4th Quarter scoring

[blaqtech]

I didn't get a chance see the game, but what happened in the 4th quarter that South Carolina outscored us 21 - 12? We didn't have our reserve players in the game?

Thanks.

 

[Sonny44]

We just stopped playing our game. I was disappointed although it was the safest way to secure a win.
I thought we play to a standard, not the score. Oh well.

 

[Goodgood]

We just stopped playing our game. I was disappointed although it was the safest way to secure a win.
I thought we play to a standard, not the score. Oh well.

In the big games, Geno plays to win. As in the NCAA tournaments, only 7 players and milk the clock once ahead safely.

 

[Nuyoika]

There was also something like 10 fouls called in the final 10 minutes.... slowed the game way way down making it easier for SCar to get in a flow. They are much better in a muddy foul ridden patch of 10 minutes than a fast paced 10 minute stretch. It was very odd... the game was physical all throughout but the refs didn't start calling fouls til the 4th. 6 of UConn's 16 fouls were called in the 4th and 5 of SCar's 15. Ya know typical ref stuff that you can't quite comprehend.

 

[blaqtech]

Okay..... I really thought we would win by 30 points.

 

[Nuyoika]

Okay..... I really thought we would win by 30 points.

It certainly looked like it at one point. I expected a big 4th from SCar that's what they have done all year. They hustle the last 5 minutes of games but for whatever reason can't seem to muster the same type of commitment for the first 35 minutes.

 

[blaqtech]

They had too many close games against average teams. I really didn't think they could score 50 points. Or hold UCONN under 70.

 

[Nuyoika]

They had too many close games against average teams. I really didn't think they could score 50 points. Or hold UCONN under 70.

Geno has been taking the foot off the pedal a bit vs better teams. Not sure why. Maybe to preserve the teams health for the long run but apparently he asked them to take it down a notch (milk the clock) in the 4th. I must've missed that queue but I believe the other posters here if they said he said it... he said it. I will re-watch the 4th and take a look. I know we were up by about 19 with around 4 to play.

 

[Monte]

We just stopped playing our game. I was disappointed although it was the safest way to secure a win.
I thought we play to a standard, not the score. Oh well.

I agree. If you have a good lead, playing your game, keep it up. Why slow it down? Play YOUR GAME!

 

[HoopsFan21]

Geno has been taking the foot off the pedal a bit vs better teams. Not sure why. Maybe to preserve the teams health for the long run but apparently he asked them to take it down a notch (milk the clock) in the 4th. I must've missed that queue but I believe the other posters here if they said he said it... he said it. I will re-watch the 4th and take a look. I know we were up by about 19 with around 4 to play.

It was deliberate. He gave the run clock hand gesture over and over again starting just under the 7 minute mark of the 4th quarter.

 

[Nuyoika]

It was deliberate. He gave the run clock hand gesture over and over again starting just under the 7 minute mark of the 4th quarter.

Hopefully if we see them again... we let is all hang out. I thought they were performing pretty well. I certainly would've preferred another 10 minutes of running instead of each team walking back and forth to the foul line lol.

 

[dualskeptic]

Did Geno call off the dogs during fourth quarters of both the Notre Dame game and this game in respect to MM and DS?

 

[Nuyoika]

Did Geno call off the dogs during fourth quarters of both the Notre Dame game and this game in respect to MM and DS?

I was kind of thinking that but only he truly knows the answer to that.

 

[pinotbear]

Did Geno call off the dogs during fourth quarters of both the Notre Dame game and this game in respect to MM and DS?

unlikely, I think. Just trying to minimize possessions and not ask his key players (who must have had a bit of fatigue by this point) to go at a pace that might lend itself to fouls. Make SC and ND earn points by offensive possessions, and limit those possessions. Don't give 'em points at the line with the clock stopped.

 

[HoopsFan21]

unlikely, I think. Just trying to minimize possessions and not ask his key players (who must have had a bit of fatigue by this point) to go at a pace that might lend itself to fouls. Make SC and ND earn points by offensive possessions, and limit those possessions. Don't give 'em points at the line with the clock stopped.

