West Liberty Hilltopper Basketball

[Columbuseer]

Has there been any talks about getting a new floor anytime soon? We could really use a refresh

Blame it on the men's basketball team who are constantly diving on the floor for loose balls. :-)

Btw for those missed the game, it is worth seeing the on demand replay on mountaineast.tv.
Wreaking total havoc, 23 steals in forcing 31 turnovers.

But a can't miss highlight is between 10:00 and 9:00 in first half. Might need to slow it to 0.25 speed to catch the blur that is Darren Fergus.
As a teaser, for wvu fans it will evoke memories of Sagaba Kanate.

[Layton]

Has there been any talks about getting a new floor anytime soon? We could really use a refresh

[Layton]

The boys are putting on a clinic right now. Executing this system perfectly

[Uindy18]

[QUOTE=Columbuseer;n797824]A Dummy’s Observations on WLU at Salem 11/18/23 WLU 111- Salem 82



Salem Game Plan

Salem is an athletic team with a 6-10 agile, coordinated big who is a double-double machine. They are a dangerous team, especially against a half court opponent who only plays 7. They have very good 1-on-1 players and are very strong rebounders.

Their game plan was to spread the floor, use high ball screen, attack the rim off the dribble. and dominate the boards. To counter the press, they used their big to catch a high inbounds pass at the foul line and then dish. When they broke the press, they did not attack the basket, unless they had a run out. Salem typically plays their starting 5 more than 30 minutes, as they have little depth. That is a huge risk against WLU.

First Half

WLU had a good start, with an 8-0 run to lead 15-6 at 17:32. The lead reached 10 at the 11:55 mark, and WLU was threatening to open a large lead. To Salem’s credit, they responded. Aided by a WLU cold spell, Salem erased the deficit and took a 1-point lead with 5 minutes left in the half. Salem was using 7 players, but was playing the starters too long, given that Salem was choosing to run with the Hilltoppers. That usually is a bad omen for the second half. The half ended with WLU leading 49-46.


Second Half

After a very short stint in the locker room, Salem returned, walking like old men. They went to the sideline and sat on the chairs and drank liquids before briefly warming up. But many warmup shots were bricks.

When the Bravo platoon entered the game at 16:39, the lead was 4.

When the Alpha Platoon replaced Bravo at 14:05, the lead was 14, Bravo having forced 7 turnovers and a Salem player getting a technical foul. Salem was gassed, moving a step slow on defense and making mental errors. The off-balance, difficult shots that were falling for Salem in the 1st half were now clanging off the rim.

When Alpha Platoon left at 11:10, they had increased the lead from 14 to 29 in less than 3 minutes.

The game was essentially over. Final score 111-82.


Keys to the game:

• Fatigue – WLU scored 36 points off turnovers, with 25 fast break points, 15 steals among 25 forced turnovers. Salem three point % went from 43% in 1st half to 17% in second half. FG% 1st half was 55%, 2nd half 37%.
• The Alpha and Bravo Platoons continue to perform at high levels – Alpha was +12 over 5 shifts, Bravo was +12 over 4 shifts.
• Quality depth – WLU bench points outscored Salem’s bench 49 to 7, which overcame a significant rebounding advantage for Salem.
• WLU only committed 10 turnovers.
• WLU shooting – 52.9% FG, 38.2% Threes, and 74.3% FT.
• WLU shares the ball effectively, compared to Salem’s dribble dominant offense. WLU had an outstanding 2.10 assist to turnover ratio, compared to a bad 0.44 for Salem
• Despite their fast pace, WLU commits turnovers on only 12% of possessions, compared to 31% for Salem.

