LIVE BLOG: Grace University @ College of Saint Mary

I am reporting today from the Lied Fitness Center on the campus of the College of Saint Mary in Omaha, Nebraska, where the CSM Flames are set to host the Grace University Royals, also of Omaha.

Tip-off is set for 6 PM CT.

You can read the preview on Reddit HERE.

Watch LIVE at CSMFlames.com.

Players to watch:

Grace: #2 Karen Orozco

CSM: #20 Miranda Acuna, #30 Tyler Sumpter

Live Blog

60:00 - Looks like Grace U just arrived. They have a roster of 8 players, or one more than my youth basketball roster.

40:00 - Had a fun 10 minute conversation with CSM Sophomore Alleigh Gates. She's out with a knee injury but didn't expect to play anyway. Apparently she could be quite the smartass in high school.

Game Time

Starting Lineups:

Grace: Tschida Johnson, Karen Orozco, Darielle Evans, Marisa Brown, Alyssa Strickland

CSM: Alyssa Laudato, Ashley Nelson, Miranda Acuna, Lacey Knudsen, Tyler Sumpter

First Quarter

10:00: Grace wins the opening tip.

9:24: 3-0 CSM after 2 blocks on the defensive side and a transition 3

7:14: 5-5 Tie, GU hit a couple open looks early, CSM moves into a press.

4:09: 15-5 CSM. Flames went on quite a run and sophomore guard Lynsey Curran has a hot touch with two quick 3's.

2:45: 15-5 CSM. no baskets but accelerated pace for both teams with CSM trapping wings.

2:22: 15-6 as Grace's Marisa Brown hits one of two free throws.

End 1st: 23-6 CSM.

Flames went on a tear in the final 5 minutes. Tons of 2nd and 3rd chances. Current scoring leader is CSM's Tyler Sumpter, with 9.

Second Quarter

8:40: 28-6 CSM. Flames sink 3 free throws on a shooting foul and turn it into a trap turnover against Grace's Karen Orozco.

6:47: 31-9 CSM. Grace trying to get aggressive in the paint and drawing a few fouls, but unable to finish with contact.

6:21: 31-9 CSM. Timeout CSM after teams share a couple turnovers.

5:43: 31-9 CSM, 1 total shot between the two teams in the last minute+, just can't hold on to the ball.

4:20: 38-9 CSM. Flames end drought with an open 3 and a layup on another possession extended by offensive rebounds.

3:11: 38-9 CSM. Grace calls timeout after some sloppy play. Grace has switched from 3-2 to 2-3 likely to compensate for the short bench. CSM has been in man the whole game.

1:45: 43-13 CSM. You can see the wear on the short-benched Grace. Mental mistakes leading to fast break layups.

Halftime: 47-17

Half Time: CSM 47 - 17 Grace

College of St Mary is doing almost everything right tonight. The Flames are shooting 42% from the field and 44% from long range. They are currently a perfect 5-5 at the line. CSM also has extended quite a few possessions with 11 offensive rebounds.

Grace has struggled putting together their offense, turning over the ball 17 times in the first 20 minutes. Marisa Brown is the team's main highlight, with 6 rebounds to go with 6 points.

College of Saint Mary has been very successful with their limited use of the trap in the corners and at mid-court. Grace has been trying to run through the high post but most of those passes are getting deflected as well.

Game Leaders:

Points: CSM Tyler Sumpter, 15
Rebounds: CSM Lacey Knudsen, 8
Assists: CSM 4 tied with 2
Turnovers: GU Karen Orozco, 5
Steals: CSM Tyler Sumpter, 3

Third Quarter

7:45: 50-17 CSM. A corner 3 is the only points of the half, Orozco turns the ball over again. Grace has three so far this quarter.

5:46: 53-24 CSM. Flames coach Flanagan not happy with the effort of his starting 5 and subbed them all out.

4:05: 57-27 CSM. Flames' Keona Cadore going to the line from transition layup attempt, hits one of two.

End 3rd: 66-31 CSM.

Not a clean quarter for CSM. Rushed shots or bad finishes, but Flames pull away just a bit further anyway.

Fourth Quarter

8:16: 68-36 CSM. Missed opportunity for Grace on a steal and fast break layup. CSM got fired up once again by some pretty passing. Grace responds with 2nd chance points.

