Putting the finishing touches on the Willmar game, we have contributions from the staff photographer.  Above are the six starters:  Dani, Cara, Whitney, Lauren, Amanda, and the ubiquitous blue garbage can.

[Amanda’s been jumping center at 5’9″ – nice hops, volleyball player.]

[“Are you sure that wasn’t Kim Kardashian?”]

[The supervisor is dressed for an evening fine entertainment.  Even the cub reporter is looking sartorially splendid in his fashionable Rick Santorum sweater vest.]

[Dani.  I tried to tie my shoe like that recently.  Remind me to show you my new bridgework.]

[Whitney]

[Whitney]

[LT, Cara, and Kalli]

[Amanda G and Whitney]

[The mask is a difficult adjustment.]

And we heard from our East coast stringers regarding women’s basketball:

January 9, 2012:  Tom —  Ellena Delle Donne of the University of Delaware is the nation’s leading women’s basketball scorer, averaging 29 points per game.   She’s a 6’5″ forward (what else?).  Out of Wilmington, she was recruited by Gene Auriemma for UConn, but lasted less than a week, sitting out her freshman year (she played volleyball instead) at home state school Delaware.  I saw her two years ago play against George Mason University (CAA Conference) and she was a tall tree standing under the basket.  Delaware (11-1/ranked 21/20) played George Mason Sunday, and Delle Donne, much more athletic, and shooting all kinds of shots — layups, under the basket shots, three-pointers — scored 40 of Delaware’s 66 points.  George Mason (7-6, unranked) kept itself in the game, with Taleia Moton, the nation’s ninth-ranked scorer, scoring 30 of GM’s 54 points.  Delaware, by the way, was barely beaten early in the season by Maryland.  Maryland, meanwhile, eked out a come-from-way (20 points)- behind one or two-point victory over Georgia Tech Friday and another come-from-behind overtime victory over University of North Carolina.  End of your Eastern basketball report.  ~ Betsy Greer

January 11, 2012: Here is my photo of Ellena taking the shot that broke the U of Del. all-time scoring record last Thursday.  My daughter played in a scrimmage against her 4 years ago in high school, and as a U of D guy myself who shares my daughter’s interest in hoops, we have been following Ellena ever since.  Can’t wait to see her in the NCAA tourney this year.  And note that she led Delaware to wins this year over Penn State and Wake Forest.

In one 20 min scrimmage half-court 5-on-5 the day my daughter played, Ellena scored 50, yes 50 points during the first 18 minutes of play, after which she was benched.  ~ Cousin Herb Conner

Just for fun, blog contributor Al Grundei submitted downtown Alex, 1977:

Finally, we got the local chapter of the University of Minnesota Alumni Association re-started last night.  But first, the supervisor and I went to the geezer matinee, a 2nd Wednesday of the month event, and were shocked that despite our first blast of cold, icy winter weather, the parking lot was overflowing with seniors.  Probably just came to polish up their winter walk gait.

[The ‘U’ – took this maybe 40 years ago.]

[Goldy]

[Rachel Banham – the next Lindsay Whelan?]