 1:40 left.  By the end of the third period, the Curry Crew team was sitting on a comfortable 66-50 advantage.  The Curry Crew team would be in firm control once the fourth period was underway with a 72-53 lead at the 7:55 mark and they would still enjoy a 74-60 advantage near the midway point.  The Scrubs team would make one last-ditch effort down the stretch of regulation and would briefly get the deficit down to single-digits at 74-65 with 2:05 left but ran out of gas after that as the Curry Crew rolled to an easy win.........Another interesting contest was going down over on Court 4 between the Baddies Elite team and the St. Kate's team.  The Baddies Elite team got off to a great start in this one; bolting out to an 11-2 lead by the midway point of the opening period and still enjoying an 11-5 advantage with 1:10 left.  However, the St. Kate's team awoke from its prolonged slumber and ripped off a 5-0 spurt to close the gap to just one at 11-10 by the end of the first period.  Once the second period got underway, the St. Kate's team clearly had momentum on its side as they forged a 17-14 lead by the 7:10 mark.  Things would continue to stay tight, however, with the St. Kate's team holding onto a 26-24 lead with 2:10 left.  However, the St. Kate's team would make the most of the last two minutes as they launched an 8-2 burst that had them up 34-26 by the halftime break.  The St. Kate's team would maintain this eight-point edge at 38-30 near the midway point of the third period but then the St. Kate's team would find another gear and go on an 11-2 tear that had them up 49-32 by the end of the third period.  The Baddies Elite team would desperately try to get back into this game once the fourth period was underway as they got the deficit down to twelve at 52-40 by the 6:20 mark and with 3:55 left in regulation, the Baddies Elite team had the deficit down to eleven at 55-44.  The Baddies Elite team would finally get into single-digit range in the waning moments but bringing this one back would be a bridge too far for them as the St. Kate's team got a good win on this night.

Another big week of games coming up this next Wednesday evening so make sure you get down to the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League to catch all the action!  

Midsummer Ramblings.....

 So, with the 4th of July typically being viewed as the proverbial midpoint of the summer season, I thought it might be a good time to look at a couple of interesting developments that have taken place so far this summer.  

First, you may have seen early this week that Macalester has now filled the vacant spot left by Katie Kollar's resignation.  Athletic Director Donnie Brooks announced on Monday this week that AD Donovan has been hired as the new Head Coach for the Macalester Women's Basketball program.  Donovan comes to Macalester after three seasons at DII Alaska-Fairbanks where she compiled a rather dismal 14-64 record.  But, as we all know, it's a little unfair to project or speculate on the circumstances that led to her ouster at Alaska-Fairbanks.  Now, Donovan gets a fresh start in the lower 48 in the MIAC but as she settles into this new position, she'll undoubtedly find what a difficult endeavor it will be to recruit top athletes to an institution with such rigorous academic standards as Macalester.  And with the MIAC as tough and competitive as it is already, that will not make Donovan's job any easier.  But the Macalester faithful have to be a bit patient here and give Donovan a chance to implement her system and bring in the kinds of players she wants to have in her program.  It should be interesting to watch.

But I think the more striking development took place a month ago when Luther made the unexpected announcement that it was bolting the American Rivers Conference (ARC) to join the Midwest Conference (MWC) beginning in the 2026-27 academic year.  I have to confess here that this one caught me totally off-guard; was just so unexpected.  Consider:  Luther was a charter member of the former Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference dating back to late 1922 during the Harding Administration and despite all the changes that have taken place since then, Luther was one of the "old-guard" institutions in today's ARC along with Buena Vista, Central and Simpson.  So, when this announcement was made, my knee-jerk response was, "What's in it for Luther to make this switch - and why now?"  Per the Luther website, it was noted that "an important factor in the decision to join the MWC was Luther's membership in the academic consortium of like-minded liberal arts colleges, the Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM)."  

I don't know.......Just color me - whatever - here.  Again, you're talking about a charter member - one of the original old-guard institutions - of the IIAC here, just walking away from an affiliation it's been a part of since the Harding Administration, to join an upstart MWC - of its own volition no less after the offer was extended from the MWC.  It's really difficult for me to see what the long-term advantages/benefits are in the offing for Luther to do this.  First, if you're Luther, why would you walk away from a conference you've been in that long for - to join a relatively far-flung upstart conference that's still arguably trying to make a name for itself on the athletic front?  Second, why would you possibly want to throw away your long-standing rivalry with Wartburg that has history and tradition for schools in the MWC that you have no real connection or history with whatsoever?  There's just a lot about this that I do not like whatsoever and I'm having a very difficult time putting my arms around this one.  

