I was planning on tweeting from the Final Four games tonight... but just about the time that it was obvious the Wash U/Amherst match-up would head into overtime, Twitter stopped working on my phone. Perfect timing, I know. So to sum it up:
Amherst led Washington U most of the game (although I'm not sure the Wash U fans knew they were losing), but the Bears battled and by the end of regulation play the game was tied and we headed into overtime. This is when a lot of people, including myself, seemed to think the undefeated, top-ranked, Amherst would pull away and finish the game. But it was Wash U who dominated the OT play and will advance to the National Championship game tomorrow.
Hope faced the tournament's Cinderella team tonight, the Yellowjackets of Rochester. By halftime the Flying Dutch led Rochester 40-30, but early in the second half some lights overheated, blowing a fuse. So for 15 minutes we watched fans take half court shots to win mini-basketballs while the teams headed to the lockerrooms until the lights were able to turn back on. When play finally resumed, Rochester made a comeback to come within four, but an 8-0 run allowed Hope to pull away for good.
Wash U and Hope both earned themselves 40 more minutes of basketball and the opportunity to play for a National Championship. The Bears and the Dutch are the only two teams left in D3 basketball, but there is only one National Champion. Only one team in all of D3 basketball can end their season with a win tomorrow. So who's it going to be?
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
Who's it going to be?
The Elite 8 was a night of great games, as it should be.
Hope defeated UW-Stevens Point, who ended Final Four host Illinois Wesleyan’s season the night before.
Amherst continues their undefeated season by knocking off Babson. Unranked Rochester shocked Kean.
And, to answer the question from my previous post: No, George Fox won’t do it again. Last night assured that we would not have a repeat National Champion in DIII women’s basketball. For the second year in a row, the George Fox Bruins met Washington-St. Louis in the NCAA Tournament, but this time in the Elite 8. And this time, they lost.
The score’s of the consecutive match-ups are almost identical, but reversed. Last year, George Fox knocked off Wash U in the national championship game 60-53, and this year Wash U won 59-52. Just like last year, the game was a battle. Until midway through the second half, the Bears and the Bruins fought back and forth. Wash U finally pulled away with an 11-4 run to solidify their Final Four berth. The Bears’ next game will be another familiar one, as they face Amherst for the second consecutive time in the semifinals.
The first-ranked team in the country won a trip to the Final Four, as Amherst led Babson the entire game. Down three points was the closest Babson could get to evening up the score. The Lord Jeffs were just a little more than Babson could handle, as five of their players scored double digits. If Amherst can get by Wash U, unlike last year, they would be playing to become the third straight national champions with an undefeated season. That title is only two games away, but those will be two difficult games, no matter who they play.
I had the opportunity to see the Elite Eight game that was played at Illinois Wesleyan this weekend; a game between two impressive basketball teams. The Flying Dutch of Hope College were excited at the idea of playing someone other than third-ranked IWU, but knew that defeating Steven’s Point would be no easy task. They were right.
Junior Carrie Snikkers was key in Hope’s win. Her height advantage was apparent from the second the two teams stepped on the court, but her four points in the first half made it seem as if her height wouldn’t matter. But then she dominated the second half, scoring 17 of her 21 points after halftime. She shot 9-for-13, had 12 rebounds and three blocked shots, en route to Hope’s 71-64 victory. Britta Peterson was the leader for Steven’s Point, scoring half the points, and making it clear Hope would not win easily. She just couldn’t miss. But 30 points later, her team still fell short. The score was close all game, but Hope kept their poise. They played tough defense and hit the big shots when it counted. It was a fantastic feeling for Coach Morehouse and his team after losing the previous two years in the Elite 8 to the eventual national champions. And you could see it in their faces. As the clock ticked down smiles began spreading across the players’ faces and the anxious bench was waiting for the buzzer so they could storm the court to celebrate. When that buzzer finally went off, that is exactly what they did. There were smiles, yells, hugs and tears of joy as the Hope women’s basketball team celebrated finally making it back to the Final Four.
Next up for the Dutch will be a familiar setting. They will play at Illinois Wesleyan for the second weekend in a row, against another team that upset their higher-ranked opponent.
