The Sports Brain

2011: The year in Twin Cities sports

2011-12-21T17:16:00.000-06:00

2011: The year in Twin Cities sports

TSB Sports presents the Beach Blast Volleyball Tournament

2011-10-20T14:51:00.002-05:00

This summer, TSB Sports added volleyball to its repertoire of sports broadcasts by covering the Beach Blast Volleyball Tournament at Lake Phalen in St. Paul, Minnesota. Held on the last day of Greg Cylkowski's All-American Volleyball Camp, our doubleheader featured a girls match with local high school players and a co-ed competition to highlight the athleticism of male players unable to participate at the high school level.

The featured players are Savanna Handevidt, Jon Mueller, Nick Mueller, and Derek Thingvold from Stillwater; Garrett Ahn, Zach Glocke and Chris Kirby from Centennial; Maya Hedstrom, Breaunna Lyell and Hannah Wolf from St. Paul Central; Lydia Anderson, Ciara McKee and Maggie Mueller from White Bear Lake, Annie Ryan from Cretin-Derham Hall and Julia Walfoort from Cambridge-Isanti.

Watch the matches below to learn more about the camp and the talent it molds, along with a public service announcement from St. Paul city lifeguards about pool and weather safety.

All-American Girls vs. Team KDWB (girls match)

Team Love vs. Team KDWB (co-ed match)

WNBA Finals: The atomic bond of Angel McCoughtry

2011-10-07T01:02:00.000-05:00

The Atlanta Dream's Angel McCoughtry will rarely shy away from a press opportunity. The leading scorer in the 2011 playoffs, who broke her own record for most points in a WNBA Finals game with 38 in game 2, draws attention and scrutiny from fans for her on-court persona. No matter what criticism is fired at her direction, McCoughtry would not earn a second straight opportunity to win a title without the chemistry she developed with teammates, particularly starting point guard Lindsey Harding. Harding, who was traded to Atlanta prior to the 2011 season, offers a lens rarely seen in press coverage that demonstrates the strong bond between the two. Watch the video to learn more.

ALSO
Listen to audio interviews from the Minnesota Lynx following game 2 of the WNBA Finals, where the Lynx defeated the Dream 101-95.

Monica Wright's "emergency power"

Jessica Adair takes playoff center stage

WNBA Finals: Lynx's Whalen and Dream's Miller joined in renewed rivalry

2011-10-04T23:24:00.000-05:00

BY MIKE PEDEN

Minnesota Lynx guard Lindsay Whalen was nine years old when the state took home its last professional sports title in 1991, creating a small but intense rivalry between two markets.

The WNBA was six years away from creation, and Whalen's hometown of Hutchinson, Minnesota was still known for its tie to Little Crow, chief of the Mdewakanton Dakota tribe who led his people in the Dakota War of 1862. He was killed near the city by farmers in 1863.

Fast forward 128 years, where Whalen watched the Minnesota Twins kill championship dreams of the Atlanta Braves in the World Series at her best friend's house. Minnesota fans vividly remember the seven-game series, touted by then-commissioner Fay Vincent as the best in Major League Baseball. Arguing against that notion is hard to this day, with five games decided by one run, four games decided in the final at-bat and three games going into extra innings.

Whalen's memories include seeing thousands of white homer-hankies touted by Twins fans on the CBS broadcasts, and a taunt used against the Braves with a play on their city's name.

"Give Atlanta Mylanta, make them upset," she said.

Atlanta Dream guard Coco Miller was wishing for the Twins to do just that on the Braves. The Rochester native was 13 years old when the two teams met in the World Series.

"I came to the parade and missed school for that. It was a big thing for the state of Minnesota," she said.

To this day, Whalen gets chills recalling Kirby Puckett's heroics in game six, where the late Twins Hall of Fame center fielder robbed an extra base hit from Ron Gant against the Plexiglass barrier in the top of the third inning. Puckett would later deliver a walk-off solo home run in the bottom of the 11th to win game six, immortalized by CBS play-by-play man Jack Buck with the line, "And we'll see you tomorrow night!"

"Every Minnesotan still gets chills with that. He lifted the whole state on his back," Whalen said.

Game seven is no less chilling for Twins fans, with St. Paul native Jack Morris pitching 10 shutout innings, rebuffing several attempts from manager Tom Kelly to remove him from the mound. Morris' stubborn demeanor would be vindicated in the bottom of the 10th, when pinch-hitter Gene Larkin scored Dan Gladden on a bloop single to seal a 1-0 victory and a World Series title.

"I remember wanting to go to the Metrodome for the celebration, but we had school," Whalen said. "I still have my homer hanky somewhere."

"My parents were watching TV and I just heard them screaming, because they're big fans too. It was fun to be a part of all that," Miller said.

Retribution for Atlanta would come in the 1998 NFC playoffs, when the Falcons visited the Minnesota Vikings at the Metrodome in the NFC Conference Championship on Jan. 17, 1999. The Vikings were heavy Super Bowl favorites with their NFL-best 15-1 regular season record, whose vast pool of talent included rookie wide receiver Randy Moss, fan favorite Cris Carter, veteran quarterback Randall Cunningham and defensive stalwart John Randle, a Hall of Fame inductee.

The Falcons were playing both the upset and sentimental cards, even with a 14-2 record that year. Head coach Dan Reeves had recovered enough from quadruple bypass surgery to assume the helm throughout Atlanta's post-season.

The Falcons stayed the course against the Vikings, and capitalized when Vikings kicker Gary Anderson missed a 38-yard field goal with 2:07 left in the fourth quarter that would have virtually ensured victory. On Atlanta's next possession, Terence Mathis caught a 16-yard touchdown pass from Chris Chandler to tie the score at 27, and Minnesota head coach Dennis Green had Cunningham take a knee with his team deep in their own territory in the closing seconds, opting to win in overtime than risk a costly turnover.

Green's strategy ultimately failed, as Falcons kicker Morten Andersen nailed a 38-yard field goal with 3:08 remaining in overtime, giving the Falcons their first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history.

"That's my worst sports day ever," Whalen said. "I was at my aunt and uncle's (house) in Grand Forks. I was at a recruiting visit in North Dakota and I made my mom stay for the whole game."

Just as Green's decision haunted Vikings fans, Whalen's choice left a ghoulish mark.

"We ended up getting stuck in a snowstorm at Fargo, had to stay in a hotel that night. We didn't get any sleep. We had to drive the next day, in freezing cold temperatures, back to Hutchinson. I was sick for a week because I was so upset about the way it went down. That was our year," she said.

Miller was a sophomore at the University of Georgia during the memorable Falcons-Vikings meeting. Despite leaving the North Star State for the land of peaches, Miller stayed true to the Vikings' purple and gold colors.

"No matter what state I live in, I'm always going to be a Vikings fan. It's never good to see them lose," she said.

Whalen is glad to continue a series laden with historic moments, with her Lynx etching a marker following their 88-74 victory in game 1 of the WNBA Finals. 15,258 fans waving white pom-poms watched Rebekkah Brunson contribute 26 points and 11 rebounds while fighting a chest cold, while Taj McWilliams-Franklin got eight points and 10 rebounds despite suffering a stomach flu.

"We've done everything we can all season to get here, and we're going to do everything we can to bring it home," Whalen said.

With Dream center Erika de Souza back after helping her Brazilian team win an Olympic qualifying tournament in Colombia, Miller is confident about tilting the "rubber match" in Atlanta's favor despite her Minnesota origins.

"Now that I'm on the opposite side, hopefully Atlanta will prevail this time," Miller said.

Should the Lynx miss a game-clinching field goal and get a final possession to attempt a victory in the closing seconds of regulation, Whalen and her teammates will take no knees.

"We're going to play to win, baby. It's the only way to go," she said.

ALSO

Click play below to listen to a one-on-one with Lynx guard Monica Wright prior to game 1 of the WNBA Finals.

TSB Sports at the WNBA Finals

2011-10-02T09:48:00.001-05:00

As TSB Sports prepares to cover game 1 of the WNBA Finals between the Atlanta Dream and Minnesota Lynx, we visited a few practices to report as much coverage as possible during the week-long buildup. More stories and interviews will be published as the Finals progresses, but you can energize your excitement by watching our assortment of video interviews. Just click the link for the person you want to see below.

Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve

Minnesota Lynx center Taj McWilliams-Franklin

Atlanta Dream guard/forward Iziane Castro Marques

Atlanta Dream guard Lindsey Harding

Atlanta Dream forward Angel McCoughtry

LosLynx fans greet Finals-bound Minnesota

2011-09-27T02:08:00.000-05:00

BY MIKE PEDEN

Whoever earns the right to play the Minnesota Lynx in the WNBA Finals will be greeted with a challenge they rarely got in the first 12 seasons of Minnesota's existence.

The Lynx established their position as heavy favorites with a 103-86 win over the Phoenix Mercury Sunday afternoon, securing a two-game sweep and their first Finals appearance in franchise history. Six of Minnesota's eight players who saw floor time scored in double-figures Sunday in a series where Minnesota never went south of fifty percent in the two box scores.

Following their Western Conference championship celebration, the team boarded a return-flight and arrived at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport around 1:45 a.m. Monday.

37 fans and a sprinkling of reporters traded sleep for jubilee, bringing signs, cameras and vocal cords to greet the first Minnesota professional sports team to qualify for a championship round since the 1991 Minnesota Twins.

Watch the video below to see Minnesota's reaction and to hear a word from season ticket holder Carol Berg and marketing manager Megan Luebke.

Western Conference Finals: Defending a sweep

2011-09-25T00:02:00.002-05:00

BY MIKE PEDEN

By no means are the Minnesota Lynx believing they can waltz any way they can with the Phoenix Mercury for game two of the Western Conference Finals Sunday at Phoenix's US Airways Center.

Minnesota can advance to the WNBA Finals with a win Sunday afternoon, but they are aware of how rapidly Phoenix can tilt the balance via the perimeter or pushing the tempo with perennial scoring champion Diana Taurasi, who is averaging 19.5 points per game this post-season.

"Phoenix at home is a deadly combination. Phoenix is like a cobra. You have to go in to game two thinking you're down 0-1," said Lynx center Taj McWilliams-Franklin, who scored 14 points in Minnesota's 95-67 win Thursday night. "They're going to throw everything: kitchen sink, shoes, Corey Gaines (Phoenix head coach). We have to be prepared for whatever they bring us."

While the Mercury were the only team to beat the Lynx twice this season, two Lynx victories in the regular season series came on the road, including a 96-90 win to close out the year.

"They're going to be real upset. If you can't get intense, excited and motivated for this, they've got bigger problems," said Lynx reserve Candice Wiggins, who scored 14 points off the bench in game one.

Scouting the Lynx in the Western Conference Finals is astronomically different than the tentative, jittery exhibition that nearly led to a first-round sweep at the hands of San Antonio. Minnesota rekindled its fluid offensive production after taking scoring pressure off point guard Lindsay Whalen, allowing her to focus on setting up her teammates. She has only eight points in the last two games, but the remaining Lynx starters have scored at least 13 points or more in that span, earning two blowout victories.

To illustrate, Phoenix never got closer than six points in the second half of game one. Their three-point and field goal shooting fell flat for a team considered the bastion of both aspects (Phoenix made 20 percent of their three-pointers and 68 percent of their free throws). As usual, the Lynx dominated the Mercury on rebounds, getting 42 against the Mercury's 26. Had the Lynx not suffered ball control issues early, they could have sealed a victory long before the fourth quarter started.

"We forced the ball out a little bit further, making every shot difficult," said Lynx guard Seimone Augustus.

Minnesota remains mindful of Phoenix's offensive style, as any opponent would when facing the WNBA's top-scoring team. However, the concerns proved to be secret blessings for the Lynx in game one. University of Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma, making a guest appearance for ESPN as a color commentator, believed the Mercury's up-tempo game did not create scenarios for the Lynx to make defensive mistakes on their own.

Another factor favoring Minnesota is emotional stability. While Taurasi's outburst after fouling out in game three of the Western Conference semifinal round at Seattle has faded, Phoenix head coach Corey Gaines was charged a technical foul only 3:14 into game one of the Western Conference Finals. Mercury forward Candice Dupree was called for technical fouls in two consecutive games, earning them in the final game of the Seattle series and in game one of the Minnesota series with 9:00 left in the fourth quarter. Adding to the irony was Dupree's ESPN interview stressing the need to keep Mercury emotions from boiling that aired in the Seattle series.

"From a Dupree standpoint, it's important to keep her out of the transition game. She is such a great rim runner," said Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve after game one.

Of course, Phoenix's upset win over Seattle on the road will keep Minnesota's team in check while providing Corey Gaines' team confidence that one clunker does not define a playoff series.

"Augustus hit some great shots. We have got to limit her touches when we're in Phoenix," said Mercury forward DeWanna Bonner.

Western Conference Finals: Rivalry rising?

2011-09-21T21:32:00.000-05:00

BY MIKE PEDEN

In order to begin a rivalry, several ingredients are required, with a winning franchise starting the recipe.

The Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers hold one thanks to its NFL-leading longevity in games played. At the height of the clash between the Colorado Avalanche and the Detroit Red Wings, a physical Western Conference Finals in 1996 set up a March 1997 climax with the Brawl in Hockeytown. A similar scrum in the 2003 American League Championship Series renewed a long, bitter grudge between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. NBA fans will tell stories of the peaks and valleys between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics, whose 33 combined championships account for more than half of the league's 65 titles.

The 12 teams currently participating in the WNBA does not foster a geographical rivalry, so series history is usually the first indicator. That does not bode well for the Minnesota Lynx, who have had few opportunities with only three playoff appearances in 13 years.

Send in the Phoenix Mercury, whose roster and demeanor can naturally breed angst and aggression for opposing fans. Candice Dupree spoke of the "hothead" perception to ESPN prior to their game three win over the Seattle Storm to earn a match with the Lynx for the right to play in the WNBA Finals. Diana Taurasi has critics with her penchant for earning technical fouls when she disagrees with a call. Of course, there will also be bets placed on how many games both teams will break the century mark in this series with their fluency in the up-tempo, transition game.

"(Phoenix) is always putting pressure on your defense. They're one of the fastest teams. We have to expect a game with a lot of possessions," said Seimone Augustus, following the series-clinching win over San Antonio.

The Mercury pride themselves on the plethora of scorers to keep heat on opposing teams. Highlighting the reserves is DeWanna Bonner. She scored what was a career-high 24 points off the bench in their 112-105 win at Minnesota on July 13, the first of five 20-point games in 2011.

On the other hand, Minnesota's bench was blanked in an 85-80 loss at Phoenix Aug. 9, the low point of their streaky nature. However, observers must also note the 42 points they added in extended roles to close out the season with a 96-90 win Sept. 11. Jessica Adair recorded her first career double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds.

"Our bench play is going to be a serious test. We're going to need them, especially for me. That running up and down, I'm going to need some subs!" Taj McWilliams-Franklin joked, referring to her 40 years of age.

The catalyst for building the potential rivalry is Augustus, the longest-tenured Lynx player in her sixth season with the franchise. Shaking off any sign of drama with her comic behavior, Augustus will seek to add defensive holds to her show-stopping routine.

"I've been in the league a long time, and Seimone has always been considered an offensive mastermind," McWilliams-Franklin said during the press conference after game three. "This year, coach Reeve put the onus on Seimone, as a veteran, to pick up her defensive intensity."

Ironically, while Augustus has been touted for improving her defense, her regular season numbers in all major statistical categories roughly followed her career averages. Augustus' increased supporters accounts for her career-low 16.2 points per game in 2011, even though her free throw shooting increased from 66 percent in 2010 to 86 percent this year and her field goal shooting climbed from 43 percent a year ago to 50 percent.

However, Augustus' first-round performance could create candidacy among the league's clutch players. Augustus is averaging 4.7 rebounds after the first round, up from her regular season average of 3.5. Her 21.7 points per game is 5.5 points ahead of her regular season pace.

In Minnesota's game three victory to clinch the first-round series with San Antonio, Augustus finished with 22 points and eight rebounds, two boards away from what would have been her second career double-double. Her first came June 10, 2008, when she had 11 points and 10 assists in a 75-66 loss to the Connecticut Sun.

"When she puts her mind to it, she's a great defender. She crashes, she plays hard," said Lynx forward Rebekkah Brunson.

While little expectation will be placed on Augustus to get double-figure rebounding with Brunson, McWilliams-Franklin and Adair for post options, she will exhibit ambition to defend the superstars to counter those who say she can only score.

"She makes them do something different. Contesting, rebounding and still has the ability to get smooth while she's guarding the best player. That's the evolution of Seimone. To see it on the court, it's awesome," McWilliams-Franklin said.

Phoenix holds the obvious edge in playoff experience. Taurasi and Penny Taylor remain stalwarts from the 2007 championship team, with Bonner and Ketia Swanier able to draw from their 2009 Finals run. Brunson, herself a champion from the 2005 Sacramento Monarchs, sees no need to lecture her title-less teammates about the playoff atmosphere after advancing past the first round.

"They know the tempo that we need to play, the intensity they need to have and the sense of urgency they need to play with. I'm just going to lead by example," she said.

Western Conference Finals: "Anchoring" a rematch

2011-09-21T13:33:00.000-05:00

BY MIKE PEDEN

As the Minnesota Lynx host the Phoenix Mercury in the Western Conference Finals for the right to play in the WNBA Finals, the anchors for both teams will ignite a fire that has smoldered for seven years. That was the last time Phoenix's Diana Taurasi and Minnesota's Lindsay Whalen played against each other in post-season play, when Taurasi's University of Connecticut Huskies and Whalen's University of Minnesota Golden Gophers dueled in the 2004 NCAA Women's Basketball Championship semifinal. Fans know it better as the Final Four.

In their first and only collegiate meeting, Taurasi scored 18 points and picked up six rebounds to lead UConn to a 67-58 win over Minnesota, paving the way to UConn's only "three-peat" in school history after winning the championship game over Tennessee. Despite scoring just 11 points on 3-of-11 shooting, Whalen previewed what she would bring to the WNBA with seven assists and six rebounds.

Up to this point, Taurasi has the edge in terms of overall success, winning two WNBA titles to go with her three college national championships. Whalen's career could fit the "bridesmaid" role, coming close to titles, but blocked by quality teams.

However, Minnesota has utilized their home-court advantage so far, winning both games in the Western Conference semifinal round against San Antonio. Phoenix won once at Target Center this year, but coming to the first sports arena with a green roof is no longer a "walk in the park."

"It has always been hard to play here. If you look back at our games, we have been blown out here probably by 30 every year, even in our two championship years," Taurasi said after a 90-73 Minnesota win at Target Center August 2. "They are physically hard."

Taurasi and Whalen have started all but one game they appeared in (Whalen missed a start in her rookie season) and brought talent and stability to whatever franchise they represent. Both were the faces of their respective colleges and credited for bringing widespread interest to their programs. Both will be revered when they end their playing careers, whenever they return from prime form.

The wait could go on for years. Although Taurasi's on-court persona makes her the player opposing fans love to hate, she is averaging 20.8 points per game in her career, two-tenths of a point behind Cynthia Cooper. Taurasi is one of eight WNBA players to score over 5,000 career points and is on pace to break 6,000 next year as she has led the league in scoring five times in the last six years.

Whalen led the WNBA in assists during the 2011 regular season, marking a career-high 5.9 per game. Critics who contend her body is not durable enough to sustain a long career may not notice she has missed only eight regular season games in her eight seasons. Whalen is one of six players to record at least 3,000 career points, 1,000 career rebounds and 1,000 career assists, highlighting the all-around versatility that opponents have a hard time neutralizing.

"When you have one of the best point guards in the league, you win games. That's what you need, people playing at a high level," Taurasi said about Whalen following Phoenix's 112-105 win over Minnesota in the first game of the regular season series on July 13.

Taurasi was the first overall pick in the 2004 WNBA draft, quickly revitalizing a Phoenix Mercury franchise that finished 8-26 in 2003. However, Taurasi would have to wait until her fourth season to make her first WNBA playoff appearance, doing so in 2007. Even though Phoenix won the title over Detroit in five games and became the first team to be crowned champions on the road, former teammate Cappie Pondexter took Finals MVP honors for the offense she created via points or assists.

Taurasi would wait another two years before she received MVP recognition, earning both regular season MVP and Finals MVP awards as the Mercury would defeat the Indiana Fever in five games to win their second WNBA title. Taurasi averaged 22.3 points per game and 5.9 rebounds per game in the 2009 post-season.

Whalen would be scooped up by the Connecticut Sun as the fourth overall pick, where she smoothly transferred her point guard duties from the collegiate to professional level. Whalen would make five consecutive playoff appearances from her rookie year to 2008, including two Finals appearances in 2004 and 2005.

However, Whalen's 13.1 points per game and 5.1 assists per game in the 2004 post-season were not enough against the Seattle Storm in the championship with the Sun losing two games to one in the final year of the three-game Finals format. Whalen would have no better luck the following year, as her Sun fell three games to one in the Finals against the Sacramento Monarchs, giving future teammate Rebekkah Brunson her first and only WNBA championship.

Guessing how Whalen will influence Minnesota's offense is no more accurate than Powerball numbers. Whalen scored 35 points in the first two games against San Antonio, yet the mood suggested Minnesota was outplayed and could have been swept. In game three, Whalen had just four points and three assists, shooting the ball only three times, but her "decoy" role set up an 85-67 blowout to make a Western Conference Finals date with Phoenix.

"The way Lindsay is playing right now, like in some of her Connecticut years where she just controls the floor, and now she has some pretty good weapons, that is pretty good," Taurasi said on August 2.

Taurasi has plenty of weapons in her arsenal too. In game 3 of Phoenix's playoff series with Seattle, Candice Dupree had a breakout performance as Taurasi fouled out with 6:38 left in the fourth quarter. Dupree scored 20 en route to a 77-75 win at Seattle's KeyArena. DeWanna Bonner picked up her third consecutive Sixth Woman of the Year award. There is also long-time teammate Penny Taylor, who got a career-high 17 rebounds with 19 points in game three, continuing the reputation that emblazoned her with one of George Carlin's "Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television" for a nickname.

The chemistry among them is strong enough that Taurasi refers to her teammates by shorthand form, and the Mercury's series-clinching win over the Storm signaled the team can play in long stretches without the league's top scorer.

"It really starts with Dupree and Temeka (Johnson) and how they can get the tempo going," Taurasi said on July 13.

Minnesota's Maya Moore mulls rookie growth spurt

2011-09-15T01:05:00.000-05:00

Following the Minnesota Lynx's 78-69 win over the Chicago Sky at the team's final regular season home game, TSB Television spoke with rookie sensation Maya Moore. While her numbers may not appear impressive upon first glance, Moore was voted a starter for the Western Conference in the 2011 All-Star Game and was named Rookie of the Month for July and August.

Moore's calendar during her rookie season was filled far beyond practices and games. She offered a testimonial during the team's Faith and Family Night event, detailing the struggles of moving around and being the biggest kid in class growing up. Moore then donned two outfits for the Lynx's third annual Catwalk for a Cure, enjoying her brief respite from studying formations and executing plays.

Watch the video to learn more. The Lynx host the first game in their Western Conference semifinal series against the San Antonio Silver Stars, taking place Friday at 8:00 p.m.

The 2011 Minnesota Machine highlight DVD is coming!

2011-09-13T01:23:00.000-05:00

TSB Television concluded its first full season of Minnesota Machine coverage this summer, capturing the movement to a second straight division title. Now you can relive the 2011 season with your own DVD copy of Motoring the Movement, the highlight video covering the entire regular season and playoffs, from the deep unit of running backs to the special teams threat of Abby Smith! The video will premiere at the Machine's Dinner and Awards Celebration on Sunday, September 25th, and DVD copies will be available for $20 whether or not you're able to attend the Sunday gathering.

