Northland International University Lady Pioneer Basketball

Another close loss

2012-01-28T10:11:00.001-06:00

The story of the past few games was relived on our home court last night as we dropped a close game, 75-69 to Mt. Mary College. While the middle part of the game was different than the last couple, the plot and ending was eerily similar: difficulty defending the post with our undersized team and effort until the final buzzer.

This time, instead of leading much I the contest only to surrender the lead late, we trailed by two at half, then watched as they pushed out to a 17 point lead with four minutes remaining, and fought back to within three before dropping the game.

We came into the game short-handed for sure, with starter and third leading scorer Brooke sidelined with an ankle injury. But we were not making excuses and were determined to play hard and focused.

We led most of the first half thanks to good shooting and decision making by Allie. She scored 12 before intermission and got everyone involved. However three first-half fouls left us in a precarious position. We started the second half slowly and watched them go to work inside. We were always a step slow adjusting inside, and their post made some difficult shots. Add to that some bad turnovers that led to easy baskets for them, and we were going the wrong direction.

Kate took over the game offensively in the second half. She scored 25 of her game high 35 against a variety of defenses. She did this while battling congestion and a bad back.

We made a furious comeback the last four minutes, even with Allie out of the game after fouling out, forcing turnovers and hitting clutch shots, but the lead was too big to overcome.

Kate was 7/15 from 3pt, and had 3 rebounds and 3 steals. Allie finished with 13 points, 4 reb, 6 assists and 3 steals. Becca scored 10, collected 6 rebounds, and made 3 steals. While Valerie turned in her best stat line o the season: 8 points (4/5), 7 reb, 3 assists, 5 steals. She had several other deflections and hustle plays that resulted in extra shots and possessions for us as well.

We're en route to Manitowoc, WI where we play Silver Lake College. They beat us 53-52 at our place in November, and we're excited to et back on the court.

Follow @NI_Athletics on twitter today for in-game scores and information. Thanks for reading.

Second half underway...

2012-01-23T18:32:00.001-06:00

It's been a while so I thought I would give you a summary of events since the girls returned for this semester. They got back to campus on Mon night, Jan. 9 for several practice sessions before leaving for the AG Credit Union Classic in Minneapolis that weekend. Returning from break is always difficult, but it was made more so this year with the loss of three key players. One would be temporary while two for the season.

While we were anxious to return to the court, it was obvious early that we were rusty and had holes to fill as we lost big to nationally ranked Valley Forge and Trinity College. We played better on the final day of the tournament before dropping the game to host and 10th ranked North Central University. Kate was name to the all-tournament team as she averaged 18 points per game.

On Tuesday of last week we traveled to Dubuque, IA for a region game against Emmaus. Things continued to improve and we took charge early, an led 32-10 at half. We finished well and earned a 55-20 road win to improve to. 3-0 in our region.

On Friday we traveled to Grand Rapids, MI to play at #8 Grace Bible College. Grace features the nation's leading scorer and rebounder, and that proved to be a challenge in many ways. Despite leading 33-31 at half, we were uneasy because of the foul difficulty. However we played incredible the second half before surrendering the game on the boards and at the free throw line. While we were out-rebounded by the Tigers, it was difficult to defend the free throw line where the home team enjoyed a 31-8 advantage en route to their 73-65 win. All in all, it was our most complete game in two seasons. Allie finished 2 assists away from a triple double while only committing 1 turnover. Kate scored 26 points despite being face-guarded and double-teamed all night.

We traveled to Chicago the next morning to face #7 Moody. While Grace poses some size issues, Moody poses a crisis! They boast a three player front line over six feet tall. We were once again hurt on the glass, specifically the offensive boards, an played from behind most of the game. We trailed by 8 at half, and Moody stretched the lead to 15 in the second. Our tired girls would not quit, an went on a run to cut the lead to five with six minutes left. But we had no answer inside, an fell by the same score as the previous night, 73-65. Allie had another great game scoring 21 and protecting the ball, and Becca and Brooke scored well also. Kate struggled shooting against a much taller defender but still finished with 15 points.

While not getting the results we wanted, the girls came away encourage and determined to get better for our stretch run. They see that the margin between us and some upper teams is very close. We were able to enjoy some time in downtown Chicago before moving on.

Even in the losses, we took care of the ball, averaging only 8 turnovers per game. We also shot a staggering 88% from the free throw line (23/26). All good signs.

On Sunday we ministered with the guys' team in singing at First Baptist Church in Mishawaka, IN before making the trip back to campus. So after 2500+ miles in the van and 6 games in 4 states, the ladies begin classes Tuesday and we return to the court Friday night.

Thanks for reading.

Kate wins national Student-Athlete of the Week award

2011-12-07T23:41:00.002-06:00

Katelyn won the NCCAA national Student-Athlete of the Week award for her play during our three games last week. She averaged 23 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, and three steals in the games while leading us to a 2-1 record last week. She had game highs of 23 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists and 6 steals in wins against Kuyper College (55-42) and Lincoln Christian University (60-44), and a loss against NCAA III Finlandia University (45-51).

She has been playing at a high level already this season, and the games she had last week really indicate that. She has been fun to watch, but behind every individual award, there is a team that helped make it possible. In other words, she likely doesn't win the award if we went 0-3. She doesn't shoot without someone passing the ball. She doesn't get an assist unless someone scores off of her pass. Her winning was also very impressive when you consider she just completed her soccer season a few weeks ago and really only had about three or four practices with the entire team.

Lady Pioneers in the News

2011-12-06T08:59:00.001-06:00

Here's a recent article from our *local newspaper about our last two games.

*local - a relative term that can be defined from a few minutes to half hour away. In this case, half hour because it's the closest newspaper to us. Although it is delivered daily to the campus!

Northland women's basketball - IronMountainDailyNews.com | news, sports, business, jobs - The Daily News

Surprises

2011-12-04T21:20:00.002-06:00

I mentioned earlier that Allie's mom flew out from Wyoming to surprise her for the game on Thursday night. With some difficult weather and such, she was running a little late and didn't arrive at the start of the game. Probably was a good thing. Allie ended up picking up a foul in the first minute, and her second about three minutes later. With two personals, I was forced to take her out of the game. I motioned for her to come sit next to me because I wasn't very happy with the way she took an unnecessary risk that resulted in the second foul.

"Do you know why you have to sit here?" I asked. "Because you were upset with missing a shot and you took out your frustration by playing recklessly on defense. Now you have to sit here while we hope the team can keep it together." She was staring at the floor by now. At this exact moment her mom walked into the gym across from our bench. So I continued, "And besides, it's a shame your mom comes all this way to see you sit on the bench with two fouls!" She looked up at me and asked "What did you say?" I said "It's a shame your mom came all this way to see you play and now you have two fouls," while pointing across the gym at her mom.

The absolute biggest smile I've ever seen exploded on her face as she looked back at me, then her mom, then me, then her mom.

She went back into the game with about 13 minutes left in the first half. I don't think she picked up a foul the rest of the game.

Two in a row...now break

2011-12-04T20:40:00.004-06:00

As much fun as getting a win was on Thursday night, the thought of getting a second consecutive one on Saturday was even better! We defeated Kuyper College , also a Midwest regional opponent, 55-42 in the final game we hosted this weekend. We had watched them play the day before and saw that they played a 2-3 zone defense for the entire game, so we felt pretty good about our chances because of the way we shoot the ball from the outside.

However, we had to go to plan B at halftime as we were about as cold shooting from the field as you could imagine. We shot 17% from the field from what were honestly wide open looks. We didn't take a poor shot the entire first half, but couldn't get the ball to drop. We were fortunate to be leading 19-18 at the half. The only explanations were that we took care of the basketball (6 turnovers) and played some very good defense. We also did a good job of limiting them to a minimal amount of offensive rebounds. We talked at half about making the extra pass, and not settling for the first shot but looking for the best shot. This was especially important because of the poor outside shooting, but also because of how much space was available in the middle of the zone. Another change we made was asking Allie to deny the return pass back to their best scorer after she gave it up.

The girls took the adjustments and applied them immediately, and we began to stretch out the lead with easy shots in the paint as well as getting to the free throw line. Allie's 2nd half defense limited their scorer to 5 points in the 2nd half (3 of them in transition). Kate led us again with 20 points, eight rebounds and four steals. Allie contributed 17 points, four rebounds, four steals and two blocks. CJ scored nine points off the bench, and Becca had a game high 14 rebounds.

There were several good performances on Saturday, but CJ's effort was so important. She has been playing good defense the past few games, and earning her playing time based on that. But I know we need her to score a little bit, and she can. So for her to knock down some shots and free throws with confidence will help our team down the stretch. Also, Amy provides a lot of energy and aggression in the lineup. She does so many things that don't show up in the box score, but we need players like that.

As I said in a previous posting, it was awesome to have so many family members of players here to take in the games this weekend. As a coach, I'm definitely reminded what this is all about. I really do count it a privilege to work with these young ladies, and it's always put more into perspective when I get to spend time with their parents.Also, thanks so much to our Northland students and family. You have all been so supportive this semester, showing up to games, and cheering loudly. It's always so encouraging to have a legitimate home gym advantage.

So, now it's time for break. The girls will be back on Jan. 9th, and we will practice the 10th and 11th before traveling to Minneapolis for a 3-day tournament.

Just a reminder. For up to the second information on the Lady Pioneer basketball team, please follow us on twitter @W_PioneerBball. Thanks as always for following.

From 377 down to 2...

2011-12-02T09:48:00.003-06:00

I'm a note card guy. Ask anyone that knows me, as much as I enjoy electronic and technological gadgets, when it comes to simple notes and reminders there is nothing more comfortable and dependable to me than a simple 3x5 card and pen. For as long as I can remember, I've prepared for every game by jotting my pregame notes, playing rotation, reminders, scouting report, and our team plays on a card I keep in my pocket. And in the upper left corner, I usually jot down how many days it's been since our last win. With the injuries and youth of the team from last year and beginning this season, the number on the card for last night's card was 377.

But the girls continued on a path they began from a couple of weeks ago of controlling what they control (effort, attitude, and focus, our "three" cornerstones), and the ultimate result showed a 60-44 region win against Lincoln Christian University in the Midwest region tip-off tournament. The easy thing would be to say that I'm proud of the girls, and I am. But I've been proud of them when they've lost many times over the past 377 days - however we're very thankful for the win!

One of things that we talked about and made a goal for last night was to start fast, and we did just that. We were able to open an early 9-3 lead in the first five minutes before LCU went on an 11-4 run to take a 14-13 lead with nine minutes left in the half. However, sparked by a 14-2 run that included 8 points from Kate, we retook the lead and didn't look back, leading 31-20 at the half. There were lots of positives from the half, including our defensive intensity, ball movement, valuing the basketball (only 6 turnovers) and making 7 of 8 free throws. But the discussion at halftime was about the need to start the second half with the same energy and effort that we started the game, and play for a second half win as well.

The girls responded to that challenge as well. Our defensive effort provided some fast break opportunities, and good ball movement allowed some open shots, and we started the second half on a 19-2 run! This extended our lead to a game high 28-point lead with 11 minutes remaining.

Kate led us statistically again with 23 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and four steals. Allie added 14 points, five rebounds, six assists, and five steals, and Brooke added 14 points, four rebounds, and three steals. Becca grabbed eight rebounds and played great post defense. I was very pleased with Amy's effort last night. While her stat line only shows four points and six rebounds, she provided great hustle and aggressiveness that created turnovers and extra offensive possessions.

We were excited to have several parents and family members in attendance last night as well. Kate's parents from Augusta, GA, Brooke's family from Kansas, and Allie's mom from Wyoming, all made long trips to be here for the win. So thankful for their sacrifice to come and support their girls and the team!

Our attention turns to Saturday now as we prepare for Kuyper College at 1 pm. You can watch here. Personally, I'm looking forward to writing the number "2" on my note card. Thanks for following.

PS - If you can't watch, I encourage to subscribe to twitter and follow in-game tweets and updates at W_PioneerBball.

Lady Pioneers fall in another close game

2011-11-30T10:19:00.004-06:00

In the midst of the season-plus slump we've been in, close games have honestly been a rarity. If you've followed the Lady Pioneers during that time, you know the impact injuries, multi-sport athletes, and youth have had to make consistency and continuity a challenge. In fact, it's been rare that we've had opportunities to win games in the final ten minutes, much less, be "in" games the second half. The fear of a coach is that this becomes the culture.

If the last two games are any indication, we have nothing to fear.

Playing against NCAA III Finlandia University at home Tuesday night, a team the Northland women have never defeated, we started slow but played them evenly the rest of the game, dropping a 51-45 decision. We trailed 6-0, 10-2, and 15-4 before going on a 10-1 run to cut the lead to 16-14 with six minutes left in the first half. But the Lions dominated the boards and second chance points, as well as hit some key 3-pointers down the stretch to lead 29-22 at the break.

