Those Dogs-- Part 8: Huskies, Terriers and Wolves

Some more Division III canine mascots.

Southern Maine Huskies

Hiram Terriers

Thomas Terriers

Keuka Wolves

Wesleyan College (Ga) Wolves

Sul Ross State Lobos

Nebraska Wesleyan Prairie Wolves

Agnes Scott Scotties

John Jay College of Criminal Justice Bloodhounds

Pacific University Boxers  (Not actually the dog)

Wisconsin- Stevens Point Pointers

And, that is a list of all the canine NCAA mascots.

--RoadDoggie

Tournament's Gone to the Dogs This Year, Excuse Me, the Big "V"-- Part 7: By Now We Would Know the Final Four Teams

Since we have no tournament games to watch, this will have to suffice for our b-ball needs.

Continuing with the Complete List of NCAA Canine School Mascots.

Division II also includes the

CSU-San Bernandino Coyotes

Pace University Setters.

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For the 451 schools in Division III, there are surprisingly not a lot of doggie/canine names:

But, a bunch of Bulldogs.

Adrian Bulldogs

Brooklyn College Bulldogs

Dean Bulldogs

Desales Bulldogs

Redlands Bulldog

Texas Lutheran Bulldogs

--Bow Wow Wow.  --RoadBarker

Yet More Canines in D-II-- Part 6: On What Would Have Been the Day We Found Out Who Would Have Been in the Final Four

I don't know about you, but the two games on Saturday and Sunday to determine the Final Four are probably my favorite ones of the tournament, especially if there is a Cinderella underdog in it.

If you would like to see what the NCAA Brackets for this year might have looked like, go to my Down Da Road blog by clicking on the My Blogs section to the right of this.

Anyway, still looking at NCAA mascots who are of the canine persuasion.  Now continuing with  Division II:

*****************************

BULLDOGS

Barton Bulldogs

Bowie State Bulldogs

Ferris State Bulldogs

Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs

Southwestern Oklahoma State Bulldogs

Truman State Bulldogs

Union University Bulldogs

Wingate Bulldogs

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GREYHOUNDS

Assumption Greyhounds

Eastern New Mexico Greyhounds

Indianapolis Greyhounds

And There Are Still More D-II Canines--  RoadDog

D-I Is Wolfish-- Part 5: Here in What Would Have Been the Elite 8 Round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament

In Division II, we have a lot of wolves:

Newberry Wolves

Northern State Wolves

West Georgia Wolves

Western Oregon Wolves

********************************

Then we have:

Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves

Sonoma State Seawolves

Colorado State Thunderwolves

Nebraska-Kearney Lopers

Northwoods Timberwolves

What Big Eyes You Have.  --RoadDog

The Tournament's Gone to the Dogs-- Part 4: Coyotes, Great Danes, Greyhounds, Red Foxes, Retrievers and Salukis

As we enter Round 3, yesterday, working toward the Elite 8 in the NCAA Basketball Tournament, here are some more of the colleges "Gone to the Dogs."

Also in Division One, D-1:

South Dakota Coyotes

Albany Great Danes

Loyola Maryland Greyhounds

Marist Red Foxes

University of Maryland Baltimore County Retrievers  (Weren't these the guys who, as a #16 upset a #1?

Southern Illinois Salukis

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Not a Doggie name, but a live dog on the sidelines:

Georgetown Hoyas

Tennessee Volunteers

Texas A&M Aggies

In case you're wondering:  Jack the Bulldog, Smokey the Coonhound and Reveille the collie.

Oh yes, and yesterday would have been opening day for Major League Baseball.  I knew it before I was told because of how crummy our weather was for White Sox opening day at Comiskey Park (I don't call it by that other name).  And remember last year when the only bad thing was how bad the weather was at the beginning of the season which caused so many cancellations.  Ahh, the Good Old Days.

Bow Wow Wow.  --RoadDog (Hey My Cousins)

Best of the Midwest-- Part 3: Route 66 in Illinois From Lou's to the Giant

The centennial for the Mother Road will be in 2026 and all sorts of things are in the planning.  But, in the meantime, there is plenty of things to do and experience along the state's 300 miles

It goes from Chicago to St. Louis.

You can start with a great breakfast and what they call the "World's Finest Coffee" at Lou Mitchell's in Chicago and then pull over for a prison break in Joliet at Joliet Correctional Center where some of the state's most infamous criminals (no governors though) were once held.  There are tours and a big party planned this summer for the 40th anniversary of the movie "Blues Brothers" which was featured at the beginning when John Belushi was getting released.