If you would like to pre-order a DVD copy or have a highlight video made for your team, please contact thesportsbrain@gmail.com. You can also find out how to be a part of the 2012 broadcast season, including sponsorship of a broadcast and guest appearances!

Check out an exclusive preview below!

MVP candidates make last push in Lynx home finale

2011-09-09T10:27:00.000-05:00

BY MIKE PEDEN

There was an air of uncertainty at Target Center Thursday night for the Minnesota Lynx's regular season home finale against the Chicago Sky.

Statistically, neither team had anything to play for, with Minnesota preparing for their playoff run while Chicago was eliminated earlier this week.

However, uncertainty was replaced by MVP talk after the Lynx defeated the Sky 78-69. Guard Lindsay Whalen scored 20 points with 10 assists, 7 rebounds and 0 turnovers, the first time any player has put up that many numbers without coughing up the ball. Not to be overshadowed, guard Seimone Augustus scored a game-high 22 points.

"They played harder than any team would expect from a team that's not going to be in the playoffs," Augustus said.

Augustus was right. The Sky (14-18), known for close battles with the Lynx, shut down the opposing post players to prevent a runaway. Center Sylvia Fowles scored 11 of her 17 points in the first quarter. When the Lynx (26-7) contained her, guard Erin Thorn picked up the slack. 15 of her 17 points came after the first quarter, including four three-pointers.

The Sky even took the lead briefly in the fourth on an Epiphanny Prince three-pointer. The Lynx were clinging to a 67-66 lead with 3:49 left before finishing the game with an 11-3 run to prevent another home upset in front of 8,781.

"The guards were aggressive. They hit a couple tough shots when we were rotating. We had to earn everything we got," said rookie forward Maya Moore, who scored 16 points.

While Fowles will be watching the playoffs the same way fans do, she will have a rooting interest in former Louisiana State University teammate Augustus.

"She's back to where she needs to be, and I think her game is only going to get better," Fowles said.

Although predicting who will receive MVP is complicated by the subjectivity of the voting process, Augustus believes Whalen's final regular season home output was a great last-minute campaign effort.

"She's the floor general. She gets me the ball when I need it, she gets everybody in places where they're comfortable," Augustus said.

Augustus was not unnoticed either.

"Seimone is one of those players that puts those daggers in other teams when they're just starting to get a run," Moore said.

Minnesota on the road against the Phoenix Mercury on Sunday, where the Mercury will attempt to be the league's lone team to win a season series against the Lynx. Minnesota's next home appearance is next Friday, after Phoenix's victory over Tulsa Thursday night cemented San Antonio's fourth seed for the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.

ALSO

Watch a pregame interview with Seimone Augustus where the mystery of Mike Peden's headband is answered.

Lynx clinch best record, Liberty secures playoff berth

2011-09-03T10:36:00.000-05:00

BY MIKE PEDEN

The atmosphere at Target Center Friday night had an unusual vibe for the Minnesota Lynx contest against the New York Liberty.

Minnesota could not find their shooting form, making 33.8 percent of their field goals in a 78-62 loss. New York's Leilani Mitchell scored a season-high 24 points, banking six three-pointers. Seimone Augustus led Minnesota with 17 points.

"(Minnesota) was worried about Cappie (Pondexter) and Nicole (Powell) and left Leilani open. She's a good shooter," said Liberty head coach John Whisenant.

"We made their defense shift and work. They were so focused on helping the inside, they left our guards to shoot their shots," said Liberty forward Plenette Pierson, who scored 13 points.

From the start, New York (18-13) played with a sense of urgency knowing a win would secure a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference. For Minnesota, a victory or Indiana loss would lock up the first overall playoff seed.

Minnesota (24-7) fought well despite their shooting woes, going up by three with 3:53 remaining in the third quarter, but New York answered with a 15-4 run and never looked back. During that quarter, the public address announcer informed the 8,929 in attendance of Connecticut's 83-55 win over Indiana, giving Minnesota home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.

Knowing the Lynx clinched the best record in the league, combined with a 12-point New York lead with 5:32 in the fourth, head coach Cheryl Reeve took out lone starter Augustus and sent Candice Wiggins in her place. The Lynx reserves played the remainder of the game, giving the impression they were willing to concede a victory to avoid a needless injury among the starters and prepare the bench for the post-season. Throughout the year, Minnesota's reserves were considered a weakness for their inconsistency.

"It was a conscious decision to give them some opportunities to play in a hard game and see what they can do," Reeve said.

Another sporadic talking point among critics this season is Minnesota's perimeter defense. New York made 13 of 26 three-point attempts, finding an open Mitchell or Powell early and often.

"I've been struggling all season, so they keep telling me to keep shooting," Mitchell said

"I thought I brought her backwards. I'm glad to see she's back shooting," Whisenant said.

Reeve described how difficult it was to tell her players their regular season games no longer matter. Minnesota has never faced this scenario in franchise history, and the team was no less dejected about having their six-game winning streak snapped. Clearly, the Lynx would like to win the last three games for confidence, but their aim may be tempered by the long-term outlook as they have already accomplished their regular season goal.

"All the other long-term goals depend on how we play together, so we have to bounce back and put our focus on Sunday," said Lynx forward Maya Moore, who scored 16 points.

While the Liberty can now breathe after punching a post-season ticket, where they will be seeded is far from certain. New York is 1.5 games behind Eastern Conference leader Indiana, one game behind Connecticut for the second seed and one game ahead of Atlanta for the third seed.

"Everybody wants to win, so all the games are going to be intense," Mitchell said.

The Lynx and Liberty meet again Sunday afternoon at Prudential Center.

Lynx bench tells Mystics to "sit down"

2011-08-31T10:28:00.000-05:00

BY MIKE PEDEN

The Minnesota Lynx are now one game away from clinching home-court advantage throughout the playoffs after beating the Washington Mystics 73-56 Tuesday night at Target Center.

Getting some help with Atlanta beating Indiana, one more Minnesota win or Indiana loss would officially give Minnesota the first overall playoff seed.

"We've done a good job of enjoying the small victories and turning back around and getting re-focused," said Lynx forward Maya Moore.

All 11 Minnesota (24-6) players scored, as bench production was pivotal for creating another runaway victory, scoring 29 points against Washington's (5-24) 14.

"They want to do well. When they know they do well, they play more," said Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve.

Although Lindsay Whalen exploded in the first half, making her first nine shots, Lynx turnovers and Mystics rebounding kept the game close midway through the third quarter. In that stretch, Minnesota's bench was blanked with the limited minutes they received.

With 5:44 left in the third and Minnesota leading 40-39, Monica Wright nailed a 22-foot three-pointer to spark a 13-0 run and the contest was never in doubt.

"We never want to be blanked. There's something inside yourself that you have to bring out when you're not doing so well," said Lynx reserve center Jessica Adair, who scored double-figures for the first time in her career with 10.

Adair, playing more minutes as she grows more comfortable with her leaner, quicker body, is less concerned about getting in foul trouble and more focused on contributing offensively.

"It's making all my free throws, making contested lay-ups," she said.

Whalen scored a game-high 21 points, finishing 10-of-12 from the floor.

"I was trying to be aggressive, get off the pick and roll, get in the lane," she said.

Mystics forward Crystal Langhorne scored 13 points with guard Matee Ajavon struggling to reach 10, making just four of 15 field goals.

Washington, eliminated from playoff contention some time ago, laid out a warning to any playoff opponent the Lynx get.

"Very hard-nosed, blue-collar workers. I think they'll get the job done," Ajavon said about Minnesota's playoff push.

Perhaps they understand the most out of any team. The Mystics traded their 2012 first-round pick for the Lynx's Nicky Anosike prior to this year's draft, meaning the Lynx will once again get to take part in the draft lottery to bolster a team already feared by opponents.

Lynx season now "a kind of magic"

2011-08-21T11:52:00.001-05:00

BY MIKE PEDEN

The Minnesota Lynx added a few more firsts in their 2011 campaign against the Los Angeles Sparks Saturday night at Target Center.

Minnesota's 87-68 win gave them the privilege of being the first WNBA team to reach 20 wins this season and, more importantly, the first team to clinch a playoff spot.

"It couldn't get no worse than where we were at," said Lynx guard Seimone Augustus, referring to the franchise's struggles in her first five seasons. "A weight lifted off our shoulders."

Not that the Lynx felt weighed down leading up to a playoff berth. Clinching a spot has simply been a step all season in the team's ultimate goal of leaving their past behind and winning a WNBA title.

"We have that fire inside of us and we still got some work to do," Augustus said.

The Sparks (10-15) were the more energetic team in the first quarter, taking a 20-14 lead with Candace Parker racking up 10 points in the period.

The Lynx (20-6) communicated to their fans that they had control in the second, starting the quarter with three treys, ultimately taking the lead for good at 23-22 following a Maya Moore 21-foot three-pointer. Minnesota outscored Los Angeles 32-14 in the second and never let up on their way to their fourth straight win over Los Angeles after losing eight in a row.

"Yesterday, I came in the gym and shot 500 mid-range and 500 three-pointers," said Lynx guard Candice Wiggins. "You come in the game and just concentrate and that's going to help."

Augustus led Minnesota with 17 points, with Wiggins chipping in 13. Parker scored a game-high 18 points, although a more stingy Lynx defense would frustrate Parker after the first.

For good measure, the Lynx out-rebounded the Sparks 43-24 for the game.

While the magic number to reach the playoffs is now zero, the Lynx are seeking the magic number they wanted from the start of the season: home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. Minnesota is two games ahead of Indiana for the league's best record with eight games remaining for both teams. A combination of seven Lynx wins or Fever losses would cement home-court through the Finals.

"That's when you'll see the locker room excited. To go from second-worst to first, that's when we will celebrate for a short moment," said Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve. "Then you're measured by what you do in the playoffs."

Perhaps the biggest "magic number" of all is Minnesota's win total. In all but one of the WNBA's first 14 seasons, every championship team recorded at least 20 victories in the regular season. The Houston Comets were the only exception finishing 18-10 in 1997 before winning the first of four straight titles.

Maya Moore, who scored seven points in only 16:22 of playing time, may have acknowledged her battle to find consistency with her belief that Minnesota can go far beyond 20 wins.

"That's the scary part. We're continuing to sharpen up on help-side defense, continuing to communicate, making sure we're forcing players to do things they don't want to do," she said.

ALSO

Watch below for special guest interviewer Lisl Von Steinbergs chat with Rebekkah Brunson on the development of Minnesota's young post player tandem of Jessica Adair and Amber Harris.

Pokey Chatman's living LSU legacy

2011-08-18T00:07:00.000-05:00

A standout player herself at Louisiana State University, Pokey Chatman assumed the head coaching helm at LSU in 2004 in place of an ailing Sue Gunter. Although her tenure lasted three seasons, Chatman fielded a program that would qualify to four consecutive NCAA Women's Final Fours. Two of her proteges are now franchise players in the WNBA: Seimone Augustus and Sylvia Fowles.

Augustus' prolific scoring earned her Rookie of the Year honors in 2006, making three All-Star Game appearances while tying Diana Taurasi for scoring 3,000 career points in the fewest games. Fowles has made three straight All-Star Game appearances, earning MVP honors in 2010. Fowles is currently on pace to average a double-double for the first time in her career this season, as well as averaging 20 points per game for the first time this year.

Learn more about Chatman's composition of chemistry that commenced when Augustus and Fowles first wore their LSU uniforms by watching the video package.

Lynx "shock" magic number to 4

2011-08-15T00:42:00.001-05:00

BY MIKE PEDEN

The Minnesota Lynx proved Sunday night at Target Center that a lack of satisfaction following a 28-point victory is indeed possible.

Minnesota won by that margin over the Tulsa Shock with a score of 82-54, as they matched their franchise record for most wins in a season and lowered the magic number of clinching a playoff spot to four.

"We weren't great, but we were solid," said Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve. "As we move down the stretch, we want to take it up a notch."

Minnesota's (18-5) win also placed Tulsa (1-22) in WNBA history by giving them their 17th straight loss, tying the league record set by Atlanta in its inaugural campaign of 2008.

No player scored more than 16 points and only two broke double-figures for the game, both coming from Minnesota. The Lynx guard tandem of Seimone Augustus and Lindsay Whalen put up 16 and 12 points respectively, with Whalen adding nine assists.

Sheryl Swoopes led Tulsa with nine points, but her team had trouble finding rhythm between their field goal percentage of 34, committing 20 turnovers and struggling mightily in a deliberate offense against a Minnesota team feared for their up-tempo transition game.

Although the Lynx believed they fell short of perfection, their dominant performance tonight temporarily alleviated the concern about stamina among the starters. Whalen played the most with 26:50 on the floor, with all four main reserves getting healthy doses of minutes. Backup center Jessica Adair took advantage of her extended time by posting a career-high nine points, adding two blocks.

"We're not in rest mode. If the bench isn't performing, I'm OK with giving Rebekkah (Brunson) and Taj (McWilliams-Franklin) 32 minutes, if I have to, to get the win," Reeve said. "Our bench deserves more minutes, and when they come in and perform, then it gives me an opportunity to get the minutes down."

Minnesota's win, coupled with a San Antonio loss to Chicago, gives them a five-game lead over San Antonio and Phoenix for first place in the Western Conference. The Lynx hold complete control of their destiny regarding playoff seeding, as there are not enough games left in the series between San Antonio or Phoenix for either team to catch them in head-to-head matches.

Lynx "bench" Sky on the road

2011-08-13T21:29:00.004-05:00

BY MIKE PEDEN

Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve did not get flustered with her bench after they were blanked in an 85-80 loss to Phoenix on Tuesday.

In another highlight of Minnesota’s chemistry, Reeve discussed what happened with the reserves and credited their focus that led to a 79-76 win over the Chicago Sky at Allstate Arena Friday night.

Minnesota (17-5) outscored Chicago (10-14) 30-11 from the bench, including 12 points and seven rebounds from three-point specialist Candice Wiggins, six points and five rebounds from rookie Amber Harris and six points and four blocks from second-year center Jessica Adair, who bested her previous career high in blocks.

“I give Amber a lot of credit. It was a great size situation where she matched up well, and I thought she made the most of her opportunity,” Reeve said.

“We didn’t start off the game with the defensive effort that we needed,” said Lynx rookie forward Maya Moore. “The bench did a great of making up for that and hit some big shots.”

Lynx guard Lindsay Whalen finished as the team’s high scorer, with 16 points and six assists. Sky center Sylvia Fowles led all players in scoring and rebounds, getting 28 and 13 respectively for her 14^thdouble-double this season.

“I have to credit my teammates. (Courtney) Vandersloot got me a lot in transition. I can definitely see myself getting better,” Fowles said.

The Lynx were sluggish to start, trailing 17-7 midway through the first quarter against a team whose record is somewhat deceiving. Minnesota ended the quarter on a 15-2 run boosted by Monica Wright’s return to form in her second game back after missing five games because of a family emergency. Wiggins and Adair also pitched in offensively.

A Rebekkah Brunson jumper late in the fourth gave the impression that Minnesota locked up the outcome with the score at 78-70, but Chicago took advantage of miscues, including a Maya Moore turnover off an inbounds pass, to reel the margin to 78-76 with 38.9 seconds left. The 6,289 in attendance would have their pulse sent through the sky in those final seconds.

Vandersloot had an open Fowles in transition, but overthrew her 6’6” frame to send the ball out-of-bounds. The Sky played foul-and-chase with the Lynx’s Taj McWilliams-Franklin, who missed two free throws with 9.2 seconds left, giving the Sky another chance.

Shay Murphy missed a point-blank lay-up with 2.9 seconds left, and McWilliams-Franklin went back to the free throw line after getting the rebound. She made only one of two that time with 0.9 seconds to go, but Tamera Young’s half-court heave at the buzzer was too high.

“Shay had a good look. She made something out of nothing. I saw a foul. I asked the ref. He said there wasn’t one,” Young said, who scored 16 points. “That’s how the game goes. We have to adjust from it.”

Ironically, all four of Minnesota’s reserves who got playing time finished with positive plus/minus ratings for the game, contrasting with negative ratings for all five starters. Minnesota doubled up Chicago 16-8 in second chance points, utilizing the 42-32 rebounding edge for the game.

Fowles sees her Sky team gelling under first-year head coach Pokey Chatman and her new system, but with Chicago battling Atlanta for the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with 10 games remaining, Fowles said the Sky need to reflect the urgency.

“We got away from a couple things for those last two minutes, and it nipped us in the butt,” she said. “This game proved a lot that we can do going forward.”

Minnesota continues to move forward as well, with Friday’s win ending six straight losing seasons for the franchise. Should the Lynx beat Tulsa Sunday at Target Center, they will match their franchise record for most wins in a season. However, Minnesota remains content to leave history in the past.

“This team embraced 2011, making that a really special season. Nothing else has mattered to them,” Reeve said.

After Friday’s games, the magic number for the Lynx to clinch their first playoff berth since 2004 dropped to five. The number represents the combination of Lynx victories and losses from the Los Angeles Sparks where the Sparks could not usurp the Lynx in the Western Conference playoff picture.

Minnesota Lynx prowl catwalk for breast health awareness

2011-08-07T14:01:00.000-05:00

BY MIKE PEDEN

Even in the most grueling stretch of their schedule, the Minnesota Lynx refuse to end the hunt to promote breast health awareness.

Following their Thursday victory over the San Antonio Silver Stars, the Lynx traveled to Mall of America's Nordstrom Court in Bloomington Friday for the team's third annual Catwalk for a Cure. Part of the WNBA's Breast Health Awareness Week, the fashion show raises money for the Minnesota Lynx Foundation, who in turn send a donation to local breast cancer charities.

Participating players modeled two designs, which included a few outfits created by Lynx center Taj McWilliams-Franklin. The Lynx coaching staff also donned looks, with Lynx players in a state of wonderful surprise when head coach Cheryl Reeve hit the runway in her sole outfit of the evening.

Highlighting the fashion show was a surprise appearance by Charde Houston's mother, Dorothy Green. A breast cancer survivor, Green spoke of her journey in both English and American Sign Language to illustrate breast cancer's lack of discrimination among its targets.

Watch the video below to hear from Lynx guard Candice Wiggins, all the outfits modeled and Green's motivational speech.

"Mama" Taj parents 2nd Lynx buzzer-beater of week

2011-08-05T11:17:00.002-05:00

BY MIKE PEDEN

In a perfect world, the defense exhibited by the San Antonio Silver Stars Thursday night against the Minnesota Lynx at Target Center would have meant a Stars victory.

Rookie forward Maya Moore failed to score, missing all seven of her shots. Guards Seimone Augustus and Lindsay Whalen, among the league's top guards in field goal percentage, were a combined 6-of-26 from the floor. Minnesota converted 27.5 percent of their shots for the game.

Somehow, the Lynx found themselves on the winning end of a 62-60 game against the Silver Stars, as center Taj McWilliams-Franklin banked the game-winning 18-foot jumper with 1.3 seconds left in the fourth quarter.

Not a bad time for Whalen to pick up her sixth and final assist of the game.

"I'm so slow, I was wide open. Everybody else went to Lindsay when she drove baseline. I'm sure she saw me, but it tipped Rebekkah (Brunson's) hand and it came straight to me," McWilliams-Franklin said.

The game-winner gave McWilliams-Franklin a season-high 18 points, marking her sixth straight game in double-figures. Reaching that score required some coaxing after McWilliams-Franklin committed five first quarter turnovers.

"All those turnovers in the first quarter? I was told to shoot. Rather than get in trouble and get yelled at, I'd rather shoot it," she said.

The Silver Stars (11-8) were unable to capitalize on the Lynx's (15-4) shooting struggles, making 38 percent of their shots. San Antonio never led by more than eight, and let a 23-17 halftime lead slip in the third, when Minnesota scored 26 points in the quarter.

Silver Stars guard Jia Perkins helped keep the game close, scoring all 11 of her points in the fourth, including three free throws after being fouled by Augustus with 11.2 seconds left.

San Antonio did have one last chance with an in-bound from half-court following a timeout call, but Moore disrupted a Perkins three-point attempt as the buzzer sounded.

"This is two great teams going at each other's heads. We got to put this in the back of our memory zone and get ready for Tulsa," Perkins said.

For San Antonio, Sophia Young finished with a double-double, getting 18 points and 13 rebounds while Becky Hammon added 15 points.

"Losing games like this is almost deflating. There's two good teams going at each other. You can tell, because it's coming down to the last-second shot," Young said.

Backup guard Candice Wiggins pitched in for Minnesota, scoring 15 points on five-three pointers. All but one of Wiggins' field goals in the last four games are from beyond the arc. The habit is hard to give up when she first grew confident with three-pointers at age eight.

"Strategically, we were down in that game, so I was like 'let's get some three-balls going,' " Wiggins said.

The Lynx did edge the Silver Stars in free throws, sinking 19 of 24 to the Silver Stars' 12 of 16. Minnesota also won the turnover category, committing 10 while forcing 15 against San Antonio.

Including Whalen's buzzer-beater to cap a 70-69 win at San Antonio Sunday, Minnesota has won the first two meetings of the series by a combined 2.8 seconds.

"You can't say this is what we meant to do. Thank goodness luck had a little choice in it for us," McWilliams-Franklin said.

Minnesota's victory increased their franchise-record winning streak to eight games. They now hold a commanding 4-game lead in the Western Conference, as San Antonio's loss created a three-way tie for second place with Phoenix and Seattle.

ALSO

Watch this video for Mike Peden's pregame chat with San Antonio's Tully Bevilaqua

Click play here for Mike Peden's one-on-one with Becky Hammon, named among the WNBA's top 15 players of all time at this year's All-Star Game.

Lynx fourth quarter defense prevents Mercury rise

2011-08-03T12:47:00.006-05:00

BY MIKE PEDEN

To use an old adage, this is not your mother's Minnesota Lynx.

After a neck-and-neck ordeal through the first three quarters with the Phoenix Mercury Tuesday night at Target Center, the Lynx pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 90-73 win, marking their franchise record seventh straight victory. The Lynx (14-4) outscored the Mercury (11-8) 23-11 in the final period.

"Our defense fell off. They built a lot of momentum. I don't think we were able to match their energy on either end of the floor," said Mercury forward Candice Dupree.

Credit for Minnesota's win easily goes to their defense, forcing 19 points off 16 Phoenix turnovers while giving up nine points off 10 turnovers. The Lynx even out-shot the Mercury from three-point range, banking eight of 17 attempts while holding the Mercury to four of 10 behind the arc.

Rookie forward Maya Moore sank the first five of Minnesota's threes en route to a game-high 22 points, despite scoring only three points in the second half.

"If you go top 15 in 15 games, she would have made it," said Phoenix guard Diana Taurasi, selected to the WNBA's 15 greatest players of all-time at this year's All-Star Game.

Minnesota guard Seimone Augustus added 21, leaving her 50 points away from 3,000 in her career. Augustus still has a legitimate chance of beating Cynthia Cooper for the fastest to 3,000 if she scores 50 or more in the next two games.

Although she was named Western Conference Player of the Month for July, Augustus is no less excited to still watch her teammates excel at their positions.

"I wouldn't be able to score the points or do the things that I do without them," she said.

The most exciting sequence for the 7,126 in attendance came in the final minutes of the fourth. Backup center Jessica Adair blocked three shots in the final 3:06, including a Diana Taurasi lay-up attempt on the left side that energized the crowd.

While her blocks may have increased the value of her jersey at a charity auction (the Lynx wore pink for the WNBA's Breast Health Awareness Week, Adair's sold for $750), Adair is simply following her personal goal of improving in every game.

"The block was awesome! It didn't win the game, but it was a great addition," she said.

Starting center Taj McWilliams-Franklin recorded her first double-double of the season with 11 points and 10 rebounds. While her acquisition in the off-season was marketed as adding a "pseudo-coach" to the roster, McWilliams-Franklin has scored double-figures in her last five games, averaging 12.8 points.