The effective shooting % of many WLU players was excellent. This stat weighs the value of the 3-point shot 50% more than a 2-pt shot, which allows more effective comparison with post players, etc. A perfect score for a 2-pt shooter who does not miss is 100%. However, if the shooter only shoots threes and never misses, the maximum possible value is 150%. Here were the top effective shooters for WLU:





Effective Shooting %

number	Player	GS	Minutes	FGMA	3PTMA	FTMA	PTS	Effective FG%
5	Korte, John	*	20	5-6	1-1	5-7	16	91.7%
22	Hinds, Chaz		11	4-7	3-6	3-4	14	78.6%
10	Spadafora, Dante		18	2-4	2-4	9-9	15	75.0%
2	Fergus, Darren		10	3-4	0-0	1-5	7	75.0%
13	Daugustino, Kyler	*	21	6-10	1-3	0-0	13	65.0%
25	Rasile, Zach	*	24	4-8	2-5	4-4	14	62.5%
23	West, Alek		15	2-4	1-2	0-0	5	62.5%
3	Woodward, Finley		16	3-5	0-1	0-0	6	60.0%
1	Montague, Christian	*	26	3-7	2-6	1-2	9	57.1%

Six players scored in double figures for WLU, with Darren Fergus scoring nine. Eleven players saw at least 14 minutes of action, with 5 players at 20 or more minutes (max of 26 minutes).

Salem has good athletes, with quick guards and a 6-10 mobile big who can score in a 1-on-1 style. However, waves of WLU pressure and Salem using only 7 players while choosing to run with the Hilltoppers, resulted in extreme fatigue for Salem in the second half.

WLU offensive rating was 135, which is outstanding, above their typical, excellent 125. In addition, they held Salem to 102.

The effective shooting % as a team was 63%, and they held Salem to 49%.



Advanced Stats

Statistic	Salem 11/18/23	West Liberty 11/18/23
FGM	29	36
FGA	63	68
FTM	20	26
FTA	29	35
Three Point FGM	4	13
three Point FGA	27	34
OFF REB	20	11
Assists	11	21
Turnovers	25	10
Steals	5	15
Turnovers Forced	10	25
Points	82	111
Games Played	1	1
Number of Possessions	81	82
Avg. Possessions per Game	81	82
Pts per Possession	1.02	1.35
Offensive Rating - pts/100 possessions	102	135
Shooting Efficiency (FGM +0.5*3ptFGM)/FGA	49.2%	62.5%
FT %	69.0%	74.3%
3PT%	14.8%	38.2%
2PT%	69.4%	67.6%
Turnovers Per Game	25.0	10.0
Turnover %	31.0%	12.1%
Forced Turnovers per Game	10.0	25.0
Percent Forced Live Ball Turnovers	50.0%	60.0%
Assists % of FG Made	37.9%	58.3%
Assist to Turnover Ratio	0.44	2.10

I appreciate the breakdown of Salem. It wasn't a popular opinion when the deal was announced, but Salem can compete with the majority of Mountain East programs.

[Columbuseer]

A Dummy’s Observations on WLU at Salem 11/18/23 WLU 111- Salem 82



Salem Game Plan

Salem is an athletic team with a 6-10 agile, coordinated big who is a double-double machine. They are a dangerous team, especially against a half court opponent who only plays 7. They have very good 1-on-1 players and are very strong rebounders.

Their game plan was to spread the floor, use high ball screen, attack the rim off the dribble. and dominate the boards. To counter the press, they used their big to catch a high inbounds pass at the foul line and then dish. When they broke the press, they did not attack the basket, unless they had a run out. Salem typically plays their starting 5 more than 30 minutes, as they have little depth. That is a huge risk against WLU.

First Half

WLU had a good start, with an 8-0 run to lead 15-6 at 17:32. The lead reached 10 at the 11:55 mark, and WLU was threatening to open a large lead. To Salem’s credit, they responded. Aided by a WLU cold spell, Salem erased the deficit and took a 1-point lead with 5 minutes left in the half. Salem was using 7 players, but was playing the starters too long, given that Salem was choosing to run with the Hilltoppers. That usually is a bad omen for the second half. The half ended with WLU leading 49-46.


Second Half

After a very short stint in the locker room, Salem returned, walking like old men. They went to the sideline and sat on the chairs and drank liquids before briefly warming up. But many warmup shots were bricks.