Then, on to Wilmington where you'll find good eats at The Launching Pad Restaurant with that 30-foot-tall muffler man dressed as an astronaut called Gemini Giant.

And, We're Just Getting Started.  --RoadDog

Some More on Jackson, Michigan: Coney Island Dogs, Autos, Corsets and a Prison

I have been wanting to take a drive on U.S. Highway 12 to its eastern terminus, which is in Detroit, Michigan, and Jackson is located a short distance north of the highway, so would be a nice detour.

I went to good old Wikipedia and found out some other interesting things about Jackson.

Besides being a possible "Birthplace of the Republican Party as mentioned in the last post, Jackson was an early center for the U.S.auto industry.  By 1910, it was Jackson's main industry.  More than 20 different brands of cars were made here.  There is a place to see them at Ye Olde Carriage Shop which has many of them.

Also, Jackson is considered the birthplace of the Coney Island Hot Dog which started in 1914.  Several area restaurants still serve them.

The first Michigan state prison is here as well as it being a major manufacturing site for women's corsets in the early 1900s. 

So, You Could Eat A Lot of Coney Dogs and Then Wear a Corset to Cover Up the Weight.  --RoadDog

Best of the Midwest-- Part 2: Jackson, Michigan: Railroads, Murals and Republicans

JACKSON, MICHIGAN

There is a new Great Lake-to-Great Lake Trail Route 1 that goes 275 miles from Lake Michigan to Lake Huron and it goes through Jackson, less than 40 miles west of Ann Arbor.

It has a lot of history, including the Underground Railroad and also lays claim to the title of Birthplace of the Republican Party (although Ripon, Wisconsin disputes it).

There are several museums and has one of the country's oldest operating train stations from 1873.

They have a free app Experience Jackson Tours to take you to historical sites, notable architecture, breweries, wineries and murals.  And, speaking of murals, they have 36 of them downtown.  (I especially like murals in Pontiac, Illinois, and Cuba, Missouri.)

The origins of Ritz crackers purportedly can be traced to this town.

Love Them Murals.  --RoadDog

Best of the Midwest-- Part 1: Ten Places to Go in 2020

From the January 12, 2020, Chicago Tribune by Lori Rackl.

She calls this her mix of well-known and under-the-radar destinations. Most are within a six-hour drive of downtown Chicago.

She says you might be surprised by some of the places that made the list and surprised by some, like Milwaukee, that didn't.

There was only one place that I hadn't heard of before, but with most of her spots, there were things there that I didn't know about.

I will give you the states of the places:

Michigan (3)
Illinois
Indiana (3)
Ohio
Wisconsin
Minnesota

Starting Tomorrow.  --RoadDog

About Them Wolves and Terriers and the Sweet Sixteen-- Part 3

By today, we would have known the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA Basketball Tournament Road to the Final Four.

We also have the:

Arkansas Red Wolves

Stony Brook Sea Wolves

Nevada Wolf Pack

New Mexico Lobos

North Carolina State Wolfpack

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Then come these D1 dogs:

Boston University Terriers

St. Francis (NY) Terriers

Wofford Terriers

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But Wait, There Are More.  --RoadDog

And, We Would Be on Day 2 of the Second Round, Finishing Up the Sweet Sixteen Picks. It's All Gone to the Huskies, NIU That IS!!

The second largest number of canine mascot names goes to the Huskies.

There are five of them:

University of Connecticut (UConn)

Houston Baptist

Northeastern

Northern Illinois (My team)

Washington

Go You NIU Huskies!!!  --RoadHuskie

Well, We Would Have Been in the First Round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament.. BUT!!: It's All Gone to the Dogs-- Part 1

From DogO'Day  "Dogs in Sports:  The Complete List of NCAA Canine Mascots" by Wesley Coburn.

Just in case you're going through withdrawal symptoms like me, we could have been seeing some of these out there on the hardwood court right now.

I came across this while doing some research for Civil War mascots for my Saw the Elephant:  Civil War blog.

A whole lot of NCAA programs use  avian or feline mascot names, dogs are pretty well represented.

By far the most popular Division One canine is the BULLDOG.

