December 31, 2011

Men's BB Last Non-Conference Game Is No Vacation

A lot of people go to California for the holidays looking for relaxation. The Hamline men's bb team is no exception. But they also mixing in some serious work, too. The Pipers (4-4 overall) will put a three-game winning streak on the line when they visit Chapman College on New Year's Eve afternoon. Game time is 3:00 p.m. CST.

You can watch the game online, listen to a broadcast or simply get live stats by clicking here.

A member of the SCIAC (Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference), the Panthers (8-4) are nobody's idea of a vacation. They have won four games in a row, including a 62-44 victory over Caltech on December 29. (Ironically, Caltech was also Hamline's last victim. HU ran up its largest margin of victory in 27 years with a 88-48 decision over Caltech at Hutton Arena December 13.)

Last season, Chapman went 25-4, advancing to the second round of the NCAA Division III tournament. The school is located in Orange, CA, a city of 136,000 located six miles south of Anaheim.

The Pipers have averaged 83 points a game in this current winning streak. Mike Campbell had 16 points and Dior Ford and Charlie Choiniere added 13 each in the lopsided win over Caltech. HU garnered a season high 51 rebounds in the game.

The season's final non-conference match allows the Pipers' native Californians some time to strut their stuff. Levi Wenrich currently stands seventh on the school's All-Time Assist List with 224. He needs four to move into sixth place. Noah Aguirre is 10th on the All-Time Blocks list with 37. Josh Baker is the other Piper who hails from the Golden State.

This is Hamline's final non-conference game of the season. The Pipers (2-2 in MIAC play) return to the rigors of league play January 4 at Carleton.

In addition to the homecoming for the team's three Californians, there is one other aspect that may make the Pipers feel like they are at home. The Panthers play their home games at Hutton Sports Center.