DePaul Postgame Thread

[pacific 44]

Fourteen points by the bench on 50% shooting. They were instrumental in winning the fourth quarter 22-10. Very good sign going forward. Also, welcome back Ms. Patterson

 

[Inthepaint]

Looked REAL good out there tonight.
Glad Jana had a court side seat to see what she’s going to be part of.
The rest of the season is going to be a priceless course for her in basketball 101
Now on to Knoxville to see if they can put it all together for real.

 

[JBK]

Some thoughts on the DePaul game:

• Do you think Aaliyah was pumped for the matchup with Morrow tonight? It wasn’t quite Chamberlain vs Russell, but man was it one hell of a physical battle. Morrow is a heck of a player, but I am absolutely delighted that we have Aaliyah on our team. For the coaches and sportswriter who vote for AA teams, it was pretty obvious who the best player on the court was tonight.
• 20 games into the season, I have become conditioned to the fact that whenever UConn really needs a basket, Lou delivers one. Whether she drains a 3, pulls up and hits a midrange jumper, or makes a backdoor cut for a layup, Lou is absolutely MONEY for the Huskies this season.
• Aubrey plays like an athletic vacuum cleaner sucking up basketballs when opponents attempt to get a pass by her.
• I felt that rebounding would be a key in this game. To a large degree it was, as UConn dominated DePaul on the boards 59 to 33.
• Has everyone noticed that in each of the last few games, Dorka has delivered some serious, chest-bumping REJECTIONS on defense?
• Nika was the only Husky who didn't score tonight. But I'm perfectly happy with 10 assists, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks night.
• I really love what I saw from our 3-player bench tonight: Amari with some tough post D on Morrow, Ines with a heads-up tip to Nika and fast break basket and Ayanna on a pure hustle play to defend a breakaway layup.
• Finally, a BIG Boneyard welcome to Jana El Alfy. While it will be a while before we get to see her play in a game, it’s exciting that she came all the way from Egypt to the Basketball Capital of the World to work on her game in preparation to make an impact next season.

Nika is having a fantastic year, but I think in order to beat the best teams, she will need to score points. Going into TN she does have much confidence to hit a few 3s. Aubrey is backing off that shot and we need another threat

 

[jabstep]

The bench is getting better with court time. The team chemistry is as others have said is getting better all the time. Our front line is Big and effective. Lou is turning out to be be worthy of the LOU cheer.

 

[Bama fan]

From the Magnificent Seven , we have morphed into the Effulgent Eight. All the ladies played well, and everyone got a respite. Good win and I did not see any injuries! I think I did see a "frick you" come from the mouth of our sweet Lou Two, too.

 

[huskeynut]

An impressive, work man like game by UConn.

Aaliyah outplayed Morrow the entire game. Aaliyah is a complete power forward. Her offensive game is so complete and diverse. And she can flat out play defense.

Dorka with a great game. Rebounds, assists and points. She is playing more physical now than earlier in the season. Aubrey is just amazing. So athletic but now a very confident player. Love her game.

Lou!!! OMG can this girl play!! A beautiful shot. She scores the 3, the mid range shot and layups. I agree, she is probably UConn's MVP.

Nika - no points but 10 assists. She keeps this team focused and leads the charge.

The bench - WOW. Amari payed important minutes in relief and played very well. She is getting it. Those long arms, straight up force players to alter their shots and miss. And she is showing she can score. Ines - this kid comes to play. Ayanna - excellent work tonight. Hopefully this is the start of her breakout.

 

[mhshuskies]

Loved how confidently the bench was playing.

 

[Geew1992]

Amari with the errand past, ran back for a monster block!! The minutes from the bench is important and they are really stepping up!

 

[Bone Dog]

Aaliyah outplayed Morrow in every category. So did Dorka. In a head to head comparison, Aaliyah is clearly playing better than Morrow is. This is no contest, really.

But I still feel for Morrow. Her team is a shambles. People were saying how she shoots too much. But watching this game I can see why. If she doesn’t shoot, who will on this team? This is practically a wasted season for her.

Amari was tremendous against Morrow. Got a couple blocks and altered several shots. Avoided fouling her. It was a very controlled performance by Miss Deberry.

Inês was also wonderful. Got a couple scores and a dazzling pass to Ayanna on the break.

And Ayanna was back on the floor!!! I was so happy to see her out there. Way to go, big girl!!

And Jana was on the bench. I loved seeing her there — one of us!! Welcome home, Jana!

 

[maple]

No special comments besides what everyone else has already said, but I loved the energy from all the players today and was excited to see everyone do well! Let’s keep it rolling.