"I can always hit the 15 to 17-footer. That's how Cheryl Reeve knows me. That's how I won a title in Detroit," she said. "(Reeve) has to tell me, 'That's your shot, stop passing it up!' I shoot when I'm open or I shoot when I'm yelled at. Either one is good for me."

Taurasi led Phoenix with 20 points, although early foul trouble limited her time on the floor in the first half. Dupree, Penny Taylor and Marie Ferdinand-Harris chipped in 11.

The series between Minnesota and Phoenix has a different flavor this season. Before the season started, Phoenix was 12-6 against the Minnesota going back to 2006 thanks to their potent offense. The Lynx hold a 2-1 edge in this year's series, showcasing their offensive capabilities in the first two games and their defensive prowess Tuesday night.

"It's not as easy as it was in years past. We have to find a way to contain a couple of their major threats and make other people score," Dupree said.

Minnesota's victory, coupled with a San Antonio loss at Seattle on Tuesday, increased their lead in the Western Conference to three games. Minnesota can increase their clamp directly on Thursday, when they host San Antonio at Target Center.

ALSO

Click play below for a one-on-one interview with the Mercury's Penny Taylor, who talks about her 10 years of service to the WNBA and the league's influence in her native country of Australia.

Lynx put shooting clinic on Storm

2011-07-30T12:57:00.003-05:00

BY MIKE PEDEN

When the Minnesota Lynx suffered a 65-55 road loss to the Seattle Storm on June 24, Seattle's radio play-by-play commentator speculated the Minnesota Lynx had drafted over guard Candice Wiggins as a result of subsequent high draft picks.

On Friday night at Target Center, Wiggins showed Seattle and the 7,856 in attendance her role is no less valuable with time, sinking five three-pointers as the Lynx blew out the Storm 92-67.

"I knew about that comment, and I almost laughed at it," Wiggins said. "He doesn't understand what's going on in my mind. I knew it would take me a while to find a rhythm."

Wiggins had no shortage of rhythm with 16 points and five assists off the bench. Her point total matched a team high with guard Seimone Augustus. Augustus sank eight of 10 field goals to reach that figure, finding her groove with the mid-range jumper all game.

The Lynx (12-4) needed seven minutes to find their team rhythm, with the Storm (9-8) holding a 14-11 lead late in the first quarter. A 19-2 Minnesota run initiated by one of Augustus' jumpers ensured that was the last time Seattle would be a threat.

So dominant was Minnesota that head coach Cheryl Reeve found extended minutes for her reserves. Center Jessica Adair took advantage, scoring a career-high eight points in just over 11 minutes, while forward Chardé Houston drained all four of her shots and a free throw to score nine points in almost 10 minutes.

"Jim Peterson (Lynx assistant coach) is always in my ear about poise. I repeat it to myself, it's helping me a lot," Adair said.

"We have so much trust and faith in each other," Houston said. "Coach is always putting pressure on us to make the great plays, help each other on defense. All that really ties in."

Minnesota shot 56 percent from the floor against Seattle's 41 percent for the game, causing Minnesota to outscore Seattle in every quarter but the fourth, when both teams put up 18.

For the Storm, forward Swin Cash scored a game-high 18 points with Le'Coe Willingham adding 14, but the biggest surprise was the Lynx defense hampering the Storm's All-Star guard Sue Bird. Bird was held to four points and one assist, making just one field goal in six tries.

"Lindsay Whalen doesn't get a lot of credit for her defensive prowess. She was really impressive on that end of the floor," Reeve said.

The Lynx win gave them their first series victory over the Storm since 2003, which also means the Lynx own a tiebreaker should the Western Conference playoff picture get murky. Minnesota maintained their one-game lead over San Antonio for first place in the Western Conference and will face them in the first of four meetings Sunday at AT&T Center.

ALSO

Click below for an extended post-game conversation with Candice Wiggins following Minnesota's Faith and Family Night event.

Click below to listen to Swin Cash prior to Friday night's game, as she shares her plans after her playing career is over.

Turnovers short Sparks against Lynx

2011-07-27T12:52:00.002-05:00

BY MIKE PEDEN

The Minnesota Lynx demonstrated their depth to the fullest Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Sparks at Target Center.

Rookie forward Maya Moore struggled, making just two of 11 shots, while forward Rebekkah Brunson was ejected midway through the fourth quarter after receiving two technical fouls for comments made to officials. However, Minnesota cruised to an 85-72 win by scoring 35 points off 25 turnovers committed by Los Angeles. In contrast, the Lynx gave up only 15 points on 15 turnovers.

Helping the Lynx (11-4) capitalize on turnovers was guard Seimone Augustus, who scored 22 points on 10-of-17 shooting, and guard Lindsay Whalen with 16 points and seven assists. Whalen missed only one of her nine field goal attempts for the game.

"We just clicked immediately," Augustus said. "We had people in the passing lanes, getting deflections, the help side was there."

The Sparks (6-9) did feature the game's two top scorers, as guard Kristi Toliver scored a game-high 28 points while center Ebony Hoffman's 10-of-11 accuracy led to 24 points. Unfortunately, the rest of the team scored just 20, with goose eggs from starters Delisha Milton-Jones and Noelle Quinn.

"This is the second game where we started slowly. The problem is the first quarter where we dug ourselves a hole," said Sparks head coach Joe Bryant.

Los Angeles committed nine turnovers in the first quarter, with Minnesota coughing the ball up once.

Any doubts of Minnesota's closing abilities following the All-Star break were likely squashed on a key third quarter run. Los Angeles cut a 13-point halftime deficit to four, getting as close as 47-43 with 6:52 in the third. The Lynx's Taj McWilliams-Franklin then found Lindsay Whalen for a back-door lay-up, initiating a 17-2 run and signaling a potential end to the dominance the Sparks have held over the Lynx in recent years.

"They caught us off our heels. We just didn't value the ball." Hoffman said.

Minnesota's victory gave them a one-game lead over San Antonio for first place in the Western Conference and the league's best record. Adding to their aura is Augustus closing in on a milestone. After Tuesday night's game, if Augustus scores at least 103 points in the next five games, she would be the fastest to score 3,000 career points in WNBA history despite missing 37 games in the last two seasons to injury.

Currently, the record belongs to Cynthia Cooper. In previous circumstances, such buzz would direct all media attention to the 2006 first overall draft pick. However, with Augustus among four Minnesota All-Stars this year, she no longer carries the team's emotional weight on her own.

"I just sit back, relax and do what I do best: play ball," she said.

Accolades have been afterthoughts all season, as Augustus was not the least bit slighted over not being named to the WNBA's top 15 players of all time as part of their 15th season celebration. Fellow 2006 entrant Cappie Pondexter did get the nod, likely boosted with her two WNBA titles while in Phoenix.

"That's what separates those 15 players from me and the rest of the ladies that weren't up there," she said. "I want to get five championships and then I'll be at the top."

ALSO

After completing pregame interviews, this writer received a request from several youth basketball players from Watertown-Mayer to autograph their game-day programs. The passion and joy from younger players seeing their big-league role models is indisputable. Critics still chastising the league for low attendance or interest should visit the tunnel before games to see the youth demographic line up for their brush with fame, complete with game-day programs signed by this writer.

Click play below to listen to Sparks guard Ticha Penicheiro, who talks about how her WNBA contributions highlight her home country of Portugal as more than just a soccer nation.

TSB Television runs with the Jaguars

2011-07-22T11:40:00.000-05:00

TSB Television kicked off a new pilot in its continuing quest of sports coverage at all levels. This time, we traveled to Gangelhoff Center at Concordia University, where the Minnesota Jaguars hosted the Kansas Nuggets in a Women's Blue Chip Basketball League game. The rosters are made up of former collegiate and professional players who refuse to hang up the sport they love, playing in hopes of landing a professional contract overseas or in the WNBA. The games are no less exciting, as you'll find out by watching the video below! You'll also find interviews with Tavi Polley-Davis and Dana Olsen from Kansas, along with Minnesota's Jenna Smith, still owner of several school records while playing at Illinois.

Learn more about the Jaguars and the WBCBL by visiting their website.

Lynx hold off Storm "surge"

2011-07-17T20:49:00.000-05:00

BY MIKE PEDEN

Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve said Wednesday's loss to Phoenix would be all the motivation her team needed to respond with authority.

Following a road win against Indiana Friday, Minnesota followed up with a 69-62 home win over the Seattle Storm, even as Seattle controlled the game's tempo. The Lynx (9-4) were held to just six fast break points, but used a 22-2 run through the second and third quarters to build what became an insurmountable lead.

Lynx forward Seimone Augustus started slow, missing her only field goal attempt in the first, but finished with a game-high 19 points on 9-of-17 shooting.

"Our main thing was to get the ball in the post and let Rebekkah (Brunson) and Taj (McWilliams-Franklin) go to work down there. It started to collapse and they kicked out," Augustus said.

Lynx guard Lindsay Whalen got 13 points and four rebounds, collecting her 1,000th career board in the second quarter. The rebound made Whalen the sixth player in WNBA history to record 2,500 career points, 1,000 career rebounds and 1,000 career assists.

For Seattle (7-6), Tanisha Wright scored 18 points and Swin Cash put up 16 points and nine rebounds.

Similar to the first meeting of the season between the two teams, Minnesota carried a 47-26 lead following a Maya Moore put-back with 4:49 remaining in the third. Seattle, showing their championship pedigree even with no Lauren Jackson (strained left hip) or Camille Little (attending a wedding), slowly reeled in the margin on a charge led by Swin Cash and Tanisha Wright.

The 7,733 fans at Target Center held their breath when Cash sank a pair of free throws to bring Seattle within six with 1:33 left in the fourth. After trading empty possessions, Brunson provided the game-clinching play, following an 11-foot brick with an offensive rebound with 42 seconds left.

"Even though we do come back, it's a lot of energy, and it's difficult to get over the hump," said Seattle guard Sue Bird.

Whalen finished the job from the free throw line as Seattle's foul-and-chase game proved futile, and Minnesota moved to second place in the Western Conference.

Staying in front after going up big was a chronic issue for the Lynx last season, but Augustus credits spending the last half-hour of each practice simulating close-game scenarios for the team's improvement in defending leads this year.

"It's good to have a coach we understand. We're on the same page," she said.

"We're learning what play calls work for people," Whalen said.

The Lynx also learned this week that Maya Moore will make one more trip to San Antonio than originally planned; Moore was named starting forward for the Western Conference in the upcoming All-Star Game.

As the honor continued to symbolize Moore's popularity with the women's basketball community, the rookie expects to bring a few traveling buddies from the Gopher state.

"There's a good chance a lot of them could join me. I hope as many as possible," she said.

ALSO

Click here to listen to an interview with Seattle's Katie Smith, who reflects on her storied WNBA career with the league now in season 15.

Click here for Seattle's Sue Bird, who was won two WNBA titles since joining the Storm in 2002.

Mercury "triples" past Lynx for shootout win

2011-07-14T01:25:00.004-05:00

BY MIKE PEDEN

Just your typical game between the Phoenix Mercury and Minnesota Lynx took place Wednesday at Target Center.

Defense is expected to be an afterthought when these two teams battle throughout the season, and the first of five match-ups for the two clubs offered a glimpse, with Phoenix earning a 112-105 road victory. The win gave Phoenix sole possession of first place in the Western Conference at 9-4, continuing their surge with their ninth win in the last ten games.

High scores are expected because no matter who players attempt to defend, both teams have far too much talent to quell an offensive riot. Ten players in all finished in double-figures, with the Mercury's Diana Taurasi scoring a game-high 27 points, including five three-pointers. She added eight assists for good measure.

"It really starts with (Candice Dupree) and (Temeka Johnson) and how they can get the tempo going and today, they did a really good job," Taurasi said. "We just got a couple more stops towards the end."

Utility player DeWanna Bonner added a season-high 24 points off the bench, including three treys and a 7-of-7 performance from the free throw line.

With most Mercury starters contributing early and often, Bonner's lone goal was continuing to feed the energy of the league's most prolific scoring team.

"(Minnesota) hit some big threes, got a couple lay-ups off of runs. We stuck together as a team," she said.

The Mercury jumped ahead quickly, leading by as much as 13 before the Lynx (7-4) warmed up from the floor. Minnesota sought to utilize their advantages in rebounding and turnovers, and were headed that way with a 91-80 lead with 6:31 left in the fourth quarter.

Phoenix responded with three consecutive three-pointers, taking the lead for good with 45.1 seconds left after Penny Taylor sank both free throws following a clear path foul by Seimone Augustus.

With Phoenix leading 108-105 with 13.3 seconds to go, there was a quick glimmer of hope for the 11,820 in attendance when Taylor missed the second of two free throw attempts. Lynx forward Rebekkah Brunson misplayed the carom, sending the ball out-of-bounds and the Lynx's chance to win with it.

The loss marks the eleventh time in the last two seasons where the Lynx lost after leading by 10 points or more.

"Our defense was supposed to be our staple and we didn't have any of that tonight," said Brunson, who posted her eighth double-double of the season with 16 points and 16 rebounds.

Phoenix made sure of that by lighting up what was the best three-point defense in the league, sinking 14 of 27 from long distance while Minnesota made just 4 of 18, with rookie forward Maya Moore bricking all eight of her attempts.

"You expect them to make three-point shots, but the transition buckets, you can prevent those and it just didn't happen," said Augustus, who scored a team-high 22 points.

Minnesota will regroup quickly, as they prepare for their only back-to-back pairing of the season on Friday and Saturday, with the locker room aura reflecting their focus to correct errors.

"We have to get better at running people off the three-point line. We have to get better help," Brunson said.

The two-time WNBA champion Mercury already know about getting better, with no one sweating in the heat of losing the first three games of the season.

"We showed that we are a team that's banded together," Taurasi said.

Lynx shade Sun with third quarter run

2011-07-10T03:17:00.000-05:00

BY MIKE PEDEN

WNBA fans and pundits considered the Minnesota Lynx the best three-quarter team in basketball last season, as their leads would usually only last to that point.

After the Lynx darkened the Connecticut Sun with a 90-67 win Saturday night at Target Center, the Lynx may be called the best third quarter team in the WNBA as they tied San Antonio for first place in the Western Conference.

Minnesota (7-3) outscored Connecticut (6-4) 23-6 in the third stanza as Connecticut made only two of 18 shots in the period. The Sun's shooting woes allowed the Lynx to blow open a 44-43 halftime lead and ride in cruise control for the rest of the game.

"Their defensive pressure in the second half was way better than the first and way better than ours," said Sun head coach Mike Thibault.

"When we play defense like that, it really sparked our offense," said Lynx rookie forward Maya Moore.

Proof was evident in field goal shooting, as Minnesota made 49 percent of their shots to Connecticut's 35 percent. Moore herself was electric, setting a new career high in scoring with 26 points on 9-of-14 from the floor, draining six of nine three-point attempts.

Even more impressive is who she compiled the stat line against, playing against several former UConn teammates for the first time since collegiate intra-squad practices. They include last year's first overall draft pick Tina Charles, Kalana Greene, and former Lynx guard Renee Montgomery.

"It forced me to focus because I know how talented they are," Moore said.

"Once you play with somebody so long, you know what shots are going to go in and what aren't. If you leave her open, they're going in," Montgomery said.

As Moore was tearing through her former college teammates, forward Rebekkah Brunson notched her seventh double-double of the season in her first game since being named Western Conference Player of the Month in June, getting 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Although Brunson's accolades attract growing national attention, with ESPN broadcaster Carolyn Peck campaigning to get Brunson in this year's All-Star Game on a televised game Tuesday, stats are still simply numbers for the Washington, D.C. native.

"I'm just going for some more wins. (If) we keep winning, I'm happy," Brunson joked with reporters.

Lynx guard Seimone Augustus added 20 points, hitting eight of her 15 shot attempts.

As Minnesota's chemistry and offensive production grow, so does the evidence suggesting their era of recent futility is shrinking.

"You can't double team anybody, and as soon as you give anybody an open look, it turns into points," said Sun forward Ashja Jones.

Montgomery led Connecticut in scoring with 14 points, with Jones adding 13 and reserve forward Kelsey Griffin chipping in 12.

Minnesota will get some regularity for the remainder of their schedule, as they no longer have any gaps of one week or more in between games. That also means fewer days of practice and less time to restore energy, but the transition is little concern for the Lynx.

"You don't have time to be tired, you just have to keep fighting," Moore said.

The youth demographic will get their chance to see Minnesota on Wednesday, when they host the Phoenix Mercury for their annual "Kiddie Day" promotion.

Click the player below to listen to WNBA President Laurel Richie's conversation with reporters prior to Saturday's game

Fever sweat through nail-biter against Lynx

2011-06-27T00:51:00.002-05:00

BY MIKE PEDEN

Minnesota Lynx fans and players may consider this weekend a "teaching moment."

Following a 65-55 loss to Seattle on Friday, the Lynx dropped a close game to the Indiana Fever 78-75 at Target Center Sunday as Indiana's perimeter shooting overpowered Minnesota's inside game.

Although the Lynx (5-3) out-rebounded the Fever (6-3) 39-26 and outscored the Fever in the paint 42-22, the Fever countered with 46 percent field goal shooting and 8-of-18 from three-point range. The Lynx were 41 percent from the floor and 3-of-10 from beyond the arc.

"On the offensive end, it's inside-out. (Tamika Catchings) went to the power forward tonight and created a lot of mismatches," said Indiana guard Katie Douglas.

After Minnesota reeled in a 29-18 Indiana lead with a 17-2 run in the second quarter, neither team led by more than seven for the remainder of the game.

Douglas scored a game-high 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting, but a free throw miss following a Maya Moore foul with 18 seconds to go in the fourth left her speechless; the 80 percent career free throw shooter is currently sitting at 67 percent.

Douglas did make the second to give Indiana a 76-73 lead, but they would hold their breath one more time as Douglas fouled Lynx guard Seimone Augustus behind the three-point line on the left corner.

"I knew we had one foul to give, and I was trying to give up the foul," she said.

"Seimone, being the smart player, throws the ball up and they send her to the free throw line," Catchings said.

Augustus missed her first free throw and made her last two, forcing the Lynx to continue playing foul-and-chase.

"After she missed the first one, I was like 'Whew, we got this,' but I was a little nervous," Catchings said.

After Fever reserve Jeanette Pohlen sank two free throws with 5.6 seconds left to push their lead to three, the Lynx had one more chance, but Lindsay Whalen's three-point attempt from the top of the key was wide left as the buzzer sounded.

Catchings added 17 points, playing a pivotal role in the fourth to secure the victory.

Moore tied her career high in scoring with 21 points for Minnesota, but only four came in the second half as foul trouble limited her production. Whalen and Augustus scored 12 and 10 respectively, but the two combined to make just nine of their 28 shot attempts.

"We have to be the mentally tougher team for longer stretches. It's going to take efforts like Jessica Adair did," Moore said.

While back-to-back losses could cause Lynx fans to panic after seeing them squander hot starts in 2008 and 2009, second-year center Adair highlighted the deeper bench opposing teams have raved about when facing the Lynx. Adair proved highly effective in the 8:17 of floor time she played with seven points and six rebounds, five of them offensive.

In fact, Adair scooped one more offensive rebound than rebounding specialist Rebekkah Brunson, despite playing less than a quarter of Brunson's total minutes.

"Rebekkah's arguably the best post player in the league and Taj (McWilliams-Franklin) has been around forever. If I weren't here picking up little things from them, I'd be a fool," Adair said.

Catchings believes Minnesota's bench will make them one of the best teams in the league as the season continues.

"They're a threat at every single position," she said.

WFA Football: Wisconsin Wolves vs. Minnesota Machine

2011-06-26T10:51:00.001-05:00

TSB Television concluded its broadcast portion of the 2011 Minnesota Machine season with an epic divisional battle between the Machine and Wisconsin Wolves. Both were fighting for the Upper Midwest Division title and a playoff berth. However, the playoff qualification in the Women's Football Alliance isn't as simple as the NFL. The overall record is irrelevant, and because the Machine owned a better divisional record, the Wolves would have to win by 22 points or more to claim the divisional title by tiebreaker. Although Minnesota had the upper hand, they would need to win without Lisa Olson and Maggie Alt. Olson retired, citing too much stress balancing playing with organizational duties, while Alt suffered a torn meniscus in Minnesota's loss to Iowa.

While our Machine telecasts have come to an end, our involvement with Minnesota's WFA franchise won't stop yet. A 2011 highlight film is in the works, and we guarantee this will put the 2010 version to shame. TSB Television will also have more sports coverage for you in the coming weeks, with Minnesota Lynx video coverage and broadcasts of the Minnesota Jaguars women's semi-pro basketball team!

WFA Football: Iowa Xplosion vs. Minnesota Machine

2011-06-20T10:34:00.000-05:00

TSB Television continues its WFA coverage with a border rivalry between the Iowa Xplosion and the Minnesota Machine. Although the two teams no longer compete in the same division following the 2011 realignment, the intensity that marked the 2010 series between the two teams flared up this year. Minnesota is looking to secure the Upper Midwest division title and playoff spot, while Iowa is simply trying to play spoiler following their elimination from the Midwest division race. The Xplosion return all-around threat Jennifer Boling, while the Machine added Hannah Cheese to their running back tandem after a two-game road trip.

To purchase a DVD copy of this and all Machine games this season, send an e-mail to thesportsbrain@gmail.com

Lynx run down Dream

2011-06-18T11:11:00.005-05:00

BY MIKE PEDEN

Friday night's game between the Atlanta Dream and Minnesota Lynx at Target Center was considered another part in the season-long test of credibility for Minnesota.

The Lynx had not played for the last seven days following their road win over Seattle, and fans were concerned about team sluggishness. Those worries faded after one half, as Minnesota displayed a convincing second half performance en route to a 96-85 win over Atlanta.

Lynx forward Rebekkah Brunson tallied her fifth double-double of the season with 18 points and 14 rebounds. Guard Seimone Augustus scored 25 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the floor, and guard Lindsay Whalen added 16 points and eight assists in the victory.

Augustus credited a team practice earlier this week against a men's pickup squad for previewing Atlanta's athleticism while keeping Minnesota in shape.

"They went full force at us. They dunked on us. They did everything to make us tougher for this game," she said.

Although the Dream (1-4) never led by more than six, and never saw the lead in the second half, their 22 first-half points in the paint established control through the first half.

"They got a lot of second chance points, and they were able to beat us in the first quarter," Brunson said.

The Lynx (4-1) opened the third quarter on a 15-4 run to break a 39-39 halftime tie and never looked back, no matter how many times the Dream attempted to reel them in.

"Our color is blue, we got to pass to blue. Their color is white and we passed it to white. We're beating ourselves, and it's very frustrating," said Atlanta forward Angel McCoughtry, referring to their 18 turnovers.

"We came out ready," Brunson said. "We had to get some stops, get some rebounds and start to play offense and transition the way we wanted to."

Offense came with little difficulty on the Lynx's fourth straight win, as the team made 52 percent of their field goal attempts.

Perhaps the biggest basket came with 6:16 left in the fourth, when Whalen intercepted a pass and dished to Maya Moore for a fast-break lay-up, electrifying fans and Lynx teammates on the bench at Target Center.

There was one scare in the third, when Augustus took an elbow to her pelvis. Although the bruise benched her for a few minutes, she returned no less worn.

For Atlanta, McCoughtry scored a game-high 27 points on 9-of-18 shooting. Center Erika de Souza finished with a double-double of her own, netting 18 points and 11 rebounds.

The two teams meet for the final time this season on Sunday at Philips Arena in Atlanta. Although Minnesota's third quarter showing was enough to seal the win, Augustus saw the fourth quarter as a teaching moment.