Which bring us to Rochester. It was a great weekend for the Yellow jackets as they ended two undefeated seasons. In the Sweet 16 game, they beat undefeated Christopher Newport, followed by their Elite Eight victory in which they became the first D3 team to beat Kean. The game versus Kean was tied at 13 different times, until just less than eight minutes remaining when Melissa Alwardt’s jumper gave Rochester the lead for good. And like Hope, Amherst and Wash U, Rochester is going to the Final Four.
Every team dreams of being in this position, and for four teams that dream has come true. Four games down, two to go. In the Final Four, all you can think about is winning. These final games will be tough. The crowd will be roaring, and each team’s season is on the line. They will have to take each game one at a time, because they all know that from the moment that first whistle is blown, there is nothing to do but trust that every sprint, drill and shot will be paid off.
So… Hope. Rochester. Washington-St. Louis. Amherst. Who’s it going to be?
Hope defeated UW-Stevens Point, who ended Final Four host Illinois Wesleyan’s season the night before.
Amherst continues their undefeated season by knocking off Babson. Unranked Rochester shocked Kean.
And, to answer the question from my previous post: No, George Fox won’t do it again. Last night assured that we would not have a repeat National Champion in DIII women’s basketball. For the second year in a row, the George Fox Bruins met Washington-St. Louis in the NCAA Tournament, but this time in the Elite 8. And this time, they lost.
The score’s of the consecutive match-ups are almost identical, but reversed. Last year, George Fox knocked off Wash U in the national championship game 60-53, and this year Wash U won 59-52. Just like last year, the game was a battle. Until midway through the second half, the Bears and the Bruins fought back and forth. Wash U finally pulled away with an 11-4 run to solidify their Final Four berth. The Bears’ next game will be another familiar one, as they face Amherst for the second consecutive time in the semifinals.
The first-ranked team in the country won a trip to the Final Four, as Amherst led Babson the entire game. Down three points was the closest Babson could get to evening up the score. The Lord Jeffs were just a little more than Babson could handle, as five of their players scored double digits. If Amherst can get by Wash U, unlike last year, they would be playing to become the third straight national champions with an undefeated season. That title is only two games away, but those will be two difficult games, no matter who they play.
I had the opportunity to see the Elite Eight game that was played at Illinois Wesleyan this weekend; a game between two impressive basketball teams. The Flying Dutch of Hope College were excited at the idea of playing someone other than third-ranked IWU, but knew that defeating Steven’s Point would be no easy task. They were right.
Junior Carrie Snikkers was key in Hope’s win. Her height advantage was apparent from the second the two teams stepped on the court, but her four points in the first half made it seem as if her height wouldn’t matter. But then she dominated the second half, scoring 17 of her 21 points after halftime. She shot 9-for-13, had 12 rebounds and three blocked shots, en route to Hope’s 71-64 victory. Britta Peterson was the leader for Steven’s Point, scoring half the points, and making it clear Hope would not win easily. She just couldn’t miss. But 30 points later, her team still fell short. The score was close all game, but Hope kept their poise. They played tough defense and hit the big shots when it counted. It was a fantastic feeling for Coach Morehouse and his team after losing the previous two years in the Elite 8 to the eventual national champions. And you could see it in their faces. As the clock ticked down smiles began spreading across the players’ faces and the anxious bench was waiting for the buzzer so they could storm the court to celebrate. When that buzzer finally went off, that is exactly what they did. There were smiles, yells, hugs and tears of joy as the Hope women’s basketball team celebrated finally making it back to the Final Four.
Next up for the Dutch will be a familiar setting. They will play at Illinois Wesleyan for the second weekend in a row, against another team that upset their higher-ranked opponent.
Which bring us to Rochester. It was a great weekend for the Yellow jackets as they ended two undefeated seasons. In the Sweet 16 game, they beat undefeated Christopher Newport, followed by their Elite Eight victory in which they became the first D3 team to beat Kean. The game versus Kean was tied at 13 different times, until just less than eight minutes remaining when Melissa Alwardt’s jumper gave Rochester the lead for good. And like Hope, Amherst and Wash U, Rochester is going to the Final Four.
Every team dreams of being in this position, and for four teams that dream has come true. Four games down, two to go. In the Final Four, all you can think about is winning. These final games will be tough. The crowd will be roaring, and each team’s season is on the line. They will have to take each game one at a time, because they all know that from the moment that first whistle is blown, there is nothing to do but trust that every sprint, drill and shot will be paid off.
