Box score for the game (St Johns)

[alexrgct]

Here you go

The good:

• Stef!!! She was everything we hoped she'd be all season long. I'd give anything for her to repeat her performance in last season's BET finals tomorrow night.
• Kiah and even Heather (though Buck's contributions don't show up in the box score) both had strong contributions.
• KML had a terrific game. You don't even remember 6-13 shooting because she sandwiched a cold snap with a bunch of buckets. That's exactly what we need from her. And it's why she got 30 minutes tonight. You know what? If UConn manages to beat ND tomorrow (and yes, that's a big if), she could be in the running for MOP. That would be a tremendous accomplishment for a freshman.
• 10 steals and only 11 turnovers total!
• 48.2% from the field and 83% from the FT line.
• You know, Kelly still passed on shots she should have taken, but I'll take 4-6-7 with two steals from her.

The less good:

• Everyone not named KML was a combined 1-11 from behind the arc. Yikes.
• Caroline- we love you, but that was not a stellar game.
• Tiff- not a horrible game, but we need more from her to beat ND.
• Bria- If we get a big game from Tiff, this performance by Bria might be enough. If not, we'll need a bit more production from Bria. Solid game, though, especially in the first half.
• Attendance. The BET ticketing system makes no sense and always results in the house being less packed than it should be. Those who showed up, however, were loud and ready to give UConn their all. Thankfully, their all was not needed.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Tiff had a 3 waived off tonight and had one not count last night off the top of the backboard. Her 3-pointer is on or very close.

KML is a player. She does it all and is a superlative shooter.

Kelly had solid numbers across the board.

Stef is trying to get the MOP award that Maya "stole" last year.

 

[DaddyChoc]

I hate when "the shot doesn't count"

 

[speedoo]

Aside from 33 minutes for Bria and 30 for KLM, everyone had a relatively easy game. That was less true for ND.

 

[huskybill]

It's not the Big East's fault that a measly 8731 were at tonight's games. Actually that is the number that bought tickets for tonight's games. All the baloney about how great Connecticut fans are goes out the window with a showing like tonight's. They sold about 800 more tickets for tonight than they did for Friday's doubleheaders. Think they can break 9000 tomorrow?

 

[alexrgct]

It's not the Big East's fault that a measly 8731 were at tonight's games. Actually that is the number that bought tickets for tonight's games. All the baloney about how great Connecticut fans are goes out the window with a showing like tonight's. They sold about 800 more tickets for tonight than they did for Friday's doubleheaders. Think they can break 9000 tomorrow?

It is absolutely the Big East's fault because they always get fewer tickets sold than UConn does for even crappy opponents at XL. The state is the same, the facility is the same, the fanbase is the same, etc. The only variable is who manages the ticketing process.

 

[DaddyChoc]

how did the other tourneys do?

 

[rjp172]

Aside from 33 minutes for Bria and 30 for KLM, everyone had a relatively easy game. That was less true for ND.

How so? Diggins and McBride played 31 mins each. The next five in rotation for ND played a couple minutes total more. In the UConn's top 7 and ND's top 7 played the exact same minutes.

 

[speedoo]

How so? Diggins and McBride played 31 mins each. The next five in rotation for ND played a couple minutes total more. In the UConn's top 7 and ND's top 7 played the exact same minutes.

And Mallory had 30 minutes, so 3 ND players had 30 minutes or more vs. 2 players for UConn.

 

[Kibitzer]

I think KML is the best all-around basketball player on the team. Excels at both ends of the court and in all facets of the game. Others my have an edge in, say, rebounding or m2m defending, but she is the best and most complete package.

I hope she is on the court for 35+ minutes vs. ND. Ditto Hartley and Hayes.

 

[HuskyNan]

The less good:

• Tiff- not a horrible game, but we need more from her to beat ND.

Yet, I thought the offense was much smoother with Tiff on the floor. Opponents know she can score and in a variety of ways. Tiff demands to be guarded and that opens things up for her teammates.

 

[Sonny44]

Is she banged up a bit; looked a little out of it the last two games?

 

[alexrgct]

Is she banged up a bit; looked a little out of it the last two games?

She took a nasty fall early in the Rutgers game. It definitely affected her the remainder of that game; she visibly favored her hip on a few occasions. Didn't see her do so last night, but I imagine she's a bit sore. Hope she's ready to have a big game tonight because we probably need her to.

 

[meyers7]

Here you go

The good:

• Stef!!! She was everything we hoped she'd be all season long. I'd give anything for her to repeat her performance in last season's BET finals tomorrow night.
• Kiah and even Heather (though Buck's contributions don't show up in the box score) both had strong contributions.
• KML had a terrific game. You don't even remember 6-13 shooting because she sandwiched a cold snap with a bunch of buckets. That's exactly what we need from her. And it's why she got 30 minutes tonight. You know what? If UConn manages to beat ND tomorrow (and yes, that's a big if), she could be in the running for MOP. That would be a tremendous accomplishment for a freshman.
• 10 steals and only 11 turnovers total!
• 48.2% from the field and 83% from the FT line.
• You know, Kelly still passed on shots she should have taken, but I'll take 4-6-7 with two steals from her.

