Boy I enjoyed that game!

[UcMiami]

Nan posted a few times in the game thread and I totally agree - I miss playing these games in conference.

It was a little chippy to start, and there were a few 'interesting' calls by the refs, but a physical, intense game against a well coached team with some pretty spectacular players definitely got the juices flowing.

And I had no problem with the two fouls (technical and the positioning while the shot was in the air fouls) on Rutgers in the second half - the technical was just a little extra shove between players with their arms locked up anticipating a rebound - happens in lots of games; and the other was again just an over aggressive positioning move that I have seen hundreds of times - nothing dirty or non-basketball related and neither really dangerous.

 

[uconnfan68]

Nan posted a few times in the game thread and I totally agree - I miss playing these games in conference.

It was a little chippy to start, and there were a few 'interesting' calls by the refs, but a physical, intense game against a well coached team with some pretty spectacular players definitely got the juices flowing.

And I had no problem with the two fouls (technical and the positioning while the shot was in the air fouls) on Rutgers in the second half - the technical was just a little extra shove between players with their arms locked up anticipating a rebound - happens in lots of games; and the other was again just an over aggressive positioning move that I have seen hundreds of times - nothing dirty or non-basketball related and neither really dangerous.

I was happy to see Gabby and Kiah play well. They'll be needed against a huge Texas team.

 

[ocoandasoc]

Kiah's first block might have been her best of the season. And a double double for Gabby.

 

[CocoHusky]

Nan posted a few times in the game thread and I totally agree - I miss playing these games in conference.

It was a little chippy to start, and there were a few 'interesting' calls by the refs, but a physical, intense game against a well coached team with some pretty spectacular players definitely got the juices flowing.

And I had no problem with the two fouls (technical and the positioning while the shot was in the air fouls) on Rutgers in the second half - the technical was just a little extra shove between players with their arms locked up anticipating a rebound - happens in lots of games; and the other was again just an over aggressive positioning move that I have seen hundreds of times - nothing dirty or non-basketball related and neither really dangerous.

Lost in all the early chippy stuff was some great displays of sportsmanship like Laney picking Stewie from the ground and general concern on the UCONN players faces when Rutgers players were hurt. I think respect was earned on both sides during this game. Good show!

 

[EricLA]

I enjoyed the game too. funny thing is the final score was close to the score of several teams we played in the new conference. Difference is the name on the uniform was Rutgers, a much "bigger" name.

 

[alexrgct]

I was disappointed with the poor attendance, but the crowd was raucous and funny. Moriah was who caused UConn to surge ahead in the first half, and KML poured in a ton of offense Rutgers could not. Overall, I had a great time. If the result of the Albany regional was a series of wins over Rutgers, Texas, and Louisville, that will have been a fun group of throwback matchups. Obviously, Rutgers and Louisville were in the same Conference as UConn, whereas Texas and UConn have played five times before...including the memorable 2003 national semifinals.

 

[vtcwbuff]

I was hoping for a better game. I never thought I would say this, but I felt bad that RU had so many injuries that they just could not compete.

 

[ursusminor]

I got the distinct impression in the first few whistle-happy minutes that the refs were very much aware of the physical history of the two teams. This crew seemed willing to foul out everybody if they had to. What we got in the end was a hard-fought, physical basketball game that didn't degrade into a mugging contest. Refs deserve some credit for setting the right tone for that, even though it did make the early part of the game a bit annoying.

 

[Blueballer]

"Little chippy at the start" ?? Ask Kia Nurse - she probably thinks it was a little chippy near the end too.

 

[UcMiami]

Eric - good point, but the reality was that really only USF really put that much pressure on Uconn in conference. the nostalgia is more for the old BE than specifically for Rutgers where in any given year there would be at least three or four teams that had the players and fought Uconn hard. It isn't so much the score per say, but the tensions fizzing in the arena. Heck, we never lost to Louisville and usually thrashed them, but the blood was up for most of those contests.
It should come in the AAC eventually, but it isn't there right now.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Even though Rutgers was banged up, Laney, Copper, and Scaife are all very good players. I was concerned until we built the lead to 15.

 

[HuskyNan]

Eric - good point, but the reality was that really only USF really put that much pressure on Uconn in conference. the nostalgia is more for the old BE than specifically for Rutgers where in any given year there would be at least three or four teams that had the players and fought Uconn hard. It isn't so much the score per say, but the tensions fizzing in the arena. Heck, we never lost to Louisville and usually thrashed them, but the blood was up for most of those contests.
It should come in the AAC eventually, but it isn't there right now.

With the line-up below, there was just no coasting during any games. Heck, even cellar-dweller Providence was beating UConn for a half when Diana Taurasi & Co played them without any urgency. What a league.

Notre Dame
Louisville
Rutgers
St. John's
DePaul
Syracuse
USF
Villanova
Pitt
WVU
Seton Hall
Georgetown
Cincinnati
Providence

 

[jcoton56]

It really was like old times! Tons of grit by both squads. It was the right game at the right time.

 

[vtcwbuff]

"Heck, even cellar-dweller Providence was beating UConn when Diana Taurasi & Co played them without any urgency."

I don't remember Providence beating UConn since I started following the team in the early 90's.

 

[UcMiami]

Nan - during the modern period, you can sort of drop: Pitt, Seton Hall, Cinci, and Providence from that list as I really can't remember any of them putting up real resistance to Uconn. I almost put Villanova on that list as well, but they were so disciplined and such a pain in the neck to play, that they do not deserve to be their and they did stop that one streak back in the early 2000s. But even dropping 4 or 5 teams off that list leaves 9 teams that were serious competition on a rotating basis.

 

[UcMiami]

"Heck, even cellar-dweller Providence was beating UConn when Diana Taurasi & Co played them without any urgency."

I don't remember Providence beating UConn since I started following the team in the early 90's.

'was beating' - Geno benched the starters five minutes in because they were sleepwalking and played the bench most of the game and Uconn won the game easily.

 

[meyers7]

'was beating' - Geno benched the starters five minutes in because they were sleepwalking and played the bench most of the game and Uconn won the game easily.

Was that the game where Stacey Marron came in and splashed a couple 3's? I think I remember that one.

 

[HuskyNan]

"Heck, even cellar-dweller Providence was beating UConn when Diana Taurasi & Co played them without any urgency."

I don't remember Providence beating UConn since I started following the team in the early 90's.

I left out the all-important words "Heck, even cellar-dweller Providence was beating UConn [for most of a half] when Diana Taurasi & Co played them without any urgency."

Geno benched the starting 5 in disgust and put in subs and Stacey Marron immediately hit a three. Geno turned to Diana and made one of those "See what I'm talking about?" gestures.

 

[EricLA]

Eric - good point, but the reality was that really only USF really put that much pressure on Uconn in conference. the nostalgia is more for the old BE than specifically for Rutgers where in any given year there would be at least three or four teams that had the players and fought Uconn hard. It isn't so much the score per say, but the tensions fizzing in the arena. Heck, we never lost to Louisville and usually thrashed them, but the blood was up for most of those contests.
It should come in the AAC eventually, but it isn't there right now.

Actually you are correct. I thought there were more games that were about 40 point wins for UCONN, but only 3 games were. We beat USF by 14 and 23, and Tulsa by 38, The RU win was by 36. Maybe it will be different in a few years, but you are right...