Finlandia extended the lead to 11 in the second half, but our girls refused to quit. Sparked by good defense and steals, we were able to cut the lead to 43-40 on free throws by Kate with 3:49 left. But four turnovers in our next five possessions eliminated any hope of a rally and win.

My honest assessment is we turned it over too many times (25) and missed too many high percentage shots we normally make (including several layups) to come away with a win. On the positive side, our defensive intensity was great, and as usual, continues to build during the game. Kate had her third consecutive great game offensively, leading us with 19 points. She added eight rebounds, three assists, and a steal while playing all 40 minutes. She also played great defense, limiting their second-leading scorer to just four points on the night. Allie continues to play a vital role, scoring 12 points, with 10 rebounds, four assists, and four steals. Brooke added nine points and four steals. C.J. (Chelsea Goodreau) gave us some good minutes off of the bench with a tremendous defensive effort.

Anyway, it's onward from here with two key regional games this weekend. We host the Midwest Tip-Off event here at Northland Thurs-Sat, with all seven teams from our region in action in our gym. We play Lincoln Christian University on Thursday at 7 pm, and Kuyper College on Saturday at 1pm.

Thanks for reading.

We drop two at home, but are getting better

2011-11-22T16:59:00.002-06:00

We opened up our home schedule with two games last week; Tuesday against UW-Marinette and Friday night against Silver Lake College. We had one practice with Becca and Kate (on Monday night) before playing Tuesday. And while there were several good moments in the game, there were more mental and intensity lapses than we could overcome. We trailed early by double-digits, and rallied to cut the lead to seven near half. But two mistakes in the final 30 seconds allowed them to take a 32-21 lead at halftime. We started the second half slowly, and never recovered. Our help defense and rebounding were below acceptable, and despite getting great looks at the basket, shot it poorly, and lost the game 69-40. The point of emphasis following the game was to "control what you control - focus, effort and attitude." Allie led us in scoring with 18 points, and Kate added 10. Becca gathered eight rebounds

We had a brief practice Thursday night, and despite it being brief and having lots of visitors present (High School Invitational Tournament) may have had our best practice in years. The girls were extremely focused and everything was at game speed.

On Friday night, in front of a loud and packed crowd, the girls took another giant step forward with their play. Silver Lake gradually increased to seven points with four minutes remaining in the first half, but we closed on an 8-3 run to trim their lead to 27-25 at the half.

We started the second half on fire from outside, with Kate, Allie and Brooke hitting 3's at different times in the first six minutes. We took a 41-31 lead with 13 minutes left, but struggled to generate much offense after that. We got lots of good looks, but consistently came up short from inside and out while Silver Lake chipped away and eventually took the lead. Allie hit a jump shot with 1:30 left to pull us within one at, 53-52. Despite several good defensive efforts and rebounds, we failed to get a quality look on three possessions, and were forced to foul with 5.2 seconds remaining. After their player missed the front of the one-and-one, we got the ball to Kate who got a good look from about 35 feet, but the ball glanced off the front of the rim, and we lost 53-52. The game was night and day different from Tuesday, with a full game of focus and intensity. Of course making shots helps as well! Kate had a fantastic game with 19 points (5 of 9 from 3pt), 9 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals. Allie added 11 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals, and Brooke scored 11 as well. We were all encouraged with the effort, but not satisfied. There is a difference.

Again, thanks to our students, guests, and Northland family for the amazing support. It was so much fun to play in an atmosphere like that. We don't take it for granted. Also, thank you for reading.

First trip and games under our belts

2011-11-13T22:29:00.003-06:00

We made the 500-mile trek this weekend to Ankeny, IA to play in the Faith Classic Tournament hosted by Faith Baptist Bible College. I've always enjoyed taking the team on a trip early in the season to serve as a binding time, as well as getting to know them better. There's nothing like hours on the road in the van together to find out about your teammates!

While this trip had the potential to meet those purposes, it was also incomplete as we were missing our three returning starters and leading scorers (Kate and Becca leading the Lady Pioneer soccer team to a 3rd place finish in the national tournament, and Brooke who was in her best friend's wedding). In addition to missing them for team bonding and leadership, we were definitely missing them on the court.

We dropped both games we played, including FBBC on Friday night and AIB (NAIA) on Saturday. Of the eight players we took, only one (Chelsea B.) had played college basketball before Friday. While we were over-matched in both games, I was excited to see improvement from game to game, and even half to half. Allie is a very talented point guard, and we definitely look forward to seeing her with different combinations of players. Chelsea G. (C.J.), Amy and Valerie all played well at times and got their feet wet in the new environment. Chelsea B. has improved a lot since last season, and we will look forward to her getting in basketball shape :) Rianna, Claire, and Morgan also had the opportunity to get valuable game experience as well.

So, while I would have obviously preferred to have our entire team available this weekend, the reality was it provided an opportunity to see several of the girls on the court for extended periods of time, allowing us to evaluate them more thoroughly.

After one practice on Monday night, we return to the court against UW-Marinette at 5:30 in the Pioneer Fitness Center Tuesday night.

Thanks for reading!

Congrats to Lady Pioneer Soccer team

2011-10-30T19:15:00.003-05:00

On Saturday afternoon, the Northland Lady Pioneer soccer team won the Midwest region championship for the first time by defeating Maranatha Baptist Bible College 4-1 on penalty kicks. It was a fantastic effort by the squad and first-year head coach Nate Chatfield as the rebounded from a 4-2 loss earlier in the season to beat the Crusaders when it counted. In an evenly played match, a couple of Lady Pioneer basketball players played critical roles in the outcome. Kate Matthai took and made the first pk to set the tone for the shootout, and goalkeeper Rebecca Newton made a beautiful save early in the first half, and applied the pressure by saving the first MBBC pk attempt after Kate had scored. Both players were named to the All-region team. The victory earns an automatic bid in the NCCAA national tournament being played in Florida Nov. 9-12....and herein lies the only bad news....we will be without Kate and Becca as we tip off our season with two difficult games in Iowa on the 11th and 12th. Combined with the absence of another starter, Brooke Byard, we will be extremely young and short-handed to begin the season. However, we trust the Lord that we will learn much, new players will get valuable experience, and God will be glorified. As I've reminded everyone who has asked, we're all on the same team: Northland. I'm pumped they achieved one of our goals of a region championship, and extremely proud of Nate for his hard work.

Thanks for reading!

Team is working hard

2011-10-26T23:01:00.004-05:00

Well, we're officially into our second week of practices and the team is coming together....sort of. You see, three of our four returners play soccer or volleyball for Northland, and they are heading to their regional tournaments this weekend. Therefore, we haven't had them at practices, but are wishing them well as they compete!

The other eight players have been working hard. We spend the majority of our time each practice working on defensive fundamentals and technique. I've always been convinced that a great defensive team will be in every game no matter their offensive ability. So we'll keep working that area and begin adding the offense when we get the other girls to join us.

Here is the official roster. We return four players, including three starters, from last year's team: Behn 1 ppg, 2 reb pg; Byard 7 ppg, 3 reb pg, 2 steals pg; Matthai 16ppg, 5 reb pg, 3 assists pg; Newton 7.5 ppg, 9 reb pg, 2 steals pg. We also welcome seven first-year players, some who will contribute right away.

Thanks for praying for us this season.

No. Name Yr Height Position Hometown

32 Chelsea Behn Jr 5’8” Forward Chicago, IL

3 *Brooke Byard Sr 5’6” Guard Hutchinson, KS

25 Amy Buhrow Fr 5’5” Forward Reedsburg, WI

35 Rianna DeCleene Jr 5’5” Forward Marinette, WI

15 Chelsea Goodreau So 5’4” Guard L’Anse, MI

10 *Kate Matthai So 5’7” Guard Augusta, GA

14 Rebecca Newton So 5’9” Forward Canton, GA

24 Morgan Peterson Fr 5’7” Forward Jodan, MN

23 Allie Riegel Fr 5’7” Guard Laramie, WY

33 Valerie Roer Jr 5’7” Forward Marinette, WI

4 Claire Smith Fr 5’5” Guard Dunbar, WI

*Captain

Ready to get started; Follow us on twitter; Watch us live

2011-10-09T00:30:00.004-05:00

Well, we finished our final "try-out/practice" this morning, and it looks like the team is set. We now have 5 weeks until our first games in Ankeney, IA. There is much work to do, but it really seems that the girls are already very teachable. I'll post an official roster in the next day or so.

Also, if you are a fan, follower, or family member of the Lady Pioneers basketball team, I encourage you to follow us on twitter. This will be a primary method for us to keep you updated throughout the season, especially game updates while on the road. We will also have some fun with it as well. You can follow us (W_PioneerBball) by clicking on the link at the top right.

Finally, we're thankful to announce that all of our home games are scheduled to be broadcast live on the ni.edu website. Hopefully this will be an encouragement to friends and family members around the country.

Thanks again for your support.

coach whitt

Lady Pioneers take the court this afternoon

2011-10-06T10:20:00.002-05:00

After 8 long months, the NIU Lady Pioneers return to the court this afternoon for the first of two tryout practices. There are a lot of unanswered questions coming into the season, but also a lot of anticipation. I look forward to seeing what the Lord has in store for this group during the 2011-12 season. I'm excited to have senior Brooke Byard and sophomore Kate Matthai serving as captains this season. We are working through some details regarding their leadership, theme for the season, and other logistics. Our first game is five weeks from tomorrow!

Check out the season schedule here.

Also, be sure to click on the link on the sidebar to follow us on twitter for practice, travel and especially game updates.

Thanks for reading.
Coach Whitt

Post-season Honors

2011-02-27T13:00:00.002-06:00

Just wanted to make it official that freshman guard Kate Matthai was selected by the coaches in the Midwest region as a member of the All-region team. Kate was the only freshman selected to this team this year. She was second in the region in scoring (16.2 points per game), as well as averaged 4.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 2 steals per game. She accomplished this despite playing the final 5 games with a broken hand.

We were also excited that Abi Sexton and Miranda Smith were also recognized as National Scholar Athletes. This award goes to upperclassmen lettering in their sport while maintaining at least a 3.4 GPA. They will receive their certificates later in the semester.

Season comes to an end

2011-02-25T23:30:00.002-06:00

The longer I do this the faster the season seems to go. I apologize for not keeping up with the blog regularly this season. There were a number of factors, not the least of which is it was difficult to find different ways to say the same thing. So, at Christmas break I thought I would postpone the blog until the season ended.

We finished 1-24. That's not a typo...1-24. Bottom line is we had season-ending injuries early, and a lack of experience on the floor throughout the season. That's the easy, basketball answer. But there is so much more to this season and team. In fact, I'm going to say something that you will likely struggle to believe - I didn't want this season to end. Here's why.

From the middle of November when we were rendered short-handed and inexperienced, this team has come to practice and worked as hard as any team I've been around. They got a little better from Nov to Dec, but got drastically better from Jan to Feb. This team loved each other and really trusted me and K-Mo. They were absolutely a joy to coach and made this season so memorable and enjoyable. I really wanted to get another win down the stretch....but honestly, not for me....for them.

Anyway, so thankful for each of the 11 players, support staff, and Coach Moses. Abi and Miranda are graduating seniors that played their first season with us. Both have played soccer for Northland for 4 years, and finally gave in to my begging! Miranda improved more than any player, and Abi, while joining in Dec., provided some stability for us on and off the court. Becky is a senior, playing her third year for the Lady Pioneers. She was her normal force on the boards throughout the year (averaging almost 10 rebounds per game), but she really stepped up the final 7 games of the season averaging a double-double. Brooke jumped from a bench role to team captain and starter, and became our primary outside threat. Rachel M. moved from stats to a playing role in Jan., and filled a void for us defensively and with her on-floor communication. The Lord brought two freshmen, Kate and Becca, to us that really had great first seasons. Becca played steady all year, ending with a 10-rebound average, while Kate earned All-Region honors while finishing as our team's leading scorer despite breaking a finger with 7 games left. We also had Bethany, Chelsea, Rachel W., and Jenni filling in roles off the bench.

Sara filled in after her injury to finish the season doing stats, while I'm sure Hannah was the All-region manager! She gave me such peace of mind on trips and at practice. And of course it was great to work with a great friend again, K-Mo.

I will write more at a later time, but wanted to let the 2010-11 Lady Pioneers know how much I love them and am so proud of their character and effort this season. Trust.

Coach

National and Regional Stat Leaders

2010-12-07T14:51:00.002-06:00

Well, despite our 1-6 start, I thought I would share some encouraging team and individual efforts so far this season.