But now here's where things get interesting with the dirty deed now being done.  With Luther's departure after the 2025-26 academic year, the ARC will be reduced from a nine-team conference to an eight-team conference.  From a pure scheduling standpoint, that may actually make things easier on everyone with an even number of teams.  No problem there.  However, that in and of itself isn't necessarily etched in stone for the long-term either because here's the thing:  While things may be fine in an eight-team setup, what if one of the remaining member schools decides to see if the grass may be greener on the other side of the fence, so to speak?  In the ever-changing world of college athletics, you just never know.  I'm not suggesting that anybody in the ARC is doing that.  I'm just saying that, as a conference, the ARC has to do its due diligence here.  And if the ARC is indeed looking to fill the void left by Luther, where do you look to?  I think these are hard questions that need to be asked here because, at some point, this is something that could have a domino-like effect here in MIAC country. 

Well, enough of my ramblings.  Hope to see you all over at the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League.  And a happy and safe Fourth of July to everyone!

Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League Results For Wednesday 6-25-25

 Here are the results of the games I was able to cover on Wednesday night over at the Women's College Summer League and there were a ton of good games to watch:

6:15 PM Games

Rusty Buckets - 50

GAC Alumni - 40

Beavs - 61

Anoka-Ramsey - 40

Washed-Up Warriors - 63

She Got Game - 16

MN-NYCE - 58

Hammies - 56

7:10 PM Games

Scrubs - 52

Sara's Shooters - 47

Wash-Ups - 66

MN-NYCE - 62

Washed-Up Warriors - 73

Alumni - 58

Hammies - 55

GAC Black - 53

In the 6:15 PM slot over on Court 1, an interesting battle was going down between the Rust Buckets team and the GAC Alumni team.  Not surprisingly, this one would be very tight out of the gate with the contest tied at six a piece at the 6:30 mark of the opening period but the Rusty Buckets team would slowly start getting the upper hand on things as they would hold a 10-6 lead with 3:10 left and they would grow that lead to six at 16-10 by the end of the first period.  The Rust Buckets would pad this lead even more at 18-10 at the 7:35 mark of the second period and they would manage to maintain this eight-point cushion up 26-18 with 2:45 left and a 31-23 lead by the halftime break.  By the midway point of the third period, it definitely appeared the the Rusty Buckets team was going to run away with this one as they held a 37-23 lead but just when the GAC Alumni team appeared dead and buried, they were able to launch an 8-0 run down the stretch that had them back in the thick of things down 37-31.  Not much would change by the 8:20 mark of the fourth period with the Rusty Buckets team still holding a 37-31 advantage and the door certainly appeared open for the GAC Alumni team to make another move.  Unfortunately for the GAC Alumni team, they ran out of both gas and time down the stretch as the Rusty Buckets team held a 42-33 lead by the midway point and held on for the win..........Meanwhile over on Court 2, an interesting clash was taking place between the Beavs team and the Anoka-Ramsey team.  The Anoka-Ramsey team would get off to a great start in this one as they would grab a 7-0 lead by the 7:00 mark of the opening period but despite the sluggish start by the Beavs team, they would eventually get things going offensively and reduce the deficit to a single possession down 12-10 with 1:30 left and they would get this one leveled at 12-all by the end of the first period.  