When the Bravo platoon entered the game at 16:39, the lead was 4.

When the Alpha Platoon replaced Bravo at 14:05, the lead was 14, Bravo having forced 7 turnovers and a Salem player getting a technical foul. Salem was gassed, moving a step slow on defense and making mental errors. The off-balance, difficult shots that were falling for Salem in the 1st half were now clanging off the rim.

When Alpha Platoon left at 11:10, they had increased the lead from 14 to 29 in less than 3 minutes.

The game was essentially over. Final score 111-82.


Keys to the game:

• Fatigue – WLU scored 36 points off turnovers, with 25 fast break points, 15 steals among 25 forced turnovers. Salem three point % went from 43% in 1st half to 17% in second half. FG% 1st half was 55%, 2nd half 37%.
• The Alpha and Bravo Platoons continue to perform at high levels – Alpha was +12 over 5 shifts, Bravo was +12 over 4 shifts.
• Quality depth – WLU bench points outscored Salem’s bench 49 to 7, which overcame a significant rebounding advantage for Salem.
• WLU only committed 10 turnovers.
• WLU shooting – 52.9% FG, 38.2% Threes, and 74.3% FT.
• WLU shares the ball effectively, compared to Salem’s dribble dominant offense. WLU had an outstanding 2.10 assist to turnover ratio, compared to a bad 0.44 for Salem
• Despite their fast pace, WLU commits turnovers on only 12% of possessions, compared to 31% for Salem.

The effective shooting % of many WLU players was excellent. This stat weighs the value of the 3-point shot 50% more than a 2-pt shot, which allows more effective comparison with post players, etc. A perfect score for a 2-pt shooter who does not miss is 100%. However, if the shooter only shoots threes and never misses, the maximum possible value is 150%. Here were the top effective shooters for WLU:





Effective Shooting %

number	Player	GS	Minutes	FGMA	3PTMA	FTMA	PTS	Effective FG%
5	Korte, John	*	20	5-6	1-1	5-7	16	91.7%
22	Hinds, Chaz		11	4-7	3-6	3-4	14	78.6%
10	Spadafora, Dante		18	2-4	2-4	9-9	15	75.0%
2	Fergus, Darren		10	3-4	0-0	1-5	7	75.0%
13	Daugustino, Kyler	*	21	6-10	1-3	0-0	13	65.0%
25	Rasile, Zach	*	24	4-8	2-5	4-4	14	62.5%
23	West, Alek		15	2-4	1-2	0-0	5	62.5%
3	Woodward, Finley		16	3-5	0-1	0-0	6	60.0%
1	Montague, Christian	*	26	3-7	2-6	1-2	9	57.1%

Six players scored in double figures for WLU, with Darren Fergus scoring nine. Eleven players saw at least 14 minutes of action, with 5 players at 20 or more minutes (max of 26 minutes).

Salem has good athletes, with quick guards and a 6-10 mobile big who can score in a 1-on-1 style. However, waves of WLU pressure and Salem using only 7 players while choosing to run with the Hilltoppers, resulted in extreme fatigue for Salem in the second half.

WLU offensive rating was 135, which is outstanding, above their typical, excellent 125. In addition, they held Salem to 102.

The effective shooting % as a team was 63%, and they held Salem to 49%.



Advanced Stats

Statistic	Salem 11/18/23	West Liberty 11/18/23
FGM	29	36
FGA	63	68
FTM	20	26
FTA	29	35
Three Point FGM	4	13
three Point FGA	27	34
OFF REB	20	11
Assists	11	21
Turnovers	25	10
Steals	5	15
Turnovers Forced	10	25
Points	82	111
Games Played	1	1
Number of Possessions	81	82
Avg. Possessions per Game	81	82
Pts per Possession	1.02	1.35
Offensive Rating - pts/100 possessions	102	135
Shooting Efficiency (FGM +0.5*3ptFGM)/FGA	49.2%	62.5%
FT %	69.0%	74.3%
3PT%	14.8%	38.2%
2PT%	69.4%	67.6%
Turnovers Per Game	25.0	10.0
Turnover %	31.0%	12.1%
Forced Turnovers per Game	10.0	25.0
Percent Forced Live Ball Turnovers	50.0%	60.0%
Assists % of FG Made	37.9%	58.3%
Assist to Turnover Ratio	0.44	2.10