Why not put in Saniya, Ekmark, and Butler? We're gonna need those guys big time next year, and it could have been good minutes for them.

 

[vtcwbuff]

Why not put in Saniya, Ekmark, and Butler? We're gonna need those guys big time next year, and it could have been good minutes for them.

Practice performance? I really expected Butler to get minutes.

 

[Jeff H]

unlikely, I think. Just trying to minimize possessions and not ask his key players (who must have had a bit of fatigue by this point) to go at a pace that might lend itself to fouls. Make SC and ND earn points by offensive possessions, and limit those possessions. Don't give 'em points at the line with the clock stopped.

I agree. I think with Stewie and Mo going 40 minutes it was the smart move. There's was no way to screw it up by slowing it down. It could happen if you tried to keep the pedal on the gas with players that may be starting to tire.

 

[pinotbear]

Why not put in Saniya, Ekmark, and Butler? We're gonna need those guys big time next year, and it could have been good minutes for them.

Yeah, it could have, and, if it were a home game (with familiar environs and fan support) he may have. But, on a stage only equaled by a Final Four game in terms of stress (hostile crowd, tough opponent, national TV, iffy refs) Geno does play his cards pretty carefully. The "guys" on the floor had done the job, adjusted to the reffing, the crowd, the opposition - and, Geno seemed to go with the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" philosophy.

I did read some comment by Geno that he thought of putting Chong in a couple of times, but, each time, he couldn't figure out who he wanted to pull off the floor - "if it ain't broke..."

 

[JordyG]

While watching the game I at first was surprised to see something I'd never quite seen Geno do in a 1 vs 1 game: Put his foot on the break with his starters. After short consideration I agreed that sparing his starters was almost as good as using his bench. I think that 21 point lead was more indicative of the game which wasn't as close as the score indicated. Am I wrong? Has Geno done that before while his starters are still on the floor?

 

[TFintheMix]

I didn't get a chance see the game, but what happened in the 4th quarter that South Carolina outscored us 21 - 12? We didn't have our reserve players in the game?

Thanks.

Aja Wilson came back to play after missing most of the 2nd and 3rd Q.

 

[Gus Mahler]

Geno has been taking the foot off the pedal a bit vs better teams. Not sure why. Maybe to preserve the teams health for the long run but apparently he asked them to take it down a notch (milk the clock) in the 4th. I must've missed that queue but I believe the other posters here if they said he said it... he said it. I will re-watch the 4th and take a look. I know we were up by about 19 with around 4 to play.

Up 19 with 4 to play and still up 17 with 1 to play.

 

[Gus Mahler]

Practice performance? I really expected Butler to get minutes.

I really thought Chong would play. I thought Geno would try to out run them.

 

[Fiftyish]

It was deliberate. He gave the run clock hand gesture over and over again starting just under the 7 minute mark of the 4th quarter.

While I understand the strategy is to burn minutes while holding a big lead, I am not a fan of it. It seems like once UConn throttles back the aggressive mode bad things start to happen. Sloppy passes, poor turnovers. shot clock violations, etc. I prefer pedal to the metal. Let the other team use intentional fouls if they want try to gain possession.

 

[UConn79]

I am not a fan of milking the clock or pushing starters to almost 40 minutes. However, I cannot argue with Geno's strategy, especially since we do not have a game for 6 days. Plenty of rest time.

 

[Blueballer]

I agree. If you have a good lead, playing your game, keep it up. Why slow it down? Play YOUR GAME!

Because the faster you play the faster your lead can evaporate if you don't get the calls. Why invite yet another bad charge, traveling or push off call being aggressive if you don't need to? They have control of the game so slow the tempo down so the other team can't score fast if somebody gets hot. If they can't score fast they're not going to catch you. It's sound basketball stategy. I don't understand this obsession about jacking up the score when you don't need to.