So… Hope. Rochester. Washington-St. Louis. Amherst. Who’s it going to be?
Thursday, March 11, 2010
DIII NCAA St. Louis Sectional: Can George Fox do it again?
That is the big question on a lot of people’s minds this year (it’s on my mind at least). Can the George Fox Bruins do it again? Last year they won the National Championship with no returning starters and 10 freshmen on the team. That means that the majority of their team is returning this year as they try and win their second championship game in a row.
They did, however, lose a key player when lone senior, Kristen Shielee graduated last year. Shielee has quite a unique story. Her first three years of college were spent sitting on the bench, which would leave almost any player considering quitting and Shielee was no different. According to the George Fox graduate she seriously considered quitting the team, but in the end figured she dedicated three years to the team, so what’s one more? To say her life would be different today if she had quit is an understatement. The most outstanding player at the DIII Final Four, averaged 12 points per game her senior year and blocked 122 shots, a school record. Oh yeah, and she won a National Championship. But not even Shielee could have predicted what she is doing now that she has graduated from college. Last June, she joined the Pamplona Ardoi, a professional team in Spain. It is unexpected because of her first three years, but not because of her ability. She finally was given the opportunity to play her senior year, and she improved tremendously, showing she had only scratched the surface of her potential. Playing overseas will give Shielee the opportunity to make up for lost time. The Pamplona Ardoi fall around the bottom of their conference, meaning Shielee won’t be making enough money to survive on. In addition to playing basketball, she is teaching an English class.
The Bruins have lost two games this year, which is two more than last year’s team. George Fox is ranked fifth by both national polls, and on Friday they will face Carthage College (#14 according to D3hoop.com) in the ‘Sweet 16’. Washington University in St. Louis, last year’s runner-up, will play host for this sectional.
The Bruins may be the defending national champions, but they will face a tough opponent in Carthage who they have never met before. The Lady Reds have beaten the #1 ranked team twice this year, defeating Hope 51-47 in December, and Illinois Wesleyan 72-67 at the end of January. These wins for the Bruins gave both Hope and IWU their only losses of the season.
Carthage’s roster includes first-team All-CCIW player Diana Jacklin. Jacklin averages 14.9 ppg, 7.5 rebounds per game, 1.6 blocked shots per game, 1.76 steals per game, and shoots 55%. She is a sophomore at Carthage, but should really be a junior. The 6’ center played her first two seasons at Florida Gulf Coast University, a Division I school in Ft. Myers, FL. She was red-shirted there her freshman year, but played in 20 games, averaging 2.9 ppg as a sophomore.
George Fox is led in scoring by Keisha Gordon who averages 14.1 points per game, followed by Hannah Munger with 12.1 points per game. Munger also provides the team with a height advantage against most opponents, as the freshman post stands at 6’5. Usually, a plus of having a height advantage is blocked shots, and it’s no different for Munger who has blocked 98 shots this season. Gordon is a 5’10 sophomore guard who averaged 12.7 ppg her freshman year. She was also a leader on last year’s team, scoring almost 400 points in the season, meaning she is well on her way to 1,000 which she will most likely reach sometime next season.
If George Fox comes out with the win they could possibly face a repeat of last year’s National Championship game by facing Wash U. The Bears would have to beat the 26-4 Purple Raiders of Mount Union.
This is Mount Union’s fourth appearance in the NCAA Tournament, and also their fourth trip to the sectional round. The Purple Raiders defeated Washington & Jefferson (PA) 71-48 in the first round, followed by a much closer victory in the second round. Mount Union beat Messiah 62-61 in overtime the next night.
Their opponent, Washington-St. Louis, is among the nation’s elite programs. The Bears won four consecutive National Championships beginning in 1998. Their first round win was an 81-67 victory over Maryville, followed by an almost 20 point win over Thomas More in the second round (68-49). This year is their 21st straight year playing in the NCAA Tournament, and they made it to the Final Four eight of those years, including last year when they lost to George Fox in the finals.