The Anoka-Ramsey team would get its nose out in front again by a 14-12 count by the 8:50 mark of the second period but they wouldn't be able to hold onto that lead as the Beavs team embarked on a 5-0 push that had them up 17-14 near the midway point.  The Beavs team would up its lead slightly to 25-20 with 1:30 left and they would hold a 29-23 lead by the halftime break.  The Beavs team would start opening up more distance once the third period got underway; getting their lead to 35-28 at the 6:35 mark of the third period and then going on a 6-0 push to up the lead to 41-28 with 3:20 left.  The Beavs team would hold the Anoka-Ramsey team scoreless down the stretch and assumed a twenty-point cushion at 48-28 by the end of the third period.  The Anoka-Ramsey team tried desperately to cut into this cushion and had it down to fifteen at 51-36 by the midway point of the fourth period but the Beavs team pulled away for a comfortable win.........The blowout of the night took place over on Court 3 in this timeslot as the She Got Game team took on the Washed-Up Warriors team and although things were still relatively close by the 6:10 mark of the opening period with the Wash-Up Warriors team up 7-3, it didn't take terribly long to see that this was going to be a long evening for the She Got Game team as the Washed-Up Warriors team went on a 10-0 run to own a 17-3 lead by the end of the first period.  The She Got Game team simply could not find the bottom of the bucket to save their souls as the Washed-Up Warriors team upped its lead to 21-3 by the 8:00 mark of the second period and to 26-3 near the midway point.  The She Got Game team was finally able to dust the cobwebs forming on their basket but by the halftime break, they were between a rock and a hard place down 32-5.  Things only got worse from there as the Washed-Up Warriors owned a 34-5 lead at the 7:25 mark of the third period and by the end of the third period, that lead would balloon to 53-10.  By the 6:20 mark, the Washed-Up Warriors team had things in cruise control with a 57-13 lead as they romped in this one-sided affair...........A much better and more entertaining game was ensuing over on Court 4 in the early timeslot as the Hammies team took on the MN-NYCE team.  The Hammies team would grab an 8-5 advantage by the 6:55 mark of the opening period and looked to be in control of things by the end of the first period with a 28-18 lead.  A 6-0 run by the MN-NYCE team had the deficit down to just four at 28-24 by the 7:30 mark of the second period but the Hammies team was able to maintain some breathing room with a 34-29 lead with 3:15 left and maintaining this five-point cushion at 36-31 by the halftime break.  The Hammies team looked to be off and running again once the third period got underway as they would grow their lead to 43-36 at the 6:20 mark and would up that lead to 45-36 near the midway point.  The Hammies team was still in good shape with a 47-40 lead with 1:45 left but the MN-NYCE team was able to shave the Hammies team's lead down to 47-42 by the end of the third period.  The Hammies team still appeared to be in good shape with a 52-45 lead near the midway point of the fourth period but it was here that the MN-NYCE team slyly picked away at this deficit; reducing it to five at 54-49 with 1:45 left in regulation and with :47 left, the Hammies team's lead was down to a single possession at 54-52.  With :20 left, the Hammies team was trying to hold on for dear life with a 56-55 lead but it would be the MN-NYCE team coming up with a big score on a drive and finish along with the "and one" with :10 left and the Hammies team lost a tough one in the end.