"We got to keep them out of the paint. That's where the majority of their points come from," she said.

Lynx stomp jolt out of Sparks

2011-06-05T20:54:00.004-05:00

BY MIKE PEDEN

While the term "must-win" is generally not used in early season games, the Minnesota Lynx faced that scenario against the Los Angeles Sparks Sunday at Target Center.

A win would mean a weekend split and a serenade to the 10,123 fans in attendance for the Lynx's home opener. A loss would put them at 0-2 and start to raise concerns about team chemistry and capability.

The Lynx delivered big-time with an 86-69 win, snapping their eight-game losing streak against the Sparks while giving Sparks head coach Jennifer Gillom her first loss against the team she helmed at the start of her head coaching career.

Seimone Augustus, who scored a game high 17 points, was eager for payback following Friday's 82-74 loss at Staples Center.

"I didn't even sleep, I didn't eat," she said. "Today was a start. We did a solid job running the offense and getting the ball where we needed to."

Augustus was one of six Lynx (1-1) players to finish in double-figures for scoring. Others included Rebekkah Brunson, who recorded her second double-double of the season with 10 points and 15 rebounds.

"We didn't fall apart or doubt ourselves," she said.

Rookie guard Maya Moore added 16, with 14 in the second half. Although she struggled to find the basket in the first half, she brought Lynx fans to their feet by blocking a three-point shot from Tina Thompson.

Her second highlight came with 6:21 remaining in fourth quarter, when she pump-faked Candace Parker and drained a mid-range jumper.

"(She is) a really tough match-up. Our posts did a good job of trying to make it tough on her," Moore said.

Although Moore has been the face of Minnesota's marketing campaign, she quickly praised the team's unselfishness on the court.

"We all really care about making sure we work well together. That's why this game is so fun," she said.

Good ball control and rebounding meant the Lynx never flirted with disaster after building a lead as large as 23. Minnesota recorded 17 assists and committed 12 turnovers to Los Angeles' 16 and 17, respectively. The Lynx scooped 44 rebounds, with 15 on offense. The Sparks (1-1) finished with just 28 rebounds and five offensive boards.

Los Angeles lost their rhythm in the second half, with Minnesota outscoring them 24-10 in the third quarter. Their leading scorer was Kristi Toliver, who scored 13 points despite playing 10:35 for the game. Parker and Thompson added 11.

The Sparks' fortune could be murky in the short-term, as 14-year veteran Ticha Penicheiro left the game in the third with an ankle injury. An MRI is scheduled Monday.

Minnesota hosts Tulsa on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. Although the Shock struggled in their season opener Saturday against the San Antonio Silver Stars, the Shock beat the Lynx twice last season and could return to play the spoiler role.

"We have to keep that mindset of people trying to take it away from us," Moore said.

"We're starting to settle in our offense, settle in our defense. The future's bright," Augustus said.

ALSO

Mike Peden gets a few words with Los Angeles Sparks veteran DeLisha Milton-Jones, who reflects on the WNBA's history as the league enters its 15th season. Click play to listen.

Sparks short Lynx for eighth consecutive time

2011-06-04T00:49:00.003-05:00

BY MIKE PEDEN

Despite all the hype that surrounded the Minnesota Lynx following the WNBA Draft, when they selected Maya Moore with the first overall pick, the Lynx learned Friday night that their roster is still vulnerable.

Opening the season on the road against the Los Angeles Sparks at Staples Center, the Lynx squandered a 10-point lead in the third quarter, losing 82-74.

Going back to last season, the Lynx (0-1) have lost 10 games after leading by 10 points or more. Minnesota also continued its losing streak against Los Angeles (1-0), now losing their last eight games, with Los Angeles head coach Jennifer Gillom winning five against the team she commandeered when her head coaching career began in 2009.

Candace Parker had a sensational return for the Sparks after missing most of last season with a dislocated shoulder. Parker finished with a double-double, getting 19 points and 10 rebounds, including a driving lay-up with 1:09 left in the game that ultimately clinched a Sparks win. Tina Thompson added 15 points.

The Lynx had a 50-40 lead with 6:43 the third quarter following a Moore three-pointer, but the Sparks found their stroke behind the arc 16 seconds later.

Sparks guard Kristi Toliver ignited the perimeter offense before Noelle Quinn and rookie Jenna O'Hea assumed control, sinking six combined three-pointers in the second half. The Sparks led 59-57 to end the third quarter and did not trail after that, out-shooting the Lynx 47 percent to 41 percent for the game.

However, Moore's professional debut was perhaps the biggest story of the night as the WNBA began its 15th season. She scored 21 points on 7-of-17 from the floor, including four three-pointers, silencing any questions on her integration following two shaky preseason games against Indiana.

Lynx forward Rebekkah Brunson started the season with a double-double after posting a career-high 12 a year ago, with 10 points and 12 rebounds.

The two teams meet again on Sunday when the Lynx host their home opener at Target Center.

WFA Football: Nebraska Stampede vs. Minnesota Machine

2011-06-01T16:00:00.000-05:00

TSB Television is continuing its partnership with the Minnesota Machine this season! Check out our coverage of their home game against the Nebraska Stampede at Minnetonka High School's Einer Anderson Stadium! The Machine have two more dates at home scheduled for the regular season: June 11th against the Iowa Xplosion and June 18th against the Wisconsin Wolves. Both games are scheduled at 7:00 p.m at Einer Anderson Stadium.

Learn more by visiting the Machine's website, and send an e-mail to thesportsbrain@gmail.com to purchase a DVD copy of this and future Minnesota Machine games.

TSB Television helps honor contributions to Minnesota's private schools

2011-05-31T16:24:00.000-05:00

Continuing our focus on community involvement, TSB Television brought the 3rd Annual Minnesota Private and Independent Education Awards to the airwaves on TV and online! Hosted by St. Catherine University, the awards program run by Minnesota Independent School Forum recognizes contributions made by students and faculty of member schools, which include most of the state's private high schools. Among the honorees was DeLaSalle High School for their Starry Night Prom, an event designed for the disabled community to enjoy what many students take for granted; a student transferred from Haiti following the country's devastating earthquake in 2010, and the first graduating class of Dream Makers scholars, whose sponsors allowed them to cover the costs of attending an MISF member school.

Now you can cheer on the deserving award recipients. Just watch the video!

TSB Television helps celebrate achievement with the University of Minnesota

2011-05-30T23:24:00.000-05:00

While TSB has revamped its website to reflect the increase in sports coverage as we add the Minnesota Lynx to the slate, that won't stop us from televising community events.

Earlier this spring, we returned to the University of Minnesota to televise the Multicultural Center for Academic Excellence's 7th Annual Celebration of Achievement. This time, the ceremony was held at Ted Mann Concert Hall, as graduating seniors within the program were the stars of the celebration. While no diplomas were awarded, each senior received a stole to wear at their official graduations for their respective college inside the U of M.

Watch the program below! To find out how you can have your event broadcast, send an e-mail to thesportsbrain@gmail.com.

Prowling with the Minnesota Jaguars

2011-05-29T22:57:00.002-05:00

BY MIKE PEDEN

While the Minnesota Lynx made a giant splash Tuesday with their preseason game at Concordia University's Gangelhoff Center, a second Minnesota women's basketball team hosted their home opener at the St. Paul facility Saturday and Sunday.

The Minnesota Jaguars are a women's semi-pro team and new member of the Women's Blue Chip Basketball League. Former Minnesota Golden Gopher Tanisha Gilbert had an integral role in the team's formation, eager to return to her local roots. Coaching the Jaguars and running their front office is Melissa Young, once the head coach of Hamline University's women's basketball team.

The Jaguars started the season winning out at a Miami tournament. After sweeping the Rock County Robins with a 71-66 win on Saturday and a come-from-behind 88-82 win on Sunday, the first-year Jaguars remained distant from the loss column, with their record at 7-0.

While recent talk has surfaced about the relatively low pay of WNBA players compared to their overseas earnings, WBCBL players receive little or no compensation. To save money, teams will schedule back-to-back weekend series against one opponent to limit travel costs.

The lack of paychecks hardly detriments participation. The Jaguars are comprised of former standouts in high school and college whose passion saturates their stream of consciousness. Some are using the Jaguars to stay in shape for professional scouts and agents, including WNBA veteran Tamara Moore and Illinois Fighting Illini star Jenna Smith, who was a second-round pick for the Washington Mystics in the 2010 WNBA Draft only to be waived during training camp. Others hope to get noticed for the first time.

The rules are similar to WNBA games, with 10-minute quarters and a 24-second shot clock. College rules are used for tabulating fouls, which means a team can commit six fouls before placing their opponent in the bonus. However, the biggest difference between WNBA and WBCBL appears before the game tips off. Prior to the playing of the national anthem, all players and coaches meet at center court to join in prayer, reflecting the hopes and wishes of the league's players to better their lives through basketball.

The Jaguars host their second and final weekend series of the WBCBL season July 16th and 17th at Gangelhoff Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. both days.

Listen to any or all of our interviews by clicking play below the player you want to hear.

Former Golden Gopher Tanisha Gilbert

Concordia-St. Paul alum Gillian Bjerke

WNBA veteran Tamara Moore

Illinois Fighting Illini standout Jenna Smith

Lynx's new pack members attract record crowd

2011-05-25T01:22:00.002-05:00

BY MIKE PEDEN

2,055 people watched the Minnesota Lynx roster play under official game conditions for the first time in 2011 Tuesday, when they hosted the Indiana Fever in preseason play.

If the game took place at Target Center, those fans would fill just over 10 percent of the building's total capacity. At Concordia University's Gangelhoff Center in St. Paul, where the game was held, that number stood for the first preseason sellout in Lynx history. Although results do not count for the season, the Lynx suffered no omens in their 71-66 win against the Fever.

To be sure, the addition of Maya Moore in this year's draft generated buzz not seen since the Lynx entered the WNBA in 1999. Lynx front office members also took on a long outreach campaign to attract kids from neighborhood schools for the noon game. Those students comprised about half of the crowd in attendance.

While courting the young meant decibel levels matched the Lynx's annual Kids Day promotion throughout the game, the Lynx's outreach strategy paid off in an unexpected way when audio equipment problems at the scorer's table prevented a scheduled vocalist from performing the National Anthem. After a few minutes of murmurs and wonders, Fever players performed the song a cappella, and fans young and old quickly joined in.

School kids showed their gratitude to the Fever's gesture as most cheered when Tangela Smith sank the game's first basket, a 22-foot three-pointer.

Those kids quickly reverted to the hometown team, as head coach Cheryl Reeve played everybody on her training camp roster except Alexis Hornbuckle, whose strained hamstring kept her in street clothes.

Although Moore has been hailed as Minnesota's next star since she was drafted, fellow first-round pick Amber Harris showcased the team's revamped post players. The Xavier alum finished with a double-double, netting 10 points and 10 rebounds, showing the versatility that landed her on Lynx radar since last year.

Moore was more sluggish, scoring just four points on two-of-eight shooting, but she did get five rebounds and three assists. She also got a visitor's "welcome to the WNBA" greeting, when Fever forward Tamika Catchings juked Moore one-on-one for a lay-up early in the first quarter.

With a full training camp roster, the preseason game served an effective audition for players considered "on the bubble" to make the final cut of 11 players for the regular season. One predicted battle is the backup center slot between Quanitra Hollingsworth and Jessica Adair. Hollingsworth had one rebound and one assist in 7:23 of floor time, while Adair was limited to 4:37 after racking up four quick fouls, but she scored two points on free throws and scooped one rebound.

Guard Kachine Alexander, a former Iowa Hawkeye who attended high school at Benilde-St. Margaret's, banked a 20-foot jump shot for her only basket of the game. She added two steals in her 7:13 of playing time.

The best performance came from St. Paul native Angel Robinson, who first made local headlines in high school when she led an undefeated St. Paul Central team to the class AAAA state championship in 2007. Robinson finished with four points, two rebounds, two assists and one steal in 13:22.

The Lynx have one more preseason tune-up at Indiana next Tuesday before they decide who stays and who goes.

Click this link to listen to interviews with Minnesota's Seimone Augustus, Rebekkah Brunson and Angel Robinson and Indiana's Katie Douglas.

Minnesota Lynx host 2011 media day

2011-05-21T00:58:00.000-05:00

TSB Sports, along with the majority of the Minnesota press corps, flocked to downtown Minneapolis for the Minnesota Lynx media day. We took advantage of our new video recording capabilities to present a more interactive form of storytelling you'll see more of as we cover the 2011 Minnesota Lynx season, the first under the TSB banner. Game day coverage will stay the same with written articles, but our goal is providing more profile stories and other video content.

In the meantime, click the links below to watch Lynx players converse with local media for media day.

Chardé Houston

Taj McWilliams-Franklin

Alexis Hornbuckle

Amber Harris

Rebekkah Brunson

Maya Moore

Head coach Cheryl Reeve

Kachine Alexander and Angel Robinson

Lindsay Whalen

Lynx's Moore and Harris meet mass of Minnesota media

2011-04-12T21:45:00.005-05:00

BY MIKE PEDEN

The Minnesota Lynx wasted no time taking advantage of their newfound attention.

Their first-round draft picks, Connecticut's Maya Moore and Xavier's Amber Harris, made their first appearance in front of media and several fans in the Target Center skyway concourse Tuesday afternoon.

While the Lynx won what was dubbed the "Maya Moore lottery" last November, the "Maya Moore media lottery" began almost as soon as the three-time Wade Trophy winner was selected.

"A lot of eyes on me and cameras and questions," Moore said. "At the University of Connecticut, we have a great opportunity to practice and get ready for draft day."

Moore herself has witnessed the UConn effect in recent WNBA drafts. Chardé Houston, who was Moore's teammate for a year in Storrs, Conn., was a third-round pick by the Lynx in 2008. She has a 2009 All-Star appearance on her resumé.

The following year, Minnesota drafted Renee Montgomery in the first round. Montgomery was traded to the Connecticut Sun after the 2009 season in an exchange that also swapped the Lynx's first overall pick with the Sun's second overall pick, allowing the Sun to draft UConn's Tina Charles, who earned Rookie of the Year honors last year. Both Charles and Montgomery made an appearance for the U.S. national team in last year's USA/WNBA All-Star Game.

All three have since grown to be fan favorites with their respective professional teams, and the character exhibited by Moore's elder Huskies was not lost with this year's first overall draft pick.

"I tried to recognize and honor the people who have helped me along the way, like my mom and coach (Geno) Auriemma. I wanted them at my table to make sure they knew how much they mean to me," Moore said.

Moore is also recognizing the new challenges she will face as a WNBA player, where strict rules with roster limits coupled with only 12 league teams equal a season where every team can compete for wins at any game.

"There are no automatic blowout games," she said.

The 16-minute press conference was part of a booked schedule for the Lynx's new pack members. When the conference concluded, Moore and Harris took part in photo shoots with the team's new jersey design, taped public service announcements and held additional interviews in a media market hungry for excitement following the struggles of the Minnesota Vikings, Minnesota Wild, Minnesota Timberwolves and the University of Minnesota men's and women's basketball teams.

After Monday's full slate of interviews following the WNBA draft, Moore and Harris spent most of their first plane ride together catching up on sleep.

"I was knocked out the whole time. I think I just left Amber," Moore said to a response of laughter.

Harris, who University of Minnesota fans may recall when her Xavier team thrashed Minnesota in a 2009 Thanksgiving tournament in the Bahamas, had never heard of the state slogan, "Land of 10,000 Lakes," until her arrival in a Lynx uniform. The Lynx played strategy starting from last year to be in position to draft her and considered themselves fortunate when the team expected to draft Harris, the Chicago Sky, drafted Courtney Vandersloot instead.

While Harris has played "Robin" to Moore's "Batman" in draft coverage, the only thing she plans to compete for is points to help her Minnesota Lynx team win games.

Harris is not sure where she will be slotted on the court with the team deep in power forwards but short on centers. However, she believes she can bring the skill set of both positions on the floor, which suited Minnesota's style of play last season.

"I can post up, drive to the basket, shoot threes. I can bring that inside-outside game," she said.

One benefit Moore and Harris have is joining a team of players who consistently contribute, including two-time Wade Trophy winner Seimone Augustus.

"How in the world did we get in a situation where we come in as high draft picks to a loaded team?" Moore said. "A lot of the awards that I've been a part of, (Seimone) was one of the trailblazers for multiple winners. I have a lot of respect for how she can score."

"I watched her play at (Louisiana State University). I'm really excited to play alongside her," Harris said.

Fans anticipate Moore will bring a culture of winning to a franchise that has never finished higher than 18-16 in the regular season, with Hall of Famer Rebecca Lobo going as far as penciling Moore in as WNBA Rookie of the Year if she stays healthy.

There will likely be no lectures from the woman who played throughout UConn's record breaking 90-game winning streak, the best in all of Division I basketball. Instead, Moore wants to lead with what she does best.

"Bring energy, compete, work hard, play with passion. That's what sustains winning," she said.

Click play below to listen to a one-on-one interview with Lynx draft pick Amber Harris

Lynx are "Moore" exciting after draft day

2011-04-11T23:31:00.002-05:00

BY MIKE PEDEN

The 2011 WNBA season officially commenced Monday afternoon with the much-publicized draft class headlined by Connecticut star Maya Moore.

There was no secret she would go to the team with the first pick, which the Minnesota Lynx won in last November's lottery.

Just a few minutes after 3:00 p.m. local time at ESPN's headquarters in Bristol, Conn. (2:00 p.m. in Minnesota), the Lynx announced Moore would join their roster. Over 1,200 miles west at the Target Center Hubert's Sports Bar and Grill, ESPN cameras captured Lynx season ticket holders celebrating loudly at their draft party.

For Moore's part, she gave her mother a hug upon her selection.

"It's officially started, this new beginning," Moore said. "I will bring energy and passion. I like to get out in transition, so hopefully I'll be able to bring some fun stuff there."

Moore's accolades are well-documented. She posted a 150-4 record in her four years at UConn, including back-to-back national championships in 2009 and 2010. She is the only player to win three Wade Trophies and ended her college career fourth in most career points with 3,036.

Moore also got professional seasoning last year, playing in the USA/WNBA All-Star game and winning a gold medal with the U.S. national team, comprised of current WNBA players, in the FIBA World Championship.

"It gave me confidence that I can be successful at the professional level, but it gave me some hunger to work on the little things to be successful at that level," she said.

Lindsay Whalen called in from Prague after Moore was drafted. Both were teammates on the gold-medal national team and the two played against each other in last year's All-Star Game.

"She brings so much toughness and all kinds of intangibles," she said. "She's a phenomenal jump-shooter. Quick release. Great balance. She's fearless."

Moore's future teammates had no fear displaying their excitement on Twitter. Rebekkah Brunson said, "My Lynx just got tougher. We are putting the pieces together."

Taj McWilliams-Franklin followed the draft from Russia. Although she was signed after the Lynx claimed the first pick in this year's draft, she posted, "So this is what it feels like to win the lottery."

Minnesota's fourth pick was no less ecstatic to join Moore this summer. The Lynx took Xavier's Amber Harris, who was named Atlantic 10 Player of the Year for the 2010-11 college season. Despite redshirting in 2008-09 because of injury, Harris finished her career with over 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds.

"Going there and working together is going to help us out," Harris said.

Neither will have to wait long to greet each other, as a press conference is scheduled for both Moore and Harris Tuesday afternoon at the Target Center skyway concourse.

Harris' selection was a small surprise with local fans and media expecting her to be scooped up by the Chicago Sky, but Chicago used their first-round pick on Gonzaga's Courtney Vandersloot.

"Chicago did a great job keeping their draft picks a secret," said Roger Griffith, Lynx executive vice president.

"I had talked to the Chicago coach, so I was assuming they were going to pick me," Harris said.

Not that Minnesota is complaining about the Sky bucking most mock drafts.

"That was the big we wanted. She can shoot threes, she rebounds, she takes off the rim and goes coast-to-coast," said Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve, entering her second season.

Harris could have a rough time playing her natural position of power forward, following Brunson's outstanding season a year ago with Chardé Houston providing quality bench minutes at that spot.

She hopes to continue playing that position, but following the Lynx's trade of Nicky Anosike to Washington for a 2012 first-round pick, Harris understands the need to back up 40-year-old McWilliams-Franklin at center.

"They need a big down low, but most likely, I'd like to play in the three-four range," Harris said.

Naturally, there will be new tests as expectations rise for the Lynx to end their six-year playoff drought, which includes three tough eliminations in the last three years with three different coaches.

With position needs addressed, the biggest concern will be how this year's draft picks and other signings will affect on-court discipline. The Lynx lost nine games where they led by double-digits in 2010, not accounting for near-collapses, including an overtime win against the Connecticut Sun where Minnesota led by as much as 30. In virtually all of those nine losses, the Lynx would suffer defeat in the fourth quarter.

"I live in the land of high expectations at the University of Connecticut," Moore said. "It will help me grow as a person. It will expand my leadership and experience as a competitor."

On top of that, few could watch college women's basketball coverage on ESPN and not hear of Moore, whose college is close to ESPN's headquarters. To say Minnesota would not receive their attention to start the WNBA season would be a gross understatement.

"I believe we're the envy of the league with regard to the depth we have at each position," Reeve said. "Now my job is to find the combinations of players that play best together."

The Lynx drafted North Carolina's Jessica Breland and DePaul's Felicia Chester in the second round. Both were subsequently traded in prearranged transactions. Breland was traded to the New York Liberty for Angel Robinson and the Liberty's 2012 second-round pick. Chester was sent to the Atlanta Dream for player rights to Australian Rachel Jarry and the Dream's 2012 second-round pick.

Factoring draft day transactions, the Lynx will have six picks in the 2012 draft. Gauging how they will be used is too difficult to say, but with Minnesota's deep roster, Griffith decided to save some resources instead of using them on draft picks that likely would be cut.

"If you have the opportunity to pick up an extra asset, it's worth something to have that possibility," he said.

Capping off Minnesota's drafting was third-round selection Kachine Alexander. She and Robinson are Twin Cities natives who parlayed their high school talents into successful college careers at Iowa and Marquette respectively. Alexander averaged a double-double at Iowa her junior season, only one of two guards in the entire N.C.A.A. that year to do so. Robinson was an All-Big East First Team selection for Marquette last season.

TSB Television heads to the high school state quarterfinals

2011-03-10T21:41:00.002-06:00

The following is a release from Community Hoops, but TSB Television will once again join forces to provide coverage of the entire high school state tournament bracket. We'll see you at Williams Arena and Target Center!

CommunityHoops.com has stepped up to the free throw line to bring everyone a chance to see the entire 2011 boys and girls state basketball tournament games on the internet!

In concert with MSHSL, Grandstadium.tv, and KSTC45.com CommunityHoops.com owner Tony Geer has secured permission to record and webcast all 40 state quarterfinal games and 3rd place games that are normally not part of the broadcast schedule.

These games will be recorded live, and within 24 hours, will then be placed on the prep45.kstc45.com and grandstadium.tv websites where fans can watch them for free for 1 week (normally an on demand game is $9.95).

There will be several volunteers doing the production work for these games, even some of the folks that are regular contributors here on this message board. Tony has a few production spots still open but they are filling up fast. If you want to help out and play a part in this first ever type of media coverage for the tournaments please send him an e-mail. Talent@grandstadium.tv

Michigan State "boards" 2nd half run to beat Gophers

2011-02-27T17:12:00.000-06:00

BY MIKE PEDEN

If fans considered Minnesota's last season an aberration, they may remember the 2010-11 season as a contagion. The Gophers lost 65-51 to #8/10 Michigan State Sunday at Williams Arena, which will surely add concerns about the direction of the program.

And that's not taking the Big Ten Tournament into account, where Minnesota (12-17, 4-12) has not advanced past the first round since 2007. The Gophers would have to win the tournament championship to qualify for a post-season spot, which would be an automatic NCAA tournament bid.