 

[HuskyNan]

Nika is having a fantastic year, but I think in order to beat the best teams, she will need to score points. Going into TN she does have much confidence to hit a few 3s. Aubrey is backing off that shot and we need another threat

Aubrey had 18 points. As for Nika, whatever she’s doing, she should just keep doing it. She drives or shoots when she needs to but with 4 teammates scoring 80 points, Nika didn’t need to score tonight

 

[Ozimoto]

I wonder if the strip by Ines with the tap to Nika and then Nika hitting Ines with a perfect pass for a layup will make ESPN's top plays? I thought that sequence was pretty special.

 

[oldude]

No, she’ll keep the mask on because that’s what Superheroes wear.

 

[HuskyNan]

Yes, she admits it although tonight’s game was a good example of why it’s a smart idea.

I think Nika may have a black eye tomorrow. She got whacked in the face and the right side was red and puffy.

 

[Husky fanatic]

What y’all have said

 

[cohenzone]

The recent starting five has played so much together that chemistry and trust have developed.

I would take Aaliyah over Morrow every day. Morrow struggles defensively against bigger players. Dorka and Edwards both gave her problems.

I was not real impressed with Morrow’s “physical” play.

Aubrey had 5 offensive rebounds in the first half. The Huskies took advantage of their size and owned the boards.

DePaul tries to play uptempo with UConn. I know it is their style but when you have that much of a talent disadvantage the result is not going to be pretty.

Aubrey is example of what Anthony Bozzella is talking about. The hesitancy that plagued early in her career is gone. She is no longer a great athlete. She has developed into a really good player.

Hall of Fame Coach Bruno is now 0-22 against his friend Geno.

A much needed easy game before going to Tennessee. I probably will jinx it but I have watched the Vols several times and am not impressed.

Doug Bruno most overrated coach this side of Andy Landers. If he’d been coaching a men’s program he would’ve been gone years ago. Pulls an upset once in a blue moon.

 

[Bone Dog]

I think Nika may have a black eye. She got whacked in the face and the right side of her face was red and puffy.

I noticed that too. She was squinting and rubbing that eye for awhile.

 

[dtbtbtb]

Few Thoughts:
*Wow AE...what an amazing game! All American performance!
*Lou: it's a broken record for me but she is God send for UConn!
*Dorka: fantastic game. Her 6'5 frame and skills were impossible for DP to stop.
*Aubrey: what an out of this world athlete!
*Nika: didn't score but was in total control of this game!
*Amari: started horrible with a bad pass and missing a layup but the more she played did some very nice things and at 6'5 presented Morrow with a challenge.
*Ines: looked confident and contributed nicely.
*AP: good to have her back. A great athlete and rebounder. Her defense on that one fast break was outstanding.
*Morrow: was forcing the issue and it was not working for her because AE is just as strong physically (if not stronger) and didn't give her anything easy. I was surprised by how not motivated Morrow is on defense.
*A good game for UConn and now hopefully they can get a little rest and be ready for TN!

 

[Cornell Lt]

I know that DePaul is not a top tier team, however a lot of positives from the game. In my mind, AE laid claim to Big East player of the year award. The 3 that came in off the bench all contributed in their own way. Nika had an off game but didn't seem to hurt the Huskies all that much. Aubrey did Aubrey kind of things, things that other players just can't replicate. Dorka was solid as always and Lou is Lou.

 

[Topdawg]

A great win!

UConn controlled the pace of the game from the start. We had a huge advantage on rebounds and assists. Aaliyah was excellent offensively and was very effective against Morrow on defense. Lou had a very good shooting game and provided the spark early. Dorka played a very balanced game. I loved those blocks. Aubrey was excellent on defense and also scored her signature improbable baskets. Nika had a good outing with her passing And defense. Amari did a great job on defense. Ayanna had a great outing and Ines made a strong contribution.

Things to work on: missed layups, turnovers.

Hope Caroline and Azzi are getting better each day.

 

[JBK]

Aubrey had 18 points. As for Nika, whatever she’s doing, she should just keep doing it. She drives or shoots when she needs to but with 4 teammates scoring 80 points, Nika didn’t need to score tonight

When Geno dances when Nika hits a shot - and she did not shoot tonight could hurt when we cannot run. We May have to run an offense against SC and Villanova and just hope nika can be a threat. I love watching her play and just want her to keep the defense honest

 

[Zinethar]

Another fun game to watch. Wanted Dorka to come back in for one more rebound. Of course I was rooting for Nika to get 2 more rebounds to get a double double without even scoring a point (of course I really wanted her to score!). I'm really loving this group!