Queen Bees have shot at playoffs despite 2OT loss

Jan. 27, 2005
By Dan Tomlin
Sports Editor

As the St. Ambrose Women head past the midway point in the season they’ve found themselves in unfamiliar territory, looking up at the conference leaders.
For the past several years the Queen Bees have never been more than one game out of first place, but with just a handful of games left in conference action, SAU is playing to role of underdog.

This past Saturday the Queen Bees jumped out to an early lead against Mt. Mercy as they hoped to gain a share of the conference lead.

After jumping out to an enormous lead of 30-17 at halftime it looked as though the Queen Bees would be able to coast through the second half. However, the Lady Mustangs had other plans in mind, and behind Marci Clayton’s 34-point performance, the Mount Mercy women erased the halftime deficit and forced overtime.

In the extra period the Queen Bees had a number of opportunities to put the game away via free throws, and a couple good looks at the basket with under 10 seconds left. Unfortunately they did not convert, and a second overtime period was forced.

In the second overtime session the Queen Bees could only muster three points, while Mount Mercy tallied up 9 to take the victory 75-69.

“We just gotta hang in there,” coach Ted Eskildsen said. “We self destructed tonight, and it’s going to be very hard for them to bounce back, but they’re going to have to do it.”
In the game there were a combined 57 turnovers, and neither team shot over 70% from the free throw line.

The Queen Bees had big performances out of a number of players though as Jennifer Goetz once again paced the Bees with 18 points and 19 rebounds. Cathy Mangun also chipped in 18 points to go along with 9 rebounds, while Michelle Kurth upped her league-leading block total with 7 swats.

With the loss the Queen Bees have dropped two games behind the Viterbo Lady V-Hawks, a team which the Queen Bees will play this Saturday at Lee Lohman Arena.

During the conference season the Queen Bees have been unable to put together a streak of any kind as they have gone win-loss in their first six competitions. This last loss being the most demoralizing for the team, Eskildsen says it’s up to the women to make the change.

“They have to respond to challenges on a momentary basis, not on a game by game basis,” Eskildsen said. “They don’t fully understand the complete nature of it yet.”

As far as the defensive lapse in the second half, a half in which Clayton poured it on with 22 points, Eskildsen says the team wasn’t ready to respond and change their game up.

“It’s just the same thing over and over,” Eskildsen said. “Some ladies aren’t doing enough, and some are trying to hard, we just need to get to that place where we play as a team.”

The double-overtime loss was the fourth time this season the Queen Bees have played more then two halves of basketball. They are now just 1-3 in those games.

As the Queen Bees make "The Turn," they have an uphill battle, but one in which if history proves to be correct will still come down to the final game, a rematch with Mt. Mercy in Cedar Rapids.

With the opportunity to take a win from the conference leaders on Saturday the Queen Bees still have hope that they will repeat as conference champions, and make the trip to the NAIA National Tournament.

Back to the SPORTS-PAGE or "The Buzz" HOMEPAGE