With Minnesota dropping its fifth conference game after building a double-digit lead (12 in Sunday's loss), a reversal of that trend may be difficult.

"We played decent basketball for 30 minutes tonight," said Minnesota head coach Pam Borton. "Our passing was much to be desired. Our turnovers really fueled them offensively."

Michigan State (25-4, 13-3) took control in the final 13:24, limiting Minnesota to two field goals, forcing 22 turnovers for the game and ending the game with a 32-6 run.

Minnesota did play with life in the first half, outrebounding Michigan State 24-11, but Michigan State siphoned the hometown's energy with a 22-9 showing in rebounds for the second. Not even Katie Loberg's 19 points and seven rebounds were enough to stop the Big Ten front-runners.

Sparking the Big Ten regular season champions were Kalisha Keane and Lykendra Johnson, who scored 19 and 18 points respectively.

"(Minnesota) can put a team out there that's physically imposing," said Michigan State head coach Suzy Merchant. "We kept Lykendra out there and (moved) Porsche Poole to point guard because we just weren't getting enough offense. Porsche's performance really turned the tide for us."

Poole scored 10 points in 18 minutes for Michigan State.

Although the Spartans had locked up the regular season title last week, Merchant said the season-ending victory would keep their tournament resumé in solid shape when it comes to NCAA tournament seeding. No matter what happens in the Big Ten Tournament, Michigan State will earn a post-season berth.

"We needed to do it without Penn State beating Purdue for the outright championship. You don't want to give committees any opportunity to think you're not on track," she said.

Should Minnesota win its first round game against Northwestern on Thursday in Indianapolis, they would face Michigan State on Friday, who owns a first-round bye and the top seed in the conference tournament.

Borton believes her Gophers have the capability to threaten in the "last chance" tournament as the chemistry has improved, even if their record has little to show the bonding.

"They actually want to be around each other. I know this team knows they can play with anybody," she said.

In previous years, such statements from lower-tier teams would sound far-fetched. However, the Big Ten Conference has not seen any turnover in coaching for the last four years; head coaches understand how to approach each of their opponents. Since no one has to prepare for any new system, the chance of a lower team surprising a strong squad is higher than before.

"That gap has completely changed. The bottom and middle tier have come together," Merchant said.

Game 8: Humboldt vs. Highland Park

2011-02-20T15:06:00.000-06:00

TSB Television took a trip to our other backyard in St. Paul to present a battle for 2nd place in the St. Paul City Conference. Humboldt visited Highland Park, seeking an answer for a 77-73 loss at Humboldt's home court, despite a 30-point showing from Angelina Hicks. Highland Park center Kionda Nicks has had her way in the paint against the small Humboldt roster and looked to continue her inside dominance.

Watch highlights, then tune in to GrandStadium.tv to watch the game in its entirety, including interviews with Humboldt's Angelina Hicks and Highland Park's Kionda Nicks.

Purdue's defense leaves Minnesota "boiling"

2011-02-17T22:27:00.000-06:00

BY MIKE PEDEN

Following Sunday's loss to Ohio State, Minnesota head coach Pam Borton said her team figured out the ingredients to win games.

After Thursday night's 60-50 loss to Purdue at Williams Arena, the Minnesota coaching staff and fan base will be looking to make a few adjustments to their recipe.

Purdue (18-9, 8-6) was fueled by junior Brittany Rayburn's 27 points, with 17 coming in the second half. Rayburn kept pace with her outstanding free throw shooting, making 12 of 14. The Boilermakers finished the game with an 11-2 run and scored the game's final eight points.

While Purdue made just 35 percent of their field goals, their defensive presence was more than enough. Purdue blocked 10 Minnesota (11-15, 3-10) shots, limiting their opponent to 28 percent from the floor. To boot, the Gophers did not make a field goal in the final 8:35.

"They were bodying us up, and I think that bothered us," Borton said.

"It felt like they were crashing five at a time," said junior guard Jackie Voigt. "We miss one rebound and it was a scramble."

Junior forward Brianna Mastey tied her career high in the first half with 13 points, her first game in double-figures since January 2nd. Mastey set her new career best with 10:28 in the second half on a right-side runner and finished with 17 points.

Mastey's performance may be overshadowed by the continuing struggles of junior guard Kiara Buford. She scored eight points with half of them coming from the free throw line. On the floor, Buford made only two of 16 shots.

"Kiara's a great player when she's aggressive," Borton said. "She was a little timid tonight, especially defensively."

While a timid nature can not explain Buford's or the team's struggles as a whole throughout the last two seasons, Borton noted how opponents have defeated the Gophers recently by attacking the lane late in games while the Gophers often respond with contested jump shots.

"We didn't finish a lot of things tonight," she said.

Game 7: Eden Prairie vs. Minneapolis South

2011-02-15T09:50:00.000-06:00

This game wasn't on our schedule when we began the 2010-11 season, but we were fortunate to bring Eden Prairie and Minneapolis South's battle to you, and it lived up to the hype! TSB Television will return to Minneapolis South on February 26th to televise the annual Twin Cities Championship, and South will host by virtue of clinching the Minneapolis City Conference title, their 6th in the last 7 years. While you wait for our next game, Humboldt vs. Highland Park, check out highlights and visit GrandStadium.tv to watch the game in its entirety.

Ohio State "bucks" doubters while beating Gophers

2011-02-13T17:11:00.001-06:00

BY MIKE PEDEN

Ohio State can almost always count on momentum when Minnesota is up on their schedule, they led the all-time series 49-10 heading in to Sunday's game at Williams Arena.

After a grueling duel, the Buckeyes chalked up win number 50 with an 83-76 victory, continuing their psychological stronghold over the Gophers.

"A lot of people were saying we are heartless when we're on the road," said Ohio State guard Tayler Hill. "We got up, we lost the lead, and then we came back."

Hill did not hesitate to respond to critics as Ohio State (15-9, 6-6) evened their conference record.

"It makes me want to kill every team we play. Any team, any player," she said.

"We're finding about our character right now. That is impacting us in a very positive way," said Ohio State head coach Jim Foster.

Senior center Jantel Lavender played her usual dominating game inside and finished with a game-high 29 points, adding nine rebounds. She became Ohio State's all-time leading scorer with a transition lay-up at the 16:28 mark in the second half, besting Katie Smith's record of 2,578 points.

To boot, Lavender broke the NCAA record for most consecutive games in double-figures, marking her 126th.

"It's a milestone in my career I won't ever forget. The reason I can score is because of my teammates and my coaches having in faith in me to be a go-to player," she said.

Although Lavender will not likely surpass Connecticut's Maya Moore for the all-time NCAA scoring record, she will present a challenge for any future Buckeye to break the school record with a few games left to pad her lead. Foster believes Lavender has not made her last collegiate impression.

"Someone that's scored double-figures every time she's walked on the court, when most defenses are working on stopping you, that speaks volumes," he said.

For most of the game, both teams essentially canceled each other out, with Minnesota (11-14, 3-9) out-rebounding Ohio State 40-32 while Ohio State forced 16 turnovers to Minnesota's seven.

While early nerves kept the Gophers from leading in the first half, they tied seven times with the Buckeyes, including the halftime break with the score 36-36.

Minnesota would tie two more times until a Jackie Voigt three-pointer gave the home team their first lead at 43-42 early in the second half, and that set the stage for a back-and-forth fight throughout the second.

Ohio State could not relax until the final minute, but the key moment was junior guard Samantha Prahalis draining a three-pointer to break a 71-71 tie with 2:18 left, bothering a young Minnesota team just enough to seal a win.

"In the last three minutes of the game, we did not have an answer for Tayler Hill penetrating to the basket," said Minnesota head coach Pam Borton.

Hill, the all-time leading high school scorer in Minnesota history, flashed a few moves she was known for while playing at Minneapolis South. Hill scored 19 points for the game and sank eight free throws in the final 3:07.

"We're one of the only teams on a daily basis that works on free throws," she said. "It was just like practice."

The stamina Hill developed playing almost every minute at South also proved useful, as she played all 40 minutes against Minnesota.

Although Hill can log large blocks of time, the adversity facing Ohio State this year is an obstacle she never faced at South, even as her high school rival, Minnesota guard Kiara Buford, won two state championships against Hill's old South team.

"In high school, I wasn't challenged every day. The competition wasn't there," she said. "In practice, there's drills we do called 'and two.' No breaks. Time and time up and down the court."

Buford led Minnesota in scoring with 23 points and made her last 10 free throws after missing her first four.

"I promised myself after that fourth one that I wasn't going to miss any more," she said.

Team chemistry is also no longer missing for the Gophers, even though expectations may not be high when the Big Ten tournament begins. That did not make Borton any less proud for her team's fight against the Buckeyes.

"We have figured out the ingredients to win basketball games," she said.

Game 6: North St. Paul vs. Richfield

2011-02-10T15:28:00.000-06:00

TSB Television was on hand for a thrilling game at Richfield High School in a Classic Suburban Conference match between the hometown Spartans and North St. Paul Polars. North St. Paul was 1 game behind Hill-Murray for the conference lead and used their stifling defense to upset Richfield in overtime in the first meeting of the series at North St. Paul. Jessica January and her Spartans sought to outlast the Polar defense and prevent a series sweep.

Watch the highlights here, then visit GrandStadium.tv to watch the game in its entirety!

Game 5: Highland Park vs. Como Park

2011-02-08T22:03:00.000-06:00

We just finished a thrilling game between North Saint Paul and Richfield, but while you wait, check out our first boys game of the season as we feature Highland Park and Como Park dueling it out in a St. Paul City Conference game. To watch the game in full, visit GrandStadium.tv and enjoy a fast-paced game!

Gophers "board" up first conference win streak

2011-01-30T22:47:00.001-06:00

BY MIKE PEDEN

Gophers head coach Pam Borton said her team forgot what it felt like to a win a game after the Gophers defeated Northwestern Thursday night. Now Minnesota will have to remember what a winning streak feels like after they scraped out a 60-50 win over Michigan Sunday at Williams Arena.

No player scored more than 13 points for the game, but Minnesota (10-12, 2-7) once again took advantage of out-rebounding their opponent, 42-31 in this case. Freshman forward Kionna Kellogg scooped 13 of those and tied her career high in points with 8.

"We were getting outrebounded at halftime because she was on the bench," Borton said. "She brings us a lot of toughness."

The rest of the Gophers followed suit, as they held together to prevent another double-digit lead from fading at home.

Minnesota began in front as they found success early by attacking the lane and draining several threes, sinking nine of their first 14 field goals. Their touch on pull-up jumpers faded midway through the first, and Minnesota finished the first half making only two of their last 15 attempts. Although that funk kept Michigan (13-8, 6-3) within striking distance, Michigan only shot 28 percent from the floor in the first and faced a 31-22 deficit at halftime.

Michigan trimmed the lead as Minnesota's struggles from the floor persisted. Twice in the second half, the Wolverines pulled within 1 and had two chances to tie the game with a three-pointer. After Michigan center Rachel Sheffer missed the second try with five minutes to go, Minnesota guard China Antoine changed the momentum with a lay-up on the other end. Michigan would not come within one possession for the remainder of the game. Not even Katie Loberg and Kiara Buford fouling out affected Minnesota's odds of notching their first conference winning streak as they won the subsequent round of foul-and-chase.

"China was a great leader. She's taken a lot of pride to being our hound on the ball," Borton said.

"We had good shot selection, moved the ball where we wanted to move in the second half. Just didn't make them," said Michigan head coach Kevin Borseth.

While the Gophers are still far behind the Big Ten leaders, their defeat of the Wolverines knocked them out of a first-place tie with Penn State and Wisconsin in the conference standings. Borseth went to his 29 years of experience to address the Wolverines about the implications.

"You lost the game, don't lose the lesson," he said. "I told the kids at the beginning of the year they'd be lucky to win one game. So far, they've won 13."

Game 4: Hill-Murray vs. Richfield

2011-01-28T09:21:00.000-06:00

TSB Television added a bonus game to its coverage this season, when #1AAA Hill-Murray battled #6AAA Richfield in a big Classic Suburban Conference battle. Future Iowa Hawkeye Bethany Doolittle scored her 1,000th career point while Hill-Murray teammate Tessa Cichy made the flashy baskets. On the other side, Richfield sophomore Jessica January dazzled the crowd with her acrobatics. The highlights are below, but if you want to watch the game in its entirety, you have to visit GrandStadium.tv!

Gophers crack egg in win column over Northwestern

2011-01-27T23:26:00.002-06:00

BY MIKE PEDEN

RealTime RPI will have to make a few adjustments for Minnesota's status.

Minnesota defied RealTime RPI's prediction of a loss to Northwestern with a 63-58 win Thursday night at Williams Arena, snapping their seven-game losing streak and recharging a restless fan base.

Sophomore forward Katie Loberg fueled the charge with 21 points and seven offensive rebounds before fouling out late, but the game ball may be awarded to freshman forward Kionna Kellogg, whose persistence resulted in a hard-earned eight points and 15 rebounds.

"I owe that to my teammates, who were finding me the open spots," Loberg said.

"They've had a great attitude up to this point," Gophers head coach Pam Borton said. "(Kionna's) skills are catching up. She's playing hard and playing tough."

Overall, the game stayed on script with the series over the last few years, where the score is close and opportunities are limited.

Minnesota (9-12, 1-7) was hesitant on both sides to begin the game, passing the ball yet unable to find a clean look while yielding 13 free throws to an attacking Northwestern (14-7, 3-5) team, who made 11. Those traits, all too common in their seven-game losing streak, kept the 2,891 in attendance quiet in the first 20 minutes. Adding further anxiety was Minnesota going 0-for-3 from the free throw line in the first.

"One of the keys was not fouling and putting them on the line," Borton said. "(Northwestern) really clogged the paint and we took some tough shots."

The story flipped in the second half, with the Gophers beating the Wildcats in the transition game. The key moment came with 8:49 left in the second, when Minnesota trailed 41-40. The Gophers slowly answered with a 12-3 run, and that turned out to be the push they needed.

One more nail-biter came when junior guard Jackie Voigt missed the back end of free throws with 14 seconds left, giving Northwestern a chance to force overtime, only needing a three-pointer. Daninielle Daimant had an open look, but missed, and senior guard China Antoine got the rebound and made two free throws to ice Minnesota's first Big Ten Conference win.

"When you watch them on tape, they're a dangerous team," said Northwestern head coach Jim McKeown.

In the process, the Gophers forced the Wildcats' Meshia Reed and Allison Mocchi to foul out while sinking 18 of 22 free throws in the second half. Northwestern did sink nine of 14 free throws in the second, but Minnesota's 46-34 edge in rebounds nullified that advantage. That included an early second half possession where Minnesota picked up six offensive rebounds.

"They're padding their own stats," Borton joked. Eight of Kellogg's 15 rebounds were on the offensive side of the glass.

"Everybody went off the bench and I didn't even know what to do," said junior guard Kiara Buford on her team's reaction as time expired.

Buford, who made six of 38 shots in her last three home games, had a cathartic performance after a slow start. While her 5-of-11 shooting would be considered standard, she finished with 18 points and made all eight free throws in the second half.

"Bringing the transition, a strength of my game, and having one or two people back, I thought I was pretty good at drawing fouls," Buford said.

Northwestern's Amy Jaeschke played to her All-American candidate form, scoring a game-high 26 points on 8-of-16 shooting, showcasing her range that has attracted national attention. However, she was the only Northwestern player in double-figures, as the rest of the team made 26 percent of their shots.

"Minnesota outhustled us tonight, got the loose balls. You give up 21 offensive rebounds, you don't deserve to win," McKeown said.

Gophers get Badgered for sixth straight loss

2011-01-20T23:43:00.003-06:00

BY MIKE PEDEN

Minnesota fans expressed concern when, at the start of Big Ten Conference play, the website RealTime RPI predicted their women's basketball team would only win one conference game: at home Thursday night against Wisconsin.

Prior to tip-off, RealTime RPI adjusted that prediction, suggesting Wisconsin would win and Minnesota would finish the season with a goose egg in the conference win column. After the Badgers defeated the Gophers 71-63 at Williams Arena, the site may signal an eerie feeling for the Gopher faithful.

"We had nine turnovers and 15 offensive rebounds. You'd think, having a game like that, you'd win the basketball game," said Minnesota head coach Pam Borton.

Minnesota (8-11, 0-6) clicked on offense in the first half, building a 16-point lead by capitalizing on their free throws. The Gophers made as many free throws as Leah Cotton scored points, both getting 15 in the first 20 minutes. Taking a 44-30 lead to the locker room at halftime, Minnesota appeared poised to win their first conference game of the season.

"We gave up too many direct-line drives," Wisconsin head coach Lisa Stone said. "Our transition defense was poor, we were late on everything. I told them 'Get there with your feet.' "

Wisconsin (10-9, 5-2) adjusted in the second half by attacking the baseline on offense and crowding the paint on defense. The Badgers took their first lead with 4:37 left in the second on a Lin Zastrow three-point play. Wisconsin never looked back as they limited Minnesota to 19 second half points on 7-of-34 shooting, capping off their second largest come-from-behind win in school history.

"Our defense affected our offense tonight," Borton said.

"We shut the driving lanes down, forced them to kick, and on the kick, we were on their feet." Stone said.

Fueling the Wisconsin surge was St. Paul native Alyssa Karel. The Cretin-Derham Hall standout scored 21 points to notch her 10th consecutive game in double-figures. Zastrow finished with a double-double, getting 21 points and 12 rebounds. The Badgers shot 64 percent from the floor in the second half.

Minnesota guard Leah Cotton scored a game-high 24 points, but made just three of 11 second half field goals after going five of seven in the first. No other Minnesota player finished in double-figures.

The Gophers have now lost six straight despite improved ball control over the last few games, forcing Borton's squad to continue searching for a solution in a season of questions. Kiara Buford struggled from the floor again, scoring nine points on 2-of-13 shooting while making just six of 38 shots in her last three home games. In that span, the Gophers have seen leads of 11, 13 and 16 points wasted.

"She's got the ball in her hands a little bit more than she used to," Borton said. "Kiara's doing a lot for us. She's pushing the ball in transition, looking for her shot, she's trying to get some other people shots in transition."

As much as Minnesota would like Buford to add more points, Borton stressed the biggest key to stopping their skid is finding consistency.

"We're a better team than this. We've got to put two halves together," she said.

The week ahead: January 24th-31st

2011-01-20T02:06:00.005-06:00

TSB Television will be bringing you a week filled with aura and nostalgia starting next Tuesday, when we offer a bonus game with Hill-Murray taking on Richfield in girls basketball with Classic Suburban Conference implications at stake. Then on Friday, January 28th, we visit Como Park for a St. Paul City Conference battle between Highland Park and Como Park in boys basketball. We wrap up the week with a special presentation on Sunday, January 30th at Williams Arena, as we televise the University of Minnesota Golden Gopher women's basketball alumni game for the first time! To coincide with going "back in the day," TSB Television will also roll back with a throwback design!

You can watch full broadcasts of the Hill-Murray/Richfield and Highland Park/Como Park games on GrandStadium.tv as they're posted to the site, and we'll post the Gopher women's basketball alumni game in its entirety here! DVD copies of all three games will also be available.

Stay tuned for further updates from TSB Television as we continue broadcasting the 2010-11 basketball season. And as always, contact us at thesportsbrain@gmail.com to sponsor a production or have your event televised.

Game 3: Minnehaha Academy vs. St. Paul Central

2011-01-19T20:40:00.000-06:00

TSB Television covered our first boys game of the season, as Minnehaha Academy took on St. Paul Central in a pseudo-Twin Cities rivalry game. Check out the highlights to find out how the game came down to the final seconds, then visit GrandStadium.tv and click "Search Archive" to watch the game in its entirety!

Stay tuned for an upcoming schedule announcement from TSB Television!

Game 2: Eastview vs. Lakeville North

2011-01-18T10:11:00.000-06:00

TSB Television started the calendar year with a big South Suburban match-up between Eastview and Lakeville North. The game would determine who would maintain an undefeated conference record and assume 1st place in the conference title race.

Watch the highlights below, then visit GrandStadium.tv to watch the game in its entirety!

Gophers fall in hole again with loss to Iowa

2011-01-05T22:52:00.005-06:00

BY MIKE PEDEN

The No. 21/22 Iowa Hawkeyes came to Williams Arena as a surprise team in the Big Ten Conference Wednesday night as they battled the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

Iowa losing its first two conference games of the season was a shock to Big Ten followers, but Minnesota shocked themselves a second time with another late collapse, losing 63-57. Iowa's (13-3, 1-2) two-game losing streak was snapped while Minnesota (8-8, 0-3) left without a conference victory, losing its third straight.

"We had a lot of defensive breakdowns in the last two-and-a-half minutes," said Gophers head coach Pam Borton. "We need our freshmen to catch on to things a little bit quicker."

Minnesota started out sluggish, perhaps feeling the ill-effects of Sunday's overtime loss to Indiana. Trailing 16-8 midway through the first half, the Gophers found their agility to make a 22-5 run as they disrupted Iowa's rhythm on offense.

The Hawkeyes had no better luck from three-point range in the first 30 minutes of the game, although guard Kachine Alexander swooped by the Gopher defense until her teammates warmed up.

Trailing by nine, Iowa answered Minnesota's first half run following a media timeout with 7:37 in the second, stringing a 16-5 run capped off by two Kari Hansen free throws to give Iowa the lead with 2:54 remaining.

"We said we couldn't panic," Alexander said. "We just had to execute and get stops. Kali Hansen hit a big three for us to tie the game up and we're like 'We're back, it's time to roll.' "

Iowa rolled late from three-point range, making five of six in their second-half run after sinking two of 15 to start.

In the final minute, China Antoine picked up a steal, but opted for a long two-point shot instead of going one-on-one with Iowa guard Kamille Wahlin. Antoine missed, and following an Iowa shot clock violation that gave Minnesota one more chance to salvage the game, Kiara Buford missed a three-pointer that would have tied the score at 59.

Alexander, a 2007 graduate of Benilde-St. Margaret's, sealed the outcome with two free throws. She scored a game-high 20 points, adding eight rebounds and five assists. Crookston graduate Kamille Wahlin scored 14, including a key three-point basket as the shot clock expired with 4:47 left, and also picked up five assists.

"Kachine willed us to win today," said Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder. "She had some great penetrations, went to the free throw line and did a great job there." Alexander made all five free throws.

"Kamille is clutch. That's what I call her all the time," Alexander said.

Iowa was also clutch from the free throw line, making 17 of 20 for the game. Minnesota, whose average was 69 percent prior to the game, made just five of 11.

Alexander, one of only two guards to average a double-double in NCAA Division I last season, passed the 1,000-point career plateau for the Hawkeyes. She is one of five Minnesota natives to play college basketball in Iowa City this year, and Bluder has no plans to abandon recruiting in the North Star State.

"Minnesota is a recruiting stockyard. I can't say enough about Kamille, Hannah (Draxten) and Theairra (Taylor)," Alexander said. "When I first came here, it was just two (Minnesotans). It just blossomed. It's just a place where you can get good, quality players."

"They're very fundamental. They work extremely hard. They've got good values and good morals," Bluder said.

Iowa's recent issues surprised many women's basketball fans, after a 12-1 non-conference showing put them in contention to lead the Big Ten race.

With Ohio State paying a visit to Iowa City Saturday, the Hawkeyes hope their road win will be the turning point in their 2010-11 campaign.

"A teammate told me a quote, 'Good athletes have short memories,' " Wahlin said. "No game is ever the same."

Minnesota's second collapse of the week masked a return to form from sophomore guard Leah Cotton, who led the team with 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting, dazzling the 3,318 in attendance with her runners.