From a team standpoint, we rank in the top 10 in the nation in the following categories:

Defense points allowed per game (5^th) 58.6 points

Opponents fg% (7^th) 36.7%

Opponents 3pt fg% (8^th) 29%

We also have some players among the national/regional statistical leaders:

Kate - scoring (9^th /2^nd ) 16.4 points per game; assists (16^th/6^th) 3.6 per game; steals (17^th/5^th) 2.7 per game

Rebecca – rebounds (4^th/3^rd) 11.6 rebounds per game; blocks (nr/9^th) .4 blocks per game;

Becky – rebounds (17^th/8^th) 8.6 rebounds per game

Miranda – steals (nr/8^th) 2.3 steals per game

We definitely don't play as individuals, but it is always worth noting when players are excelling in some areas to contribute to the success of the team! Congrats!

Heading into Christmas Break

2010-12-04T11:13:00.002-06:00

As most of you know, this has been a first semester of injuries and youth for the Lady Pioneer basketball team. With two starters and all-region players from last year's team, as well as another returner, out for the season with injuries, we are enduring the process of learning and growing together as a team with only two players that were members of the team last year.

Our first semester came to an end Friday night with a 67-50 loss to Grace Bible College. On the surface, it looks like another double-digit loss to send us to a 1-6 record. However, for me, the team, and the great crowd in attendance, it was easy to see much improvement from our past few games. We played with confidence, purpose, and passion from the opening tip. Players are learning and contributing in their roles better, and it's easy to see that this team is improving and enjoying playing together.

We trailed by 3 with about 90 seconds in the first half, gave up a 3, missed a shot, and then gave up two free throws on a 50-50 call that could have been a charge on a Grace player. We then missed a lay-up at the buzzer to trail 33-25 at the half. We turned it over on our first two possessions for easy lay-ups for them to start the second half, and we go from being down three to down 12 in about 2 1/2 minutes of game time. While our team is improving, we're not good enough to overcome multi-possession lapses. They stretched the lead to 20 before we got very confident and went on a run to close the gap to 8 with five minutes remaining. But Grace slowed it down, got quality shots, and pulled away at the end.

Kate led us in scoring with 15 points. She also had 5 assists and 2 steals. While 6 turnovers is a lot, it's not bad considering she played all 40 minutes with the ball in her hands. Brooke added 14 points, including 3 for 3 from the 3pt line, and had 4 assists. Rebecca scored 11 points and grabbed 8 rebounds. I was probably most excited about her going 5 of 6 from the ft line.

I haven't written about it yet, but we're glad to have senior Abi Sexton join the team. In addition to her being a solid athlete and someone who has already contributed on the floor, she is a great example and blessing of leadership for this young team.

Anyway, we're off for a month before hitting the court again. I think the break is great for the girls, especially the majority of which played other sports in early fall. Thanks for your prayers!

Trust.

Another tough loss

2010-11-26T10:57:00.002-06:00

The title may be a little misleading, because the way I see it there are no "easy" losses. I view this one as tough in light of having a real opportunity to compete and win, and falling short. You probably know by now that not having some players I was counting on in the preseason as well as some injuries have left us a little depleted. The girls have battled hard and given every ounce of effort in the games since losing Ellie and Sara, but effort and hard work are not enough.

We played a physical and aggressive Silver Lake team that always proves to be a good challenge. I honestly can't remember the last time we lost to them, but at the same time, only remember one comfortable win. We started slowly again, offensively and defensively, and could never recover. We trailed by as many as 15 in the first half, cut it to 7, but ended up trailing 27-16 at the break.

The second half started with a little more promise, but we hit a dry spell where the lead was pushed deep into double digits again. We were able to cut it to 6 with about four minutes remaining, but our starters were out of gas and unable to make needed shots down the stretch and we lost 59-46.

Kate led us in scoring again with 19, but we probably need to get her driving and dishing to get more girls involved in the offense. At the same time, she's doing what competitors do when faced with adversity, and trying to carry the team. Rebecca had a great game for us, and I'm looking for better and better things from her as the season progresses. She scored 14 and grabbed 16 rebounds while dishing 4 assists. These two freshman are a wonderful foundation to some good days ahead for the Lady Pioneers. Brooke struggled finding her shot, scoring 7, but had 5 assists to help the team. Overall we out-rebounded an opponent for the first time this year (36-33), but the shooting percentages have got to increase for us to have success. Our struggle at the FT line are also hindering us from being successful.

Again, when you realize that of the 9 healthy players we have on the roster, only 2 played last year, we're still in the "hello my name is" stage on the court at times. Repetition, court time, and trust will continue to weave this group into a team. I already love this group and their character. Having a great time teaching.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Trust.

Chicago Trip - a challenging weekend

2010-11-22T00:04:00.002-06:00

One of the things we always enjoy is traveling together as a team. Chicago is one of our favorite cities, so we were excited when we had the opportunity to travel to Moody Bible Institute for three games in three days. The only disappointing thing is the timing - I have to miss the Northland High School Invitational Basketball Tournament and seeing so many basketball campers that were here to play this year. Congrats to the girls from Eagle Heights Christian School and Coach Kerri Barra for winning the championship. Wish we could have been here to see all of our friends from Camp play.

Our first game Thursday night was against the traditional power from the Eastern region, Philadelphia Biblical University. They are a well-coached team by my good friend Drew Watson. The game was extremely physical and a different style from our first game here against Andrews where we shot 37 free throws. Against PBU, despite the physical nature, we only shot 13 free throws. The game was back and forth for the first eight minutes, and then PBU stretched out to an seven-point lead that we trimmed to a 23-27 deficit at the half. We talked in the locker room about the need for coming out and setting the tempo the first five minutes of the second, but didn't follow through and saw PBU outscore us 11-2 in that span and never look back. We trimmed the lead to six with four minutes left, but could never get it closer, falling 58-47. Ellie led us in scoring with 19, and Kate added 12. Rebecca did a phenomenal job on the boards, collecting 12 rebounds. Overall though, it was the offensive rebounds and poor shooting that did us in.

On Friday afternoon we faced Lincoln Christian University. The team warmed up well and seemed excited to get on the floor. LCU scored on the first possession of the game. We pushed after the inbounds, found Ellie on the left wing, and she attacked the rim. She went down in a crowd with a knee injury and didn't return. Pray for her and her family as they get additional evaluations this week while home. It's always tough to see a teammate injured, especially your captain and best player. I had this experience last February with Ellie's sister, Lydia. You don't know how the girls will react. As in February, I was so encouraged with the heart and effort as the girls played hard, smart, and confident, sprinting to a 31-18 halftime lead, leading by as many as 27 in the second, and winning 61-43. It's difficult to single anyone out for their work because everyone rallied. Kate led us with 22 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals. Miranda stepped up in a big way, shooting 7/8 from the field to score 14 points and made 9 steals. Brooke scored 11 points and had 5 steals. Becky led us with 7 rebounds. After the game we spent a couple of hours downtown Friday night enjoying the shopping and eating on Michigan Ave.

For a number of reasons we were not mentally prepared for Saturday's game against Emmaus Bible College. Ellie's injury, some team sickness, and Kate receiving word of a high school classmate passing away the day before left us very distracted. Emmaus proved to be more prepared than we were, jumping out early and leading 24-21 at half. We came out to begin the second half and pulled even in the first five minutes, and spent the next 6 or 8 minutes building a 10 point lead with 8 minutes left. It was during this stretch that Sara went down with a knee injury and had to be carried form the floor. Please pray for her and her family as well this week. I really think that was about as much as our girls could take, and Emmaus began executing well offensively, we rushed shots, and before we knew what happened we had dropped the game 53-50. I give all the credit to Justin Smith and his team. No team plays any harder than they do, and they reminded us that games are 40 minutes, not 32. Kate led us with 21 points and Brooke added 10. Rebecca grabbed 15 rebounds in the loss that dropped us to 1-3, and more importantly, 9 healthy players.

Because the Lord's ways are perfect, on Friday morning (prior to Ellie's injury) we studied about the admonition to live and play for something bigger than ourselves, not knowing when the ability will be taken from us. The spirit and teachability of this group is unmatched, and I pray the Lord will do His work in our lives as we go through this difficult first semester schedule while thinking about our injured teammates.

We play Silver Lake College on Tuesday night at 5:30. If you're in the area please come by. If not, I'm fairly certain it will be webcast live. Stay tuned to the Northland International University facebook page or twitter account (northlandyou) for webcasting instructions.

Thanks as always for praying for yes. We are excited to see what God is going to do with our team this season!

First game blues

2010-11-15T00:39:00.003-06:00

We typically open the season on the road, traveling to some tournament or tip-off event. This year, for whatever reason, I scheduled this game with Andrews University (USCAA) to occur the week before our tip-off event at Moody. After watching us struggle a great deal in the first half, I remember why I like these games on the road :) We lost Saturday night 61-40 after trailing 33-16 at the half.

The truth is we have only had five full practices before Saturday night, and only 20 minutes of actual scrimmage time. So in a lot of ways Saturday was an extension of our practice season. This is to take nothing away from Andrews, as they were clearly the better team that night. However I think we improved so much from the first half to the second, that there is reason for everyone to believe we will have some fun days ahead.

But lest I sugar-coat it: it was not pretty at times. Surprisingly, we only turned the ball over 17 times for the game. Also, we were aggressive with the basketball, getting to the line 37 times! That is unheard of. The down side is we shot so poorly from everywhere, including the free throw line, that it made little difference in the outcome. The good news is that I know we have some quality shooters on this team that had poor shooting nights, and we will defend and rebound better. That comes with practice and work. We're definitely committed to that.

As many of you know, eight of our 11 players were playing volleyball or soccer as recent as 2 weeks ago. So many of them haven't picked up a basketball in over 5 or 6 months. Despite that, the effort was there and that's what gives everyone promise!

K-Mo and I already love this team and the effort. I think there is a lot of upside, and we will continue to work hard!

Trust.

2010-11 Schedule

2010-11-09T23:47:00.003-06:00

Nov. 13 Andrews University [H] 5:30 PM

Nov. 18 Philadelphia Biblical University (at Moody) [N] 5:00PM

Nov. 19 Lincoln Christian University [N] 3:00 PM

Nov. 20 Emmaus Bible College [N] 12 Noon

Nov. 23 Silver Lake College [H] 5:30 PM

Nov. 30 UW-Marinette [H] 5:30 PM

Dec. 3 Grace Bible College [H] 6:00 PM

Jan. 11 at Mt. Mary College [A] 7:00 PM

Jan. 14 at Grace Bible College [A] 5:00 PM [Est]

Jan. 15 at Kuyper College [A] 1:00 PM [Est]

Jan. 18 at UW-Marinette [A] 5:30 PM

Jan. 21 at Andrews University (Berrien Springs, MI) [A] 2:00 PM[EST}

Jan. 22 at Moody Bible Institute [A] 1:00 PM

Jan. 25 Maranatha Baptist Bible College [H] 5:30 PM

Jan. 28 Mt. Mary College [H] 5:30 PM

Jan. 29 at Silver Lake College [A] 1:00 PM

Jan. 31 Gogebic Community College [H] 5:30 PM

Feb. 4 at North Central University [A] 6:00 PM

Feb. 10 Finlandia University [H] 5:30 PM

Feb 12 at Gogebic Community College [A] 1:00 PM

Feb. 15 at Finlandia University [A] 5:30 PM (EST)

Feb. 18 North Central [H] 5:30 PM

Feb. 19 Faith Baptist [H] 2:00 PM

February 24-26 NCCAA Midwest Regional Tournament (A) TBA (EST)

(Lincoln Christian University– Lincoln, IL)

March 10-12 NCCAA National Basketball Tournament

Roster announced

2010-11-09T23:43:00.001-06:00

2010 Lady Pioneer Basketball Team

32 Chelsea Behn

Height: 5’8”

Hometown: Chicago, IL

Major: Sports Ministries

Life Verse: John 6:33

3 Brooke Byard

Height: 5’6”

Hometown: Hutchinson, KS

Major: Family & Women’s Ministries

Life Verse: James 1:2-4

23 Bethany Chatfield

Height: 5’6”

Hometown: Burt Lake, MI

Major: Family & Women’s Ministries

Life Verse: Psalm 143:8

25 Jenni Delorge

Height: 5’7”

Hometown: Charlotte, VT

Major: Elementary Education

Life Verse: Philippians 4:13; Psalm 18:30

15 Ellie Hodak

Height: 5’5”

Hometown: Brooklyn Park, MN

Major: English

Life Verse: Isaiah 26:3

33 Kate Matthai

Height: 5’7”

Hometown: Augusta, GA

Major: English Education

Life Verse: Philippians 1:20-21

14 Rebecca Newton

Height: 5’9”

Hometown: Canton, GA

Major: Camp Ministries

Life Verse: Isaiah 26:3-4

5 Sara Seering

Height: 5’5”

Hometown: West Bend, WI

Major: Elementary Education

Life Verse: Psalm 73:25-26

10 Miranda Smith

Height: 5’6”

Hometown: Howard, PA

Major: Camp Ministries

Life Verse: Isaiah 26:3-4

11 Becky Thomas

Height: 5’7”

Hometown: Dunbar, WI

Major: Family & Women’s Ministries

Life Verse: Philippians 3:12

4 Rachel Williams

Height: 5’2”

Hometown: Land O’ Lakes, FL

Major: Bible Expositions

Life Verse: Isaiah 12:2

Hannah Kurtz (manager)

Hometown: Nappanee, IN

Major: Office Administration

Life Verse: Galatians 2:20

Rachel Murray (stats)

Hometown: Buhler, KS

Major: Family & Women’s Ministries

Life Verse: Proverbs 3:5-6

Open Gym now; Tryouts Coming Soon!