The less good:

• Everyone not named KML was a combined 1-11 from behind the arc. Yikes.
• Caroline- we love you, but that was not a stellar game.
• Tiff- not a horrible game, but we need more from her to beat ND.
• Bria- If we get a big game from Tiff, this performance by Bria might be enough. If not, we'll need a bit more production from Bria. Solid game, though, especially in the first half.
• Attendance. The BET ticketing system makes no sense and always results in the house being less packed than it should be. Those who showed up, however, were loud and ready to give UConn their all. Thankfully, their all was not needed.

Was gonna do that again today, but you beat me too it. And I agree no "bad".

 

[alexrgct]

I think KML is the best all-around basketball player on the team. Excels at both ends of the court and in all facets of the game. Others my have an edge in, say, rebounding or m2m defending, but she is the best and most complete package.

I hope she is on the court for 35+ minutes vs. ND. Ditto Hartley and Hayes.

And she came in with the work ethic you hope to see in a top player. When Geno talks about not being able to reach this generation, he's not talking about her. Of that I am certain.

There's a lot of excitement about Breanna Stewart, as there should be, but KML is the truth. She's going to improve in terms of moving with and without the ball, and when she does, she will be completely and utterly unstoppable. I wish she hadn't had that slump in the middle of the year because it's clouded for some people what should be unbridled and unqualified optimism about the next three years of KML at Storrs. Don't get me wrong, Elizabeth Williams is fantastic and I knew she would be, but I would not trade KML for any other freshman.

 

[Icebear]

And she came in with the work ethic you hope to see in a top player. When Geno talks about not being able to reach this generation, he's not talking about her. Of that I am certain.

There's a lot of excitement about Breanna Stewart, as there should be, but KML is the truth. She's going to improve in terms of moving with and without the ball, and when she does, she will be completely and utterly unstoppable. I wish she hadn't had that slump in the middle of the year because it's clouded for some people what should be unbridled and unqualified optimism about the next three years of KML at Storrs. Don't get me wrong, Elizabeth Williams is fantastic and I knew she would be, but I would not trade KML for any other freshman.

Actually, he pointedly has said that about her. I always suspect it is in his reverse psychology kind of way. He spoke her giving him the SoCal, "Whatever," look.

 

[alexrgct]

He likes to have a little fun at her expense, but Geno has openly complimented how hard a worker she is. Agree that she may be one of who he's talking about when he says kids today have played so much basketball by the time they get to college that they don't get excited about going to Chicago for a road trip or whatever.

 

[Icebear]

I, also, think that Geno has already figured out that he can talk to the team through KML. When he addresses her the rest of the team know well that it applies to them, too.

 

[speedoo]

He likes to have a little fun at her expense, but Geno has openly complimented how hard a worker she is. Agree that she may be one of who he's talking about when he says kids today have played so much basketball by the time they get to college that they don't get excited about going to Chicago for a road trip or whatever.

And she is becoming a team leader... vocal on the court and off. Did anyone else catch the fact that, in the pregame team huddle, it was KML in the middle, doing whatever the kids do in that huddle?

 

[MilfordHusky]

KML is a very smart, hardworking player with lofty goals. She could have gone anywhere. She did not come here to lose 4 game in a season. She is not satisfied being the BE FOY and 6th Man. Her shot now looks great--nice arc and very soft. If her team is to lose, she will go down shooting. She's taking over if needed. She will mesh with the new guys very well. She'll be Ms. Outside to Breanna's Ms. Inside.

 

[Icebear]

She'll be Ms. Outside to Breanna's Ms. Inside.

We want people making shots not Mssing them.

 

[Kibitzer]

We want people making shots not Mssing them.

Ice, I think you just msspoke.

 

[Icebear]

Ice, I think you just msspoke.

Just trying to keep us from msery.

 

[Tonyc]

The key was Stef getting shots. Why last night and not any other nite. She was played one on one most of the nite and had a distinct height advantage. STJ didnt get back as quickly as they had. KML had alot of one on one also. .

 

[Kibitzer]

Back to Kaleena for a moment.

I posted that a critical moment in that season-ending loss to Notre Dame was when she got called for her second foul (a bad call, at that) early in the first half. She went out. Came back in. Out. In. She never got into the flow of the game in the first half, and barely so in the second. I think that second foul on her was the New York Life "play that lost the game."

Last night, if there was a moment that thrust the dagger into St. John's hearts, I think it was the moment when Kaleena missed a trey, then -- mere seconds later -- retrieved the loose ball and fired away without an instant of doubt or hesitation. Bang!

Three points and, for all intents and purposes, game, set, match.

I hope she is "in the zone" tonight.