Gophers fans may start asking what is wrong with their top player, Buford. Buford scored 11 points, but made only three field goals in 12 tries, and is just 4-of-25 from the floor in her last two games.

Buford has taken an extra hour of practice to work on her shot, but she has no concern that her stroke has vanished.

"You can't stop shooting. You got to take it in stride and keep putting the ball up," she said.

While Borton was frustrated with Minnesota's issues at closing games this week, she sees consistent energy from her young team as they continue what she calls the learning experience.

"If we keep playing this hard, we'll start winning games pretty quickly," she said.

Antoine's day not enough to put Hoosiers away

2011-01-02T20:52:00.004-06:00

BY MIKE PEDEN

The Minnesota Gopher women's basketball team went in to their Big Ten home opener with Indiana determined to improve their offense after putting up a dud in their loss to Illinois on Thursday.

The Gophers fixed those issues, but found new problems with their defense and top scorers as they dropped their home opener in overtime against the Hoosiers 80-79 Sunday at Williams Arena.

Gophers guard Kiara Buford made only one field goal in 13 tries, while sophomore guard Leah Cotton made two-of-six from the floor. Senior guard China Antoine posted a career-high 21 points and six steals, but did not score a point in the final 8:38 of the game.

"We've got to put our foot down and protect our home court," said Minnesota head coach Pam Borton, who watched a four-game home winning streak snap. "We missed breakaway lay-ups. We missed pull-up jumpers when we were wide open. We didn't finish around the rim."

Indiana (8-6, 2-0) refused to give in to the young Minnesota (8-7, 0-2) squad, finding an answer for every run Minnesota got. With 1:29 left in the game, senior forward Hope Elam tied the game at 70 with a three-pointer, part of a 12-2 run created by Indiana crashing the boards on offense for second-chance points.

"I told them not to worry about the score," said Indiana head coach Felisha Legette-Jack.

Sophomore forward Aulani Sinclair then had a chance to give Indiana their first lead of the second, but bricked a three from the corner. Minnesota guard Brianna Mastey got the rebound and was then fouled, making both her free throws with Minnesota in the double-bonus. Hoosier guard Jori Davis responded with a lay-up from the left side, tying up the score again with 29.4 seconds to go.

Mastey and Kristin Dockery missed two lay-up attempts, giving Indiana one more shot at a road victory, but they failed to find a target on the final possession of regulation. The Gophers did not score a field goal in the last six minutes of the second half.

The Gophers appeared to run on fumes in the extra stanza, although Borton attributed their late performance to growing more timid and not attacking the paint, where the Gophers outscored the Hoosiers 28-20. By the time Mastey sank a three-pointer, cutting a four-point Indiana lead to one, only one-tenth of a second was left, too late to salvage a win.

"We're not the most talented team in the Big Ten. We certainly aren't going to be the fastest or the tallest, but nobody's ever going to outwork us," Legette-Jack said.

No one better reflected their work ethic than Davis and Elam. Davis fell two points short of a career-high, scoring a game-high 31 points, including 10-of-12 from the free throw line. Elam finished with 23 points, sinking five of six three-point attempts and making all six free throws.

The loss overshadowed improved ball control, with Minnesota committing just 12 turnovers to Indiana's 20.

"We were trying to play a little too safe and not doing the things we were doing in the first half of the game," Antoine said.

Indiana's Georgie Jones, making her first visit to Minnesota since she helped St. Paul Central win the class AAAA state championship in 2008, fouled out with just two points from the free throw line. Buford, Jones' high school teammate at the time, coincidentally finished with the same total for Minnesota.

The Gophers return to Williams Wednesday night to host the Iowa Hawkeyes, who will come in with a lot of fire after losing their first two conference games of the season.

Game 1: DeLaSalle vs. Minnehaha Academy

2010-12-24T21:44:00.002-06:00

The first telecast of the basketball season on TSB Television took place, and just in time for the holidays, you can catch the biggest rivalry in the Tri-Metro Conference, featuring DeLaSalle and Minnehaha Academy. The highlights are below, but if you want to watch this game from start to finish, please visit our new broadcast home at GrandStadium.tv! DVD copies of this game can be purchased at thesportsbrain@gmail.com.

Gopher posts lay victory foundation

2010-12-23T01:52:00.005-06:00

BY MIKE PEDEN

University of Minnesota head coach Pam Borton said the biggest challenge leading her Gophers so far this season is the lack of team chemistry. The players get along splendidly, but she noted injuries that forced her marquee players to sit out a few games prevented her from seeing Minnesota's abilities at full strength.

Borton faced that scenario again Wednesday night against Northern Arizona at Williams Arena, as Jackie Voigt sat with a twisted ankle. Borton went with two posts in her starting five, and they delivered under the circumstances. Sophomore forward Katie Loberg removed any questions about her previous injuries with a career-high 20 points, and senior center Kristen Dockery got her first career double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds as Minnesota defeated Northern Arizona 82-74.

"When you have two bigs in there, it puts a height disadvantage for the other team," Loberg said.

"My teammates got me the ball and put me in position to score, and rebounding is something that I need to do for this team, so I focused on that," Dockery said.

Once again, the Gophers showcased their ad-libbing skills, which could give Borton a plethora of combinations at her disposal when Big Ten Conference play starts next Thursday against Illinois.

"We had one day to prepare for this," Borton said. "It's the first time that Loberg's played on the wing in our zone. Things didn't look perfect out there, but I like the option."

Minnesota's (8-5, 0-0) offense helped disguise the team's 22 turnovers, which were caused by Northern Arizona's (4-8, 0-0) strategy of combating size with athleticism. Minnesota answered by making 53.8% of their field goals and out-rebounding Northern Arizona 42-31. Four Gophers finished in double-figures.

However, their offensive production was not enough to pull away from the Lumberjacks, who fought off every Gophers run. Northern Arizona guard Amy Patton scored a game-high 23 points, including a three-pointer with 2:55 left in the second half that left Minnesota with a thin 70-68 lead. Kiara Buford responded with a three-point play, capping off a 16-point night, and the Lumberjacks would not get within one possession again.

The dagger was delayed though, not coming until there was 17 seconds left. Minnesota led 78-74 but was under pressure from Northern Arizona's full-court defense. Brianna Mastey found a wide-open Loberg down court on an inbounds play. Loberg would score a three-point play after drawing a foul.

"They were really pressuring everybody and I just slipped through off a screen. Kind of like a pick and roll," she said.

"Most of those kids playing a lot of minutes for us are freshmen and sophomores. They just don't know everything yet," said Northern Arizona head coach Laurie Kelly, whose ties to Minnesota include a standout career playing for the University of St. Thomas during the early 1990s.

"They're late on a rotation or not sure where to go. We gave up a lot of lay-ups," she said.

Minnesota goes on Christmas break with a nearly identical mark in non-conference play compared to last season, when they started 8-4. While the stat sheet may not look impressive to fans looking for a rebound from a rough 2009-10 campaign, Borton said getting a healthy team will allow her Gophers to grow in ways unavailable to them with a senior-heavy team.

"You see about 30 percent of what this team can actually do, but we're still finding a way to win," she said.

The win was Borton's 173rd in her coaching career at Minnesota, giving her the record for most career victories with the program. The previous mark was 172, set by Ellen Mosher-Hanson from 1977-87. Although Borton's accomplishment was recognized following the game, her post-game speech was centered on preparing for the Big Ten schedule.

"When the season's over, I'll have a chance to enjoy it," she said. "It's probably the furthest thing from my mind."

Gophers swab win thanks to Cotton's 26

2010-12-09T23:43:00.004-06:00

BY MIKE PEDEN

When Minnesota head coach Pam Borton scheduled Southern University for the 2010-11 season, she hoped it would be a fun night where she would get to send in her bench players, especially since the game was preceded by Baylor. The Gophers were crushed 103-56 in that contest.

Instead, Borton discovered how much the absence of post player Katie Loberg impacts her Gophers. Minnesota fought off a Southern defense that forced 23 turnovers while sophomore guard Leah Cotton netted a career-high 26 points to grind out a 63-48 win Thursday night at Williams Arena.

"(Kristen) Dockery and Jackie (Voigt) are doing an outstanding job. They're bringing their lunch pails every single day. We need another athletic kid on the floor, and it's Loberg," Borton said. "She runs the floor, she can score over the top of people. We're missing her a lot."

Borton did find the fun she was looking for in the post-game press conference as she, Cotton and Kiara Buford had difficulty setting up their chairs.

"We just had another turnover trying to put this chair down, so we got 24 turnovers for the game," Borton joked.

Southern (2-5, 0-0) never led during the game, going scoreless in the first five minutes, but they did trim the margin to one with 2:30 in the first half before Minnesota finished with a 7-0 run. Had Southern not struggled in the second half, where they made just eight field goals in 28 tries, the Jaguars could have positioned themselves to take an upset win back to their campus in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Fatigue was most evident late. Minnesota (6-4, 0-0) guard China Antoine picked up two key steals in the closing minutes and Buford added a block for good measure.

"We wanted to switch it up, play man-to-man, then play a little zone," said Southern assistant coach Carlos Funchess, describing Southern's "hurricane" defense.

"When you exert a lot of energy on defense, it's going to take its toll. We didn't get in good position; a lot of reaching and fouling. We've got to improve our conditioning," he said.

"They were in a 1-3-1 half-court defense and we made it a lot harder than it needed to be," Borton said. "Once we got ball reversal, we had Leah attacking the basket. She kept us alive and afloat."

Cotton had to work for every last point, making only five of 12 shots, while two lay-up attempts were negated by charging fouls. Her 26th point finally came with 1:06 remaining in the game, when Cotton made the last of her 13 free throws after drawing a foul. Her 13 makes, along with five rebounds, also bested her previous career marks (12 and 4 respectively).

While Cotton is still looking to make smarter decisions on the court, her aggressive style is responsible for her blooming offensive production. In the last four games, the Kansas City native has scored 20 or more points three times. Cotton's averaging 15.5 points per game after 10 games this season, nearly five times more than last season's average of 3.4 per contest.

"Last year, I didn't really believe in myself. This year, I know I have a completely different role I need to take on," she said.

Loberg remains day-to-day after suffering an Achilles strain in Minnesota's win over Virginia Tech last Thursday.

Buford's career night ices Gophers win

2010-12-02T23:59:00.000-06:00

BY MIKE PEDEN

The 2,709 who attended Thursday night's ACC/Big Ten Challenge game between Minnesota and Virginia Tech at Williams Arena got a taste of the chilly Twin Cities weather inside.

The Gophers were cold from the floor compared to the previous games, making just 41% of their field goals, less than their average of 48%. However, fans would never know it watching junior guard Kiara Buford, who scored a career-high 27 points on 10-of-18 shooting. Her cool demeanor in a tight game helped the Gophers beat Virginia Tech 63-58. Buford's previous career high was 24.

Buford's timing proved vital for Minnesota (5-3, 0-0), as no other Gopher finished in double-figures with Virginia Tech's (4-3, 0-0) zone defense stumping Minnesota until late in the second half.

"Kiara did a lot to create her own shots," said Minnesota head coach Pam Borton. "She does a great job making plays within our system. We've got to get more people to do that."

"I got a little excited in the beginning because I thought I was open," Buford said. "When we move the ball around and if I can keep my dribble, I can find seams."

Minnesota built a 23-6 lead midway through the first half as Virginia Tech was unable to put virtually any shot down, but the Hokies found their stroke to close the half with an 18-7 run. Their zone defense and offensive penetration, coupled with sloppy Minnesota turnovers late in the second, kept the result in doubt through the final minute. With the score at 61-58, Buford iced the game with two free throws after drawing a Virginia Tech foul.

While Borton was disappointed with her team giving up 32 points in the paint to Virginia Tech, the Hokies' inside game was somewhat muted, making just 50% of their short-range shots.

"We did a great job of finding a way to win," Borton said. "If you put us in this situation last year, we would have lost. I'm happy that we're disappointed with a win, because that shows us that we have higher expectations for our team."

Although Virginia Tech head coach Beth Dunkenberger was unable to take in the happiness of a victory, she was pleased with the Hokies closing a 17-point deficit to 1 early in the second without their top scorer, Shanel Harrison. Sophomore Aerial Wilson led Virginia Tech with 14 points off the bench and sophomore guard Alyssa Fenyn added 12.

"We've got some reserves that are coming in finding a way to step up and score when we're short personnel-wise. I'm encouraged by the gut and determination this team showed," Dunkenberger said.

Minnesota will seek to polish their skill for their toughest road game this season, when they visit #2 Baylor for the inaugural Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge before returning home next Thursday against Southern.

Looking ahead...December coverage

2010-12-02T01:13:00.001-06:00

TSB Television is partnering with Community Hoops and GrandStadium.tv to increase our basketball coverage like never before! The following is a press release from Community Hoops. TSB Television will also submit at least one feature game with the coverage you've come to expect from TSB as we enter our 5th year of high school basketball coverage.

With all 12 games from the Hamline University event this past weekend now posted,

Community Hoops (in partnership with TSB Television Productions - http://www.thesportsbrain1.blogspot.com) would like to announce 4 other fantastic events we will be bringing to the Internet for Minnesota Girls' Basketball fans around the world!!!

December 4th, 2010 - The 7th Annual Breakdown Sports Girls’ Tip Off Classic presented by Eastbay (http://www.breakdownsportsusa.com) - We have an exclusive agreement with the organizers of this event to bring all 13 games to the fans.

December 11th, 2010 - The 7th Annual Breakdown Sports Boys’ Tip Off Classic presented by Eastbay (http://www.breakdownsportsusa.com) - We have an exclusive agreement with the organizers of this event to bring all 14 games to the fans.

December 27th & 28th - The Richfield Girls' Basketball Holiday 4 Team Tournament (http://www.richfieldgirlsbasketball.org)- This event will have 4 teams that can surprise anyone on any given night - Richfield, Burnsville, Jefferson, & Apple Valley.

December 28th, 29th, & 30th - The Dick's Sporting Goods Holiday Classic hosted by Hopkins Girls Basketball Program (http://hopkinsgirlsbasketball.com) - We will have all 12 games of this event which is rated as the top holiday tournament for girls' basketball in the state of Minnesota.

These events/games will be made available the week after the event. The games are offered as Pay Per View at $9.95 per game and High Quality DVD's are available for $24.95 or for $20 if you fill out the order form and hand it to us at the events.

A complete list of games offered by Community Hoops can be found on the website www.communityhoops.com.

Community Hoops will place the games into the 45.grandstadium.tv library for fans to view.

Grand Stadium and KSTC 45 (http://prep45.kstc45.com) together bring fans free live streams on the Internet of all MSHSL State Tournament Coverage normally available on Ch. 45 in the Twin Cities area as well as the ability for fans to relive these games on the Internet as on demand viewing and through high quality DVD's.

Gopher women unable to transition with Dayton

2010-11-21T22:33:00.003-06:00

BY MIKE PEDEN

Minnesota head coach Pam Borton knew the Dayton Flyers, her opponent in the Subway Classic championship Sunday afternoon at Williams Arena, would use a fast tempo that thrived on transition buckets.

Unfortunately, Dayton's players found themselves flying all over the Gophers in a 97-81 loss in front of 3,086 who braved the aftermath of a statewide ice storm.

"Are we too slow? Are we tired? I've got to watch the film, but I was very aware of that happening," Borton said.

While Minnesota (3-2, 0-0) scored more points than they did in their 76-53 win over Wisconsin-Milwaukee Saturday, the game hinged on a 6:53 stretch in the first half in which the Gophers missed 12 straight shots. Dayton (2-2, 0-0) capitalized with a 15-0 run that turned a three-point lead to 18 and varied little for the remainder of the game.

The big factor preventing a Minnesota comeback was Dayton scoring seven field goals within 10 seconds of a Gophers basket during the game.

"It's a style of play I used to use when I was at Marquette," said Dayton head coach Jim Jabir. "We were concerned about (Minnesota's) transition, but I was very happy with our pace."

Dayton junior guard Patrice Lalor scored a game-high 25 points after tallying just 18 in her first three games. Junior foward Justine Raterman added 21.

"I've been begging (Lalor) to do this since she came to school," Jabir said. "The first thing I said to her after the game was 'I expect this next game too,' and she said 'Coach, I'm trying.' "

Dayton silenced the crowd with their dominance, but one positive Gophers fans can take from their five-game homestand to open the season is Kiara Buford's scoring consistency. The junior guard led the team Sunday with 18 points, close to her average.

The hometown crowd got another scare in the first half, when Brianna Mastey injured her right leg and was taken out of the game. No updates were given as of Sunday night, but Mastey did return to the bench early in the second half.

Minnesota packs up for their first road trip of the season, playing a pair of games in the Nugget Classic at Reno, Nevada. Their opening match Friday pits them against San Diego State.

Antoine's six treys nets Super Six win

2010-11-17T23:53:00.003-06:00

BY MIKE PEDEN

The Minnesota Gopher women's basketball team hosted the first game of the newly-minted Super Six series Wednesday night at Williams Arena against Pittsburgh.

The series, designed to create more marquis matches among the six power conferences in collegiate sports, could be a quick favorite for Gopher senior guard China Antoine. She nailed six three-pointers, giving the Gophers enough of a spark to beat Pittsburgh 73-63.

The Gophers (2-1, 0-0) trailed for nearly the entire first half as they struggled to find their shot, despite not going down by more than six points the entire game. Trailing 34-30 with just over two minutes remaining in the half, Minnesota ended with an 11-0 run and took the lead for good on Antoine's second triple. She finished the game with a career-high 18 points and five assists.

"When I hit the shot, I think we had momentum," Antoine said.

Pittsburgh (1-1, 0-0) made one last push to tie the game at 41 early in the second half, but Minnesota answered with a 9-0 run. Coupled with a stingy Minnesota zone defense that allowed just four Pittsburgh three-pointers in 20 attempts, the Gophers made sure no nails were bitten compared to Sunday's close loss to Wisconsin-Green Bay.

"It's a great sign of a very tight team," said Gophers head coach Pam Borton.

Cohesion, an early-season goal for Borton, started to show in Minnesota's third game of the season. The Gophers tallied 20 assists as a team to Pittsburgh's nine while they trimmed their turnovers from 27 in Sunday's game to 18.

"Minnesota took our posts out of the game," said Pittsburgh coach Agnus Berenato. "They walked us off the line, they walked us off the block. (Minnesota) has tremendous size."

What may have gone unnoticed to the 2,572 fans in attendance were solid showings from center Kristen Dockery and forward Brianna Mastey.

Dockery, filling in for an injured Katie Loberg, scored a career-high eight points and tied a career high in rebounds with nine in 30 minutes of play, also a career high.

"My team needed me to step up today. I just had to be ready to go," she said.

Mastey, who struggled to find offensive production in her first two seasons, notched a career-high 10 points while adding seven rebounds.

"Brianna continues to grow; she got off to a slow start tonight, I said something when she came out and she went in with a vengeance," Borton said.

Pittsburgh senior Brittaney Thomas scored a game-high 24 points on 9-of-18 shooting. Loberg, who injured her left knee Sunday, had an MRI revealing no serious damage. She is listed as day-to-day, although Borton hopes Loberg can return in time for the Subway Classic that starts Saturday.

Gopher women "turn over" chance at weekend sweep

2010-11-14T19:06:00.009-06:00

BY MIKE PEDEN

The Minnesota Gopher women's basketball team was unable to mask their growing pains in a 79-75 loss to Wisconsin-Green Bay in the championship game of the Best Buy Classic Sunday at Williams Arena.

Five Green Bay players finished in double-figures as they took advantage of Minnesota miscues on defense and ball control, scoring several back-door lay-ups in the first half and forcing 27 turnovers throughout the game.

Green Bay, ranked 2nd by ESPN among mid-majors, had to fight off two Gophers comebacks after building an 11-point lead in the first half and 16 in the second.

"We stopped getting back on defense," said Green Bay head coach Matt Bollant. "We missed a couple of lay-ups; your missed shot leads to their fast break."

Both times, the Gophers cut the margin to two and late in the second, Minnesota had a chance to tie. However, with 30 seconds left, junior guard Kiara Buford could not grasp a missed jumper from Phoenix forward Julie Wojta. Sarah Eichler got the ball, forcing Buford and the Gophers to play foul-and-chase, and Green Bay finished the job from the free throw line.

"They caught us off guard," said Gophers head coach Pam Borton. "Some of our players played a lot of minutes, they took a rest for a second, that's when (Green Bay) took advantage."

While Borton hates losing, she saw Minnesota's performance as a big character-building moment early in the season.

"We were forced to play some freshmen that aren't ready to play in games like this. They played their butts off," she said.

Bollant, a Winona State graduate, said the Phoenix weekend sweep continues their mission of representing the mid-majors that began with their first NCAA tournament appearance in school history last season. Their qualification was also the first for a Horizon League school.

"Last year, we beat DePaul, Wisconsin and Marquette. We got everybody back from that team. We have the ability to go and make it happen," he said.

Gophers sophomore guard Leah Cotton scored a game-high 23 points on 10-of-12 shooting, saying her confidence is much higher than last year after finishing the first weekend making 15 of her 18 shots. Buford added 22 points.

"Cotton's going to make them a better team. If Cotton can do that for them, they're going to win some games in the Big Ten," Bollant said.

Higher scoring figures may be common for the 2010-11 season. The Gophers sank 53 percent of their shots in Sunday's loss after making 60 percent in their first game against Northern Illinois. Continuing to attack the post, the young Gophers team is also eager to develop an inside connection with themselves.

"We're our biggest supporters on the court," Buford said. "We're constantly huddling, telling each other what we need to do."

However, the Gophers may need to make a few unplanned adjustments. Sophomore center Katie Loberg was taken out of the game in the first half after injuring her left knee following a Brianna Mastey lay-up. Loberg needed assistance to get off the court. Her status was unknown as of Sunday night.

The Gophers continue their five-game opening homestand Wednesday night when they host Pittsburgh at 7:00 p.m. in Williams Arena.

Gopher women on "board" in season opener

2010-11-13T19:50:00.008-06:00

BY MIKE PEDEN

The University of Minnesota Gopher women's basketball team had one recurring theme throughout their season opener against Northern Illinois Saturday: rebounding from a 13-17 showing last year, where they finished last in the Big Ten Conference and dealt with a late-season schism questioning the heart of the senior class.

Fittingly, the Gophers capitalized on the boards, outrebounding the Huskies 41-21 en route to a 79-58 win at Williams Arena. The win, one of two semifinal games in the Best Buy Classic to open the season, will pit Minnesota against Wisconsin-Green Bay at 3:30 p.m. Sunday at Williams Arena.

While the struggles of last season are well-documented by fans and reporters, the Gophers hope win number one sends a message that a new chapter has started.

"There's a lot of energy, a lot of passion. You could see it on the court," said junior guard Kiara Buford, named a team captain before the season.

Junior forward Jackie Voigt did most of the work on the glass, scooping 14 rebounds for Minnesota. Buford scored a game-high 22 points while sophomore center Katie Loberg added 15, a result of Minnesota's brilliance hitting shots inside and out. The Gophers made 60% of their shots for the game, a number rarely seen from Minnesota over the last few years.

"Points in the paint have gone up drastically from last year. That's why I think our shooting percentage is a lot better," Buford said.

"Our focus is to be a better half-court team. Jackie did an outstanding job with the boards," said head coach Pam Borton, who started her 9th season in Minnesota.

The Gophers needed almost a full half to get accustomed to their off-season adjustments. The Huskies used a 9-0 run to trim an 11-point deficit to 2 with 1:45 remaining in the first half before the Gophers responded with a 10-0 run to end the half, highlighted by a four-point play when sophomore guard Leah Cotton drained a three-pointer after Buford missed the back end of her free throws.

While offense and rebounding stepped up, turnovers kept the Gophers from utterly blowing out Northern Illinois, coughing the ball up 26 times to the Huskies' 14.