2010-09-25T13:46:00.003-05:00

Well, it's hard to believe but it's that time of year again. The returning players have been running open gym scrimmages and conditioning workouts for girls interested in playing for the Lady Pioneers during the 2010-11 season, and official try-outs have been scheduled for Oct. 18-19.

This should definitely prove to be an interesting season for the team as several key contributors from last year's squad have either graduated, injured, or finished their eligibility. So this means there are many great opportunities for new players to step up and make a difference early. I've been impressed with some of the freshman and transfers I've watched play, and there are still a few girls that can't scrimmage yet because of volleyball and soccer. I honestly think the potential is there for a successful team if some of these newer players will commit to working hard in practices.

Click here for this year's challenging schedule. You will see a great balance of home and away games, as well as a traditional region schedule that proves to be the most challenging in the nation. We also have a great non-region schedule again this year, including games against 3 teams that participated in last year's national tournament in Philadelphia.

Anyway, just wanted to touch base with you and let you know that with the changing leaves here in the north woods, our attention is rapidly turning towards basketball!

Basketball Camp Begins Monday!

2010-07-26T00:04:00.002-05:00

It has been a busy and fruitful summer at Northland Camp, and difficult to believe the staff has been together for 8 weeks already. But as we enter this week of Camp, it also marks one of my favorite of the entire summer: Basketball Camp! Understand, Girls' Basketball Camp is only one of eight camps going on this week (Guys' BBall, Soccer, Volleyball, Music, Drama, Teen, PV), but totally unbiased, it's the BEST!

I'm anticipating 35 girls arriving here tomorrow to begin a week that will be filled with basketball, Bible, new friendships, laughter, and memories. We will spend over 20 hours on the court in drills, personal development, and scrimmages, but more importantly, the entire week emphasizing the greatness of our God and our dependence on Him. We'll enjoy the preaching of Evangelist Jeremy Frazor in the evenings, and our Life in the Gospel study through I John 4 with Evangelist Will Galkin.

I'm also thrilled to have Coach Moses helping me with the Camp again this year, in addition to Lady Pioneers Tiffany Chatfield and Taylor Ollila. Former camper Erin Stuerewald will also be returning to help with camp. We also have 4 of our summer camp counselors assigned to help (Holly Stuerewald, Emily Kutz, Sarah Hayes, and Tiffany Bennett), as well as super program guy Aaron Boyce.

So, despite the chaos of administrating all of the camps and being responsibile for the girls' basketball camp, it's definitely a week to get excited about. Please pray for us!

Register for Basketball Camp NOW!!

2010-03-15T23:32:00.009-05:00

Depending on where you are in the country, it may be difficult to think about summer camp. Here at Northland, we have enjoyed some of the warmest March days in years, with temps today hitting 65!

I wanted to take the opportunity to remind all of you about our Girls' Basketball Camp here at Northland. This year's camp is July 26-31, and promises to be a great time of physical and spiritual challenge. In addition to on the court instruction about basketball, the coaches and I enjoy presenting a Biblical philosophy of athletics that we desire to see them take with them back to their schools and teams. We also have quite a bit of fun!

Please click on the here for more information, or feel free to email me for additional details!

Tiffany Named All-American

2010-03-15T23:20:00.003-05:00

I was thrilled to hear that one of our captains, Tiffany Chatfield, was selected as a 2nd team All-American by the NCCAA. Tiff had an outstanding season for us offensively, and filled the roles of student-athlete, team captain. and a first-year wife very well!

T averaged 18.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.2 steals per game. She finished 1st in the region and 5th nationally in scoring, 6th in the region in 3-pt fg percentage (33%), and 5th in free throw percentage (73%).

Although a junior, this was T's 4th year of eligibility in basketball. This was also only her 2nd complete season as she spent a semester traveling on a ministry team for Northland, and 2nd semester last year with Nate while he student taught. I'm confident T could have challenged some Northland basketball records had she played 4 full seasons, but I'm thrilled God allowed her to be a part of this team for as long as He did.

I also know T would want to thank her teammates for their support and play, making an individual honor like this a possibility. This marks the 3rd straight season that a Lady Pioneer has been selected to the All-American team.

Congrats T!

Postseason Honors

2010-02-26T22:44:00.003-06:00

We had several players receive NCCAA honors on Thursday night at the Midwest regional tournament hosted at Kuyper College in Grand Rapids, MI.

Rebekah received the honor of National Scholar-Athlete. This goes to any junior or senior that has a cumulative GPA of at least 3.40.

We also had 5 players named to the All-Region team. Rebekah, Lydia and Jenna were all Honorable Mention as voted by the coaches. Ellie and Tiff were named to the All-Region team, and Tiff is nominated for All-American honors as a result of her finishing in the top 5 of voting.

Congrats to all of these players and their teammates that made these awards possible!

Regional Tournament

2010-02-25T23:13:00.002-06:00

I must say I had no idea what awaited me and this team a week ago as we prepared to leave for our Minneapolis trip. But here we are without Lyds, a banged and sewed up Jenna, and a 4th seed tournament draw that seemed impossible at best, 3rd place at worst.

But the girls responded to the challenge Thursday night against Grace like they have all year, with a quiet confidence and focus. If you have read any of these posts in the past, you know how slowly we typically start. I told Lyds just before the tip that the only thing we couldn't really afford was a slow start. Honestly, this was our worst of the year. We went nearly 6:30 minutes without scoring, but our defense kept us in it. Tiff hit a few timely 3-pointers to keep us in reach, and we went to the locker room at half down 24-20.

We played fairly well to start the 2nd, but could never get the lead. Grace also changed to a diamond and one defense on Tiff, so we had to be creative. Ellie and Jenna developed a rythym, and Rebekah controlled the boards. Brooke VanLaanen (Van) started and defended their outside shooter. She played a great 30 minutes of basketball, limiting their scorer to 6 points, while scoring 6 herself. She also grabbed 5 rebounds and made 6 steals. We took our first lead of the game with 6:30 left, leading 42-41. We limited them to 3 points the remainder of the game, and pulled away the last few minutes. Tiff led us with 17 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 steals, 0 turnovers. Jenna scored 15 and grabbed 7 rebounds. Ellie played one of her best games in her two years and tallied 11 points. But the bigger line for her was only 2 turnovers in the game. Rebekah grabbed a game high 11 rebounds.

As speechless as I was after our devestating Faith loss, I was almost as speechless after this game. I am so proud of these girls. They have surpassed expectations and overcome adversity. They are young ladies of character and have been a rebuke to me. I'm definitely blessed to serve with them! This puts us in the semi finals on Friday against Maranatha. That will be very difficult, but we will do our best.

Road trip to Gogebic, and the MBBC rivalry game

2010-02-16T18:09:00.002-06:00

Well, we're coming down the home stretch and things are coming more and more into focus for us as a team. Truth is we (players and coaches) can see our strengths and weaknesses, but reality is that time is running out to correct and improve. Never was this more evident for us than the past two games.

On Saturday we traveled to Ironwood, MI to play at Gogebic Community College. We had lost to them earlier in our gym by 13. Traditionally in the past we have gone there and not been very competitive. We talked about some obvious areas of emphasis, and played pretty well. A late basket after an offensive rebound gave them a 26-24 halftime lead. Not bad considering we trailed by as many as 12 in the first half. We came out strong in the 2nd half and took the lead by as many as 5 points. However, foul trouble once again became an issue, and we found ourselves down by as many as 11 with just four minutes remaining. The girls turned up the full-court defensive pressure and over the next three minutes cut the lead to three, but that was as close as we could get, dropping a 66-61 decision.

Tiff led us with 27 points, Lyds added 17and Ellie 10. While tallying a lower than usual 6 rebounds in the game, Rebekah contributed in other ways with 4 assists and 4 steals.

On Monday afternoon we traveled to Watertown, WI for the best rivalry in Christian sports - our games with Maranatha. The MBBC women have been dominant in the NCCAA Midwest region, winning 28 consecutive games against Midwest opponents. Long-time coach, and current friend, Clayton Morrison does a fantastic job with his teams year in and year out. This may be his best coaching job in my five years in the region as he has a team made up primarily of underclassmen, and regularly starts at least four freshmen. They are talented and deep, so we were aware it would take our best effort to compete. Add to it that there would be a crowd of 500+ throughout the game, bulding in the 2nd half to 1000+ as we approached the tip time for the guys' game.

We started fairly well, and kept it close early on. However it became obvious to me in the first four minutes of the contest we would struggle to compete because of the tightly officiated contest. With 15:00 left in the first half, Tiff and Ellie had two fouls each, and we had five as a team. The half played out well as both temas exchanged the lead a few times, MBBC going up by as many as 7, but us cutting it to 39-35 on a jumpshpt by Jenna with 10 seconds remaining. We shot 45% in the first half, and knew exactly what we needed to do to pull of the upset in the 2nd half. First, our defense was as poor as we have played in years. And for a team that shoots 62% from the ft line for the season, we were 6 of 18 from the line in the half. But the most troubling and glaring issue on the stat sheet was the foul count. Tiff, Ellie and Jenna all had 3 fouls, and Rebekah and Lyds had 2. To be fair, the officials were calling fouls at an alarming rate on BOTH teams. However, our issues involved all of our starters. There would be no way to compete at this rate.

We had a phenomenal start to the 2nd half. We strted on a 7-0 run to take a 3 point lead in the first 4 minutes, but after a miss on the offensive end, a whistle came that changed how we played the rest of the game: 4th foul on Jenna. We played as well as possible for the next four minutes, and with 12:00 left, trailed 48-44. It was then we hit the wall, and watched as MBBC began hitting inside and out, finishing the game on a 27-8 run to capture a 79-56 win. It does us no good to say that the game was closer than the score indicates because we honestly didn't care. We came to win, played well enough for 28 minutes to do so, but didn't close. Give Clayton and MBBC all of the credit. They are extremely talented and well-coached. It is awfully difficult to see frehman guard Autumn Peotter on the other sideline. She was a long-time basketball camper that I grew to really love and appreciate. She is an outstanding player, but more importantly, an outstanding young lady. She played a great game for the Crusaders.

Tiff once again led us in scoring with 19 points (5 of 12 from 3-pt). Jenna added 17 points and 10 rebounds, Lydia 7 points, 3 assists and 2 steals, and Rebekah 14 rebounds. Brooke Byard gave us a lift off of the bench with five points including a huge 3-point basket in the 1st half. But our poor free throw shooting carried into the 2nd half, and we finished a staggering 10 of 31 in the game.

The loss drops us to 8-11 on the season, 4-3 in the region, and likely a 3-seed in the Midwest tounament next week. It was great seeing Utica Christian School senior Erin Steuerwald and her family at the game. Erin is a wonderful young Christian lady that happens to play a good game of basketball!

It was exciting to see our guys pull out a big win in the night-cap in front of 1,000+ fans and an extrremely slippery court (due to a roof leak and humid conditions). The atmosphere is unequaled, and always incredible to watch hundreds of studnets from both schools flood the floor after the game to reminisce about high school, church, missions trips, and summer camp ministries together!

After arriving back on campus at about 2am, were back in the gym at 3:30pm to keep getting better in preparation for the weekend in Minneapolis.

Thanks for reading!

Winning when you play poorly sure beats the alternative!

2010-02-12T20:13:00.002-06:00

Our final game at home this season sure proved to be a bit more stressful and exciting than we had hoped, but we sure were thankful for the 54-48 win over Silver Lake College. We were hoping to build off of our great effort in a road loss at Finlandia from Tuesday night, but instead struggled most of the game to find our shooting touch and running game.

We jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead, but went almost 8 minutes without scoring. Tiff made a couple of critical steals and conversions in the last minute of the half to pull us into a 18-18 tie at the half. Yes, that's 18-18! Our point total equaled our field goal percentage in the half.

In the locker room at the half, the girls were frustrated at their inability to get up and down the floor, as well as convert shots they normally made. We talked about the things we can directly control - effort, intensity, and desire - and agreed to allow the rest to take care of itself.