They did, however, lose a key player when lone senior, Kristen Shielee graduated last year. Shielee has quite a unique story. Her first three years of college were spent sitting on the bench, which would leave almost any player considering quitting and Shielee was no different. According to the George Fox graduate she seriously considered quitting the team, but in the end figured she dedicated three years to the team, so what’s one more? To say her life would be different today if she had quit is an understatement. The most outstanding player at the DIII Final Four, averaged 12 points per game her senior year and blocked 122 shots, a school record. Oh yeah, and she won a National Championship. But not even Shielee could have predicted what she is doing now that she has graduated from college. Last June, she joined the Pamplona Ardoi, a professional team in Spain. It is unexpected because of her first three years, but not because of her ability. She finally was given the opportunity to play her senior year, and she improved tremendously, showing she had only scratched the surface of her potential. Playing overseas will give Shielee the opportunity to make up for lost time. The Pamplona Ardoi fall around the bottom of their conference, meaning Shielee won’t be making enough money to survive on. In addition to playing basketball, she is teaching an English class.
The Bruins have lost two games this year, which is two more than last year’s team. George Fox is ranked fifth by both national polls, and on Friday they will face Carthage College (#14 according to D3hoop.com) in the ‘Sweet 16’. Washington University in St. Louis, last year’s runner-up, will play host for this sectional.
The Bruins may be the defending national champions, but they will face a tough opponent in Carthage who they have never met before. The Lady Reds have beaten the #1 ranked team twice this year, defeating Hope 51-47 in December, and Illinois Wesleyan 72-67 at the end of January. These wins for the Bruins gave both Hope and IWU their only losses of the season.
Carthage’s roster includes first-team All-CCIW player Diana Jacklin. Jacklin averages 14.9 ppg, 7.5 rebounds per game, 1.6 blocked shots per game, 1.76 steals per game, and shoots 55%. She is a sophomore at Carthage, but should really be a junior. The 6’ center played her first two seasons at Florida Gulf Coast University, a Division I school in Ft. Myers, FL. She was red-shirted there her freshman year, but played in 20 games, averaging 2.9 ppg as a sophomore.
George Fox is led in scoring by Keisha Gordon who averages 14.1 points per game, followed by Hannah Munger with 12.1 points per game. Munger also provides the team with a height advantage against most opponents, as the freshman post stands at 6’5. Usually, a plus of having a height advantage is blocked shots, and it’s no different for Munger who has blocked 98 shots this season. Gordon is a 5’10 sophomore guard who averaged 12.7 ppg her freshman year. She was also a leader on last year’s team, scoring almost 400 points in the season, meaning she is well on her way to 1,000 which she will most likely reach sometime next season.
If George Fox comes out with the win they could possibly face a repeat of last year’s National Championship game by facing Wash U. The Bears would have to beat the 26-4 Purple Raiders of Mount Union.
This is Mount Union’s fourth appearance in the NCAA Tournament, and also their fourth trip to the sectional round. The Purple Raiders defeated Washington & Jefferson (PA) 71-48 in the first round, followed by a much closer victory in the second round. Mount Union beat Messiah 62-61 in overtime the next night.
Their opponent, Washington-St. Louis, is among the nation’s elite programs. The Bears won four consecutive National Championships beginning in 1998. Their first round win was an 81-67 victory over Maryville, followed by an almost 20 point win over Thomas More in the second round (68-49). This year is their 21st straight year playing in the NCAA Tournament, and they made it to the Final Four eight of those years, including last year when they lost to George Fox in the finals.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Women's NCAA Tournament Bracket
It's been quite awhile since my last post, but since its time for all the madness (March) to start, I thought it was also time for a post. The women's NCAA Tournament bracket was announced at the beginning of this week and play will start tonight! Go to www.d3hoops.com to check out the match-ups for tonight!
I'll be attending the games played here at Hope College tonight. First up is Lakeland vs. DePauw at 5:30, followed by Denison vs. Hope at 7:30. As I've said before, any team can win any game on any given day, but my predicted match-up for Saturday night is DePauw vs. Hope. I guess we'll see tonight if I'm right! I'm going to try to Tweet some updates from the games, so check out my Twitter, @WTS_kaci. You can also see my tweets on the sidebar of this blog's homepage, so check back during the games for updates!