But that game wasn't the only doozy of the night as the 7:10 PM slot offered up some great contests as well.  And the battle on Court 1 between the Scrubs team and the Sara's Shooters team was certainly no exception.  The Scrubs team would hold a 3-0 lead at the 8:04 mark of the opening period but this game would be knotted at 11-all near the midway point.  The Scrubs team was able to find solid footing again and regain the lead at 13-11 with 3:40 left and then proceeded to go on a 6-0 push that had them in good shape with a 19-11 advantage.  But that didn't seem to faze the Sara's Shooters team as they embarked on a 6-0 push that cut the deficit down to two at 19-17 by the 7:50 mark of the second period and a little more than a minute later at the 6:40 mark, the Sara's Shooters team got this one leveled at 19 a piece.  The Scrubs team would eventually get their nose back out in front by a 32-30 count with :50 left but a late push by the Sara's Shooters team hade them up 33-32 by the halftime break.  The Sara's Shooters team would hang onto this slim two-point advantage at 36-34 by the 6:10 mark of the third period but they would get some more breathing room with a 39-34 lead near the midway point.  But the Scrubs team would hang in there and reduce the deficit to a single possession down 42-40 by the end of the third period.  The Sara's Shooters team would again open up a bit of a cushion with a 45-40 lead by the 7:25 mark of the fourth period but this never-say-die Scrubs team was not going to go quietly into the night and instead launched an 8-0 run that had them up 50-45 with 3:30 left.  Still, the Sara's Shooters team climbed back to within a single possession down 50-47 but was unable to get any closer as the Scrubs team held on for a fun and exciting win.........And things were nip-and-tuck over on Court 2 in this time slot as the Wash-Ups team took on the MN-NYCE team that was doing double-duty on this night.  That certainly didn't faze the MN-NYCE team as they forged a 7-4 advantage by the 6:10 mark of the opening period but that lead would get trimmed down to 12-10 with 1:50 left and by the end of the first period, the MN-NYCE team was hanging onto a precarious 14-13 advantage.  The MN-NYCE team would manage to get a bit of a cushion once the second period got underway with a 25-20 lead at the 6:15 mark of the second period but by the halftime break, the MN-NYCE team would again find that lead cut to a single possession at 29-27.  The MN-NYCE team would again rebuild the cushion and hold a 33-27 advantage by the 8:50 mark of the third period but that cushion would soon evaporate as the Wash-Ups team had climbed back to within a single possession down 35-32 by the 6:30 mark.  With newfound momentum, the Wash-Ups team would then go on a key 7-0 run to get a 39-35 lead with 3:04 left and the Wash-Ups team would be holding a 48-44 advantage by the end of the third period.  But this MN-NYCE team had no intention of waving the white flag as they closed back to within a single possession down 53-50 by the 6:30 mark of the fourth period and with 1:50 left in regulation, the MN-NYCE team had this game leveled at 60-all.  But an experienced Wash-Ups team held firm when they had to as they would get a 64-62 lead with :25 left and held on for an exciting win...........Things weren't quite as dramatic over on Court 3 in this time slot as the Washed-Up Warriors team; also doing double-duty on this night, took on the Alumni team.  Things would be tight from the opening tip with the Washed-Up Warriors team holding a slim 10-9 advantage near the midway point of the opening period but the Alumni team would come back and would be holding a 17-14 lead with 1:30 left and by the end of the first period, the Alumni team upped its lead to 21-17.  But the Washed-Up Warriors team started to take control of things once the second period got going and a quick 9-0 run had them 26-21 by the 8:00 mark and they would increase their lead to seven at 34-27 with 3:05 left.  By the halftime break, the Washed-Up Warriors team had a ten-point cushion at 39-29.  The third period saw the Washed-Up Warriors team get even more separation as another big run had them up 51-39 by the 6:05 mark and that cushion would increase to fifteen at 57-42 with 2:30 left.  By the end of the third period, the Washed-Up Warriors team would maintain this cushion with a 59-44 advantage.  By the 7:45 mark of the fourth period, the Washed-Up Warriors team had things in cruise control with a 62-44 lead and they bagged a relatively easy dub on this night.........Still another team doing double-duty on this night was the Hammies team and they faced off against another familiar MIAC opponent in the GAC Black team over on Court 4 in this time slot.  It was easy to see from the beginning that this was going to be a good one as this contest would be knotted at 4-all near the midway point of the opening period and although the GAC Black team would hold a slim 13-12 advantage with 1;45 left, the Hammies team would have this one tied up again at 14 a piece by the end of the first period.  Things would stay tight once the second period got underway with both teams refusing to give an inch.  With 3:50 left, the GAC Black team was able to get a 25-24 lead and by the halftime break, the GAC Black team appeared to have a bit of breathing room with a 30-26 advantage.  The GAC Black team would see its lead cut to 34-32 near the midway point of the third period and then the Hammies team found new life and got a push to grab a 39-38 lead with 1:00 left and by the end of the third period, the Hammies team held a 42-38 advantage.  But you could tell that the GAC Black team wasn't going anywhere anytime soon and by the 6:10 mark of the fourth period, they got this game leveled again at 49-all.  With things hanging in the balance down the stretch, the Hammies team grabbed a 55-53 lead with 1:05 left in regulation and although the GAC Black team had numerous opportunities in that last minute of regulation, they were unable to come up with an answer when they needed it as the Hammies team pulled off an exciting and fun win.

The Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League takes a respite this next week with the Fourth of July holiday but things get going again on 7-9 so make sure you get yourself down to catch all the action!  

Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League Results For Wednesday 6-18-25

 Here are the results of the games I was able to cover this last Wednesday evening over at the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League:

6:15 PM Games

St. Kates - 46

Beavs - 41

Blue Devils - 52

Hammies - 44

Curry Crew - 62

GAC Black - 58

Arden Hills - 45

Auggies - 40

7:10 PM Games

GAC Gold - 57

Bennies - 46

Baddies Elite - 70

Scrubs - 66

Swish - 55

Blue Devis - 50

Wash Ups - 74

St. Olaf - 47

Over on Court 1 in the 6:15 PM slot, an intriguing matchup between the St. Kate's team and the Beavs was taking place and the St. Kate's team couldn't have asked for a much better start; getting out to a 6-2 lead by the 9:05 mark of the opening period but the Beavs team would shave the deficit to a scant point at 11-10 with 3:45 left.  However, the St. Kate's team would find a late burst of energy that saw them get on an 8-2 push to hold a 19-12 advantage by the end of the first period.  The Beavs team would momentarily get the deficit down to five at 19-14 at the 8:05 mark of the second period but the St. Kate's team was able to maintain its earlier cushion with a 21-14 lead near the midway point and by the halftime break, the St. Kate's team was maintaining this safety net with a 27-20 advantage.  The St. Kate's team wasn't content to rest on its laurels as the upped their lead to 31-22 by the 8:05 mark of the third period and with 3:55 left, the St. Kate's team definitely looked to be in control of things with a 35-24 advantage and still led 35-26 by the end of the third period.  But the Beavs team would start clawing away at this deficit as they quickly had it whittled down to six points at 37-31 by the 8:50 mark of the fourth period and near the midway point of the fourth period, the once-sizable lead that the St. Kate's team had enjoyed had now been cut to a single possession at 41-39.  But just when things looked dicey for the St. Kate's team, they held firm down the stretch as the Beavs team could not get any closer as the St. Kate's team held a 44-39 lead with 1:45 left in regulation as they hung on for a tough win...........A much-anticipated MIAC-WIAC clash meanwhile was ensuing over on Court 2 that saw the Blue Devils team take on the Hammies team.  The energy was very good from both teams and it showed early on as this one was leveled at three a piece by the 8:45 mark of the opening period and the Blue Devils team would be clinging to a slim 12-11 advantage with 3:00 left.  By the end of the first period, this was certainly proving to be a good one with the Blue Devils holding on to a 19-16 lead.  The Hammies team took its cue once the second period got underway and they got their nose out in front at 20-19 by the 7:35 mark of the second period and they would continue to hold a slight edge as the Hammies team would be up 22-19 left with 3:45 left.  But the Blue Devils team would kick things into high gear by launching a 12-2 run down the stretch that had them up 31-24 by the halftime break.  The Hammies team would again come out strong once the third period got underway as they closed back to within a single possession down 33-30 at the 7:05 mark and things would still be close with the Blue Devils team holding onto a 37-33 lead near the midway point.  Things still seemed to be hanging in the balance with the Blue Devils team holding a very uncertain 40-35 lead by the end of the third period.  By the 7:40 mark of the fourth period, things were still tight with the Blue Devils team working hard to maintain the five-point edge at 42-37 but by the midway point of the fourth period, the Hammies team started running out of gas as the Blue Devils team built a ten-point cushion at 47-37 and they did enough down the stretch to hold on for the win............Another fun matchup was going on over on Court 3 between the GAC Black team and the Curry Crew team.  The GAC Black team would get off to a solid start in this one; holding a 9-3 advantage by the 6:45 mark of the opening period and the GAC Black team would still enjoy an 11-7 lead near the midway point.  By the end of the first period, however, the Curry Crew team would manage to get back to within a single possession down 14-11.  The GAC Black team looked to be off and running again once the second period got underway as they would hold a 20-12 lead by the 6:10 mark but the Curry Crew team would not let this one get away from them as they would manage to get on a run and cut the deficit to a scant point at 24-23 with 1:40 left.  Still, the GAC Black team would at least manage to build a bit more breathing room up 30-25 at the halftime break.  But momentum was clearly with the Curry Crew team as they would start the third period on a 10-2 push that had them up 35-32 by the 6:00 mark but even that didn't deter the GAC Black team as they would retake the lead at 36-35 with 2:40 left and fittingly this game would be deadlocked at 41 a piece by the end of the third period.  But the GAC Black team would run out of gas at the start of the fourth period and that allowed the Curry Crew team to take full advantage which they did; taking a 49-43 lead by the 6:45 mark and building the lead to nine at 58-49 with 2:45 left.  The GAC Black team had one last run within them and they managed to get things tightened up down the home stretch but could not complete the deal.........Still another very interesting game in the early time slot was taking place over on Court 4 between two old MIAC rivals as the Auggies team was taking on the Arden Hills team.  The Auggies team got off to a very encouraging start with a 5-0 lead near the midway point of the opening period and led 8-3 with 1:30 left and maintained this five-point edge up 10-5 by the end of the first period.  The Arden Hills team shook off this sluggish start and got things going once the second period got underway and sliced the deficit to a scant point down 12-11 by the 6:30 mark and they were down only a single possession at 18-15 with 1:30 left and the Auggies team would be holding onto this lead by the halftime break.  Things would remain tight once the third period got underway with the Auggies team holding a slim 26-25 advantage near the midway point and they failed to get any extra separation with a 28-27 lead with 2:00 left.  This proved to be the Auggies team's undoing as the Arden Hills team got into gear and got a late score to push themselves out in front 31-30 by the end of the third period.  The Auggies team would manage to get this one deadlocked at 33-all by the 6:30 mark of the fourth period but they gradually wore down after that which allowed the Arden Hills team to grab a 39-35 lead with 3:35 left and they would hold on for a tough win.