WLU National Stats as of 11/16/23

Assists #1 26.4
Turnovers margin #1 16.0 Nova se #2. 15 Gannon #4 13.3
Turnovers forced # 2 26.67. Nova se #1 30.67
3pt attempts #2 38.3
Steals #2 16 nova se #1 22 Gannon #2 tie 16
Bench points #3 54.0
Scoring margin #3 41
Scoring #5 102.7, Gannon #1 and Nova se #3

Assist turnover ratio #6 2.47
3pts made #10 12.3


Scoring defense #23 61.3
3 pt defense #25. 25.1%
Fast break pts #29 17.0
FG % defense #33 38.462%

[Columbuseer]

Yeah. I think it actually will be good for the PSAC to have a team or two playing that style so it isn't completely exotic to our teams when we get out of the conference. East Stroud has been about the only team in the PSAC to consistently play uptempo in recent years, but they are not as frenetic about it as WL and Nova. Hard to work on a good press offense when you don't see it a lot.

We'll see how Gannon does. They've put up some impressive stats so far and do have some good players, but Penn State DuBois Campus is quite a step below the better PSAC teams.

There is a risk, if history of wlu is any indication.
Crutchfield became coach in 2004. Wlu had no basketball tradition.

From 2009-10 through 2022-2023, wlu was regular season champion, except for one year in 2015-2016.
it forced MEC to upgrade rosters and the type of players they recruit in order to compete.

On the other hand, PSAC has many more schools and much greater population local recruiting area than the MEC, which could make domination difficult.

[IUPHawks24]

I'll be interested in seeing how Gannon does when the caliber of opposition picks up a little bit.

Gannon is good. Much better than I thought they'd be. Ojamafo looks like he could be a star. Their non conference is soft, so I think they'll end up around 20 wins. If they play at the top of their potential, it wouldn't shock me if they contended for an NCAA bid.

[Columbuseer]

Yeah. I think it actually will be good for the PSAC to have a team or two playing that style so it isn't completely exotic to our teams when we get out of the conference. East Stroud has been about the only team in the PSAC to consistently play uptempo in recent years, but they are not as frenetic about it as WL and Nova. Hard to work on a good press offense when you don't see it a lot.

We'll see how Gannon does. They've put up some impressive stats so far and do have some good players, but Penn State DuBois Campus is quite a step below the better PSAC teams.

Curious, I rewatched about 1st 26 min of gannon Glenville game.
glenville looked like a high end naia team...great athletes, great 1 on 1 game, team game lacking.
gannon doing hockey line changes, not as athletic, but much more skilled in team aspects. Gannon winning every hustle play. Gannon went on runs at 6 mins in 1st half, taking lead from 5 to 16 in about 3 mins. Glennville down double digits after shoooting over 55%!
In second half gannon extended lead to 27 in 1st 6 mins.

fee has assembled some team first players. They are still a work in progress in terms of mastering the style,, but the potential is there,

[Ship69]

Good point. I have not watched them, but I have been surprised that they are undefeated. Big change in style and type of player needed to play it compared to last year.
charleston was supposed to be loaded and and they are familiar with the style.

Yeah. I think it actually will be good for the PSAC to have a team or two playing that style so it isn't completely exotic to our teams when we get out of the conference. East Stroud has been about the only team in the PSAC to consistently play uptempo in recent years, but they are not as frenetic about it as WL and Nova. Hard to work on a good press offense when you don't see it a lot.

We'll see how Gannon does. They've put up some impressive stats so far and do have some good players, but Penn State DuBois Campus is quite a step below the better PSAC teams.

[Columbuseer]

I'll be interested in seeing how Gannon does when the caliber of opposition picks up a little bit.