I'll be attending the games played here at Hope College tonight. First up is Lakeland vs. DePauw at 5:30, followed by Denison vs. Hope at 7:30. As I've said before, any team can win any game on any given day, but my predicted match-up for Saturday night is DePauw vs. Hope. I guess we'll see tonight if I'm right! I'm going to try to Tweet some updates from the games, so check out my Twitter, @WTS_kaci. You can also see my tweets on the sidebar of this blog's homepage, so check back during the games for updates!
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Athlete Spotlight: Nathan Lambert
Voted “Most Athletic” as a senior in High School, Nathan Lambert played both football and baseball. He excelled at both and that left many who knew him questioning which sport he would play in college. He managed to find a school that didn’t make him choose, and decided to attend Centre College. After a year of playing both, he decided baseball was what he wanted to focus on, so he no longer plays for the football team. According to Lambert, Division III has been a perfect fit.
What schools from other divisions were interested in you/did you consider going to?
The other schools I was interested in were Ohio Northern, Valpo & Cincinnati.
Why did you choose to play at Centre instead?
I chose to play at Centre because it was close to home, and the atmosphere of the small school is overall better. I know more people and see them often, which I like.
What do you think have been some benefits of playing d3 instead of a higher division?
Some benefits would definitely be that there is more time for me to get involved with other things. I'm in a fraternity with most of the football team and can still play intramural sports, where as at a big school I may not have gotten a chance to do that.
A lot of people say d3 is just an extension of high school sports, how would you compare the competition levels between the two?
I would say that is most definitely not true. In baseball I played with 2 guys who were picked up and play amateur baseball. There was also a football player who was invited to try out for an NFL team. Maybe top to bottom it may not be as strong as say Division 1 but there are just as good athletes.
What schools from other divisions were interested in you/did you consider going to?
The other schools I was interested in were Ohio Northern, Valpo & Cincinnati.
Why did you choose to play at Centre instead?
I chose to play at Centre because it was close to home, and the atmosphere of the small school is overall better. I know more people and see them often, which I like.
What do you think have been some benefits of playing d3 instead of a higher division?
Some benefits would definitely be that there is more time for me to get involved with other things. I'm in a fraternity with most of the football team and can still play intramural sports, where as at a big school I may not have gotten a chance to do that.
A lot of people say d3 is just an extension of high school sports, how would you compare the competition levels between the two?
I would say that is most definitely not true. In baseball I played with 2 guys who were picked up and play amateur baseball. There was also a football player who was invited to try out for an NFL team. Maybe top to bottom it may not be as strong as say Division 1 but there are just as good athletes.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Week 5 Women's D3 Basketball Top 25
D3Hoops Top 25 Poll
Three teams dropped out of the top 25 this week. No. 23 St. Norbert, and No. 24 Randolph-Macon both lost their spots in the rankings and Trinity (Texas) also surprisingly became unranked after being previously ranked No. 12 in Week 4. St. Norbert moved out of the rankings after a Dec. 30 loss to Wartburg College. Randolph-Macon's move came after losing to Chris. Newport 78-67. Trinity (Texas) lost 74-49 to Austin College leading to their move out of the top 25.
In the top 5, Bowdoin and Kean switched places from Week 4 to Week 5. Thomas More made a big jump all the way from No. 8 down to No. 14. Messiah also dropped all the way from No. 7 down to No. 17.
New to the rankings this week are UW-Stevens Point, Howard Payne, and Emmanuel. Welcome to the Top 25.
