cferraro04
Sensei
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2011
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GENERAL COMMENTS:
This is the 2nd meeting between these two teams, with the first one being on 12/29/2024. A quick perusal of the stats the first time around gave one reason to suspect that the game would be played in the high 60s to mid-70s. That is exactly what happened with UConn prevailing 67 to 41. While a 26 MOV would seem significant I believe that the potential for an even higher MOV is possible. Now after hearing that Geno lit into the team after the Tennessee loss I have no doubts that UConn will win by a much higher MOV. Providence is not a high-scoring team they are among the lowest-scoring teams in women's NCAA Division One with a total point average of 56.9. UConn on the other hand is a high-scoring team averaging 80.9 points per game. The MOV in the first game was 2 points higher than the average margin of difference between their two per-game scoring averages of 24. However, given the time of the year, Geno's latest critique of the team's performance, and the overall innate talent of this team...I fully expect to see an MOV somewhere between 35 and 45 points.
Except for the substitution of Scarlett MacKayle for Kylee Sheppard, not much has changed concerning the Providence line-up. Providence starts with three graduate students and two seniors. They are loaded with experienced leadership. Their starting line-up is 6'3", 6'1", 6'0", 5'11", and 5'9" while, UConn starts 6'5", 6'2", 6'0", 5'11, and 5'9". Grace Ofosa is their best player averaging 14.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.7 assists. Providence's RPI is 175 and its SoS is 69. UConn on the other hand has a respectable RPI of 6 and an SoS of 10.
In the first match-up, Providence's starters played the following minutes:
Efosa Grace - 36 minutes and had 11 points, 7 rebounds;
Olivia Olsen - 27 minutes and had 8 points and 11 rebounds;
Marta Morales-Romero - 24 minutes and had 5 points and 2 rebounds;
Brynn Farrell - 31 minutes and had 4 points and 4 rebounds;
Kylee Sheppard played 13 minutes and had 0 points and 1 rebound:
Mackayle Scarlett who started in the last 9 games averaged 18 minutes and had 1 point and 1 rebound.
UConn's starters from the last match-up meanwhile played the following minutes:
Paige Bueckers - 27 minutes and had 23 points and 4 rebounds;
Sarah Strong - 29 minutes and had 14 points and 2 rebounds;
Azzi Fudd - 24 minutes and had 8 points and zero rebounds;
Kaitlyn Chen - 25 minutes and had 4 points and 2 rebounds;
Jana El-Alfy - 9 minutes and had 2 points and 2 rebounds.
In the first match-up, it should be mentioned that UConn got 40 points off turnovers while Providence only got 11. Providence shot 13 for 15 from the line for 86.7 percent while UConn shot 8 for 11 for 72.7 percent. UConn took a lot of threes in that game and only hit 7 of them for 24.1 percent while Providence shot 2 for 15 from three for 13.3 percent. UConn had 16 points off the bench while Providence had 13.
PLAYER MATCH UPs:
Jana El-Alfy, 6'5" - RS-Freshman - Center vs Olivia Olsen, 6'3" - Senior - Forward - Olivia averages 10.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists, .7 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game. Jana is averaging 5.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.0 assists. 5 steals, and .7 blocks per game. In the first match-up Olivia played well and Jana played poorly. ADVANTAGE - PROVIDENCE
Sarah Strong, 6'2" - Freshman - Forward vs Marta Morales-Romero, 6'1" - Senior - Guard / Forward - Marta averages 6.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, .5 steals, and hits 1.4 three-pointers per game. Sarah is averaging 17.1 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.3 steals, 1.4 blocks, and hits 1.6 three-pointers per game. ADVANTAGE - UCONN
Paige Bueckers, 6'0" - RS-Senior - Guard vs Grace Efosa, 5'11" - Graduate - Guard - Great match-up between each team's best players. Grace averages 14.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists, .8 steals, and.64 three-points per game. Paige is averaging 18.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 2.0 steals, .5 blocks, and 1.9 three-pointers per game. ADVANTAGE - UCONN
Azzi Fudd, 5'11" - Graduate - Guard vs Brynn Farrell, 6'0" - Graduate - Guard - Brynn averages 8.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists, .5 steals, and hits .72 three-pointers per game. Azzi averages 11.2 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists, .9 steals, and hits 2 three-pointers per game.
ADVANTAGE - UCONN
Kaitlyn Chen, 5'9" - Graduate - Guard vs MacKayla Scarlett, 5'10" - Graduate - Guard - MacKayla averages 4.0 points, 1.8 rebounds, .7 steals, and hits .8 three-pointers per game. Kaitlyn is averaging 6.5 points, 1.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1 steal, and hits .71 three-pointers per game.
ADVANTAGE - UCONN
BENCH:
UConn will bring 26.2 points and 11.7 rebounds off the bench. Providence will bring 18.3 points and 11.4 rebounds off the bench.
ADVANTAGE - UCONN
INTANGIBLES:
UConn is coming off a stinging loss to Tennessee, one that Geno is sure to not let them forget. I don't think Providence's home crowd and gym will be enough of an advantage to offset UConn's size, talent, and motivation. To be clear, I don't think anybody would want to be UConn's opponent in this game. ADVANTAGE - UCONN
COACHING:
Geno and staff have made it clear that UConn must play better in this final stretch. They have all the ammunition they need to motivate UConn to play inspired basketball and I am very confident that they will get the job done in a big way. They now see the South Carolina game as essential to their route to the national championship. As a result, I expect to see a renewed sense of urgency from the UConn players.