6:30: 70-36 CSM. Timeout Grace. CSM has been taking advantage of tired and confused defense leading to backdoor baskets. Grace switches to 2-3 zone to compensate.

6:02: 73-36 CSM. Flames make Grace pay for 2-3 zone switch with wide open three.

4:36: 77-36 CSM. More open looks from the wing thanks to the 2-3 zone.

4:18: 77-37 CSM. Grace hits 1 of 2 at the line after drawing a foul on a fast break layup.

2:49: 80-37 CSM. Grace calls TO after another open three. Looking at a shorter roster presumably to offset the swing passes.

1:31: 86-39 CSM. Flames' Amy Talavou has been tearing it up in the post.

Final: 89-46 CSM.

Recap to come.

College of Saint Mary set to host Grace in Midtown Matchup

Who: College of Saint Mary Flames (2-18) vs. Grace Royals (10-10)

When: 6 PM Friday, January 19

Where: Lied Fitness Center, Omaha, NE

Watch: Live Stream available at game time

There is no rest for the weary as the CSM Flames (2-18) of NAIA Division 2 host the Grace Royals (10-10) in Division 2 of the National Christian College Athletic Association. College of Saint Mary is 10-0 against Grace dating back to 2011.

For the Flames, this is game two of a home stand in which they play three games in four days. On Wednesday the Flames hosted #1 Concordia, and tomorrow they face Mount Marty College.

The Flames enter the contest on a seven game losing streak which includes battles against two top 10 programs in Concordia and #9 Dakota Wesleyan. The road gets no easier as four ranked teams are still in front of them.

College of Saint Mary does not lack the fight; they forced 20 turnovers with 11 steals against top-ranked Concordia and shot a respectable 41% from the field. The game, however, was lost on the boards. Concordia out-rebounded the Flames 53-29, and grabbed 25 offensive rebounds making way for many second chance points.

Grace enters the game on a three game winning streak, with all those wins coming on the road. One small caveat to that fact is the Grace University is two miles away from DJ Sokol Arena where they took on host Nebraska Christian College. Nebraska Christian's campus is 18 miles away from DJ Sokol.

Grace is in a tough spot as a program. The Royals have just nine games remaining in their program history; the school will be closing at the end of the school year due to financial issues. The Royals have certainly made the most of a bad situation; at 10-10, they have already guaranteed their most successful season in six years.

College of Saint Mary is led by seniors Miranda Acuna (15.0 PPG) and Tyler Sumpter (13.5 PPG), but the two were held to just 9 combined points against Concordia. Their game leaders on Wednesday were sophomore A'leah Davis (11 points) and junior Corryne Millett (14 points).

Grace University will be led by junior guard Karen Orozco, who has been averaging nearly 20 PPG on their current winning streak. Junior forward Marisa Brown has been averaging 15 rebounds per game in their last three games, as well.

The Case for a New Number 1

The Connecticut Huskies are, justifiably, the unanimous Number 1 in the AP Top 25. They are 15-0 and in the preseason looked to be even stronger than last year when they finished 36-1. Connecticut has beaten five teams that are currently ranked, two of which are currently in the Top 10. However, they struggled to put away both of those teams, trailing in the fourth quarter to Notre Dame (14-2) at home, and Texas (14-3) in Austin. While they may still be the Vegas favorite to win it all this year, there are two undefeated challengers to make a case for some first place votes at minimum, and possibly overtaking UConn atop the poll.

#3 Mississippi State
19-0, two 2nd place votes

The Bulldogs are the last team to defeat the Huskies, in dramatic fashion in the NCAA Final Four. They look even better this year than they did last year. They have defeated four teams currently ranked in the Top 25, highlighted by #7 Oregon, as well as two teams receiving votes (86-62 road win over #26 Georgia, and 76-65 neutral site win over #32 Syracuse).

The one thing standing between MSU and a 2nd consecutive 20-0 start is a January 21 road trip to #6 Tennessee. A victory over the 16-1 Vols could have some sway in moving the Bulldogs up ever so slightly.

