The reason why UConn won this game is that it was called fairly, FOR A CHANGE, right from the start. I can't believe people don't see how refs impact the game. All you need to do is watch enough ND and Duke games and it is obvious. Now, some teams are mentally tough enough to not let the early calls and non-calls affect them. So, in some sense, it isn't just the refs. But when teams are susceptible to being beaten up without calls being made and then get called for touch fouls on shooters, the refs can make a HUGE difference in the game. This UConn team is not mentally tough enough to deal with a game not being called fairly or getting beaten up without the fouls being called. If we play ND again, and that happens, UConn loses, period.
Your observation on this team's ability to react to the way the officials are calling the game is right on! The last two games, and especially the semi's, they were calling so many fouls on UConn in the offensive end it was ridiculous, but we did not react. We had a few early last night, but finally smartened up, or we would have been dead. As it was, Tiffany got in trouble and shortened to the bench to one. And then with Dolson sucking wind the last nine minutes, and KML's legs shot, he opted to stay with them on the floor. When Bria had to come out he had to bring in Kelly, and bang, bang, the "witch" was dead!!
Make up calls drive me nuts, and that happened in both halves last night. I don't think they had a major impact last night, but they did it in both halves, calling a bunch on us late first half, but the worm turned in the second half, and we got a couple of late calls. One was right on under the basket with no time off the clock, but another was late in the game right in front of Geno, late in the clock so we got a new 30, that was a good one. What hurts is when a makeup takes a player out of the game on a cheap make up call, and that's where I think Dolson gets in trouble early sometimes.
PS. Loved Bonita in the semi's, her best game ever!!