"We had some self-inflicted wounds: poor passing, three seconds in the lane. We've got to clean that up," Borton said.

Loberg and Buford believe cleanup will be short.

"First-game jitters, very fixable stuff," Loberg said.

Most of the pre-season attention has gone to the captains, but several freshman recruits played their first minutes of collegiate action. Minnesota native Sari Noga and Canadian Micaëlla Riché both scored five points in about 10 minutes of action.

Borton said she eventually plans to trim her rotation to nine players as she seeks cohesion with a younger team, but the players promoted their newfound depth that was also absent in the last few seasons.

"Last year, we struggled with off-the-bench production. People underestimate how important your bench is. We can go deep and we're trying to utilize that," Buford said.

Northern Illinois forward Courtney Shelton led the Huskies with 16 points. The Huskies will face George Washington University in the third-place game Sunday at 1:00 p.m. at Williams Arena.

Silhouettes by RZI Couture

2010-10-19T11:06:00.003-05:00

Silhouettes by RZI Couture is now on the airwaves and the Internet, but the fight against breast cancer won't stop because the show's done. Visit RZI Couture's website and make a donation, or order a DVD copy of the program and $10 of every purchase will be donated to the benefit!

Televising for a cause

2010-10-03T20:14:00.003-05:00

A friend of mine told me about an inaugural fashion premiere in St. Paul to benefit a decorating and clothing designer currently battling breast cancer. That friend happens to be KMOJ's Miss Georgia, who co-hosted the Silhouettes by RZI Couture Breast Cancer Benefit Fashion Premiere, who has worn designs from RZI. Joined by KMOJ's Lisa Moy, the benefit at First Trinity Church drew a large crowd, who viewed new designs, raised money to fight breast cancer and honored those touched by the disease.

Now you can do the same! TSB Television will sell DVD copies of the fashion premiere, including testimonies from the models, who are either breast cancer survivors or relatives of breast cancer victims. Each copy is $15, and $10 from every purchase will be donated to the benefit! In case you're wondering, the remaining $5 covers supplies and labels. You know what to do! E-mail us at thesportsbrain@gmail.com to order your copy and help the fight!

Learn more about RZI Couture and the fight to beat breast cancer by visiting their website, linked here.

New to the playbook

2010-09-17T17:47:00.005-05:00

TSB Television added another video service to the plethora of options available for you, and we found a great introduction with the debut of Minnesota Machine: 2010 - Geared for Greatness! The highlight retrospective takes you through the entire 2010 season, culminating in their first division championship in franchise history! DVD copies are $10 and can be purchased by contacting us at thesportsbrain@gmail.com.

What does this mean for you? TSB now can produce highlight reels of your team and/or athlete who needs clips to send to college recruiters! E-mail us and we'll get you on your way to sharing memories or creating new ones!

Football season is coming!

2010-08-19T12:16:00.005-05:00

Practice for fall sports began this week in the state of Minnesota, which means high school football season is upon us! TSB Television has secured two TV games so far for the 2010 season and we're working with a few more schools to lock a few more in. When the TV schedule is finished, we'll post it online!

However, we can't do this alone! We'd appreciate your assistance in making these productions possible with a sponsorship. Supporting a broadcast is easy and gets your name on TV and online to maximize audience outreach! Rates start at $25! If you are interested in sponsoring a production, contact TSB TV at

thesportsbrain@gmail.com

From Vices to Verses: Featuring Voices Merging

2010-08-14T11:09:00.003-05:00

TSB Television continues its growth of versatility in programming with the documentary, From Vices to Verses: Featuring Voices Merging. This program will take you alongside the University of Minnesota's Voices Merging student group, who organized the conference, as they witness and absorb the culture and history of hip-hop.

Want to see more? Scroll to the top of the page to learn how you can get DVD copies of this program, with bonus footage not included online or on TV!

One-on-one with Nicky Anosike

2010-07-29T09:11:00.001-05:00

While we offer plenty of full-length programs on TSB Television, that doesn't mean we can't do shorter features. Here's one featuring Nicky Anosike of the Minnesota Lynx on her interests in civil law, history and equal rights!

A "celebration" for many reasons

2010-06-18T23:29:00.003-05:00

While TSB represents the initials for The Sports Brain, that doesn't mean TSB Television focuses only on sports. We put our mark at the University of Minnesota's Multicultural Center for Academic Excellence as they hosted a celebration of achievement for their students, which you can see below. The U of M staff who worked with us were great clients and we're looking forward to continuing this service in the coming years!

TSB TV's sports debut

2010-06-15T15:55:00.005-05:00

I produced my first sports broadcast under my new production name, TSB Television, last weekend with a WFA football league game with the Iowa Thunder taking on the Minnesota Machine at St. Paul's James Griffin Stadium. The WFA is a female version of the NFL, with the Machine in their second season of operation. The play was virtually no different than a men's game, although both teams were run-heavy (women haven't had the same opportunities as men in this sport). There's already talks about televising all their home games for 2011, so stay tuned for updates.

But don't take my word for it. Check it out!

2009-10 season recap

2010-03-21T12:02:00.002-05:00

I apologize for not keeping up with this blog more often. This season turned out to be my busiest not just on the basketball side, but with other projects that involved sports or other topics.

Finishing up coverage at Target Center last night, this was the first time where I was actually comfortable reporting finals coverage. Last year, I was wondering what my future would hold thanks to The Great Recession and the ugly departure from Keystone Productions. My first go-round in 2008 was tricky as I was overwhelmed by the aura of being at Target Center at a young stage in my reporting career. I sent a tape and got feedback from a producer at KSTC channel 45, who broadcasts the state tournaments annually, and since then, my skills and confidence in my play-by-play duties have exploded. I'm officially at the point where I'm ready to have my ego bruised.

That didn't mean this season went without a hitch. As usual, schedules changed and other curveballs tried to thwart our coverage, but we ended up televising more games than previous seasons (11 high school games, 1 community college game, 1 semi-pro game). I did accomplish my goal of covering more teams this year. Expanding was almost a necessity with the lack of superstars for girls basketball this year. The YouTube ratings reflected the lack of big names. My most-watched game of the season was the first high school game we televised: Rosemount vs. Centennial, neither of them even close to making state this year.

I'm not sure what will happen in the season to come as user-generated content continues to expand and change the game of high school basketball. There's not even a guarantee I'll be able to cover the high school circuit as extensively for 2010-2011. Graduating from the U of M and not having a daily ritual to follow makes the future even more unpredictable.

With that said, it's hard to really set goals for next season because I won't know where my broadcasting career will go next. I have better knowledge of protocol, but I am concerned the pool of teams may not be so large.

In any case, my focus will shift to the Lynx and Howard Pulley leagues for the moment and securing the 2010 All-Star series at Macalester College. Thanks for sticking with us! The ride is always exciting!

Scheduling changes

2010-02-11T16:28:00.003-06:00

As you might have guessed, this season has been very busy and not going as scheduled, but the coverage hasn't waned.

I can tell you that the Osseo vs. Centennial game this Friday will not be broadcast; people I spoke with to clear the game apparently didn't remember the conversations I had with them before the season began. An indicator that I need to show a little more diligence in following conversations when I announce a season-long schedule.

However, I will be calling a game this weekend. Community Hoops is lending a hand and giving me the chance to call the M.C.T.C./Anoka-Ramsey women's basketball game this Saturday afternoon. Broderick Bell will take a breather from his coaching job at Humboldt to join me.

Next week's game has also changed from DeLaSalle/Cretin to Mahtomedi/Richfield for boys basketball. Not as much prestige on paper, but basketball fans know that works-on-paper calculations aren't a reliable indicator with two evenly-matched teams.

Depending on the St. Paul City Conference race, I may do something for the Central/Humboldt match at Humboldt; the winner of that game will likely play the next day to take on the Minneapolis champion, in a race that has also yet to be decided.

More updates to come.

Sponsorship information

2009-11-17T10:26:00.006-06:00

Followers of this blog may know that I've moved from Keystone Productions to Ty Video Productions. The changes of switching companies include an increased emphasis on sponsorships to help support our broadcasts.

Sponsorship packages start at just $25 and your business would be featured on Metro Cable Network, where our games will be broadcast this season. MCN broadcasts to 1.5 million cable viewers in the Twin Cities area. Of course, the MCN telecasts are on top of our broadcasts online. Whether you sponsor just one game or the entire season, our broadcasts won't be possible without your help!

If you or someone you know is part of a business that would like to be a part of these games, please contact Jeremy Connolly at 651-955-6505 or by e-mail at tyvideoproductions@gmail.com. Learn more by visiting the Ty Video Productions website.
You can also contact Ty Video Productions to order DVD copies of our games!

Mark your calendars!

2009-11-15T23:34:00.005-06:00

We're less than two weeks away from the start of high school basketball coverage with Ty Video Productions. 15 games are scheduled for telecast this season on Metro Cable Network from late November through early March. Look for all our games online and on TV starting in December. Match-ups are listed below with pregame summary.

Saturday, November 28th (girls)
Pat Paterson Thanksgiving Tournament @ Hamline University
Bracket A Championship - Rosemount/St. Paul Central vs. Highland Park/Centennial, 10:45 a.m.
Bracket B Championship - White Bear Lake/Minneapolis North vs. Lakeville North/Osseo, 2:15 p.m.

Last year's AAAA runner-up will be one of the stronger teams to start the season, followed by a deep Lakeville North team led by Wisconsin recruit Cassie Rochel, provided those two win their respective first-round games. South Dakota State recruit Megan Waytashek and junior Kahla Becken are key returning players for Centennial. Central will be in rebuilding mode this year, but they do have head coach Willie Taylor, who carries a 262-51 overall record in his head coaching career with the Minutemen.

Saturday, December 5th (girls)
Breakdown Tip-Off Classic @ Hopkins, Lindbergh Center
DeLaSalle vs. St. Paul Central, 11:45 a.m.
followed by
Bloomington Kennedy vs. Minnehaha Academy, 3:45 p.m.
OR
Lakeville North vs. Minneapolis Roosevelt, 5:30 p.m.

The second game will depend on the results of the Pat Paterson tournament. Faith Johnson Patterson moves to the island along with some of her players that got her a 2nd place finish with Minneapolis North in the class AAA state tournament last season. No doubt they will be a contender, looking to erase years of big-game futility under former head coach Brian Frye.

Saturday, December 12th (boys)
Buffalo vs. St. Cloud Apollo @ St. Cloud State, 7:00 p.m.
Our first boys game of the season. Both teams finished in the top 10 in class AAA last season. This may not be the only these two teams fight in 2009-10.

Thursday, December 17th (boys)
Monticello vs. Elk River @ Elk River, 7:00 p.m.
Another top 10 team in AAA last season (Monticello) against a school that plays well with the Magic.

Friday, January 8th (boys)
St. Paul Johnson vs. St. Paul Central @ Central, 7:00 p.m.
Top two teams in the St. Paul City Conference last season play the first of two games. Johnson usually fields teams in the AAA boys state tournament and Central is no slouch either.

Tuesday, January 12th (boys)
Minneapolis North vs. Minneapolis Washburn @ Washburn, 7:00 p.m.
We head to the west side of the river to cover yet another top 10 team last season in AAA (Washburn) facing a school with a rich history behind its back.

Tuesday, January 19th (girls)
Eden Prairie vs. Chaska @ Chaska, 7:15 p.m.
OR
DeLaSalle vs. Minnehaha Academy @ Minnehaha, 5:45 p.m.

This girls date will also depend on the Pat Paterson tournament and how the teams fair in the early leg of the season. Eden Prairie reached the AAAA semifinals last season before falling to Centennial.

Tuesday, January 26th (girls)
Robbinsdale Armstrong vs. Minneapolis South @ South, 7:00 p.m.
The 2009 AAAA state champions in girls basketball will have to defend against a team upset by Minneapolis Southwest in last year's section playoffs. South is the preseason favorite to win the Minneapolis City Conference, but expect a wide open race for some time. This will be Armstrong's final year in the Classic Lake before that conference is dissolved.

Friday, February 5th (girls)
Lakeville North vs. Chaska @ Chaska, 7:15 p.m.
Two solid Lake Conference programs for girls basketball. The Panthers were ranked 4th in class AAAA in 2009 while the Hawks were #5. The matchup between Rochel and Tisch will be key.

Friday, February 12th (girls)
Osseo vs. Centennial @ Centennial, 7:00 p.m.
We move to the Northwest Suburban Conference for this girls game. Osseo has played stubborn against Centennial before, delivering the biggest upset in 2008 by knocking the Cougars out in the section final and giving them two competitive games last year under new head coach Joey Waters.

Saturday, February 20th (boys)
DeLaSalle vs. Cretin-Derham Hall @ Cretin, 5:00 p.m.
Both teams were unranked last season, but the Raiders import several top football players who also show court skills. DeLaSalle produces high-level talent as well.

Saturday, February 27th (girls)
Twin Cities girls championship @ St. Paul, 1:30 p.m.
I wish I could tell you who will play against each other here, but parity will be much higher to start the season as both conferences lost a lot of talent to graduation. Minneapolis and St. Paul will be weaker, as will most of the state. Whoever plays here will likely be the result of good coaching versus pure talent.

Saturday, March 6th (boys)
Twin Cities boys championship, 1:30 p.m. (site TBD)
The talent on the boys side hasn't dropped, and fans will get a good game with the boys conference winners.

Sponsorship information will be posted tomorrow.

The Sports Brain returns...and so will the hoops.

2009-10-19T18:00:00.004-05:00

About six months ago, I wasn't sure if I would continue covering basketball as my old producer and I parted ways and I lacked support to go forward. This was also the reasoning behind my lack of participation on this site. After covering two football games in October and holding a few chats with my new producer at Ty Video Productions, that concern is no more. I'll be returning to televise the 2009-2010 basketball season.

There will be two big changes this season. Given the whirlwind taking place on the girls side for 2009-2010, we'll be expanding to the boys side for the first time this season. We won't be abandoning coverage of girls basketball altogether, we're just leveling the playing field in terms of coverage.

Change #2 is where the games will be broadcast. We'll still broadcast on SPNN for cable viewers in the St. Paul area, but we'll be expanding in that area too. My producer worked a deal to broadcast games on the Metro Cable Network (channel 6), whose range includes the entire Twin Cities metro area. You don't need to be in St. Paul or wait for the online broadcast to watch your favorite teams in action if you live somewhere else in the metro region.

A TV schedule will be posted when it's finalized. Expect us to televise some major events, but it's the single games that will be more challenging to pencil in.

Broadcast preview: 3rd annual Urban Bowl

2009-07-10T14:25:00.002-05:00

I'm on crew again to televise the 3rd annual Urban Bowl at Griffin Stadium (Central's field) Saturday for SPNN. If you're new, it's an all-star football game meant to recognize the best players in the Minneapolis and St. Paul City Conference. Given the weak performance of both conferences among current teams in the last few years, this is probably the best exposure returning players are going to get all season. However, this one has a little more meaning than its spiritual sister, the Inner City All-Star Classic, because Minneapolis players will play against St. Paul players instead of a random jumble. The game is still an exhibition and nothing more than a structured pick-up game, but there are some bragging rights at stake.

The game should look a little more slick than last time as I have rosters and players to watch with me to use for graphics, along with some promotional images. The only real concern I have is the game starting later than its scheduled 3:15 kickoff. Last year, the game started 30 minutes late with no warning, which I thought was disrespectful. However, once you start televising games, it doesn't take too long for the beneficiaries to understand the process behind making a broadcast successful. I'm the graphics designer this time around, so you'll have to wait a little longer for my play-by-play.

The game itself will be tape-delayed, so you'll have to visit http://www.spnn.org to find out when the game is airing. Unfortunately, if you don't live in St. Paul, you won't be able to watch the game.

Broadcast wrap-up: Inner City All-Star Classic

2009-06-15T21:23:00.002-05:00

My performance left more to be desired as a sleepless night reared its ugly head and affected my focus. I could have spent some more time doing prep work for the event as far as the CG graphics, but at least I unveiled a new feature that I'll use for ensemble games. Tayler Hill and Royce White got the MVP trophies for what it's worth, although the scorekeeping and officiating was pretty loose. It's always a laid-back game. I already discussed what I think would help improve the event. Overall, I thought I could have turned in a better performance for the network, but I'm sure they'll enjoy the production values I offer for the event.

Things will go back to normal for a while, although I don't have any projects coming up for about a month that come with a paycheck attached. I suppose it's hard to pitch yourself when you're new to the game. I will be making my hockey debut later this month (I know, somewhat of a disconnect, but it's good to get that first one out of the way in time for the big games). Hopefully I'll find something to kill time soon.

Broadcast preview: Inner City All-Star Classic

2009-06-13T22:41:00.002-05:00

A little late, although I've been busy working on pregame videos for the event. Arlington will likely get a little warm tomorrow without air conditiong in the building, which usually makes for a bad sign as far as the crowd goes; seeing them wave flyers around isn't exactly the best way to market the game. I do miss not having the event at Concordia's Gangelhoff Center, which I thought was a better venue than Arlington. Just my two cents; I'm not familiar with what goes on to set up the event. The only problem I had was finding stats on the players for introductions; some coaches don't do very well posting stats. I bring up a suggestion from Kevin Anderson last year that they should offer the spot for people looking to volunteer; there are many bright, young mathematicians out there and would make the players' bios less empty (favorite food doesn't cut it when you're on the verge of adulthood, unless you're marketing the game to 10-year-olds).

Three players who participated in this year's All-Star series will be in the girls game: Kara Elofson of Hopkins, Brittany Zins of Kennedy, and Brianna Edwards of Minneapolis North. In all fairness, there should have been six. Katya Leick was scheduled to play but had other commitments and won't be at the event (Leick was in the all-star series), Theairra Taylor would have been a lock had she not suffered her ACL injury, and Tayler Hill would have been a lock for the all-star series but used up her eligibility with two national all-star games. One of the stranger years, but this will be the final high school game Tayler Hill plays. Three players from the legendary Hopkins boys team will also dress for the game.

There is some history this year. This is the first time that both the Mr. and Miss Minnesota Basketball award winners will play in the same event. Given the level of basketball talent in the last few years, this statistic was inevitable, but still worth highlighting. I'll probably include something tomorrow to use for my in-game graphics.

Time to do a little research on past players who took part in the event (there's often a lot of dead time). I'm going to a grad party after the game, so a postgame report won't come until at least Monday.

Sparks-Lynx recap

2009-06-10T23:13:00.003-05:00

I'm happy that Tamara Moore doesn't like to see her "shadows" sit around, she had me dive in with some post-game interviews tonight, although I did it with another colleague I met at the game. The Lynx defeated the Sparks 87-76 as four Lynx players scored double-digits, getting some help from the Sparks when Lisa Leslie fouled out with 52 seconds left in the third quarter.

I co-interviewed Leslie along with Sparks players Betty Lennox and Vanessa Hayden, who was with the Lynx last season. On the Lynx's end, I talked to Nicky Anosike and Candace Wiggins. Throughout the post-game interviews, I never felt uncomfortable, which I attribute to interviewing several Gophers players and personnel in the last few years and doing more sideline interviews overall last season. That said, I definitely took a cautious approach to tonight's game as I became familiar with the process. I feel relaxed enough about reporting a game when I'm assigned to cover one and with a little fine-tuning, it should bolster my resumé as I start to move up the ladder.

Don't have much time to rest though. I begin several days of work for the upcoming Inner City All-Star Classic, which will include pregame interviews and player introductions. Nothing I haven't done before, but interviews are always a challenge. I'll provide a pregame report on Saturday.

My first Lynx game and my new home

2009-06-09T15:46:00.006-05:00

As far as updates go, I will no longer be working with Keystone Productions. An incident early in the spring combined with creative differences makes working with that organization no longer feasible. I'll be broadcasting high school hockey games with Ty Productions next winter and am working to move my basketball coverage under the Ty banner. I'll be calling a game later this month as a "test run" to see how everything will work out and I may do the same with basketball to see how my new co-worker fairs. So far, I like what I see from my new colleague and I definitely know ways to ramp up the quality of his broadcasts. What this likely means is I'll be reducing the number of basketball games I televise to accommodate hockey, but I won't leave altogether. There are quite a few basketball names in the community who don't want to see me leave, and if I want to advance my announcing career, that's probably a good idea.

In other news, I'll be shadowing former WNBA player Tamara Moore for tomorrow's Sparks-Lynx game as she reports for Community Hoops, where I'll do some freelance reporting later this summer. The Lynx come in at 2-0 with wins over Chicago and Indiana while Los Angeles is 1-1 after splitting a home-and-home series with Detroit. The Sparks picked up Tina Thompson from the dispersal draft after the Comets folded, and her presence reduces the impact of Candace Parker's absence as she recovers from giving birth last month. The Lynx's strength is still their one-two punch of Seimone Augustus and Candace Wiggins, but the interesting storyline will be the development of UConn alum Renee Montgomery as the season progresses. Still early, but this should serve as a barometer game for the young Lynx and the veteran Sparks. Post-game report to come tomorrow night.

Broadcast wrap-up: Alumni Basketball Classic

2009-04-26T18:57:00.003-05:00

While AAAA won the all-star series without the class' top players and AA taking home third place, the Alumni Basketball Classic in St. Paul proved to have the climax of a Timberwolves game; non-existent. Then again, so was the Miss Basketball ceremony as Tayler Hill got what everyone and their dog saw coming since spring of last year. She certainly had the stats to back her up, and Ohio State will likely welcome her explosive play. If anything, the other nominees may have lost out in this for no other reason than having to graduate the same year as Hill. By no means are they untalented, but they didn't have to reach state tournaments (and win in some cases) by themselves. They were just simply overshadowed, but they'll get their chance to make a name too as they join their respective colleges.

As far as the alumni classic, the quality of play is virtually non-existent. You can tell most of the high school alumni who participate have aged considerably as they get tired pretty fast. Mechanic Arts and friends beat Central 63-51 for what it's worth. The most dramatic moment didn't come from the game, it came from the crew. The director fell ill at the end of the game and had to step out. He had another shoot to work on later that night and I didn't hear anything about his condition. Our producer offered to have him checked out, but he refused. You'll notice a throwback graphics design if you watch the broadcast on SPNN channel 19. Find out when the game will be on by visiting http://www.spnn.org.

For now, the next sporting event I would be involved with in the near future is the Inner City All-Star Classic in the summer, another exhibition event that carries little significance as far as the game is concerned, but will be the last chance to see most Minneapolis/St. Paul players in action before they head to college. The odds for AAU are still not in my favor and other spring sports are virtually impossible to televise, so I may not see play-by-play action again until next basketball season. Something may spring up, but given my luck, I doubt it. I'll post again when the next sporting event I'm called up for comes.

Broadcast preview: Alumni Basketball Classic XVIII

2009-04-24T21:54:00.002-05:00

I'm hired to broadcast the 18th annual Alumni Basketball Classic on SPNN, where high school alumni meet once a year from different schools to play each other in a friendly. The level of play is OK; the older competitors don't have the stamina they once held in high school, but what I do enjoy about the broadcast is the chance to do old-school graphics. Since I started doing this a few years ago, I always have at least one game where I use throwback graphics. Because of the change in the event in recent years, I switched from an '80s motif to a '90s motif this year. In fact, I'm using the template and style NBC used for their sporting events for the 1992-93 season.

However, this means I won't be able to televise Saturday's finals for the girls basketball All-Star series. I'm not as disappointed as I normally would be because several players are unable to participate, including Tayler Hill (ineligible), Theairra Taylor (injury) and Megan Nipe (injury). Needless to say, the '09 rendition will have a little more Pro Bowl look to it, although some of the top players in other classes will be playing tomorrow. My guess is they had trouble getting Schoenecker Arena again and had to move their finals from Sunday to Saturday.