We responded the second half well, and behind some key 3-pointers by Tiff and hard work by Jenna inside, were able to slowly pull into a lead we would never surrender. We shot better (40%) in the second half and pushed hard to run the floor. Tiff finished with 25 points, 4 rebounds and 2 steals, while Jenna had her second consecutive dominant game with 18 points, 17 rebounds, and 4 steals.

After the game, we honored 6 team members that had played their final home game.

Kristy Legg, our manager the past 2 years and former player
Rebekah Watson, first year transfer player for us, but last year of eligibility
Brooke Byard, a two-year player finishing her certificate this May
Brooke VanLaanen, a two-year player graduating in May
Tiffany Chatfield, a four-year player and captain
Jenna Kurtz, a four-year player, 3-time All-Region selection, and captain

All of these girls help make up a significant part of this special team. They will also all leave serious voids on and off the court. More important than any basketball achievements, I'm more excited because of the spiritual growth in their lives during their careers.

The other obvious thing you notice is that this will leave a lot of opportunities for some Christian young ladies who love the Lord, love basketball, want to enjoy a basketball family relationship, and make incredible memories during their college years to join us. If you're a friend of Lady Pioneer basketball and know of anyone that may fit this description, please encourage them to contact me.

Next game Saturday afternoon at Gogebic in Ironwood, MI. We have never won there and are looking forward to getting better!

Thanks for reading (I think!).

Close, but not enough...

2010-02-10T00:26:00.003-06:00

Well, a snowy 3-hour ride north to play NCAA III Finlandia University didn't hold a lot of promise of a win, and the ability to break 2- game skid. As far as I can see in the records, we are winless against the Lions and have especially struggled at their gym. Last year we lost by 41 at their place, and never looked good in the process. But the girls came out focused and intense on defense, and played their best overall game of the year, leading by 7 at the half, trailing by 3 with 1:20 left, before falling to Finlandia 77-68 Tuesday night.

We set the tone early in the game with our best defensive effort of the year, and attacked the rim. We are a good perimeter shooting team, but tonight the girls did a good job in the first half of driving the ball to the basket and converting, or drawing the foul. This proved to be a good offensive weapon as we went 17 of 23 from the line...in the first half. Finaldia plays as physical and intense of defense as we have faced all year, and we handled it well in the first half. We enjoyed a 41-34 lead at the half.

We actually started the first couple of minutes of the 2nd in good shape, extending the lead to 10 at one point. But Finlandia played even more aggressive defensively and forced turnovers that they converted to easy baskets for a 8-10 minute stretch to take the lead. It honestly seemed like the game was officiated more loosely with less fouls called in the 2nd half, but that was in no way the reason for the loss. We turned it over a few too many times and they converted.

With 1:20 left we cut their lead to three, but after a good defensive half court effort, they had a player make her only shot of the game, a 3-point basket from the corner, to push it to six. After a missed shot, we fouled and they converted, thus sealing the defeat.

We have talked this week about getting better, one practice at a time, one game at a time. Our goal for everything we have left this year is to be better than when we started. We were better at the end of practice on Monday than the start. And we were much better at the end of the game than we were before we started. It's very exciting to have a group of girls that believe and want to work hard.

Some individual highlights from the game:

Tiffany - 18 points, 2 steals, and 8/10 from the free throw line (36 minutes played)
Jenna - 18 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 assists
Ellie - 17 points, 4 assists, 2 steals (36 minutes)
Lydia - 7 points, 3 assists, 2 steals (35 minutes)
Rebekah - 6 points, 13 rebounds, 5 steals (39 minutes)
Brooke B. - didn't score but gave us some key minutes from the bench with great defense (steals and deflections) and a few rebounds.

Overall, we're ready to build off of this game as we prepare for our final home game Thursday night against Silver Lake.

It was also great to spend time with high school senior and former basketball camper Chelsea Goodreau and her family at the game. Chelsea was accepted to NIU Tuesday night, and we look forward to her contributing to the Lady Pioneers next year! It was also great to see former basketball camper Anna Bishop at the game as well!

Thanks for reading!

We're still here...

2010-02-06T20:48:00.003-06:00

Long time, no blog! Following my last post after our Moody game, the team dropped me off in Green Bay on their way back to school from Chicago. The next day I flew to Honolulu where I was the speaker for Spiritual Emphasis Week at Hanalani Christian Schools from Monday through Friday. It was an exciting time as I had multiple opportunities to speak and preach to the students in the school. I also helped with basketball practices and got to watch several of their games. I enjoyed a round of golf on Saturday and lots of great food the entire week! On Sunday, Jan. 31st, I preached in the morning at a local church and went to the airport that night. I flew out of Hawaii about 9:30 Sunday night, and landed in Green Bay about 3 pm on Monday. I quickly made my way back to Northland, arriving about 45 minutes before our home game with Gogebic.

Gogebic is always a difficult matchup for us because of their quickness and pressure. However, our team this year handles those elements fairly well on a normal basis. We started slowly in the game, but battled back and played them well even though we trailed by 6 at halftime. However, like a handful of games this year, we shot so poorly, connecting on only 10 of 40 shots in the first half. The cold shooting continued in the second half, but our defense and free throw shooting kept us in contention, as we trailed by 5 with 5 minutes left. But Gogebic connected on some long shots and we couldn't, and they ended up winning 71-58. Tiffany led us with 21 points, and Ellie scored 16 and dished out 6 assists.

After another week off, we hit a very busy final stretch that will tell us a lot about oursleves going into the regional tournament. We start a stretch of 4 games in 8 days beginning with a road trip to Finlandia on Tuesday, Feb. 9th.

Thanks for reading.

Bad game, great weekend

2010-01-23T23:55:00.002-06:00

Well, as I mentioned last night, after such a physical battle with Mount Mary in Milwaukee, I was concerned with what we would have in the tank 13 hours later when we tipped against #9 Moody in Chicago. We actually started the game well, hitting our first two shots. But we had some mental lapses on defense and went very cold from the perimeter and free throw line. I think we scored two points the final five minutes of the first half, went 1 of 10 from the charity stripe, and surrendered 13 offensive rebounds to a very large Moody frontline (6'4", 6'2", 6') to enter halftime down by 13.

In my heart, I knew we were better than we had played and could come out and turn it around quickly as we did the night before. On the other hand I think I know this team well enough now to admit I felt we were close to empty at halftime. It reminded me a little of the regional final last year when we played 130 minutes in 42 hours. In that game I didn't want a halftime because we were on adrenaline, and the break totally drained us. Today, I didn't want the halftime to end because I sensed we were exhausted.

The 2nd half started with Moody going on a run to extend the lead to 20, and I began realizing my fears. But sure enough, we went on a 9-0 run to claw back to an 11-point deficit with 12 minutes left - and that's when we hit the wall. Jenna and Ellie, who had each played 40 minutes the night before, asked out of the game for a break. We mixed and matched our lineups the final eight minutes, and Moody never let up building their lead to a final score of 74-43.

Let me say this - Moody is good. I came into the season believing they would be the team to beat in the Midwest region. We were fortunate enough to beat them twice last year, including in double overtime in the regional semi-final, But the addition of some very good freshman guards to their frontline will make them tough to beat in the region. With that being said, they're not 31 points better than us. We hope to play them again in the regional tournament.

Afterwards, we spent a few hours in downtown Chicago, including dinner at Giordano's pizza! It was also nice having Jenna and Hannah's parents with us, as well as Abbey. I'm presently in Green Bay preparing to fly out to speak at a Spiritual Emphasis Week at Hanalani Chirstian School in Oahu, HI. Please pray for me as you think about it. The girls will begin classes on Tuesday, and practice Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday before returning to the court in a week against Gogebic College. Lord-willing, I'll be there in time for the game after flying all night!

Thanks for reading!

Big road win

2010-01-23T00:59:00.002-06:00

Late night greetings from our hotel in the Windy City where we arrived a little over an hour ago. It was a late arrival form Milwaukee, but well worth it, as we beat Mount Mary College (NCAA III) 59-53 at their place. This was such an encouraging win in so many ways. Most recently, they beat us 77-76 at our place a week ago when we failed to execute in the final minute. Also, this is a team we haven't beaten in a few years, and their confidence was really high. And thirdly, we have honestly had some bad memories of games in the past, as well as other events surrounding the event.

Honestly, when this game began tonight, it looked like this would be another bad memory. We shot poorly, played tentatively against their pressure, and didn't protect the defensive rebounding. We were trailing by as many as eight points just four minutes into the game. We finally picked up the intensity in the latter portion of the first half. If you've followed us for the past six or eight games, you know we have been consistently putting up some great offensive numbers. So to enter the locker room down 24-17, I wasn't overly concerned because i know we have shooters. Also, the girls, as usual, were calm and intense in the locker room, clearly discussing the errors we had made in the first half.

It definitely helped. We started the second half on a 15-2 run thanks to tough half court defense and a good transition game. Tiff connected on a couple of 3's, Ellie continued to play great defense on the 6th leading scorer in the NCAA III, Rebekah dominated the hustle stats, Jenna defended the physical post, and Lydia produced key steals to dramatically turn the game to our favor.

We once again showed balanced scoring with Ellie (15), Tiff (14), Jenna (13) and Lyds (11) all hitting double digits. Rebekah led us with 11 rebounds and Jenna added nine. Lydia also was credited with seven steals. Ellie's defense limited their best player to 12 points, on 5 of 13 shooting, and five turnovers.

The girls are exhausted, so who knows what we will have left for a key regional match-up with Moody at 1pm on Saturday. Regardless, I know this team will come out and play hard!

Thanks for reading.

More stats....

2010-01-20T18:12:00.002-06:00

Don't want to bore you with numbers but thought fans of the Lady Pioneers may be interested in some of these. As I mentioned in December, individual or team stats don't mean a great deal unless you're improving individually and as a team. I think we're doing both, so they are more of an honest indicator.

First, we maintain the 10th position in the NCCAA II coaches' poll this week. I'm really thankful for that and believe it's a testimony to the hard work by the girls first and second semester.

Individually, Tiff has climbed to 9th in the nation (1st in the Midwest region) in scoring with a 17 ppg average. She also ranks 24th (5th in region) in assists 2.9 pg, and 4th in the region in free throw percentage at 66%.

Ellie moved into the national rankings this week at 22nd in scoring with 14.4 ppg (4th in the region). She's also 5th in the nation (1st in region) in steals with 3.4 pg.

Lyds ranks 23rd nationally (7th region) in 3-point % at 36.4%. She's also 24th (snd region) in free throws at 73.9%. She's also 4th in the nation (1st in the region) with 4.9 assists pg.

Rebekah continues to make a run at the national rebounding leaders with her 5'5" frame. She is currently 5th in the nation (2nd region) with a 10.6 rpg average.

As a team, we're currently 5th in the nation at 66.3 points per game. We're 5th in assists and 4th in steals.

Lady Pioneers start fast, but can't hold on

2010-01-20T17:48:00.002-06:00

Well, we lost another tough game tonight that we led at halftime. We lost to NCAA III Finlandia University (Hancock, MI) 74-57 tonight. It was one of those games where the score doesn't tell the story, but at the same time it does....

First off, Northland has been a relatively easy win for Finlandia for years. They are a tough, fast, aggressive running team, and we have never been able to remotely handle the pressure or score with them. But tonight we came out hungry, playing fast and matching their intensity. The pressed us most of the first half and we handled it really well - maybe too well. We scored quite a bit in transition, alot from breaking the press, and had to run our half-court offense very little. Defensively we played fairly well, limiting them to one shot, and taking a 10-point lead with about two minutes left in the half. They finished on a 5-0 run, sending us to the locker room up 40-35.

They shanged some things on defense and stayed away from the press most of the second half, and we made too many mistakes in our offense. We actually held them to four points the first five minutes of the half, but we had only scored three, so our lead was down to four. The next five minutes saw them tie it up, and they took the lead from 10:00-5:00 left in the game. We were out of gas the last five minutes, and during a timeout when down by 10 with 3:30 left I asked the girls if they wanted to pack it in and work on some things for Mt. Mary or Moody, it was a resounding "no." Thmaking the final score more lopsidedey wanted to play to win. As much as their spirit was willing, their bodies were weak, and hope slipped away. Take nothing from Finlandia - they won the second half, especially the final eight minutes in a huge way. They are extremely talented and well coached.

We don't, and never will, count moral victories. However, we played so well for 32-35 minutes against a much better opponent, and had a chance to win the game. From a basketball sense, that is our goal every game.

Statistically, Tiff had another great game shooting the ball, scoring 25 points including 11 of 13 from the free throw line. Ellie scored 14 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, dished out 4 assists and had 3 steals.

We have two really tough games this weekend as we travel to Milwaukee to play Mt. Mary Friday night, and Chicago to play Moody on Saturday. We lost to Mt. Mary at our place last Friday, and the last time we saw Moody was in the Region semi-final where we edged them in a double overtime game. They are a great team this year, and we will have to play our best game of the season to beat them.