There are 15 of them, though all do not play football.  Here they are:

Alabama A&M
Bryant
Butler
The Citadel
Drake

Fresno-State
Gardner-Webb
Georgia
Gonzaga
Louisiana Tech

Mississippi State
UNC-Asheville
Samford
South Carolina State
Yale

Who Is Second?  --RoadDog

Ten Reasons to Drive Route 66 This Summer (Hopefully)-- Part 3: Iconic Spots and Diners

7.  THE ICONIC SPOTS--  Chicago's Grant Park (The Bean and skyline).  Santa Monica Pier (a picture accompanies the article)  Arizona's Petrified Forest and Painted Desert.  And, don't forget the Chain of Rocks Bridge.  The red clay of Oklahoma and that great giraffe stone.

The list goes on and on.

8.  THE ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS--  Cadillac Ranch (Amarillo and a picture accompanies the article)  Created back in 1974 with 10 Cadillac cars  buried nose-first in the ground.  And, don't forget the Blue Whale.

9.  THE DINERS--  A  picture of Cozy Dog in Springfield, Illinois.  Lots and lots of different little places to eat.

10.  THE UNIQUE ACCOMMODATIONS--    Wigwam Motels in Holbrook, Arizona, and Rialto, California.  Of course, the Munger-Moss, Wagon Wheel, Boots and more.

--RoadDog

Ten Reasons to Drive Route 66 This Summer (Well, Hopefully)-- Part 2: The People and Towns

4.  THE PEOPLE  Without a doubt, and probably my own favorite thing, is this.  You meet some of the most interesting, friendly and unique people along this old road.  Ask locals for directions by way of introduction or stop into a place and talk.

A picture of the Snow Cap restaurant in Seligman accompanies this.  But, be careful if you want straws or ketchup.  That's all I'm going to say about it.

5.  CHARMING SMALL TOWNS--  There are countless of these along the way, including the town of Winslow, Arizona, which is home to the "Standing on the Corner" from the Eagles' big hit "Take It Easy."

Of course, we also love Dwight, Pontiac, Lincoln and Lebanon.

A picture of the Grand Canyon Hotel in Williams, Arizona, accompanies this.

6.  EERIE GHOST TOWNS--  Not every town along Route 66 has been able to survive the loss of traffic due to the interstates.  Some now are essentially full-fledged ghost towns like Glenrio, Texas/New Mexico.  Others are pretty close to abandoned.

--RoadDog

Ten Reasons Why to Drive Route 66 This Summer (Well, Hopefully)-- Part 1

From Travel Pulse

By Patrick Clarke.

Well, we knew these, but always fun to take a look, plus the article has nice photos accompanying it.

He calls it "a-one-of-a-kind highway.  Sure is.

1.  THE DISTANCE--  Nicknamed Main Street of America, it is nearly 2,500 miles between Chicago and Santa Monica, California.  Spans three time zones and eight states.

2.  THE HISTORY--  Established nearly a century ago on November 11, 1926.  Became popular route for Americans migrating west.  Then for vacationers, especially those going to Disneyland. 

Played a role in the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl "The Grapes of Wrath", and World War II.

3.  THE LANDSCAPE--  An amazing variety of land to see, from mountains, deserts, rivers and plains.

--And, That's Not All.  --RoadDog

A Trip to DeKalb for NIU Basketball-- Part 13: About Lord Stanley's and Da Footstompers

Lord Stanley's is what you'd call a classic dive bar.  Definitely nothing too fancy.  A shot and beer kind of a place, although I notice college students tend to drink more of the premium shots and drinks (but they all have charge cards and we were lucky enough to scrape enough coin together for cheap beer).  Our pint drafts of domestic cost $2, something I can live with.  A pint of beer at Pizza Pro's, further west on Lincoln Highway is $3.25.

Lord Stanley's gets its name for the Stanley Cup and uses that as well as a caricature of Stanley Laurel.  And, of course, it is a rabid hockey bar and an Official Blackhawk Bar.  Unfortunately, no Blackhawk game today.

We inquired as to their well known, long-running special of a two-topping pizza and two pitchers of beer special, which is now at $21, but had started at $15.  They still have it.  For many years we left the NIU Homecoming game early so we could get seats at the bar for the DeKalb Footstompers, a real fun band.

The Footstompers started playing together back in 1973 and three of the four members were still with them when they "retired" a couple years ago."  They played at Andy's for many years before moving over to Lord Stanley's

--RoadStomper

A Trip to DeKalb for NIU Basketball-- Part 12: About That Northern Win and Our Lincoln Highway Bars

Saturday, February 22

Tied at 72 apiece going into first overtime, that five minutes went on forever.  The score went back and forth.  Poor Bill Baker essentially lost his voice.  The intensity was unbelievable.  We were right in the car in the parking lot behind Lord Stanley's.