Ranked games remaining on the schedule:

January 21 @ #6 Tennessee (3 PM ET on ESPN2)
February 1 @ #11 Missouri (8:30 PM ET on SECN)
February 5 vs. #10 South Carolina (7 PM ET on ESPN2)
February 18 vs. #16 Texas A&M

#2 Louisville Cardinals
19-0, thirty 2nd place votes, two 3rd place votes

The Cardinals have been playing UConn-style basketball, intent on demolishing what is in their path. They have shown signs of struggle, escaping with a road victory over South Dakota State along with a bizarre 12-point victory on the road against hapless Air Force (0-16).

On the other hand, the Cardinals have snagged victories over four Top 25 programs, three of which are currently in the Top 10 (#7 Oregon, #8 Ohio State, and #5 Notre Dame). The Cardinals crushed Notre Dame 100-67, granted the Irish have been decimated by injuries, and were not the same team that took UConn to the wire in December.

The Cardinals have 11 games remaining in their ACC schedule, and the challenging Atlantic Coast is currently #1 in conference RPI. The biggest shame (and what will likely hurt them the most in the eyes of AP voters) is that the Cardinals play Notre Dame, Duke, and Florida State only once, all at home. Also ahead of them is a formidable and tell-all road game against UConn.

Ranked games remaining on the schedule:

January 21 vs. #12 Florida State (5 PM ET on ESPN2)
February 12 @ #1 UConn (7 PM ET on ESPN2)

Buy Games

On January 2nd, UMKC hosted Central Christian College of the Bible, and defeated the Saints 90-10. The Roos held CCCB scoreless in two of the four quarters.

This is the definition of a Buy Game.

We know they happen all the time, around the nation, at all levels of play, both men and women. College football is guilty. College basketball is worse, as teams need to fill 29- or 30-game schedules. So what happens when you need an extra game and have limited open dates?

You reach down the totem pole and schedule NCAA Division 2, Division 3, or if necessary NAIA Division 1 or 2.

How much further down the rabbit hole can scheduling a cheap and easy buy game go? There is the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (Divisions 1 and 2).

And then there is the NCCAA.

Division 2.

The NCCAA is the National Christian College Athletic Association. Home of all private schools that didn't meet the standards for NAIA, and some that did. There exists a vaguely organized national tournament at the end of the year for schools that want to participate and/or failed to qualify for the NAIA postseason.

NCCAA D2 is home to fewer than 30 schools; the average enrollment of all schools is fewer than 600. That average drops to 382 if you remove the two outliers (Bob Jones boasts 2,422 and Pensecola Christian enrolls 4,462). Nineteen member institutions in NCCAA Division 2 enroll fewer than 300.

That is where we find schools like Central Christian College of the Bible of Moberly, Missouri (enrollment 225). Indeed, there are 9 schools smaller than CCCB in the NCCAA Division 2, highlighted by Kansas Christian College (enrollment 105). At 2-12, KCC is decidedly better than CCCB, having defeated CCCB 74-69 in Moberly just 3 days ago.


CCCB is 2-8, but their record is worse than it looks. Their first win of the season was a 44-33 slugfest over Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska. Union is 0-8 and unaffiliated with any conference whatsoever. According to one of the referees who works many of their games, they barely fielded a team this year, period. The Saints are scheduled to make another trip to Lincoln tomorrow afternoon to face Union.

Also on the schedule is Nebraska Christian College (an 82-68 loss). NCC is in their first year with an athletic program.

What's more, CCCB hosts Grace University out of Omaha, Nebraska this evening. This is game two of a season home-and-home agreement. They needed to get their chances to play this year, because Grace University is ceasing all academic operations at the end of this school year. Grace, an NCCAA D1 program, is 7-9 on the year and defeated CCCB 63-49 in December.


UMKC has been looking for wins this year; they have 5 wins, but only one against an NCAA Division 1 opponent. They should not be this hard to find.

The UConn Problem

Yesterday the top-ranked UConn Huskies snoozed through another American Athletic Conference match up, defeating East Carolina 96-35 in a game not as close as the score indicated. The Huskies are left with 17 more snooze-fests en route to another AAC Tournament Championship in the 7th best conference, according to RealTimeRPI.

Without UConn, the AAC would be ranked 8th in Conference RPI, behind the MAC, and just ahead of the Ivy League. With UConn, the AAC boasts five teams in the top 100 in RPI. The MAC contains 7, with one ranked ahead of South Florida, the AAC's also-ran. USF is ranked 34th in RPI while Ball State is ranked 27th.