Two more MIAC rivals went at it on Court 1 in the 7:10 PM slot as the GAC Gold team took on the CSB team.  This one would be close throughout the opening period and the GAC Gold team would be holding a slim 12-10 advantage with 2:25 left and somewhat fittingly, this game would be leveled at 15 a piece by the end of the first period.  The CSB team would manage to gain the upper hand once the second period got underway as they would hold a 17-15 edge at the 8:50 mark and would be clinging to a slim 25-24 advantage with 2:05 left.  This trend would continue down the stretch as the CSB team would hold a 27-26 lead by the halftime break.  The GAC Gold team would then find new life and embark on a push once the third period got underway and would be holding a 39-32 advantage near the midway point and by the end of the third period, the GAC Gold team grew its lead to eight at 45-37.  The GAC Gold team would maintain this eight-point cushion up 49-41 by the 6:00 mark of the fourth period and would pad it to eleven at 55-44 with 1:45 left as they bagged the dub.........Yet another good game on this night was over on Court 2 in the 7:10 PM slot that had the Baddies Elite team taking on the Scrubs team.  This one would be tight from the opening tip as the Baddies Elite team would hold a 16-13 lead with 3:00 remaining in the opening period and that lead would be cut to 19-18 by the end of the first period.  The Scrubs team would manage to turn the tables in the early moments of the second period as they took a one-point 21-20 lead by the 7:30 mark but the Baddies Elite team would take it right back at 29-28 with 3:50 left.  Down the stretch, the Baddies Elite finally got a bit of separation with a 5-0 push to hold a 34-28 lead by the halftime break.  The Baddies Elite team would still enjoy a 39-35 lead at the 9:05 mark of the third period but the Scrubs team would cut the deficit down to one at 43-42 near the midway point.  By the end of the third period, things were uncertain with the Baddies Elite hanging on to a 53-50 lead.  Things would get even more precarious for the Baddies Elite team by the 6:35 mark of the fourth period that saw their lead shrink to just one at 58-57 and a short time later near the midway point, the Baddies Elite team was still trying to hold onto this one-point edge at 60-59.  With 2:05 left in regulation, the Baddies Elite team was hanging on for dear life with a 65-64 advantage but managed to do the right things down the stretch to earn nail-biting win............Another nail-biter was taking place over on Court 3 between the Swish team and the Blue Devils team which was doing double-duty on this night.  The Swish team would hold the upper hand from the start; grabbing a 9-4 lead with 4:15 left in the opening period and they would maintain this five-point edge at 15-10 by the end of the first period.  A burst by the Swish team had them up 25-14 at the 8:35 mark of the second period but the Blue Devils team would trim the deficit down to six at 25-19 near the midway point.  The Swish team still had control of things, however, as the would up their lead to 29-21 with 1:35 left and would hold a 32-25 lead by the halftime break.  The Swish team still seemed to be in control of things with a 36-29 lead at the 7:30 mark of the third period but then the Blue Devils team found itself once again and unleashed an 8-0 run that suddenly had them up 37-36 with 2:15 left but the Swish team recovered just enough to retake the lead at 40-39 by the end of the third period.  A stubborn Blue Devils team would retake the lead at 42-40 by the 8:20 mark of the fourth period but they couldn't hold back the Swish team from taking it back yet again as they would forge a 48-45 lead near the midway point and were still holding on for dear life at 50-48 with 2:00 left but were able to eek out a close win.........Not nearly the drama over on Court 4 that had the St. Olaf team taking on an experienced Wash-Ups team.  Things would still be relatively tight near the midway point of the opening period with the Wash-Ups team holding a 7-5 advantage but then the Wash-Ups team would make its first significant move of the night and grow their lead to 19-11 by the end of the first period.  Things only got worse for the St. Olaf team from there as the Wash-Ups team upped its lead to 27-16 at the 6:45 mark of the second period and they would still be in firm control up 31-22 near the midway point.  The Wash-Ups team would at least maintain this nine-point edge down the stretch to hold a 40-31 lead at the half.  The Wash-Ups team would then start running away with this one once the third period got underway as they grew their lead to 43-31 by the 7:10 mark and expanded it to 55-36 with 2:00 left.  By the end of the third period, the Wash-Ups team was enjoying a 57-38 lead and by the 7:45 mark of the fourth period, there was little doubt as to how this one was going to end with the Wash-Ups team up 61-38 as they romped to an easy win.

Had to take off before the games in the 8:05 PM slot got underway.  But another big night at the Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League will be on tap this next Wednesday night so make sure you get down there to catch all the action!  

Midtown YWCA Women's College Summer League Results For Wednesday 6-11-25

 Wasn't able to make it over to the Midtown YWCA Women's College League this last Tuesday night as I had a Zoom meeting that I had to be a part of but did make it over there on Wednesday night and here are the results of the games I was able to cover:

