40 Minutes of Hell!

[tomcat]

There were a few reasons they lost that game, not the least of which is they were out-hustled for the first time in recent memory. They were -10 in second chance points and missed 8 free throws. They let MSU control the pace and only got off 46 field goal attempts in 45 minutes.

Sure they weren't deep, but it would've been nice to stop looking at William standing with the ball 10 feet from the halfcourt line.

I think you've got it right. They came out looking out of sorts and never really got themselves together for the whole game. They have played slow-down teams in the past and have pulled out the wins. They should have known how to do it. However.....

.....MS State got to dictate the pace, as you said, and UConn missed a remarkable number of layups (Gabby and Napheesa both) that were absolute money for them in other games. They messed up a number of other plays that in other games, also were near-guaranteed to work. Some of this was because of the opponents' aggressive defense, but I don't believe that they were so good that they simply shut UConn down.

The Huskies did it to themselves in this game, finding themselves one step behind and not being able to create solutions that worked. I do have to say that in overtime, I did not get the impression that the UConn players acted as if they were in control of the situation or of themselves. I give MsState all the credit for a great game plan and for taking advantage of what they were given (and we showed up at the finals to root for them against SC), but this loss was on UConn for not being able to do the things they needed to win.

And I will say this again: There is no doubt in my mind that if UConn had pulled out a win against MsState, they would have come out flying in the finals and would have easily beaten SC. Why? Because they would have been so angry with themselves for almost blowing it that they would have been completely on top of their game the next time. Based on what I saw in the final game, I was less impressed with SC, which was good but not great, than I was with MsState's collapse. They simply could not rise to the same level of performance two games in a row, and they would have had to do that to win, because there's no doubt that on paper and on the court, SC is better than MsState 8 games out of 10.

 

[Shorty Dee]

I have said UConn beat themselves, and I will continue to say it. Napheesa, Gabby and Lou didn't hit the shots they normally would have, but even with that Gabby had a good game. When the game went into overtime, Mississippi State panic, and Vic Shaeffer kept calling timeout.
Believe me when I say, UConn will be a different team next season....not because of the players they will have, but the attitude they will be have. No one is tougher on the players than they are on themselves.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I mentioned the 2010 National championship game in 2 earlier posts. How about looking at some stats from that game:

UConn was 9-22 from the foul line with Maya Moore 2-5, Tina Charles 1-5 and Tiffany Hayes 2-6.

UConn was also 6-20 from 3 and 19-58 overall.

By your criteria, I guess Maya Moore & Tina Charles are not great players.

Oh by the way, to state once again, UConn won that game vs Stanford 53-47 by playing ferocious, relentless defense.

Maya got hot in the second half as well. Stanford made several threes late to get to 47. It looked as if they might not make 40. That 2010 team set the NCAA record for fewest points allowed per game and lowest shooting percentage given up. They played great team defense with some elite athletes: Tina Charles, Maya Moore, Kalana Greene, Tiffany Hayes, Caroline Doty, and Kelly Faris.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I have said UConn beat themselves, and I will continue to say it. Napheesa, Gabby and Lou didn't hit the shots they normally would have, but even with that Gabby had a good game. When the game went into overtime, Mississippi State panic, and Vic Shaeffer kept calling timeout.
Believe me when I say, UConn will be a different team next season....not because of the players they will have, but the attitude they will be have. No one is tougher on the players than they are on themselves.

Our rare losses have a tendency to fuel the team to go on long winning streaks. The great 2001-02 team was pi$$ed about giving up a 15-point lead against Notre Dame in St. Louis. They went 39-0 the next season to start a 70-game streak. Maya and Tina lost to Stanford in 2008, then won 78 in a row on the way to 90. The 2014-15 team didn't like losing at Stanford, then ran off 111 in a row. They will take no prisoners next year.

 

[UConnNick]

You can analyze the game anyway you want but it all came down to collier and gabby missing easy free throws. They each had 2 free thows and couldn't hit one of the 4. Its the reason i don't think they will make a run at npoy. Great players don't miss free throws when the game is on the line.

Not true at all. Great players miss clutch free throws all the time. UConn's own Donyell Marshall would have won the Florida game in the 1994 Sweet 16 if he made two free throws in OT, and he was an excellent F/T shooter. It happens. We win that game and would have likely walked to the Final Four vs BC, a team we'd owned for several years...hadn't lost a game to them since 1988. I believe Donyell holds the second highest single season ppg average in UConn history for that season, at around 25 per game.