Thanks for reading!

Wow, a great way to finish a crazy week!

2010-01-17T17:00:00.002-06:00

Well, first things first. We beat Grace Bible College in Grand Rapids 75-69 on Saturday afternoon. This was a rewarding win for a number of reasons. First, we lost to Grace earlier in the year at the Kentucky tournament. Secondly, it's a region game and standing matter when it comes to seeding for the tournament. Thirdly, with the way we lost two heart-breakers earlier in the week, we needed this for team confidence to keep moving towards our goals.

We led by 5 with 5:00 left in the game, and Grace went on a 10-0 run to take a 5 point lead (67-62) with about 3:30 left. We called a timeout, as you would expect, to talk about the next couple of series. Sometimes when things are going the "wrong" way, there can be too many people talking in the huddle. That wasn't the case during this one, as everyone was calm and attentive. K-Mo and Nate suggested a couple of changes on offense with the goal to get us better offensive options on the perimeter, and allow Ellie to get into the middle of their zone defense. They also suggested a defensive change to combat a potential set play from Grace. The results were immediate. Tiff hit a 3-pointer on that possession, and Lydia stole the ball at the other end that ended up in a layup. Tie game. We got another stop and Tiff hit another 3, another stop and Ellie hit a 15-foot jump shot. It's definitely fun to answer a 10-0 run with a 10-0 run!

Here are some interesting individual stats from the game:
Tiffany - 28 points (7 of 13 3pt fg), 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals
Ellie - 16 points, 8 reb, 4 assists, 6 steals
Lyds - 16 points, 9 reb, 4 assist, 3 steals
Jenna - 11 pts, 14 reb
Rebekah - 4 pts, 11 reb, 5 steals

We still have a lot to work on, but this beats the alternative. This improved us to 6-5 on the season, and 4-1 in the region. The trip home was loooonnnngggg, as we arrived back to campus about 2 am. We praise the Lord, once again, for safety in travel, great times in the Word, singing, praying, and laughing. Love this team.

Thanks for reading!

Lady Pioneers drop heartbreaker, 77-76

2010-01-15T23:17:00.002-06:00

Wow - we had several chances in the final minute to beat Mt. Mary College at home, but couldn't get it done. They are an NCAA III team, and have one of the single best players we have ever competed against. Jordan Osley, a multiple NCAA player of the week, scored 37 points against us but we still had an opportunity to win the game.

During the final minute, we missed two free throws, fouled a player shooting a three, and turned the ball over on an inbounds play with 10 seconds remaining. In hindsight, I should have had us run a different play with a different look to it, but the one we ran had worked for layups a couple of times earlier in the game. They deflected the pass, and were able to secure the loose ball and run out the clock.

I continue to be amazed at how we are scoring this semester. A game after scoring 78 points, we come back with 76 this game. Our half court defense hasn't been bad, but we continue to surrender some key offensive boards. Mt. Mary used a serious size advantage to outrebound us 46-33. The effort continues to be there, which is what we can control.

Ellie scored 20 points, Tiff had 18, Lyds 13 and Jenna 10. Rebekah led us in rebounding with 10. Brookes Byard and VanLaanen also made significant contributions off of the bench.

We have to shake this off as we have just arrived at our hotel in Gaylord, MI. After a short night, we leave at 8:45am for our 3-hour drive to Grand Rapids where we play region opponent Grace Bible College. Grace beat us earlier in the year at the Kentucky tournament, and the girls are ready for a rematch.

Lady Pioneers lose 86-78 in overtime

2010-01-13T08:23:00.002-06:00

We dropped a tough game last night to UW-Marinette in overtime. I'll write more later (as we're in pre-season and staff in-service as well), but it was a great effort by the girls. In a lot of ways, this was like our first game since there are three players from first semester no longer with us and one new player. The clutch performance of the night was Tiff hitting two free throws with 1.3 left in regulation to tie the game and send it to overtime.

Like I said, I'll write more later!

Off the court...

2010-01-10T11:13:00.016-06:00

Here are a few pictures of some off-the-court action during pre-season so far. Friday night we went bowling with the guys' team. The guys and girls were placed on teams to compete lane vs. lane. In true competitive nature, after 2 games, there was no
agreement which team won!

One of the primary ways we spend time off the court, especially during pre-season, is eating together! Since the girls come back 2 weeks before the official start of 2nd semester, we end up eating several meals in our home. Saturday night, after 4 hours of practices that was primarily based on conditioning, the girls dragged into our place for french toast night. We prepare it with brown sugar, and also a cream cheese icing that is wonderful. Afterwards they headed down to the den to watch (or sleep through) a movie!

Off and running...a lot!

2010-01-08T17:46:00.002-06:00

Well, the second half of the season (and what we refer to here as basketball pre-season)is underway at Northland. The Lady Pioneers returned to campus Thursday night and hit the courts Friday morning for a two-hour practice, and again in the afternoon for two hours. We will practice again Saturday and Monday for four hours, and Tuesday morning for two before playing again Tuesday night. All total, we will practice for 32 hours and play 6 games before the rest of the students return. We spend much of the time in conditioning and getting reacquainted with the play book. We also get accustomed to new players and adjusted to players that aren't here. It really takes a great deal of concentration to focus for that many hours on basketball, but that's part of the training. The first couple of days are the most difficult, but then the time flies and before we know it everyone is here and the girls are in classes again. When we're not on the court, we try to do some fun things to build unity. There is already a bowling night, tubing night and Wii tournament planned. There will be some spontaneous things along the was well!

I'll try to keep you updated with news and pictures over the next few days as we progress. In the meantime, thanks for reading (and Roll Tide!).

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T10:06:00.000-06:00

Just a quick note to wish everyone out there a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year. I trust you take the time during this season to reflect on the gift of salvation through the gift of Jesus Christ!

As a side note, the team returns to campus Thursday night, Jan. 7th to begin practices Jan. 8th. We will practice Friday, Saturday and Monday before resuming our schedule on Tuesday.

Abbey Armstrong Named Student-Athlete of the Week

2009-12-15T21:20:00.000-06:00

The NCCAA Student-Athlete of the Week award is awarded to one male and one female athlete in each active sport in both Division I and Division II, chosen from the list of nominees submitted by all recognized sports each week. The student-athlete should exemplify the Christian ideals held by the NCCAA.

Abbey Armstrong senior wing for Northland International University (WI) led her team to two wins this week while playing her final two games for the Lady Pioneers (she graduates this week). Armstrong scored 23 points (8-16 from the floor and 4-7 from 3 pt. range), grabbed 8 rebounds, recorded 2 assists and blocked 2 shots in a region win against Kuyper College (MI). On Saturday, she scored 23 points (4-8 from 3 pt. range), collected 8 rebounds, dished out 2 assists, and blocked 2 shots in a road win against NCAA III Silver Lake College.

Good Road Win to Finish the Semester, and Say Good-bye

2009-12-13T01:24:00.001-06:00

There's no doubt one of the more difficult places to play during my 5 years with the Northland basketball team has been the UW-Manitowoc gym where we play Silver Lake College annually. Usually we shoot poorly and play from behind most of the game. And although I won't go into details here, but suffice it to say we end up a little black and blue after the game.

I guess that's why it makes it a little sweeter to see us score the opening bucket on our opening possession today (likely a first this season) and never trail as we shot lights out in the first half, and held on to win 76-69.

We were red hot from the outside in the first half (54% fg, 40% from 3pt), but anticipated that would not continue in the second. It's not that we lack confidence, but it's a long game, and almost impossible for a player (or players) to continue to shoot both halves at a high percentage. So, we talked about making an assertive effort to attack the rim with the basketball and get to the free throw line early in the half. The girls listened well, and we ended up taking 37 free throws. Although we didn't convert the percentage we wanted, we did well enough to hold on!

Tiff has 25 points and did a great job of attacking the rim and getting to the line. Abbey scored 23, 20 in the first half), and contributed as always in multiple areas. Lyds had a few moments of carelessness with the ball, but did an outstanding job of keeping the girls calm during Silver Lake's run. But my MVP for the game was Ellie. She scored 15 points, grabbed 8 rebounds, and made 5 steals. But she also guarded their best player (coming off of a 30-point game) limiting her to 13 points. It was fun to watch.

As mentioned previously, this is the final game for Abbey and Brianna. So glad they could go out with a win. They will be missed in so many ways next semester.

After the game, we grabbed lunch in Green Bay, then went caroling to some of the members of Bay City Baptist Church. We were able to visit a retirement home as well as a couple of residences. Although we could only stay about 30 minutes, it was so enjoyable to spend time with the folks at the retirement home. It was a great conclusion to a fun first semester.

As I've said before, I really love this team.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Statistical Leaders

2009-12-09T23:34:00.000-06:00

There are some team stats that I put a lot of merit in, and others really tell me little about our team. For instance, I like looking at our rebounding differential. I like to know whether we are out-rebounding our opponents during the season or not. I like this primarily because rebounding is so much about heart and attitude compared to, say, field goal percentage. Some nights we can shoot the ball poorly and win, while occasionally you can shoot it well, but have excessive turnovers, and lose. I like to watch our free-throw percentage as a team. There's no defense against free-throws, so whether we shoot well or not is based on preparation and concentration.

Individual stats are just that. A read of an individual performance with little regard for the rest of the team's performance. For instance, a team could have an amazing playmaker that distributes the ball well, but if her teammates can't make shots, then there won't be much to show for it on the scoreboard or assist column. There may be a player that averages nearly 20 points per game, but if they take half the team's shots, that's likely not healthy.

Each week the NCCAA provides a list of national statistical leaders for teams and individuals, as well as regional individual leaders. This week Northland placed fairly well on some of the national team stats (12th in offensive points per game, 15th in blocks, 3rd in steals, 15th in rebound margin, 10th in scoring margin, 12th in scoring defense).

However we were also well-represented in some national individual stats:

Lydia - 19th in 3-pt fg%, 5th in assists per game
Abbey - 11th in blocks per game
Ellie - 4th in steals per game

We also have some girls currently placing high in our regional stats (7 teams):

Abbey - 5th in points pg, 8th in fg %, 7th in 3pt fg%, 8th in rebounds pg, 5th in blocks pg, and 7th in steals
Tiffany - 6th in points pg, 6th in 3pt fg%, 5th in assists pg,
Ellie - 7th in points pg, 9th in fg %, 7th in ft%, 1st in steals
Lydia - 2nd in 3pt fg%, 3rd in ft%, 1st in assists pg

But perhaps the statistical leader I'm most proud of is Rebekah at 4th in the nation and 1st in our region in rebounds per game. This becomes impressive when you note that 9 of the top 10 rebounders in the nation are 6'0" or taller, while one player is 5'5"....yeah, our #14, Rebekah. I say it often, so the girls can finish it, but it's not how big you are, it's how big you play! Rebekah is averaging 11 rebounds per game by hard work, heart and attitude.

Again, we don't measure our success by statistics, but they can be a key indicator of where we need to work individually and as a team.

When we shoot poorly, we're not very good...but when we hit our shots.....

2009-12-08T00:15:00.001-06:00

Well, I've told anyone who will listen since our first weeks together that this has the potential to be a very good team if we can shoot the ball like we're capable. So far this year, besides the Kentucky Christian loss, we've had two poor shooting games that both resulted in losses. And then there was tonight...

After another slow start (scoreless for about 4 minutes), the girls caught fire and finished the first half shooting 57% from the field, 62% from three, and 83% from the line on the way to a 47-24 halftime lead and 74-53 win over Kuyper College of Grand Rapids tonight. We went through a 10 minutes stretch in the first half where we couldn't miss. Honestly, despite begging and pleading, it was difficult to stay focused in the second half and played less consistent basketball. We led by 35 one point, but a mixture of lineups and some Kuyper hot shooting saw the final margin reduced to 21.

Abbey and Bri were playing their last home games so that made it an extra special game. They both played a couple of the better games of their careers. Abs finished with a career high 23 points, (4 of 7 from 3-point), grabbed six rebounds, and blocked three shots. Bri also scored a career high 14 points and gathered five rebounds. Tiff added 17 points, six rebounds, and four assist, and Ellie 16 points, five rebounds, three assists and steals.

Abbey and Bri could have done a lot of things with their "spare" time this semester, but both wanted to play until the break. It was such a good thing for this team, I think, to help us establish a system with these new players. They both have been helpful in teaching the younger players, but have obviously helped on the floor as well. I am so thankful for their friendship, and they will be missed.

So many times the scorers get all of the attention in a win, and rightfully so. But there are things in a game that the stat sheet can't tell you. For instance, Lyds ran the point for us and had the ball in her hands most of the night with few turnovers. Brooke VanLaanen (we call her Van to differentiate her form Brooke Byard) played some great defense on one of the top scorers in our region. She and Ellie combined to hold their shooting guard to 13 points on 4 of 13 shooting. Rebekah came in and restored some rebounding order when were getting sloppy. Brooke B. came in and filled her role of penetrating and pitching to earn five assists. Kayla really controlled the boards when she was on the floor, and bot Sara and Jenni got valuable time.