6:15 PM Games

Scrubs - 60

GAC Alumni - 53

Beavs - 67

Auggies - 40

MN-NYCE - 64

She Got Game - 47

GAC Gold - 62

St. Kate's - 51

7:10 PM Games

GAC Black - 64

Beavs - 53

Washed-Up Warriors - 54

Rusty Buckets - 34

Wash-Ups - 61

Alumni - 45

Sara's Shooters - 51

Hammies - 44

An interesting contest took place over on Court 1 in the 6:15 PM slot between the Scrubs team and the GAC Alumni team.  The Scrubs team would take control of this one out of the gate; grabbing a 4-0 advantage by the 9:05 mark of the opening period and then getting some definite separation by the midway point with an 18-5 lead.  By the end of the first period, the Scrubs team would hold a 24-10 lead.  The GAC Alumni team continued to struggle on the offensive end and this allowed the Scrubs team to extend its lead to 28-12 by the 7:10 mark of the second period and this trend would continue as the Scrubs team would be holding a sizable 42-23 lead by the halftime break.  By the 8:05 mark of the third period, the Scrubs team appeared to be cruising along with a 46-26 lead and not much changed with 3:05 left with the Scrubs team up 54-36.  But just when the GAC Alumni team appeared to be dead and buried, they finally found new life and a 5-0 push cut the deficit to thirteen at 54-41 by the end of the third period.  The GAC Alumni team would keep chipping away; getting the deficit to eleven at the 6:05 mark and eventually got back to within single-digit range but could not complete the deal as the Scrubs team got out of Dodge with a narrow win..........Things were tight early on over on Court 2 in the 6:15 PM slot between the Beavs team and the Auggies team as the latter would hold a slim 5-3 lead at the 7:05 mark of the opening period and this contest would be leveled at eight a piece by the end of the first period.  Things would quickly fall apart for the Auggies team, however, as the Beavs team went on a game-changing 13-3 burst to hold a 21-11 lead by the 7:25 mark of the second period and with just under two minutes left, the Beavs team was rolling with a 37-13 advantage.  By the halftime break, the Beavs team was up comfortably at 39-18.  A quick 9-0 at the start of the third period upped the Beavs lead to 48-18 by the 7:15 mark and they would maintain this thirty-point cushion up 50-20 by the midway point.  By the end of the third period, this one was getting out of hand with the Beavs team up 60-24.  By the midway point of the fourth period, things were pretty much academic with the Beavs team up 64-27 as they romped to an easy win..........Another interesting contest took place over on Court 3 in this time slot as the She Got Game team took on the MN-NYCE team.  The She Got Game team would hold a slim 6-4 advantage by the 7:30 mark of the opening period and although the She Got Game team would get on a push to up their lead to 11-4 by the midway point, the MN-NYCE team would get things tightened up again down 11-9 with 2:45 left only to see the She Got Game team get on another push to up its lead by 17-11 by the end of the first period.  Undaunted, the MN-NYCE team would come right back and take a slim 21-20 lead by the midway point of the second period and they would get a bit more breathing room with a 27-23 advantage with 2:00 left and they would maintain this four-point edge with a 27-23 lead by the halftime break.  The MN-NYCE team would be clinging to a 32-30 advantage by the 6:00 mark of the third period but they would again get some breathing room upping their lead to 34-27 with 2:25 left.  But the She Got Game team would find a second wind and get on a run and by the end of the third period, the She Got Game team was holding a 40-37 lead.  Fittingly, this game would stay tight throughout much of the fourt period before the MN-NYCE team pulled away down the stretch for the win.........One of the better games on this night took place over on Court 4 in the early time slot that saw the St. Kate's team taking on the GAC Gold team.  The St. Kate's team took control of this one early on; grabbing an 8-4 lead by the 7:30 mark of the opening period and maintaining this four-point edge up 12-8 with 3:40 left.  But the St. Kate's team definitely had momentum on its side as they stretched their lead to nine at 19-10 by the end of the first period.  The St. Kate's team would be holding a 27-19 lead by the 6:10 mark of the second period but the GAC Gold team would get on a push to cut the deficit to to just four at 27-23 near the midway point.  Still, the St. Kate's team would keep its opponent at bay with a run that had them up 37-27 by the halftime break.  The St. Kate's team still had control of things with a 39-30 lead by the 7:10 mark of the third period and they would still hold a 41-32 lead near the midway point.  But it was here where the GAC Gold team started picking away at the deficit and with 1:25 left, the St. Kate's team saw their lead dwindle to six at 46-40 with 1:25 left and although they were still up 47-42 by the end of the third period, the GAC Gold team had seized the momentum.  By the 8:25 mark of the fourth period, the GAC Gold team had closed the gap to a single possession down 49-46 and the GAC Gold team would finally forge a 50-49 lead by the 6:50 mark and they would continue to keep the St. Kate's team quiet offensively as they expanded their lead to 54-49 by the midway point.  The St. Kate's team never recovered after losing their lead as the GAC Gold team came away with the tough win.