Players get fatigued late in games, particularly in OT. We had a short bench and our starters had to play major minutes vs Miss. St. We also had to overcome a significant first half deficit, which takes a lot out of the players on the floor. It's no surprise that players who normally are virtually automatic at the line miss them under the circumstances UConn faced in the Miss. St. game. There were also extremely few regular season games when we absolutely had to make some FTs near the end of games, so the situation was one we hadn't experienced. Our lack of depth which caused some level of fatigue was likely the reason for those clutch free throw misses.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

It's no surprise that players who normally are virtually automatic at the line miss them under the circumstances UConn faced in the Miss. St. game. There were also extremely few regular season games when we absolutely had to make some FTs near the end of games, so the situation was one we hadn't experienced. Our lack of depth which caused some level of fatigue was likely the reason for those clutch free throw misses.

The only Huskies that exceed 36 minutes in that game were Chong, KLS, and Gabby. The first two were 7-8 from the line and KLS made both of hers with the game on the line in OT. It was Williams and Collier who were 9-15 with Collier missing the big one late in regulation and Gabby two at the beginning of OT. So, not sure I buy fatigue. Either way, UConn played a very poor game. It's really that simple. 199 out of 200 times UConn is going to win when holding their opponent to 37% shooting.

 

[UConnNick]

The only Huskies that exceed 36 minutes in that game were Chong, KLS, and Gabby. The first two were 7-8 from the line and KLS made both of hers with the game on the line in OT. It was Williams and Collier who were 9-15 with Collier missing the big one late in regulation and Gabby two at the beginning of OT. So, not sure I buy fatigue. Either way, UConn played a very poor game. It's really that simple. 199 out of 200 times UConn is going to win when holding their opponent to 37% shooting.

There are two kinds of fatigue, physical and mental. Every player has their own levels of tolerance for both. I think everyone will agree there was not a moment in the Miss. St. game where the players weren't feeling pressured due to the tight score and competitiveness. Each player has their own breaking point. Looking at mere minutes played doesn't tell the whole story.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

There are two kinds of fatigue, physical and mental. Every player has their own levels of tolerance for both. I think everyone will agree there was not a moment in the Miss. St. game where the players weren't feeling pressured due to the tight score and competitiveness. Each player has their own breaking point. Looking at mere minutes played doesn't tell the whole story.

Well, if you're saying they missed free throws because of the situation and pressure that's pretty much akin to choking.

 

[UConnNick]

Well, if you're saying they missed free throws because of the situation and pressure that's pretty much akin to choking.

No, not what I'm saying at all. That was more the premise of the original post I responded to, which indicated that great players shouldn't miss clutch free throws. I'm suggesting that game conditions which perhaps create additional physical and mental fatigue can cause great players to miss clutch free throws. That's the opposite of choking under pressure. If all our players had the benefit of ample rest throughout the game because we were going 10 or more deep off the bench, then maybe there would be no explanation for normally reliable shooters to miss late game free throws, but that obviously wasn't the case for UConn in this particular game.

 

[oldude]

Well, if you're saying they missed free throws because of the situation and pressure that's pretty much akin to choking.

Pheesa certainly didn't have her best game, but Gabby was magnificent. UConn is not even close at the end of regulation without Gabby's fantastic all-around play. I'm not sure choking is the appropriate adjective.

As I have pointed out several times in this thread, during the 2010 championship game, Maya & Tima were a combined 2/7 from the line during the last 2 minutes of the game when Stanford was making a run. At the same time, Maya exploded from the floor in the 2nd half and was the key to UConn coming back from a 9 pt 1st half deficit. Tina was a terror on the boards and a defensive force in the paint.

No one would ever accuse Maya & Tina of choking just because they missed some foul shots in a big game.

 

[UConnNick]

Pheesa certainly didn't have her best game, but Gabby was magnificent. UConn is not even close at the end of regulation without Gabby's fantastic all-around play. I'm not sure choking is the appropriate adjective.

As I have pointed out several times in this thread, during the 2010 championship game, Maya & Tima were a combined 2/7 from the line during the last 2 minutes of the game when Stanford was making a run. At the same time, Maya exploded from the floor in the 2nd half and was the key to UConn coming back from a 9 pt 1st half deficit. Tina was a terror on the boards and a defensive force in the paint.

No one would ever accuse Maya & Tina of choking just because they missed some foul shots in a big game.

Great points, oldude. It reinforces the premise that great players can miss free throws. I was at the Stanford game in 2010 and again, we were forced to expend a lot of energy to come back from the first half deficit. Didn't we only score 12 points in the entire first half?

Again, you have to consider game conditions. We had to overcome a significant deficit in the second half, and that takes more effort and energy. Normally reliable free throw shooters who miss an unusually high number of them are generally either physically or mentally fatigued late in the game, depending upon how the game has gone, substitutions, etc.