Good point. I have not watched them, but I have been surprised that they are undefeated. Big change in style and type of player needed to play it compared to last year.
charleston was supposed to be loaded and and they are familiar with the style.

[Ship69]

FYI

WLU national stats thru Nov 15

Assists #1 26.4
Turnovers margin #1 16.0 Nova se #2. 15 Gannon #4 13.3
Turnovers forced # 2 26.67. Nova se #1 30.67
3pt attempts #2 38.3
Steals #2 16 nova se #1 22 gannon #2 tie 16
Bench points #3 54.0
Scoring margin #3 41
Scoring #5 102.7, gannon #1 and Nova se #3

Assist turnover ratio #6 2.47
3pts made #10 12.3


Scoring defense #23 61.3
3 pt defense #25. 25.1%
Fast break pts #29 17.0
Fg % defense #33 38.462%

I'll be interested in seeing how Gannon does when the caliber of opposition picks up a little bit.

[Columbuseer]

FYI

WLU national stats thru Nov 15

Assists #1 26.4
Turnovers margin #1 16.0 Nova se #2. 15 Gannon #4 13.3
Turnovers forced # 2 26.67. Nova se #1 30.67
3pt attempts #2 38.3
Steals #2 16 nova se #1 22 gannon #2 tie 16
Bench points #3 54.0
Scoring margin #3 41
Scoring #5 102.7, gannon #1 and Nova se #3

Assist turnover ratio #6 2.47
3pts made #10 12.3


Scoring defense #23 61.3
3 pt defense #25. 25.1%
Fast break pts #29 17.0
Fg % defense #33 38.462%

[boatcapt]

Is Fin Woodward becoming the big we said we didn't need? Fourth on the team in scoring (11 PPG), third on the team in assists (8), fourth in steals (5), tied for first in shots made (14) and FG% (.636). BUUUTTT is 0 for ) from three which backs up his 0 for 17 from three last season.

Two questions:

1. Will his lack of three point attempts relegate him to the bench and ultimately into the transfer portal as has happened to other WLU bigs?

2. Did we luck into the big we said we didn't need and he will continue to be a key player as the lone big in WLU's position less offense?

[Ship69]

A Dummy’s Observations on WLU vs Chestnut Hill 11/15/23



Chestnut Hill Game Plan

Chestnut Hill is a young team with many athletic freshmen and sophomores, with 3 starters 6-6 or better in starting lineup and double-figure scorers

Cybak 6-8 240 lb. soph Madrid Spain – typical Euro strong fundamentals, 13 pts last game

Angwafo 6-8 215 lb. soph from Md, 25 pts last game. Strong scorer

Hill 6-6 195 lb. jr. 11 pts last game.

The game plan was to leverage their height advantage and dominate the boards. On offense they wanted to get the ball to their bigs down low. They wanted guards to attack the basket off the dribble and look to pass to their bigs. CH chose to play their 7 best guys with players 6 and 7 getting 22 and 17 minutes respectively. It was a calculated risk from a fatigue perspective.

First Half

In the opening moments, WLU got decent shots, but nothing was falling. WLU also took some time to adjust to the talented height of CH. In the early going, CH was doing a great job in handling the ball, with only 2 turnovers. After 5 missed WLU layups and only 1 Montague 3-pt. goal, the result was a 9-3 CH lead at the 15:40 mark, when the Bravo Platoon entered the game.

Bravo narrowed the CH lead to 9-8 in their 2:40 shift with Alpha reentering at 13:05. While handling the ball well in the first 5 minutes, CH started to crack under the pressure, committing 5 turnovers in 3.5 minutes. In addition, WLU was starting to get more wide-open cuts to receive passes for layups.

At the 10-minute mark, WLU led 19-12. WLU started selectively subbing, with Woodward, Spadafora and West joining Montague and Sarson. WLU continued to play with different combinations selected from both platoons for the remainder of the half.