ADVANTAGE - UCONN
SCORE:
UConn - 92
Providence - 45
MOV - 47
This is the 2nd meeting between these two teams, with the first one being on 12/29/2024. A quick perusal of the stats the first time around gave one reason to suspect that the game would be played in the high 60s to mid-70s. That is exactly what happened with UConn prevailing 67 to 41. While a 26 MOV would seem significant I believe that the potential for an even higher MOV is possible. Now after hearing that Geno lit into the team after the Tennessee loss I have no doubts that UConn will win by a much higher MOV. Providence is not a high-scoring team they are among the lowest-scoring teams in women's NCAA Division One with a total point average of 56.9. UConn on the other hand is a high-scoring team averaging 80.9 points per game. The MOV in the first game was 2 points higher than the average margin of difference between their two per-game scoring averages of 24. However, given the time of the year, Geno's latest critique of the team's performance, and the overall innate talent of this team...I fully expect to see an MOV somewhere between 35 and 45 points.
Except for the substitution of Scarlett MacKayle for Kylee Sheppard, not much has changed concerning the Providence line-up. Providence starts with three graduate students and two seniors. They are loaded with experienced leadership. Their starting line-up is 6'3", 6'1", 6'0", 5'11", and 5'9" while, UConn starts 6'5", 6'2", 6'0", 5'11, and 5'9". Grace Ofosa is their best player averaging 14.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.7 assists. Providence's RPI is 175 and its SoS is 69. UConn on the other hand has a respectable RPI of 6 and an SoS of 10.
In the first match-up, Providence's starters played the following minutes:
Efosa Grace - 36 minutes and had 11 points, 7 rebounds;
Olivia Olsen - 27 minutes and had 8 points and 11 rebounds;
Marta Morales-Romero - 24 minutes and had 5 points and 2 rebounds;
Brynn Farrell - 31 minutes and had 4 points and 4 rebounds;
Kylee Sheppard played 13 minutes and had 0 points and 1 rebound:
Mackayle Scarlett who started in the last 9 games averaged 18 minutes and had 1 point and 1 rebound.
UConn's starters from the last match-up meanwhile played the following minutes:
Paige Bueckers - 27 minutes and had 23 points and 4 rebounds;
Sarah Strong - 29 minutes and had 14 points and 2 rebounds;
Azzi Fudd - 24 minutes and had 8 points and zero rebounds;
Kaitlyn Chen - 25 minutes and had 4 points and 2 rebounds;
Jana El-Alfy - 9 minutes and had 2 points and 2 rebounds.
In the first match-up, it should be mentioned that UConn got 40 points off turnovers while Providence only got 11. Providence shot 13 for 15 from the line for 86.7 percent while UConn shot 8 for 11 for 72.7 percent. UConn took a lot of threes in that game and only hit 7 of them for 24.1 percent while Providence shot 2 for 15 from three for 13.3 percent. UConn had 16 points off the bench while Providence had 13.
PLAYER MATCH UPs:
Jana El-Alfy, 6'5" - RS-Freshman - Center vs Olivia Olsen, 6'3" - Senior - Forward - Olivia averages 10.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists, .7 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game. Jana is averaging 5.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.0 assists. 5 steals, and .7 blocks per game. In the first match-up Olivia played well and Jana played poorly. ADVANTAGE - PROVIDENCE
Sarah Strong, 6'2" - Freshman - Forward vs Marta Morales-Romero, 6'1" - Senior - Guard / Forward - Marta averages 6.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, .5 steals, and hits 1.4 three-pointers per game. Sarah is averaging 17.1 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.3 steals, 1.4 blocks, and hits 1.6 three-pointers per game. ADVANTAGE - UCONN
Paige Bueckers, 6'0" - RS-Senior - Guard vs Grace Efosa, 5'11" - Graduate - Guard - Great match-up between each team's best players. Grace averages 14.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists, .8 steals, and.64 three-points per game. Paige is averaging 18.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 2.0 steals, .5 blocks, and 1.9 three-pointers per game. ADVANTAGE - UCONN
Azzi Fudd, 5'11" - Graduate - Guard vs Brynn Farrell, 6'0" - Graduate - Guard - Brynn averages 8.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists, .5 steals, and hits .72 three-pointers per game. Azzi averages 11.2 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists, .9 steals, and hits 2 three-pointers per game.
ADVANTAGE - UCONN
Kaitlyn Chen, 5'9" - Graduate - Guard vs MacKayla Scarlett, 5'10" - Graduate - Guard - MacKayla averages 4.0 points, 1.8 rebounds, .7 steals, and hits .8 three-pointers per game. Kaitlyn is averaging 6.5 points, 1.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1 steal, and hits .71 three-pointers per game.
ADVANTAGE - UCONN
BENCH:
UConn will bring 26.2 points and 11.7 rebounds off the bench. Providence will bring 18.3 points and 11.4 rebounds off the bench.
ADVANTAGE - UCONN
INTANGIBLES:
UConn is coming off a stinging loss to Tennessee, one that Geno is sure to not let them forget. I don't think Providence's home crowd and gym will be enough of an advantage to offset UConn's size, talent, and motivation. To be clear, I don't think anybody would want to be UConn's opponent in this game. ADVANTAGE - UCONN
COACHING:
Geno and staff have made it clear that UConn must play better in this final stretch. They have all the ammunition they need to motivate UConn to play inspired basketball and I am very confident that they will get the job done in a big way. They now see the South Carolina game as essential to their route to the national championship. As a result, I expect to see a renewed sense of urgency from the UConn players.
ADVANTAGE - UCONN
SCORE:
UConn - 92
Providence - 45
MOV - 47