| # | Team | W-L | Pts. | Last Week |
| 1 | Illinois Wesleyan (18) | 11-0 | 618 | 1 |
| 2 | Amherst (7) | 10-0 | 594 | 2 |
| 3 | Washington U. | 9-1 | 572 | 3 |
| 4 | Kean | 13-1 | 540 | 5 |
| 5 | Bowdoin | 9-0 | 538 | 4 |
| 6 | Hope | 10-1 | 463 | 6 |
| 7 | Marymount | 12-0 | 457 | 7 |
| 8 | Scranton | 7-2 | 402 | 9 |
| 9 | William Paterson | 13-0 | 369 | 13 |
| 10 | Muhlenberg | 7-1 | 365 | 11 |
| 11 | Carthage | 10-1 | 346 | 15 |
| 12 | George Fox | 8-2 | 290 | 16 |
| 13 | UW-River Falls | 12-0 | 288 | 18 |
| 14 | Thomas More | 10-1 | 258 | 8 |
| 15 | Tufts | 10-1 | 235 | 17 |
| 16 | Mount Union | 12-0 | 227 | 20 |
| 17 | Messiah | 9-1 | 210 | 10 |
| 18 | Moravian | 9-2 | 198 | 19 |
| 19 | UW-Whitewater | 9-3 | 194 | 14 |
| 20 | Calvin | 11-1 | 170 | 21 |
| 21 | Chicago | 8-3 | 115 | 22 |
| 22 | Louisiana College | 8-1 | 105 | 25 |
| 23 | Emmanuel | 8-1 | 90 | — |
| 24 | Howard Payne | 9-2 | 60 | — |
| 25 | UW-Stevens Point | 8-3 | 58 | — |
Three teams dropped out of the top 25 this week. No. 23 St. Norbert, and No. 24 Randolph-Macon both lost their spots in the rankings and Trinity (Texas) also surprisingly became unranked after being previously ranked No. 12 in Week 4. St. Norbert moved out of the rankings after a Dec. 30 loss to Wartburg College. Randolph-Macon's move came after losing to Chris. Newport 78-67. Trinity (Texas) lost 74-49 to Austin College leading to their move out of the top 25.
In the top 5, Bowdoin and Kean switched places from Week 4 to Week 5. Thomas More made a big jump all the way from No. 8 down to No. 14. Messiah also dropped all the way from No. 7 down to No. 17.
New to the rankings this week are UW-Stevens Point, Howard Payne, and Emmanuel. Welcome to the Top 25.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
USA TODAY/ESPN WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TOP 25 POLL UPDATES
| Rank | Institution - First Place Votes | Previous Ranking | Record | Points |
| 1 | Hope College (Mich.) - 5 | 1 | 7-0 | 196 |
| 2 | Illinois Wesleyan University - 3 | 2 | 8-0 | 195 |
| 3 | Amherst College (Mass.) | 3 | 8-0 | 184 |
| 4 | Bowdoin College (Maine) | 4 | 7-0 | 167 |
| 5 | Washington University (Mo.) | 5 | 6-1 | 162 |
| 6 | Howard Payne University (Texas) | 6 | 7-0 | 160 |
| 7 | Kean University (N.J.) | 7 | 7-1 | 156 |
| 8 | Marymount University (Va.) | 8 | 7-0 | 143 |
| 9 | Thomas More College (Ky.) | 9 | 7-0 | 141 |
| 10 | Trinity University (Texas) | 10 | 5-0 | 126 |
| 11 | University of Wisconsin, Whitewater | 12 | 7-1 | 116 |
| 12 | George Fox University (Ore.) | 14 | 4-2 | 98 |
| 13 | William Paterson University (N.J.) | 15 | 9-0 | 96 |
| 14 | Carthage College (Wis.) | 13 | 6-1 | 95 |
| 15 | University of Chicago (Ill.) | 16 | 5-2 | 75 |
| T16 | Messiah College (Pa.) | 18 | 8-0 | 71 |
| T16 | University of Scranton (Pa) | 11 | 5-2 | 71 |
| 18 | Muhlenberg College (Pa.) | 17 | 7-1 | 65 |
| 19 | Calvin College (Mich.) | 19 | 9-1 | 62 |
| 20 | Randolph-Macon College (Va.) | 20 | 4-1 | 48 |
| 21 | Capital University (Ohio) | 25 | 5-1 | 31 |
| 22 | Moravian College (Pa.) | T21 | 6-2 | 22 |
| 23 | Simpson College (Iowa) | T21 | 5-1 | 20 |
| 24 | University of Wisconsin, River Falls | NR | 8-0 | 19 |
| 25 | Mount Union College (Ohio) | NR | 8-0 | 17 |
Others Receiving Votes: Emmanuel College (Mass.) - 13; Saint Norbert College (Wis.) - 8; College of St. Benedict (Minn.) - 7; University of Puget Sound (Wash.) - 7; California Lutheran University - 6; Lewis & Clark College (Ore.) - 5; Roanoke College (Va.) - 5; Washington & Jefferson College (Pa.) - 5; Christopher Newport University (Va.) - 4; Tufts University (Mass.) - 4.
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