Despite still shooting horrendously in the first half at 29% FG 11-38 and 24% 5-21 from three, WLU compensated by suffocating half-court defense and 91% FT at 10-11. They were generating shot clock violations by CH and CH was only shooting 33% FG, 18% Threes and 40% FT. WLU committed only 4 turnovers, while forcing 12 CH turnovers.

The half ended with WLU leading 37-24, despite the fact that WLU had missed 9 of 14 layups in the first half.


Second Half

WLU tried a different combo to start the 2nd half – Shuler, Woodward, Spadafora, Hinds and West. They were playing at a breakneck pace for 2 minutes, when the Alpha Platoon replaced them. By the 16:48 mark the lead was 20 at 46-26, a 9-2 run.

Fatigue was leading to bad decisions by CH. In a 2 on1 transition, the off-ball player was standing on the wing resting rather than sprinting to the goal, which would have led to a layup. CH guards were either not taking advantage of transition opportunities or they were driving out of control and taking difficult shots, instead to passing the ball out. Angwafo, who scored 25 in last game, looked like he was running with a 50-lb backpack. The CH players were gassed.

The score seesawed back and forth between 14 and 20 until 11:17 when it moved beyond 20 for good and varied up to 28-point lead for the rest of the game.

WLU shot 55% for second half, mainly from layups in half-court due to a gassed CH. They were 4-12 from three and 7-9 FT

Keys to the game:

• WLU demonstrated that they can mix and match players as needed to best match up with opponent’s size, speed, etc.
• WLU has several elite passers on this team.
• WLU can play strong half-court defense as well as full-court pressure to limit opponent scoring when WLU is having an off-shooting night. They held CH to 31% FG, and 21% 3-pt. shooting for the game.
• CH cracked against the press. WLU forced 7 steals and 23 turnovers for 21 points
• The full court pressure disrupted CH’s offensive continuity. As CH got tired, WLU out rebounded the much bigger team and was getting to every 50-50 ball.
• WLU only committed 11 turnovers.
• Had it been a normal WLU shooting game and they made layups and threes, they would have scored well over 100.

The effective shooting % of some of the WLU players was good. This stat weighs the value of the 3-point shot 50% more than a 2-pt shot, which allows more effective comparison with post players, etc. A perfect score for a 2-pt shooter who does not miss is 100%. However, if the shooter only shoots threes and never misses, the maximum possible value is 150%. Here were the top effective shooters for WLU:

Woodward 71% - all two-point shots

West 67%

Korte 67%

Montague 60%

Spadafora 50%

Shuler 50%

Five players scored in double figures. Ten players saw at least 14 minutes of action, with 6 players at 20 or more minutes (max of 24 minutes).

Chestnut Hill is a well-coached, young team with good athletes, with quick guards and mobile bigs who can score. Although they had a reputation for handling pressure, the waves of WLU pressure and CH starters playing too long before subbing, while using only 7 players, resulted in extreme fatigue in the second half.

WLU offensive rating was 109, far below their typical 125. But they held CH to 71.

The effective shooting % as a team was 48%, but they held CH to 34%.

Thanks for the report. We have Chestnut Hill next on our schedule. Sounds as if they'll be a load for us with that kind of size.

[Columbuseer]

A Dummy’s Observations on WLU vs Chestnut Hill 11/15/23



Chestnut Hill Game Plan

Chestnut Hill is a young team with many athletic freshmen and sophomores, with 3 starters 6-6 or better in starting lineup and double-figure scorers

Cybak 6-8 240 lb. soph Madrid Spain – typical Euro strong fundamentals, 13 pts last game

Angwafo 6-8 215 lb. soph from Md, 25 pts last game. Strong scorer

Hill 6-6 195 lb. jr. 11 pts last game.

The game plan was to leverage their height advantage and dominate the boards. On offense they wanted to get the ball to their bigs down low. They wanted guards to attack the basket off the dribble and look to pass to their bigs. CH chose to play their 7 best guys with players 6 and 7 getting 22 and 17 minutes respectively. It was a calculated risk from a fatigue perspective.