This poses an issue larger than UConn in women's basketball. On the men's side, marquee games nationwide are the norm, with Duke and North Carolina facing each other twice every year with championship implications every time they meet. The same goes for Villanova and Xavier this year in the Big East, and the door is wide open for anyone in the Big Ten, Big 12, and SEC this year.

UConn is the team that brings eyes to the TV screen for women's basketball, but zero of their 29 regular season games have any serious implications in a foregone conclusion. UConn has three huge games left on their schedule in road games against Texas and South Carolina and a home game against Louisville. Win or lose, no matter how entertaining those games could be, there is no storyline to hype them. No championship on the line. No seeding implications. UConn can go 0-3 in those games, they will still finish 29-3 after their AAC tournament championship and earn a top seed in the NCAA Tournament.

It's not their fault, where they currently sit. College football conference realignment shook up everything nationwide. Connecticut needed to find a place for their football team, and the American was the answer for a fledgling program. It cost them an opportunity to join the ACC, Big East, or even the Big Ten, who are far better equipped to pose a threat to UConn in women's basketball.


UConn does what they can, what they are supposed to do, by putting together the 2nd toughest schedule in the nation. They go on the road, taking on four top-10 teams outside of Connecticut this season. But they fail in the hype. And women's basketball hurts because of it. It is time, long overdue, for the UConn women to find a new home.

Matt Pile's Double-Double leads Omaha past Doane

The Mavericks finally caught a good break in their long non-conference schedule when they hosted NAIA Doane College Tuesday night, defeating the Tigers 100-60 in front of a crowd of 1,965 at Baxter Arena.

The Mavericks improved to 5-12 on the year after taking on a challenging slate which included road games against New Mexico, TCU, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Louisville. Omaha's SOS ranks 64th of 351 on RealTimeRPI and 50th on KenPom.

A hyper-aggressive defensive led to quick offense and allowed Omaha to pull away early. The Mavs recorded 7 steals and forced 11 turnovers in the first half, leading to 19 points off turnovers and 12 fast break points.

Freshman Matt Pile came off the bench and dominated the game, scoring 18 points on 9-for-11 shooting, and collecting 10 rebounds to record his first career double-double. The tenth rebound came on a wonderful tip-in off a missed layup. "He just keeps growing and continues to get better," said Coach Derrin Hansen after the game, "He's a better passer, defensively he's been a lot smarter, and he's just growing every single day."

Freshman Ayo Akinwole has also stepped up for the Mavericks, finishing the evening as the game-leader in minutes (32), and scoring 12 points on a perfect night of shooting, going 5-for-5 from the field and adding 9 rebounds to the total.

Akinwole picked up his 3rd career start in place of injured KJ Robinson. Robinson is leading the team in assists despite missing the last 3 games.

Doane spread their minutes around as best they could, checking in a total of 15 players. Omaha's injury-shortened bench saw only 9 players on the floor.

The hot shooting in the first half for Omaha only got hotter as the game moved along: the Mavericks shot 59.5% from the field and 38.5% from long range in the first half and 60% and 62.5%, respectively, in the 2nd half.

Up Next, Omaha hosts South Dakota State on Saturday, January 6.

LIVE BLOG: Doane Tigers @ Omaha Mavericks

Tonight the Omaha Mavericks (4-12) host the Doane Tigers (8-9). This is actually the 52nd all-time meeting between the two schools, despite the difference between Division 1 and NAIA. Omaha leads in the series 41-10.

Omaha is in their 5th season as a Division 1 program.

Don't let the 4-12 record fool you, the Mavericks have gone through a gauntlet this season, taking on #8 TCU, #11 Kansas, #12 Oklahoma, along with Louisville and Washington.

This will act as a running blog of tonight's contest, with a post-game article coming later this evening.

Omaha likes to play up-tempo; they average 77.0 PPG and are allowing points at a 86.3 PPG clip. This game should flip the roles a bit and give Omaha some more momentum heading entering the heart of Summit League play. Doane is similarly fast-paced, averaging 75.6 PPG in 17 games.

I've got to say I'm a huge fan of StatBroadcast. I've "watched" some great games when only able to keep up with the stats. You can follow along via StatBroadcast here.