I'm not sure what to expect next season. The situation with one of my co-workers is rockier than before; we haven't contacted each other for a month. Considering he had several resources I used for these productions that I currently do not have, it may put the future of broadcasting games in doubt. What this means is up in the air, but it's created an awkward situation as a result of the month-long stalemate. The solutions are few, but I consider this a moment where I find out who my true allies are.

Recap to come soon.

Broadcast wrap-up: 2009 state tournament

2009-03-22T01:34:00.003-05:00

I still have yet to view the post-season show, and I still have a few hurdles to clear as far as slowing down and being more conversational (I think having additional people might help that aspect as fewer things will rush through my head). Initially speaking, I was far more comfortable being there than I was last year, even without Heinz leading the way. It was a bit of a hindrance as far as interviews go (I was hoping to get Centennial on the way out), but I guess you can call me committed. I had gone through too much to just say forget it. Despite our bare bones equipment, we made it work. I also successfully recorded the AAA and AAAA games to my computer, so I'll be using as much footage as I'm allowed from 45.

St. Michael-Albertville won what will be their only state title in class AAA; they're moving up to AAAA next season by beating a Minneapolis North team who was rather young; many players still have yet to attend high school. 63-50 was the final. North is scheduled to go to class AA, but they're requesting to stay in AAA, so we'll see what happens. In any case, at some point, the experience can be overwhelming for players who aren't old enough for driver's education. North looked lost after jumping out to a quick start and could never find that spark in the second half. St. Michael-Albertville wasn't supposed to be there either as the unofficial 7 seed (they were technically unseeded) and ended up as the surprise of the tournament. However, North may return to the powerhouse they were at the beginning of the decade.

Things finished as expected in class AAAA, but the final score was closer than expected. Minneapolis South won 68-61 over Centennial with 47 points coming from Tayler Hill alone. Hill was the only player to score double-digits for South, except they didn't lose this time. Megan Nipe scored 22 points for Centennial, but this game was won from the free throw line. South was 25-30 (83%) while Centennial was 17-26 (65%) from the charity stripe. For those who think free throws aren't important (they generally don't provide many points by percentage), they really do make a difference that can't be attributed to how the other team plays. Hill tied the all-time tournament record for points in a single game and easily broke the all-time single season scoring record. She finishes her dream season with 1,053 points. More astonishing is that Hill didn't score below 20 all season. Not even Sadiqah Jihad fouling out or Tyisha Smith leaving the game due to a knee injury would stop South from winning what was supposed to be theirs last year, the class AAAA state championship.

You'll see us again at the All-Star series, but looking back now, some goals I will try for next season (should I return) are:

1. Create an emergency plan in case one of my co-workers goes AWOL for three weeks and fails to respond to any form of communication. I almost got burned today.

2. Expand the coverage area. We went to Becker, but it was to televise a game featuring Minneapolis South. You may see us head for the Lake Conference or Suburban East as St. Paul looks rather weak for 2009-10.

3. Focus on just play-by-play, whether I call games solo or with a partner.

4. Find a few more faces who are willing to call games with me. The sources I have now are reliable, but they're often swamped with basketball schedules of their own (coaching that is). Guess you can't take people away from the thing they love most.

5. Be more careful when conducting interviews with college players. I almost landed in hot water, but cleared up the issue before it boiled.

Exhausting as it was, and frustrating, I'm glad to close the book for 2008-09. You'll see the post-season show soon. I don't expect to televise AAU this summer given the logisitical concerns, but you never know.

Broadcast preview: 2009 state tournament

2009-03-21T00:15:00.002-05:00

I've visited the Target Center a couple times this week to clear a few hurdles; the place isn't as intimidating once you get used to the layout. I'm not sure how this year will turn out compared to last year. Heinz is on another shoot, leaving Bob and I left to televise the tournament. Bob wasn't able to secure a DSR 250, so we'll see how the 300 handles the lights of Target Center. I'm bringing a camera from the U of M, which does a pretty solid job on its own.

I do kind of wish Heinz would have gotten to us sooner; I've tried unsuccessfully to contact him for three weeks and his other commitments is one reason why I'm considering to not continue after this. I don't question his work ethic, but a girls basketball schedule is too exhausting with parts of the operation at different places. Several DVDs have yet to be published and it's getting to the point where it may not be worth broadcasting them on SPNN. Combine that with the lack of sponsorship support, and I feel that I could get some practice some place else. At times, I feel like a lone man beating a dead bush. In any case, there's still some post-season action left with class AAA and AAAA.

Minneapolis North, while ranked in AAA themselves, have taken down two teams ranked above them to reach the final with St. Michael-Albertville, the unofficial 7 seed. Analysts suggest North will steamroll STMA, although North's last win was part skill and part sheer luck with a missed New Prague free throw. With several 8th-graders on the team, I'd expect them to be a force again if they can't pull out a win against STMA. North also has the state assists leader: Chelsey McGee, who happens to be an 8th-grader. Faith Johnson-Patterson has also won five state titles in her tenure with the Polars, which means she has another hand to fill.

Everything has gone as expected in class AAAA as many thought South and Centennial would be the potential match-up from the start of the season. Centennial's damaged as Megan Nipe has played with a bad knee all season. South is at full strength and proved they can win even after "goofing off" for a half as they erased a 14-point halftime deficit Thursday to beat Eastview. South was the heavy favorite coming in and some said their section final was essentially for the state tournament. So was the thought last year, except Central pulled off a minor upset. Centennial's team doesn't have the depth like Central did a year ago. However, South has lived and died on Tayler Hill. If Centennial shuts her down like Central did, other players will be forced to step up, which isn't something they're used to. This year will likely be South's last chance to win a state title for some time. Centennial will have some rebuilding to do, but they have some good players coming up.

QUICK RELEASE

1. Tayler Hill's scoring total has yet to be finalized, which is essentially a waiting period to find out how many points will someone have to score to break her record. Speaking of records, Hill easily won the scoring title this year, passing the 1,000 point mark in her game against Eastview. If Hill's previous season high? 857 in her sophomore year. She also will lead the state in another category: free throws made and free throws attempted (250/327). Do the math, and that's almost 25% of her scoring total from the charity stripe.

2. Hill posted seven double-doubles this season, also a career high while playing at South.

3. Bridget Schuneman stepped up this season, placing second in the Northwest Suburban Conference in scoring and leading the conference in rebounds.

4. Megan Nipe, while hurt, averages over 16 points per game this season. For many players, that would be a dream statistic (especially at places like Arlington, Harding and Como Park).

5. Centennial lost twice this season, once to Osseo without Megan Nipe and once to Hill-Murray with Nipe. South also lost twice, once to Hopkins when not at full strength and an upset loss to Maple Grove at full strength. In other words, full rosters doesn't necessarily mean an automatic win.

By the way, if Hill scores 17 points or more today, she will break the record for most points in a single season.

If you go today, you'll see Willie Taylor there. Not because his team is in, but because he's on the selection committee for the all-state team in class AAAA.

Time to throw my NCAA bracket out the window. Didn't see the Wisconsin upset coming.

Section seeds

2009-03-02T17:36:00.004-06:00

I'll post my reflections on the Twin Cities game shortly, but before I do that, I will offer my thoughts on section seeding involving teams I've televised this season in tandem with the St. Paul City Conference.

We'll start with section four in class AA. Jordan and Roosevelt are the two #1 seeds in their subsections and it's hard to fathom that either will face any difficulty until they play each other again. Jordan crushed Roosevelt in their first meeting, but Roosevelt may pull off an upset if they can work together as a group. Shakila Boler has had more time to catch up with her teammates. Roosevelt had no trouble beating other high seeds in their section, knocking off Humboldt and St. Croix Lutheran despite not being at full strength. Humboldt may get to the subsection final, but it will likely be Jordan and Roosevelt in the final. Jordan's two losses this season were against teams they will not face in post-season play and are the favorites to win class AA. My pick: Jordan.

On to section four in class AAA. Hill-Murray and Minnehaha Academy are the top seeds. Unfortunately, we couldn't televise their regular season game as Hill-Murray went through some problems with their boys hockey team posting pictures of themselves violating league rules on Facebook. However, the bulk of the St. Paul City Conference is in this section. St. Paul is still very weak; Central had no problem winning another conference title this season. Highland Park would be a threat if they could beat teams better than they are, but they've failed to do that in the last two seasons and suffered an upset loss to Mahtomedi. Hill-Murray and Minnehaha will play each other again, but it's a toss-up regarding who will make it to state.

Chaska leads the group in section two in class AAAA. Eden Prairie is second. EP beat Central twice this season, but lost to the Lake Conference winner in both regular season games. However, we've all heard the old adage about beating a team three times. Richfield may have something to say about that as Classic Suburban champs winning 22 of their last 23 games. Kennedy beat Chaska in January as well and lost by just three in the second meeting. Prior Lake doesn't have enough to hold up as the game they played against Chaska will show you. Any one of the top four seeds has a chance to qualify for state. My pick: Chaska by a slight edge as they've come out on top more often than not in the tough Lake Conference.

Which brings us to section three in class AAAA. Lakeville North is number one and split their season series with Chaska, falling one game shy of the Lake title. Park of Cottage Grove fell hard with the loss of Voigt to graduation and Fisher to an ACL injury. They'll look to rebuild for next season. Lakeville North beat Eastview twice, the first by one and the second time by 14. Eastview can't be counted out, but Lakeville North brings in depth and talent. Don't let the 19-7 record fool you. My pick: Lakeville North.

Section four in class AAAA features Central and Cretin-Derham Hall. We didn't televise Woodbury this season, although they came back in a big way with the return of Sarah Hintz this season. Woodbury lost twice this season to Minnesota teams (the third was against a Wisconsin team) and while their deliberate style can be beaten, it won't be easy. Woodbury gets in trouble if their opponent reaches the 60s. White Bear Lake was close both times against Woodbury, but will have to play through Central first. Cretin's not going anywhere. St. Paul Central exceeded coach Willie Taylor's expectations; he told me they would be 18-8 coming into sections. At 20-6, they're unpredictable. They haven't faired well against other class AAAA teams this season, but did beat Osseo. They get a lot of box-and-ones, but don't have the same depth they did over the last two seasons or the same level of talent. My pick: Woodbury.

Speaking of Osseo, the Orioles and Centennial both play in section five in class AAAA. Centennial is #1 and Osseo is #2. The two split their season series, although Nipe didn't play the first time. The Cougars won by 15 in the second meeting when she returned. Nipe, however, isn't the same player we've seen in previous years; Bridget Schuneman leads the team in scoring this year. That doesn't make Centennial a slouch though. Osseo upset Centennial last year and lost close games with other top AAAA teams this season despite a new coach (Joey Waters, who was an assistant at Central last year). They could pull it off once again. My pick: Centennial, hopefully it won't be the kiss of death.

Finally, the big one: section six in class AAAA. Hopkins and South have identical records, so don't let their seedings fool you. South's loss to Hopkins came when they weren't at full strength and my colleague at Community Hoops says Armstrong caught Hopkins on a bad day to upset them. Hopkins barely escaped over Wayzata in their second meeting. Hopkins looks strong, but they're not invincible. South can't do much about their conference, but they've figured out how to beat the box-and-one as they're loaded with shooters. South's two losses came when Tayler Hill was the only player to break double digits, so taking out her support options will be the key to success. South hasn't lost since their upset loss to Maple Grove, however. Armstrong may have something to say too after their loss to South in the regular season. Minnetonka has come up with some big wins as well despite going 12-14. Call me a pack follower, but I believe whoever comes out on top in this section will win the state title in class AAAA. South will have to get through Armstrong and Hopkins to get in, but they're used to this kind of pressure. My pick: Minneapolis South

A test of morale

2009-02-18T20:02:00.002-06:00

Obviously, the Minnehaha-DeLaSalle game didn't work out. The DeLaSalle coaches wouldn't give the green light. That makes two games we were turned away (although one was out of everyone's control) that would have made for great television. Calling games and streaming them online has turned into an experiment on human behavior. Given that I study behavioral patterns of people all the time, this is turning into a big learning experience.

Speaking of behavior, the cynicism I'm dealing with from my co-workers isn't helping my morale or interest in continuing high school broadcasts after this season. I spoke with Heinz about a game plan for the upcoming Central-South Twin Cities game (the fifth straight time the two teams will play each other and the eighth overall since 2005). Talk of the controversy about Tayler Hill's scoring record came up and I recited everything that was reported in local media outlets (every newspaper and TV station in the metro area). His response was that it was all made up.

I understand the need to obtain information, but when you're not available to get it, I don't feel that everyone else is making up quotes and other information that isn't correct, although the South A.D. did tell me the Pioneer Press made an error about the attendance of last night's South-Roosevelt game. TV stations get their ideas from newspapers frequently and vice-versa. It was accurate reporting (and lack of hometown bias) that busted the U of M men's basketball team years ago for academic fraud. Unfortunately, there are the Janet Cooks and Jayson Blairs that tarnish the reputation of the profession, but not everyone thinks of journalism as making it up. If we're talking cynicism, who's to say I'm not fabricating every detail I recite. I don't, but this is a potential danger of cynicism: you don't trust anyone. As such, he claims that I would be the first to reveal information about Tayler Hill's college selection process or the scoring record controversy (that will likely end in a few games). Sorry to burst your bubble, but I'm not.

Heinz has also commented on my reporting and interviewing style. While he has admitted that he does this sometimes to rile me up, I wonder if I have the right approach in the wrong field. Sports, by default, is designed to be entertaining. However, as I said in my last post, asking people what their favorite pizza topping is won't get you anywhere. I try to have fun with these people, but I always ask serious questions designed to make people think about themselves as players and as students. I have a limited amount of opportunities and don't want to give these people free passes. As such, I emphasize what's happening in the game since that's the most relevant piece of information. It's old by the time we televise, but if we were looking for pure entertainment, I'd be doing another type of show.

My naïvete or Heinz's lack of journalistic training could be altering both our perspectives, but I don't know if it's worth continuing to call games if the cycle of cynicism and obsession with entertainment versus breaking the story continues. When you're on the same beat as other reporters who have a bigger budget and resources available, the goal is to find a way to stand out from the others, which is what I've attempted once I became comfortable with doing play-by-play. However, you can't always get everything and have to trust the work of others when that happens. Everyone's looking for that break, but there is some team play that goes on in journalism and I feel I'm the only one who understands this.

Then again, given what's happened with some teams this year, perhaps there are few who actually care about how good reporters like me cover the field. Perhaps I'm stuck on an old-school model. Sometimes I wish I knew the answers without having to second-guess myself.

Broadcast wrap-up: Osseo vs. St. Paul Central

2009-02-08T12:09:00.002-06:00

Free throws were the difference in this game. Osseo couldn't buy a free throw late in the second half and those missed points cost them as Central pulled off a minor upset, winning 57-51. Fouls piled up on both sides and the small crowd was treated to an exciting basketball game. Theairra Taylor led all players with 19 points. Central needs to beat Highland one more time to lock their spot in the Twin Cities game. Given the fact that they beat Highland on the road, that shouldn't be a problem.

Broderick Bell returned and it felt like old times, except we're much more comfortable with each other than we were two years ago. His coaching duties occupy a lot of his time, but it was nice to actually have someone alongside; I've had a partner for just three games and the rest I've called solo. Is it a problem? No, but it gets a little lonely up there.

I also feel that I'm very comfortable with interviews. I did freeze up when I was chatting with Dani Mangen and Chiamaka Okonkwo of Osseo, but going off script has proved a wise idea so far. The flow with my interviews and open are much better. My coworker, Heinz, teases me about the lack of blondes I feature. I know he's pulling my leg, but I'm not seeking the shallow male sexist demographic.

He does the same with my interviews, as I usually will provide some background before I ask a question. There are times when this isn't possible, but adding some details emits the perception to others that the reporter wasn't plucked from the street and thrown in the fire, that they actually have an interest in what's going on. In any case, he's commented at length about the style of my questions, joking that I should ask them what their favorite pizza topping is. I know the game is over by the time it airs, and I know Heinz is joking, but I believe you're going to stand out for the wrong reasons if you're asking fluffy questions to subjects.

Two more games to go (if I can actually get a hold of DeLaSalle that is).

Next TV game:
Minnehaha Academy vs. DeLaSalle
February 14th, 6:00 p.m. at DeLaSalle

Broadcast wrap-up: Jordan vs. Roosevelt, scheduling change

2009-02-03T00:27:00.002-06:00

Sorry for the delay; the Super Bowl got my attention yesterday and preparations for Monday's game were minimal due to the quick turnaround. The broadcast almost didn't happen, but the situation was resolved.

Jordan got out early and never looked back, thanks to 24 first-half points from Brittany Chambers. Roosevelt's shooting woes cost them; they couldn't buy a basket. Boler is back, but it's clear she's not at full strength herself. Time will help her restore her playing abilities, but Roosevelt will have to play as a sleeper team rather than a favorite for the playoffs. Tyesha Wright was solid, but had no team support. Jordan won 82-60 and showed why they're the favorites to win the state title this time. Jordan is by far the goofiest team I've talked to, and I don't mean they're weird. Some players would "upstage" the person I was interviewing; Chambers at South and Dietel at Roosevelt, and I spotted that and somehow parlayed it into talking about the team chemistry. Perhaps I'm more comfortable in front of the camera after all. Jordan certainly is.

Our next TV game happens to be a scheduling change. In fact, there are two worth noting. The SPA/MPA doubleheader will not be televised as negotiations were unsuccessful. In its place are Osseo vs. Central at 1:30 p.m. at St. Paul Central, Central's last non-conference game of the season and Minnehaha Academy vs. DeLaSalle at DelaSalle on Valentine's Day. I will be back to normal postings this month.

Scheduling Change: Prior Lake vs. Chaska

2009-01-14T18:36:00.002-06:00

As you may have guessed, we didn't televise the Central-Johnson game from earlier this week; Central blew Johnson away in a 75-40 win and wouldn't make for a great televised game.

However, we are adding two new teams to our broadcast repertoire; Prior Lake and Chaska. Chaska is currently ranked 3rd in the state in the Maxpreps poll while Prior Lake is #52 despite having a 5-7 record; they've played some tough opponents in the first half of the season. Tip-off is scheduled at 7:15 p.m. Saturday in Chaska.

More to follow, but our Lake Conference coverage will now be up to three teams.

Broadcast wrap-up: Jordan vs. Minneapolis South

2009-01-10T20:37:00.003-06:00

I did something new today despite being the play-by-play voice for three seasons; I conducted an interview after the game with three South players. In other words, you'll hear me while I'm in the bleachers and then you'll see me on the court. We could really use a sideline reporter, but I'm used to being the go-getter now.

The game was back and forth, but Tayler Hill nailed a key three while the game was tied at 40 that South used in an 11-2 run that gave them enough of a cushion to win 59-52 over Jordan. Chambers and Dietel were solid for Jordan, but they couldn't keep up with South's speed. Tayler Hill did her part, coming alive in the second half, but South could have won by more if it wasn't for several miscues on offense. Three charges (two on Hill) and several traveling violations wiped away easy baskets. Somewhat uncharacteristic of South, but Maple Grove and Hopkins already proved they're not invincible. I strained my vocal chords with the exciting highlights from Chambers and Hill though. Great game, perhaps the best of the season.

I'm also surprised there wasn't a bigger crowd for South. The game was before both NFL playoff games today, although I was told it wasn't highly publicized. When you can bring a top team in, promoting that fact can really bring in the home crowd.

I'm in a bit of a bind regarding the next TV game. Johnson is going backwards and Highland Park still can't beat a good team (including a two-point loss to Roosevelt, who wasn't at full strength), so it appears Central will win the conference title again as long as they don't get cocky. I'm eyeing their road match against Minnetonka on January 24th, but I will provide an update as soon as I can get confirmation.

Broadcast preview: Jordan vs. Minneapolis South

2009-01-09T21:34:00.002-06:00

Jordan makes their first of two Minneapolis stops this season with a game against South, their second class AAAA opponent of the year. Jordan is coming off a win over #1AAA New Prague while South won a big game against #4 (Maxpreps) Eden Prairie. Both teams can hang with the top teams in the state, which could set up fireworks for their meeting against each other.

On the broadcast side of things, I'm starting to wonder how viable this can be in the future. I don't have any problems calling games solo as I've done for most of the season, and my colleagues all have other commitments, but I wonder if it's really a sign telling me how much interest there truly is in girls basketball and/or announcing. I know I'm not the only one who cares about this, but I think I may be in a small pool.

QUICK RELEASE

1. Tayler Hill is sitting at 3,368 points, 326 points behind Katie Ohm's all-time record. She has already claimed second place, passing Megan Taylor's career total of 3,300.

2. Neither Brittany Chambers or Tayler Hill have scored below double digits this season. Chambers' lowest total was 12 against New Prague while Hill has still yet to score below 20. Her lowest total was 21 points against Hopkins at the Dick's Sporting Goods tournament.

3. South is still lacking in support, with Tyisha Smith and Ameshia Kearney averaging just over 10 points per game, part of that helped by playing two weak teams in the Minneapolis City Conference. Hill can't win games by herself.

4. Jordan isn't loaded with basketball players, but all-around athletes. Most of the team played on this year's volleyball team, who won the class AA title.

5. About a quarter of Hill's points are coming from the free throw line, where she's averaging 79% as a free throw shooter. She leads the state in free throw points and free throw attempts.

Wrap-up to follow.

Wrap-ups: South vs. Park and Eden Prairie vs. Roosevelt

2009-01-04T00:33:00.004-06:00

I apologize for not posting sooner, I was home for the holidays and spent some time catching up with the family, and I had issues getting a hold of Roosevelt's staff for the green light to televise their game with Eden Prairie. Fortunately, the game worked out, but a two-man referee crew proved to be problematic with our floor cameraman. One of them apparently made a stink about him being down there. There should be a three-man crew at every game, but I can't control that.

The Minneapolis South-Park (Cottage Grove) game turned out well, although a guardrail prevented my overhead cameraman from getting shots on the baseline. If we go there again, we may try to move up; I like a clear shot of the entire court because you never know when you'll need that space. South blew away Park, who was no match for South after the 2nd half started.

On an interesting note, Jackie Voigt was there, but said she wasn't allowed to talk to reporters while Brianna Mastey, another freshman, had no problem talking to me on my visit to Becker for the Tip-Off Classic. I didn't have that problem with Pam Borton, Gopher women's basketball head coach, either. Perhaps there's something I'm not aware of or something I did that I wasn't supposed to do. Perhaps it's individual preference. My nerves are slowly fading, although I was thinking too much about avoiding questions Borton could not answer in my four-minute chat with her at Becker. In any case, I haven't received calls or e-mails telling me I'm in trouble, so I won't fret unless that happens.

On Eden Prairie and Minneapolis Roosevelt, I worked with Brandon Jones, who made his broadcasting debut for high school sports. It took a little while to establish roles, but I thought he was poised and prepared to handle the responsibilities. I'd definitely work with him again, simply because many of the mistakes were likely caused by his lack of experience in calling a game while I've been at this for three seasons. Eden Prairie could be a dark horse for class AAAA, already beating Central and Osseo with a 7-2 record so far. Their depth is their advantage. Roosevelt played good defense, but shooting was their Achilles' heel in a 79-59 win for the Eagles. We'll see what changes are made when Boler is ready to play, which should be soon. They're not bad without her, but she'll add some much needed help with depth when she does suit up. Overall, I wish I could have better prepared for this game, but I thought it turned out all right.

South will be our next stop, and our sixth different location in as many games (Hamline, Becker, Central, Park, Roosevelt were the first five) before we make a repeat stop at Central and Roosevelt. I definitely like the expanded coverage we're doing this season, giving more teams a share of the pie.

Next TV game:
Jordan vs. Minneapolis South @ South, 1:00 p.m.
Will broadcast on SPNN channel 15 and YouTube