First Half

In the opening moments, WLU got decent shots, but nothing was falling. WLU also took some time to adjust to the talented height of CH. In the early going, CH was doing a great job in handling the ball, with only 2 turnovers. After 5 missed WLU layups and only 1 Montague 3-pt. goal, the result was a 9-3 CH lead at the 15:40 mark, when the Bravo Platoon entered the game.

Bravo narrowed the CH lead to 9-8 in their 2:40 shift with Alpha reentering at 13:05. While handling the ball well in the first 5 minutes, CH started to crack under the pressure, committing 5 turnovers in 3.5 minutes. In addition, WLU was starting to get more wide-open cuts to receive passes for layups.

At the 10-minute mark, WLU led 19-12. WLU started selectively subbing, with Woodward, Spadafora and West joining Montague and Sarson. WLU continued to play with different combinations selected from both platoons for the remainder of the half.

Despite still shooting horrendously in the first half at 29% FG 11-38 and 24% 5-21 from three, WLU compensated by suffocating half-court defense and 91% FT at 10-11. They were generating shot clock violations by CH and CH was only shooting 33% FG, 18% Threes and 40% FT. WLU committed only 4 turnovers, while forcing 12 CH turnovers.

The half ended with WLU leading 37-24, despite the fact that WLU had missed 9 of 14 layups in the first half.


Second Half

WLU tried a different combo to start the 2nd half – Shuler, Woodward, Spadafora, Hinds and West. They were playing at a breakneck pace for 2 minutes, when the Alpha Platoon replaced them. By the 16:48 mark the lead was 20 at 46-26, a 9-2 run.

Fatigue was leading to bad decisions by CH. In a 2 on1 transition, the off-ball player was standing on the wing resting rather than sprinting to the goal, which would have led to a layup. CH guards were either not taking advantage of transition opportunities or they were driving out of control and taking difficult shots, instead to passing the ball out. Angwafo, who scored 25 in last game, looked like he was running with a 50-lb backpack. The CH players were gassed.

The score seesawed back and forth between 14 and 20 until 11:17 when it moved beyond 20 for good and varied up to 28-point lead for the rest of the game.

WLU shot 55% for second half, mainly from layups in half-court due to a gassed CH. They were 4-12 from three and 7-9 FT

Keys to the game:

• WLU demonstrated that they can mix and match players as needed to best match up with opponent’s size, speed, etc.
• WLU has several elite passers on this team.
• WLU can play strong half-court defense as well as full-court pressure to limit opponent scoring when WLU is having an off-shooting night. They held CH to 31% FG, and 21% 3-pt. shooting for the game.
• CH cracked against the press. WLU forced 7 steals and 23 turnovers for 21 points
• The full court pressure disrupted CH’s offensive continuity. As CH got tired, WLU out rebounded the much bigger team and was getting to every 50-50 ball.
• WLU only committed 11 turnovers.
• Had it been a normal WLU shooting game and they made layups and threes, they would have scored well over 100.

The effective shooting % of some of the WLU players was good. This stat weighs the value of the 3-point shot 50% more than a 2-pt shot, which allows more effective comparison with post players, etc. A perfect score for a 2-pt shooter who does not miss is 100%. However, if the shooter only shoots threes and never misses, the maximum possible value is 150%. Here were the top effective shooters for WLU:

Woodward 71% - all two-point shots

West 67%

Korte 67%

Montague 60%

Spadafora 50%

Shuler 50%

Five players scored in double figures. Ten players saw at least 14 minutes of action, with 6 players at 20 or more minutes (max of 24 minutes).

Chestnut Hill is a well-coached, young team with good athletes, with quick guards and mobile bigs who can score. Although they had a reputation for handling pressure, the waves of WLU pressure and CH starters playing too long before subbing, while using only 7 players, resulted in extreme fatigue in the second half.

WLU offensive rating was 109, far below their typical 125. But they held CH to 71.

The effective shooting % as a team was 48%, but they held CH to 34%.