A highly-anticipated contest took place on Court 1 in the 7:10 PM slot that saw the Beavs team doing double-duty on this night - and fresh off of their big win in the early time slot - took on the GAC Black team.  The GAC Black team would have things going their way early on in this contest and would hold a 6-2 lead by the midway point of the opening period.  The GAC Black team would hold a 13-8 lead with 3:30 left in the opening period and would then get on a run and expand their lead to 26-17 by the end of the first period.  The Beavs team would get things tightened up a bit as the GAC Black team's lead would be cut to 26-20 by the 8:05 mark of the second period and the Beavs team would keep chipping away and would eventually get this game deadlocked at 32 a piece with 1:15 left.  By the halftime break the GAC Black team was holding onto a very uncertain 34-32 advantage.  To their credit, the GAC Black team refused to fold and they would slowly rebuild their lead to 37-32 by the 8:55 mark of the third period and would hold a 42-36 lead near the midway point.  The GAC Black team would maintain this six-point edge up 48-42 with 1:30 left and by the end of the third period, the GAC Black team had a ten-point cushion with a 52-42 advantage.  The GAC Black team would hold a 54-46 lead by the 8:05 mark of the fourth period and would maintain this cushion up 59-51 with 2:40 left in regulation as they got the dub on this night..........An interesting match-up took place over on Court 2 as the Rusty Buckets team took on the Washed-Up Warriors team.  Things would be tight early on in this one as this game would be deadlocked at five a piece by the midway point of the opening period and things would still be tied at 9-all with 2:30 left and that's how this first period would end.  The Washed-Up Warriors team would get on a push once the second period got underway; building a 17-13 advantage at the 7:10 mark and then a key 8-2 run by the Washed-Up Warriors team stretched that lead to 27-15 with 1:50 left and they would build that lead to 32-18 by the halftime break.  The Rusty Buckets team would continue to struggle on the offensive end as they still trailed 32-18 by the 8:30 mark of the third period and could only cut into that deficit incrementally trailing 38-23 near the midway point.  That left the door open for the Washed-Up Warriors team to stretch this lead even more and they did as they would be up 45-23 by the end of the third period.  There was little doubt about how this one was going to end as the Washed-Up Warriors team enjoyed a 47-30 lead at the 6:00 mark of the fourth period and they had things in cruise control the rest of the way..........Another match-up of alumni/mixed teams took place on Court 3 in the 7:10 PM slot as the Wash-Ups team took on the Alumni team.  The Alumni team got off to a good start in this one; getting a 6-2 lead by the midway point of the opening period and they would still be up 11-8 with 1:45 left.  But that lead by the Alumni team would be cut to one at 11-10 by the end of the first period.  The Wash-Ups team then began to open things up on the offensive end and assumed a 20-15 advantage by the 6:15 mark of the second period and would maintain this five-point spread at 22-17 with 2:20 left.  By the halftime break, the Wash-Ups team had stretched its lead to eight at 27-19.  The Wash-Ups team still had the upper hand once the third period got underway; holding a 29-22 lead at the 7:45 mark and a 33-27 advantage with 4:05 left.  By the end of the third period, the Wash-Ups team had rebuilt that eight-point advantage at 40-32.  By the 7:10 mark of the fourth period, the Wash-Ups team were able to get some meaningful separation with a 46-32 lead.  Although the Alumni team cut the deficit to eleven at 48-37 near the midway point, they could never get closer as the Wash-Ups team put the finishing touches on this one with a 53-39 lead with 2:20 left..........One of the other good games on this night took place on Court 4 during this time slot that saw the Sara's Shooters team take on the Hammies team.  The Sara's Shooters team would hold a slim 5-3 advantage at the 6:15 mark of the opening period and it would still be a single possession game with 1:40 left with the Sara's Shooters team up 12-9.  By the end of the first period, the Sara's Shooters team's lead had been cut to a scant point at 14-13.  The Hammies team meanwhile seemed to find new life once the second period got underway and they would hold a 25-18 lead by the 6:00 mark but that lead would be short-lived as the Sara's Shooters team got on a hot streak with an 11-0 push down the stretch to hold a 29-25 lead by the halftime break.  The Hammies team went right back to work once the third period got underway and they got this contest leveled at 29 a piece by the 6:47 mark and things would still be deadlocked at 31-all with 3:35 left.  By the end of the third period, the Sara's Shooters team was clinging to a 34-33 advantage.  Things would still be tight once the fourth period got underway and the Sara's Shooters team was still hanging onto a one-possession lead up 38-35 by the 6:50 mark and it looked as if this one could be a fight to the finish.  Curiously, however, the Hammies team seemed to run out of gas by this point as the Sara's Shooters team got some more breathing room with a 49-44 advantage with 2:20 left and they managed to pull out a tough win.

Hope to see all of you down at the Midtown YWCA this coming Wednesday night for another fun night of action!