And, NIU won by one point, 82-81.

Now,that was some game.

We went into Lord Stanley's, one of the old-time DeKalb bars and now one of our favorites.  When we were students it was called Daddy-O's Shamrock and, along with The Uprising, McCabe's and Andy's, all on the Lincoln Highway, student favorites back when we were in school and for then years after.

My fraternity, Delta Sigma Phi, however, was among the first student groups to start going to Andy's which was more of a townie bar and this was our main Lincoln Highway bar.  At the time, I didn't know the Lincoln Highway, including our section in DeKalb, was a transcontinental highway or that it was the country's first transcontinental paved road dating to 1913.

We would do what we called the Lincoln Crawl where we would "Crawl" our way from bar to bar.

Crawling for Beer.  --RoadDog

A Trip to DeKalb for NIU Basketball-- Part 11: Game Goes to Overtime, We Leave Early for Lord Stanley's

FEBRUARY 22, 2010

During the second half, both teams traded hot runs, but with just 5:38 remaining, NIU had a nine point lead, making us feel somewhat confident, but all of a sudden, we couldn't buy a basket and they couldn't miss one.  The Chippewas had a 15-2 run and took a four point lead with 2:40 remaining.  We then  started the intentional fouls.

Our star player, Eugene German had just a few points in the first half, but exploded to finish at 23 for the game.

I hate when colleges started fouling in close games, so we decided to get a jump on the crowd and leave early for downtown, but found the game broadcast on the local station and got to listen to the Voice of the Huskies, Bill Baker as the game went into overtime.  All that fouling paid of for a change.

Bill Baker has been doing Huskie football and basketball games for 40 years.  I love listening to him.

When we got downtown, we actually found a parking space behind Lord Stanley's and listened to the overtime.

So, Who Won?   Next.  --RoadTime

Along 66, Feb. 2020: Oklahoma Route 66 Passport Book

FEBRUARY 7--  The Oklahoma State Tourism Bureau is planning the Oklahoma Route 66 Passport Book.  They have ordered 200,000 copies.

It will have Route 66 attractions across the state, arranged alphabetically.

This will be over a two year period and they are looking for advertisers.

Always fun to get those passports signed or stamped.

--RoadDog

A Father-Daughter Trip on Route 66-- Part 4: From Winslow to Santa Monica Pier

Well worth watching the videos they took along the way.

DAY 7--  Winslow, Arizona  Stayed at La Pasada in the Amelia Earhart Room, Standing on the Corner, Meteor Crater  Seligman, Oatman Highway, Oatman

DAY 8--  Needle, California.  Two day side trip to Las Vegas.

DAY 9--  Las Vegas

DAY 10--  Mojave Desert

DAY 11--  By now, they'd been through pouring rain, blistering heat and lots of mechanical problems, but finally got to Santa Monica Pier.

--RoadDog

A Father-Daughter Trip on Route 66-- Part 2: From Cuba to Grants

And, in a very unique vehicle.

DAY 3--  Cuba, Missouri to Uranus

DAY 4--  Annie's Route 66 Diner in Foyil, OK--  Blue Whale--  Festival in Weatherford, Ok.

DAY 5--  Shamrock,Texas  Bug Ranch (Volkswagens) since they were in an extremely modified VW Beetle  Midpoint Cafe, Texas

DAY--6--  Grants, New Mexico

Along the way,they had several breakdowns and mechanical problems.  Good thing Dad knew a thing or two about cars.

--RoadDog

Along 66, Feb. 5, 2020: A Father-Daughter Trip on 66 in a Unique Vehicle-- Part 1

FEBRUARY 5--

They are from Canada, where the Dad removed everything except the drive train from a Volkswagen Beetle and replaced it with yellow grillwork to make quite an interesting vehicle.

They had done a drive all the way from Canada to Key West.  The Dad said, "I've done seen everything, so they decided to take a trip on the Mother Road, starting in Chicago and on out to Santa Monica Pier.

They would drive until the sun went down and then look for a motel.  Which is the correct way to do Route 66.

They made a video which is well worth watching.  All the good, the bad and the ugly of a trip in an open vehicle.  Think motorcycle.