Game Time:

Starting 5:

Doane: Anthony Laravie, Rylee Zimmerman, Jaxon Harre, Nick Kornieck, Trace Tupper

Omaha: JT Gibson, Lamar Woford-Humph, Ayo Akinwole, Daniel Norl, Zach Jackson

14:50 - 14-8 Omaha. First Media Break. Doane and Omaha traded early 3's in a successful heat check, but a few consecutive empty possessions for each team has us where were are.

11:49 - 20-11 Omaha. Super active hands by the Mavs have forced a few turnovers and redirected Doane's offense multiple times. Doane has 5 turnovers in 8 minutes but there are plenty more deflections.

7:46 - 34-13 Omaha. Omaha is leaving the ball hanging a few too many times and allowing Doane to go after it. Still empty possessions on Doane's end, though.

2:42 52-20 Omaha. Matt Pile has just been on a tear for Omaha on both ends of the floor, 3 offensive rebounds, 4 defensive rebounds, and 10 points.

Halftime: 58-23 Omaha

Omaha's Matt Pile has been a monster in his 10 minutes on the floor. He is 5-6 from the field with 7 rebounds and 10 points.

Omaha has 7 steals and has forced 11 turnovers, but their hyper aggressive defensive has forced bad or hurried shots all game. Even when Doane gets open looks, they are still missing. Doane is shooting just 3 for 17 from deep, and just 27% overall.

Omaha has been getting good looks, but hitting tough shots as well, hitting 60% from the field, and 39% from long range.

Omaha already has 3 players in double figures, Daniel Norl (14), Zach Jackson (10) and Pile (10). Expect as many as 4 more to get there: Lamar Wofford-Humph (5), JT Gibson (6), Renard Suggs (6), and Ayo Akinwole (7) are not far away.

2nd Half:

15:48 66-30 Omaha. First Media, Matt Pile came back in off the bench to immediate effect, getting a a very pretty putback layup and is now headed to the line after drawing a foul on Trace Tupper, who picked up his 4th.

10:54 - 80-38 Omaha, 2nd Media. Omaha now has 5 in double figures. Omaha has played 9 players so far. Doane: 13

7:37 - 86-48 Omaha, 3rd Media. Doane dropped a couple 3's and made some pretty shots to outscore Omaha over the past 3 minutes 10-6.

3:53 - 95-50 Omaha. It's a Double Double for Pile! Pile got a tip in to make it 18 and 10.

Final: 100-60 Omaha.

Creighton vs. Seton Hall All-Access game on Fox Sports 2 will provide great coaching insights

On Tuesday, January 2nd, the Seton Hall women will host Creighton at 6 PM CT on Fox Sports 2.

The game is Fox's 2nd annual All-Access game, which will feature live microphones for both head coaches: Seton Hall's Anthony Bozzella and Creighton's Jim Flanery. The microphones will be on for the entire game and will be a feature for all timeouts. The All-Access game will be commercial-free.

"I will have to be on my best behavior. Thank God I've mellowed over the years. I'll be a bit self-conscious early, I'm sure, but hopefully I morph into myself as the game goes on" said Jim Flanery in a recent AMA on Reddit. "I'm intrigued about doing it because I think it will help be a window to where I can improve as a coach. I plan to watch it after to see where I'm being less instructive or maybe more negative than I need to be." 

This game will be a fun and informative experience for casual fans as well as aspiring coaches in the functions of game management. We will get a better opportunity than the players themselves to see how the coaches make decisions, and communicate with the referees.

I am excited to see how each coach handles trying to stop a run, or correcting a missed/blown assignment.

Expect a good crowd for the game. Seton Hall is promoting $5 tickets for all adults and free admittance for kids 12 and under. The Pirates are averaging nearly 1,000 people per game in their cozy Walsh Gymnasium capacity 1,655. I expect around 1,300-1,400 for this game, as parents find a great opportunity to spend the last days before school starts back up once again.

WHO: Creighton Bluejays (8-4, 2-0 Big East) @ Seton Hall (8-5, 0-2)

WHEN: Tuesday, January 2nd 7 PM ET

WHERE: Walsh Gymnasium, South Orange, NJ

WATCH: Fox Sports 2 and FSGO

LISTEN: Seton Hall WSOU 89.5 FM