This Saturday we travel down to Manitowoc, WI to play Silver Lake College. We have had the upper hand in this match-up the past few years, but Silver Lake beat Grace Bible by 15 this past Saturday, so they must be playing well.

Thanks for reading!

Tough shooting night dooms us again

2009-12-01T23:23:00.001-06:00

I really don't know what else to say other than we couldn't make a basket. We lost to the University of Wisconsin-Marinette 69-56 in our first home game on Tuesday night. It was a game, much like an earlier loss to Grace Bible, where I sat there watching and expecting us to start connecting from outside like I've seen us do so many times in that gym - but it never happened. We shot 27% for the game, including 22% in the second half. We entered the game connecting on 37% from 3-point range, but were cold from behind the arc, including 0 for 11 in the 2nd half. Give Marinette credit - they are a drastically improved team. We had no real answer for their 6-foot post as she scored 27 points and grabbed 16 rebounds, and a trio of guards that hit timely 3-pointers.

We started slow, but fortunately kept them in sight and took the lead half way through the first half. It was back and forth before a barrage of 3-pointers to end the first half gave them a 36-31 lead at intermission. Still, with as poorly as we shot, not a bad place to be.

They opened the second half on a killer 15-2 run that we had few answers for. They connected inside and out, and we couldn't find the basket from the field or free throw line. After shooting 80% from the line last game, we could only manage 8 of 19 from the charity stripe.

While our shooting ability may leave us from time to time, I never have to question the character and effort of this team. I think that's why I really enjoy them so much. They played hard for 40 minutes. There were times where our intensity level was low, but the effort was always there.

Ellie and T led us with 12 points tonight, and Lyds added 10. Rebekah led the team again with 12 rebounds. I thought all of our subs did some nice things off of the bench, and some got extra minutes for the intensity they brought to the floor.

We have a couple of practices yet this week before an important region game at home against Kuyper College. We'll keep working hard to correct our mistakes, and get better as individuals, and ultimately a team.

On the Road....Again?

2009-11-23T23:31:00.001-06:00

People often ask what it’s like traveling with the women’s basketball team for much of the winter. I’m not sure how to really answer that, except to say there is never a dull moment!

During a given year, we typically have 12-14 “away” games, plus our regional tournament at the end of the season. Half of these trips are “day trips” where we can travel to and from the game on the same day. This will often involve an early departure or late return, but it saves Northland a lot of money whenever possible. The other half of our trips involve some sort of overnight stay. Some, like the Kentucky trip last week, involve multiple nights away (four to be exact), but most are one night or two.

About two or three days before the trip, I’ll email an itinerary to the girls outlining the trip as planned. We typically are given a 15 or 12-passenger van with a trailer, and a mini-van by Northland for our trips. After packing luggage, medical kit, uniforms, shooting shirts, water bottles, bagged lunches, etc., we meet together in the gym for a team prayer and load up. Usually, I drive the van pulling the trailer and K-Mo (Assistant Coach Kevin Moses) drives the mini. Occasionally there is jockeying by players for positions in vans or certain seats, but they’re pretty good about mixing it up to get to know each other better. On longer trips, there are usually some trivia games by phone that go on between the vehicles. Other favorite pastimes while traveling are homework, catching up on phone calls (especially those with cell service providers without good coverage at Northland), listening to music, reading, or talking. But the majority of the time, travel is used to catch up on one thing – SLEEP! Some players have a greater reputation than others to fall asleep before we leave campus, but we’ll leave names for another time. If there’s anything more important than choosing the right place to eat while on the road, it’s choosing the right place to, well, stop for, say, “physical refreshment.” I mean, stopping at a place with a single restroom with 12-15 ladies…..well, you do the math. Bad judgment in where we stop could cause us to have to throw the itinerary out the window!

Each coach at Northland can book the rooms for their own teams within a set budget. We usually need a total of five rooms (four for the players, manager, and statistician) and one for me and Kevin. After cost, my criteria for selection is (in this order) cleanliness (based on reviews), free breakfast, free wireless, and an indoor pool (we are a winter sport team). I make room assignments before each trip (revealed on the itinerary), mixing up the groups each trip. There is a captain or upperclassman in each room, and we establish a curfew and lights out each night.

As far as meals go, Northland provides a stipend for each trip, per person, per day, based on how many meals we will miss on campus. We’re thankful for the amount, but with inflation it becomes a little more difficult to make ends meet (sound familiar?!). At times, eating on the road actually takes more thought and strategy than the game! When we eat in Wisconsin, we are tax exempt so depending on the area that can be a savings of 5-7%. So far in the young season, we have hit Culver’s, Arby’s, McDonald’s, Subway, Papa John’s, Wendy’s, and a mall food court. Otherwise, if the girls snack or eat in between normal meal times, it can leave us with the ability to combine a couple of our meals for a nicer meal. Lunch at Olive Garden or a Panera Bread stop are favorites for the ladies, but it takes saving on other meals to enable us to do it. When we’re REALLY frugal early in a trip, sometimes there is money left for Coldstone! When all is said and done, we’re always under budget, and the girls are well fed. Occasionally, depending on game times (noon or 1 pm starts especially), K-Mo and I will get meat, cheeses, fruit and/or granola bars from a local deli for them to snack on prior to the game instead of a heavier meal. As I said, it takes planning and effort.

The advantages of traveling are many. It’s great, especially at the beginning of the season, to help build team unity and camaraderie. That was a major reason for the early season Kentucky trip this year. Also, it gives us many opportunities to be salt and light while we travel. Whether it’s formal ministry like teaching a Sunday School class or singing in a church service, or by divine appointments on the road, in restaurants, and at gas stops, it’s nice to get out and apply what we’re learning.

The down side for the girls is it’s really difficult to have quality study time in the vans, but they make do. Also, this season we will likely log nearly 5,000 miles on the road, with many of those in snowy weather as we approach the winter months. So, safety is also on our minds as drivers. Personally, responsibilities on campus don’t stop when basketball season begins, and they certainly don’t stop while we travel. Most trips require late nights at the hotel catching up on dozens of unanswered emails that accumulate while driving.

But even with these few concerns, traveling with the team is a major reason why I enjoy coaching.

Lady Pioneers improve to 3-2 on the season

2009-11-22T00:00:00.000-06:00

Well, we traveled down to Watertown, WI to Maranatha Baptist Bible College to participate in the Midwest region Tip-off event. It’s an annual event where the seven teams from our region get together to play two games over three days. We rotate the site from school to school each year. Unfortunately, we found out a few weeks ago that Lincoln Christian University wouldn’t have a team this semester, therefore we received a win for Friday night’s scheduled game by forfeit. I’m thankful it looks like Lincoln and head coach Amanda Bowman will be able to resume their schedule after Christmas break, and will try to schedule a make-up game. Amanda is a good friend and great coach, so I know she’s thankful to be able to impact lives of the Lincoln young ladies through basketball.

For our “second” game of the weekend, we beat Emmaus Bible College (Dubuque, IA) 63-33 on Saturday afternoon. The game was played at our tempo and with our girls showing great intensity from the opening tip. However, for as many turnovers as we forced in the first half, we committed almost as many trying to transition too quickly. In fact, with about 10 minutes left in the half, Emmaus missed a fast-break layup that would have given them the lead. We went on to outscore them 20-10 to finish the half, and that jump started us into the second half when ultimately finished the game on a 43-14 run. One of the things we talked about at half was that we looked like we were playing too "uptight" and not having fun (despite leading by 11). That definitely changed after the break, and we were able pull away. I was glad that everyone (with the exception of Jenni Delorge, just finishing the school play last night) got to play today. I thought that Ellie Hodak played one of her better games for us. It was more than just her team-leading 17 points, three rebounds and two steals. She made some nice adjustments in the second half to get to the rim and finish, as well as reduce her turnovers. Also, Brooke VanLaanen (a.k.a. “Van”) came off the bench and played some great defense. Although she wasn’t credited with a steal, she really frustrated the Emmaus point guard into making poor passes that we converted into points. Tiffany Chatfield scored 14 and Abbey Armstrong added 10. Rebekah Watson led us again rebounds with eight, and also scored eight points. Lydia Hodak did a nice job running the point for us. She dished out nine assists and collected six steals. Bri Leverson added five points and three steals off of the bench.

Perhaps the stat I was most encouraged by was our work from the free throw line: 15 of 19 for 79%. First, you don’t get to the line 19 times unless your aggressive going to the rim. But even when you do, you have to make them and we were solid from the line.

Emmaus is an improved team from last year. Coach Justin Smith, along with the other coaches in the Midwest region, is a highlight of coaching in this region. He has that team on the right path. They have some really good young players that will be difficult to defend in the near future.

It’s nice to move to 3-2 on the season, 2-1 in region. We have a practice before Thanksgiving break, and one on the Monday afterwards before hosting University of Wisconsin-Marinette on Tuesday, Dec. 1. As we discussed in our team devos at the hotel this morning, we (as a team) have much to be thankful for and many opportunities for fellowship and discipleship over the break. Please pray we will be salt and light everywhere we go.

Check back soon for a post about "life on the road" with the team.

Lady Pioneers start the season in Kentucky

2009-11-17T00:57:00.001-06:00

The Lady Pioneers enjoyed our first trip as a team this past weekend as we traveled to Grayson, KY for the “Super 8 Classic” hosted by Kentucky Christian University. We left Northland at 3:30 pm on Wednesday and drove to Lafayette, IN for the night. After a team devotional and time of testimonies and singing, we were on the road again to finish up the 800 mile journey, arriving about 1 ½ hours before our first game of the season against the #1 ranked Lady Knights of KCU. We fell behind early to KCU and never recovered, losing 67-31. The long drive and lack of practices with our full squad would be a “legitimate” excuse for our girls to come out and put forth a lackluster effort. However, that wasn’t the case. Our team played hard, and focused well for the full 40 minutes. We made great improvement from the 1^st to 2^nd half. I think the drive impacted us physically, but not our effort. KCU is extremely talented and well-coached as usual. That’s why they’ve won 12 NCCAA II National Championships the past 20 years, including three in a row entering this season, and have a 330-10 record against schools at the NCCAA II level. Thursday night they shot very well from 3-point range (7 of 16) and dominated inside. They out-rebounded us 52-21 with their multiple 6-foot plus posts. The mood of the team afterwards was balanced and refreshing. We don’t like losing, but I think the girls thought they had played their best. I thought so as well. It was evident in the game that we have some young ladies that are ready to play ball this year. Newcomer Rebekah earned the respect of everyone as she battled inside with the posts with her 5’5” frame. She grabbed five rebounds for her effort. Abbey, Tiffany and Ellie led us in scoring with seven each.

After some Papa John’s pizza after the game, the girls were able to hit the sack for some good sleep. They were able to sleep in, do homework, and catch up on some reading as we didn’t meet until 10:30am. It was another great time in the word and testimony as Coach Moses led the devotional. We grabbed some lunch and then got to the gym 1 ½ hours before our game with #8 Southeastern University from Lakeland, FL. They are in the process of transitioning to NAIA, and have started attracting some good talent. That was proven the previous week as they only lost to Kentucky Christian 49-45. We were prepared for the press as we had practiced against it being run by some of our college guys during our last few practices. That decision proved helpful as we sprinted out to a 41-24 halftime lead, and 76-68 win by shredding the press and getting easy baskets. We also lit it up from the outside, connecting on 9 of 16 3-pointers. Tiff led us in scoring with 20 (4 of 6 3pt), Abbey added 18 (2 of 4 3pt) and Lydia scored 16 (2 of 3 3pt). Abbey also grabbed 12 rebounds, while Rebekah led us with 14 boards. She is such a tenacious player amongst the trees with her 5’5” frame. She isn’t afraid of anything, and plays great help defense.

Afterwards, we headed to nearby Marshall University in Huntington, WV. The next day (Nov. 14) was the 39^th anniversary of the tragic plane crash that claimed 75 lives, including the entire 37-member football team, coaches, boosters, and others. There is a memorial fountain on campus that we visited. It was very sobering, and definitely allowed us to contemplate many things including our relationships with teammates. Afterwards we went to a mall, then back to the hotel to celebrate Coach Moses’ birthday.

Our final game on Saturday was one of the most frustrating losses I’ve experienced as we lost to Grace Bible College 66-59. We felt we outplayed Grace in so many ways, took 30 more shots, outrebounded them, forced more turnovers, etc., but could not make an open look. It wasn’t even the defense, but continually missed wide open looks. Coach Moses estimates that we had about 20 shots go in and out. I even took a 30-second timeout in the second half just to tell the girls that we had nothing to change, the shots would fall, and to keep shooting…..but I was wrong. They wouldn’t and we dropped to 1-2. Abbey led us in scoring with 19 points and 8 rebounds. Ellie had her best game with 16 points, 9 rebounds and 6 steals. She also held Graces’ All-American guard to 2 points for the game. Rebekah again worked hard on the boards, gathering a team high 12 rebounds. Kayla had 11 rebounds and 6 points in her best effort of the young season.