DAY 1:  Chicago

DAY 2:  Paul Bunyan statue in Atlanta, Springfield Capitol, Soulsby Station, St. Louis, Ted Drewes.

More.  --RoadDog

Along 66, Feb. 2020: Goodbye Illinois Route 66 Blue Carpet Corridor, Hello Mill

FEBRUARY 1--  The Illinois Route 66 Blue Carpet Corridor has officially disbanded.  As of December 31, 2019.  The reason is the growth of the Great Rivers and Routes Tourism Bureau.

The group cited low attendance as a problem.

Liz and I were on the Blue Carpet Corridor Festival on a couple occasions.  Some towns would have a lot and other towns absolutely nothing.  It was never as good as the Red Carpet Corridor Festival ion the northern part of the Route 66.

FEBRUARY 4--  The Logan County Tourism Bureau is taking over ownership of Lincoln's Mill.  The Mill is currently a museum featuring artifacts from the Mill, the Tropics Restaurant and the Pig Hip.

The first time we saw the Mill, the structure was near to falling down.  But, much preservation has been done and now a really nice museum is there.  We had the good fortune to know Ernie Edwards and spent time with him.  Now, this place brings back big memories of him.

--RoadDog

Along 66, Jan. 2020: New Muffler Man and the Gasconade River Bridge

JANUARY 27--   There is a new muffler man on Route 66 at the Food Truck Park in Springfield, Missouri.  It is expected to open by mid-February and will have up to ten food trucks.  I am of the opinion you can never have too many muffler guys or food trucks.

JANUARY 31--  The Route 66 Association of Missouri may take over the ownership of the Gasconade River Bridge near Hazelgreen.

Good news, because MoDOT has said that if no one takes ownership soon, they will take the bridge down.  And it is one really neat looking bridge.

--RoadDog

Along 66, Jan. 2020: Get Your Blues Brothers at the Old Joliet Prison This Summer and Ariston, Catsup Bottle and Wildey Honored

JANUARY 18--  Old Joliet Prison to host 40th anniversary party for the "Blues Brothers" movie August 21-22, a two-day event in Joliet, Illinois.

It will feature Blues Brothers tribute bands, complete with a chicken wire country stage like at Bob's Country Bunker.

This is a fundraiser for the prison's restoration.

However, make note that there will be not throwing of beer bottles at the stage.

JANUARY 26--  The Ariston Cafe (Litchfield), World's Largest Catsup Bottle (Collinsville) and Wildey Theatre (Edwardsville) have been named as Local Legends by the Great Rivers and Routes Tourism Bureau.

The Ariston opened in 1924 in Carlinville and moved to Litchfield in 1935 and is considered the oldest still-operating restaurant on Route 66.

The Catsup Bottle is a 170-foot water tower (no catsup in it) built in 1949.  The theatre is still open.

Or, Do You Say Ketchup?  --RoadDog

A Trip to DeKalb for NIU Basketball-- Part 10: The Game

Saturday, February 22, 2020

Of course, the main reason we were in DeKalb at the Convo Center was to see the men's basketball game.  NIU was 15-11 (8-5 in the MAC) while our opponent, Central Michigan, was 13-12 (6-6 in the MAC).  NIU had lost the last two games on the road.

This year, Northern is either winning or losing by close scores.   Since January 18, close scores have been:

L 64-66,  W 61-59, W 66-61, W 57-54, L 59-63, L 60-65, W 82-81, W 73-71, L 69-72.

And, we were to enjoy the whole game from the Victor E. Pub.  The game stayed close the first half and NIU had a 32-27 lead at half.

For both the women's and men's games, at half time they had a three member family on unicycles performing all sorts of how'd-they-do-that stunts out on the court, including the man who got on a huge unicycle where his seat was at the basketball rim level and looked as if he was going to fall off many times with forward and backwards tilts as well as juggling three bowling pins.

At this time, I have to say something about the NIU court at the Convo Center.  It is mostly painted black with a Huskie face imprinted upon it.  I don't much care for it.  Kind of reminds me of that horrible blue football field at Boise State.

--RoadHuskie

A Trip to DeKalb for NIU Basketball- Part 9: Stuck At Victor E. Pub Again. Oh No, They Ran Out of Beer

Saturday, February 22

I forgot to mention that they had Polish sausage sandwiches for $3 so I bought one to check it out.  I wasn't sure Liz would like it so cut it in half and put mustard and relish on my half.  This was, without a doubt, the best Polish I've ever had.  Man was that good. And, Liz liked hers as well.  I was going to go back up and get another one, but a line was starting to form.  I wish I had gotten it then, as it turned out.