Afterwards we made the 550+ mile trek to Chicago where we stayed with Abbey’s family and friends for the night. On Sunday the team sang in the morning service at Bible Baptist Church in Romeoville, IL, and were challenged by the message from Pastor Baker. It’s always a great church for us to visit with familiar faces, including former Lady Pioneer Rachel Snyder.

Anyway, the girls were glad to arrive back on campus safe and sound about 9pm. We look forward to a good week of practices, and ultimately out regional tip-off tournament next weekend.

Lady Pioneers 2009-10 Season Preview

2009-11-09T23:30:00.000-06:00

Well, it's hard to believe but we're only a few days away from the start of another Lady Pioneer basketball season. This will be my fifth year with the women's team, fourth as head coach. I've really enjoyed each season for different reasons, and am really looking forward to this one.

It's interesting because the 2009-10 season seems to be shaping up as a season of 'change.' The team doesn't look anything like I thought it would look when we walked off the court in Grand Rapids, MI after losing in the Midwest Region Championship game in February. I thought we would have 8 of our top 10 players returning this season, but due to a lot of factors have only 4. And the 'change' continues as 2 of those 4 will be graduating in December! Regardless, the potential for this group is great, and we'll look forward to getting started this week.

Senior Abbey Armstrong, a 2008-9 second team All-American, leads the returners with her 11 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 2 steals per game averages. Sophomore Ellie Hodak (9 points, 4 rebounds), junior Lydia Hodak (6 points, 3 assists, 3 steals), along with junior Brianna Leverson and sophomore Brooke Byard provide the experience for a team that finished 13-11 last season. Junior Tiffany Chatfield rejoins the team after taking second semester off following her January wedding . Chatfield averaged 16 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals per game through 7 games last year.

Newcomers this year include Rebekah Watson, Brooke VanLaanen, Kayla Currell, Sara Seering, and Jenni Delorge. Watson brings 3 years of intercollegiate experience to the team, and VanLaanen played for the Lady Pioneers for a semester in 2007.

It's good to have Abbey and Bri, even for just a semester. I appreciate the fact that they are willing to come out and work and play hard, even for only 8 games. I know their hard work and dedication will help some of our younger players prepare for the second half of the season. Abbey has turned out to be a great player at both ends of the floor, and that was recognized by her postseason awards last year. Bri is always a threat from outside, and really has the mentality of a coach. Lyds has improved so much at the point guard position. She really stepped up the last 6-8 games of the season last year, and we look forward to her picking up where she left off. There's not a more athletic player on the floor when Ellie's out there, and she is getting better and better. Having T-Ross, or T-Chat, back is huge. She is always an offensive threat, and comfortable handling the ball. Brooke B. may be the most improved player on this team this year.

As far as the new players, I expect them all to contribute right away. Rebekah does so may things well. She really sees the floor and is in the right position. I think the sky is the limit for Kayla and her ability. She will definitely help us this year, and if she works hard will be a premier player in this region. Brooke V. has great quickness and can cause some problems for defenders. Jenni and Sara will also be a help to us accomplishing our goals this season. There is a potential bright spot beyond Christmas break with the likely return of last year's captain, Jenna Kurtz. Jenna has been studying in Chile this semester and is planning to return for her final semester at Northland.

The schedule starts difficult and will prove to test where we're at. We start on Thursday, Nov. 12th with a game at two-time defending national champion Kentucky Christian University. We'll also play against Southeastern University and Grace Bible College this weekend as well.

Check back here during the season for game recaps and other vital information.

Basketball Camp

2009-08-11T11:35:00.000-05:00

July 27th brought 35 high school players from 8 different states come to Northland for a week of basketball camp. Coach Moses and Coach Whitt, along with 5 members of the Lady Pioneer team and 6 camp counselors spent the week working with the players during 3 on-court sessions a day. The players enjoyed over 20 hours of gym time during the week, participating in drills in the mornings, principles of team play in the afternoon, and 5 vs. 5 game play in the evenings. The athletic highlight of the week was the championship game of the Northland division played Friday night on the collegiate court in front of a huge crowd.

Our sports' camps at Northland are different than most. We don't take a sport and add the spiritual aspect, we take the spiritual and add the sport. Therefore, in addition to hours of on-court and competitive drills, there is a daily morning chapel time, daily small-group discussion of chapel called POWER Groups, and an evening service. The theme this summer for the morning chapels and POWER Groups has been "Walking in the Spirit" from the Gal. 5:13-26 passage. The chapels were preached by Evangelist Will Galkin, where he challenged campers to live for something bigger than themselves. Galkin split the evening services with Evangelist Jeremy Frazor. The response from the campers to the preaching was incredible, as many of them were challenged about their relationship with the Lord, and many responded to the call to full-time Christian service with their lives.

Other highlights of the week included testimonies by players and counselors during morning sessions, as well as a report of this summer's Lady Pioneer mission trip to the Dominican Republic. On Wednesday night, the girls' basketball campers were treated to some special late-night snacks and the thrill of riding Northland's 2 ziplines - in the dark!

Overall it was a fantastic week. If you're interested in attending any of Northland's sports camps in the summer of 2010, please go to www.northlandcamp.org and register online!

Final Post .......

2009-05-27T00:47:00.000-05:00

This final post regarding our incredible missions trip to the Dominican Republic is by Coach Denny Scott, Director of Sports Ministries at Northland. He was a vital part of the preparation for our trip, as well as a key member while we were there. His wisdom and insight were invaluable to keep us focused on accomplishing the goals we had prayed about for months.

A Total Team Effort

When I returned home from this trip there were a number of people that asked me how things went. My reply was usually the same, “On a scale of 1 to 10, I think it was an 11 or 12.” I honestly believe that the trip of “off the charts” in many ways. God did some amazing things both in us and through us and the glory for whatever was accomplished goes to Him.

Throughout the past few months it was obvious that God was overseeing many details both in the preparation and in the actual participation of the trip. God brought together a great team to do the work He wanted done. I’m not just talking about the actual members of the Northland women’s basketball team. I am talking about all of the people that God brought together for this special experience.

No team can function effectively without a head coach and Coach Whitt provided much insight with his years of experience in leading mission trips as a youth pastor. His spiritual leadership with the discipleship aspect of the team was a real blessing to see and be a part of. He led the team in a study of the book of Nehemiah throughout the trip. Also, his eagerness for sharing the gospel at each game and inviting people to respond was also a great example to the rest of the team. Praise the Lord for one young man that trusted Christ at our last game! There were also a few salvation decisions at the outdoor evangelistic meetings we participated in at Hato Mayor. I believe that a number of our own team members also made personal decisions in their walk with the Lord and future service to Him.

Jennifer Renner was a God-send in helping prepare the girls for ministering through music, puppets, and testimonies. These were all done in the Spanish language even though few of the girls can actually understand or speak the language. She was a great help in interpreting for us as well. I don’t know what we would have done without her. She manifested a real servant’s heart through the entire process of the trip.

Our bus-driver, Marcos was “hand-picked by God” to become a part of our team. He was a tremendous blessing. His enthusiasm and servant spirit was contagious. None of us who were on the trip will ever forget him.

Manuel Sanchez, who is an alumnus of Northland from the Dominican Republic, was an extra special help in planning the trip. I was able to spend a lot of time with him in the planning stages. He always helped me gain some insight into the Dominican culture and put me in touch with the right people to help provide housing, meals, and ground transportation.

Kristy Legg, the basketball team manager and Sports Ministries major did a lot of behind the scenes work in the planning stages. Her burden for sports ministries was “fleshed out” in this trip. She covered a lot of the “nitty-gritty” details of the planning and helped much in the communication of things to the team members.

Denny Vauters provided much advice and help from the Northland Center for Global Opportunities. He helped with many projects like copying support letters, booking airline tickets, getting team shirts, and sending receipts and thank you letters to all of those who have supported us financially.

In the Dominican Republic people like Don Juan (who opened his home for us to stay in), Doña Mechi (who prepared wonderful meals for us), Pastor Roberto Martino, Carlos Sanchez, Pastor Manuel Ruiz, Pastor Carlos Abreu, Yadin Rodriguez, Pastor Amos, Heidi Van Dyke (NBBC Alumnus and missionary) and all of the youth group at Iglesia Bautista Cristiana have touched our lives in amazing ways. It was difficult to say good-bye to many of these brothers and sisters in Christ who became so dear to us in such a short time.

A great blessing to me personally was the testimony of one of our team members who, after seeing Heidi Van Dyke (a single female missionary) being used by God in such a tremendous way, shared with the team, that she could “see herself serving the Lord in a similar way on the mission field in the future”. Prior to the trip she may have been uncertain about stepping out by faith to serve the Lord in this way, but having seen one of our alumni doing it first-hand has increased her faith and encouraged her to surrender to see God use her in this way in the future.

All in all, the trip was a wonderful experience. Praise the Lord for the opportunity to be used in this way. Sports Missions works, but it takes a team effort!

More photos....

2009-05-18T23:32:00.001-05:00

Last Day....

2009-05-18T23:07:00.000-05:00

Well, it's hard to believe how fast the last day has flown. We have enjoyed our time here in the DR in such an amazing way, and have all learned a great deal. I'm not sure how many people, if any, have been following the blog, but it has been fun to have the responsibility to document our experiences.

As I mentioned Sunday night, we were glad to spend some time with Dr. Horn, and went out to KFC after church with about 50 or 60 of our closest friends from IBC! We were there until after 11 pm fellowshipping and having a great time.

Monday morning we got up and headed to the beach. We were able to find a nice place about an hour from Santo Domingo, and the girls enjoyed spending a little time swimming and playing on the beach. I rented a wave runner and took several of them out in 5-10 minute increments to experience riding in the ocean. While there, we got a call that our game had been postponed from 4 until 5:30, and moved to Santo Domingo University.

We ate at Pizza Hut and fought the traffic to get back to the house and get ready for the game. A torrential downpour flooded many streets, and the traffic casued us to be about 30 minutes late for our final game against the San Carlos Club. SDU is the oldest university in the Americas, founded in the 1500's and has about 120,000 students. It was exciting to drive on this enormous campus and see so many students. We quickly got warmed up (in about 10 minutes) and tipped off. We recognized a couple of their players from the first team we played last Wednesday, but we sensed it would be an even game. The first quarter was even, and Taylor hit a 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer to tie the game at 28-28.

It was then that we met with the other team and shared the Gospel. Jenna shared her salvation testimony, and I gave a simple message about salvation. There was something "different" this time than the previous 4 or 5 times. The fans, students, and opposing players, about 50 or 60 in all, were incredibly focused on the message. I had great liberty, and when I asked about salvation, four players and six fans raised their hands asking for prayer. We gave the invitation to talk to several Spanish-speaking friends that were there.

The second half began, and from a basketball standpoint, was our worst quarter of the week. We struggled in all aspects of the game, and trailed by 6 or 7 points at one time. As the quarter continued, we looked behind the basket and Coach Scott, along with a man from the church, were talking to a fan who had raised his hand during the message. Coach had given him a tract in the 2nd quarter, and sensed he was tender. I called timout and gathered the girls around just to pray for the man and those talking to him. We were exciited to find out after the game the man had trusted Christ! I got to meet him and spend some time with him encouraging him afterwards. We were able to introduce him to Roberto, the youth pastor from IBC, and they exchanged contact info. Praise God for the privilege of seeing fruit!

As the quarter ended, we played a little better, and got a big lift when Jenna hit a shot at the buzzer to tie the game at 43-43. We played really well in the 4th quarter, and got great contributions from Lisa and Becky off of the bench. Lisa made a key steal that sparked us to a nine-point lead with five minutes left, and we held on to win 53-50. We had a great time fellowshipping with several fans and some of their English-speaking players before heading back to the house.

Once there, we enjoyed a HUGE bbq prepared for us by our host, Don Juan, and his sons. We had grilled chicken, ribs, porkchops, sausage, and wings. Several of the church members were invited as well, so it turned into a huge going away party for us. Bittersweet at best. Afterwards, about 10pm, we went to the home of one of the IBC members. He sells and installs home theater systems in Santo Domingo, and has the most incredible multi-level home theater I've ever seen. We watched Bolt with some of the youth, and enjoyed it greatly.

I will likely wrap up with a post sometime Wednesday. We leave here Tuesday afternoon, land in Chicago about 8pm, and most of us drive to Northland getting in about 2 or 3 am.

I'll do my best to attach a separate post soon with more pictures. Thanks again for praying!