We had a nice view of the court and once some people moved, we slid over and had a great view and decided to stay at the Pub for the men's game.

Finished out Polish and beers and there still was a line.  By the time I got up there, they had run out of the Naturdays (for $2, go figure, I'm not the only cheap drinker) but still had three Coors Light 16-ouncers for $4 apiece so I got two and the last Polish.  The lady behind the bar said they were supposed to get some more beer and food.  Good news.

They were resupplied and the line was back again.  By the time I got back to the front, they had run out of absolutely everything except mixed drinks.

Next time, I'll know better.  And, we're going back tonight for the NIU-Toledo basketball game.  I know where we're going.

Figuring On Being Faster.  --RoadDog

A Trip to DeKalb for NIU Basketball-- Part 8: Victor E. Pub and the $2 Beer

Beer and mixed drinks are sold at the Convocation Center, but with a 16-oz. can of domestic beer going for $7, that doesn't meet my cheap requirements for my beer.  As such, I wasn't planning on getting a beer.

But, I saw an advertisement on the huge video screen at midcourt about a new place on the west end, second level, where they had alcohol specials.  They called it the Victor E. Pub.  Well, my ears perked right up with those words, much like our mascot Mission does whenever he hears the sound of ice.  Anything is better than $7 beer (well, at All-State Arena in Rosemont where I went for a Chicago Wolves AHL Hockey game, they were charging $8.50 for a 16 ouncer.  Also, way too expensive.)

So, Liz and I got out of our seats between games and walked over to the Victor E. Pub to see what was what.  There were some people there, but not a huge crowd.  Liz was able to find a table for us while I walked right up to the bar and looked to see what the deals were.

Not bad.  They had two beers for $2 (12 ounces).  That's right in my ballpark.  I got two Naturdays, which is a new Budweiser Natural Light beer with a strawberry lemonade taste.  Also they had 16 ounce Coors Light cans for $4.  Also doable.

--RoadDog

A Trip to DeKalb for NIU Basketball-- Part 7: The Sad State of NIU Basketball

Like I said, the cost to get into the Convo Center for both games and sit in the general admission area (upper bowl) was $5.  Regular prices for a ticket to a women's game is $5 general admission and $8 (for the lower bowl).

Cost to attend the men's game is $8 general admission and $10 for lower bowl.

So, the $5 a ticket for two games was a really good deal.  This was a big attempt to fill the Convo and it was somewhat full.  Unfortunately, Huskie men's basketball has not been too successful over the years.

From 1968 to 1973 (my years) we were 95-71 and used to fill the Chick Evans Field House.  The next successful teams were from 1989 to 1971 when we went 42-17.  Then from 1994 to 1996 we were 39-20.  Other than that, it was losing season after losing season.

Current head coach Mark Montgomery is 122-161 since coming to Northern in 2011.  He inherited a program in shambles and only won 5 games in each of his first two seasons, often having to look for players as so many of the players quit.  His teams have improved, but he still has just one other winning season at 21-13.  This season he is 17-12.

Losing records don't draw crowds, especially with the students these days.  But, I am thinking perhaps we have turned the corner and happy days are here again (unless, of course, he leaves to go to a Power 5 school).

Pulling for Coach Montgomery.  --RoadDog

A Trip to DeKalb for NIU Basketball-- Part 6: The Women's Basketball Game

Saturday, February 22

The NIU Woman played first with an 8-16 record and 4-9 in the Mid-American Conference (MAC).  They were playing the Central Michigan Chippewas with a 20-4 record, 13-0 in the MAC.  So, their work was really cut out for them.

We got seats right around midcourt and maybe 20 rows up.  Good seats, indeed.

And, our girls were playing very well considering their competition.  We were especially impressed with the play of Myia Starks, No. 23, who really hustled and seemed to be everywhere despite being one of the smaller players on the court.

The girls kept it close, but what really killed them was the 3-point shooting of Central Michigan.  They were really nailing those and they lead the MAC with 9.7 3-pointers a game.  At half time, the game was tied 33-33.

In the 3rd quarter, the Chippewas pulled ahead by six points 49-43  Again it was those three-pointers that killed us.  CMU had 13 of them for 39 of their total 70 points.

Our girls lost 70-66, but sure gave them a good run.

--RoadDog