Geno protecting Saniya in the presser

[ASweet3781]

And let's give credit to that defender, who was none other than Morgan William. In an instant that open lane was closed, and Saniya didn't recognize the closure quickly enough. That was emblematic of the defensive play that has carried MSU this far and won them this game.

And please please please ... in any close loss, there were literally dozens of plays that could have made the difference. Let's not be those people who focus only on the last one.

Which. is. why. you. dont. start. that. early. to. the basket.

 

[Baroloboy]

Geno is ok with mistakes made while being aggressive. I thought Saniya made a bad decision at the time. In hindsight, it was a bad decision. But she thought she could make a play. I would have preferred the drive about 8 seconds later, but it was not to be.

Our rare losses often spur very long winning streaks. I'm sure the kids will listen better and work even harder.

This was Mississippi State's night.

Geno was really classy in not throwing Soniya under the bus. I love Soniya and what she has done for the team this year and how she perceived after three difficult years to step up from a role player to start every game and play a critical role in undefeated team prior to tonight.Having said that Milford there is no we can sugarcoat that play as anything less that a rookie mental error. Even if she made the play or drew the foul there was enough time for MSU to get another possession with 15 seconds remaining. Timing is everything in the last minute of a tied game. As I said in another post Soniya must be crushed ending her career on a play like that and I feel absolutely terrible for her.

 

[Wbbfan1]

Michelle Voepel Tweet

"Nice acting job by Katie Lou Samuelson"

Is she Blind even with having Replay Verify the Call. The Flagrant foul should have been called when it happened. Game would have been Tied after KSL makes Free Throws with UConn having the ball. Who knows MAYBE team has a better possession as they would have had the ball with 1 minute left in the game. Still team had the chance to win the game, regardless of when the Flagrant was Called.

 

[BostonCanuck]

He should. He IMO deserves the blame.

I am not happy at all that Chong has this on her forever. It's a damn shame and should never had happened.

This is not the first time a UConn player did not understand time and score in a tight NCAA Final 4 game. Thinking back to Bria Hartley racing up the Denver court with the shot clock off and turning it over.

Every UConn player should know in a tied game that you always hold for the final shot at the buzzer so the worst you get is Double OT. It's basic stuff. This is not a mistake that should be happening.

I fully agree. Think also to the first game of the season against FSU, when foul and time management was also botched in the last minute of the game. What I want to know is whether Geno specifically brought it up in the last huddle that they hold to the final few seconds no matter what. When the question about that was asked late in the presser, what I got out of his answer was something like, well they know to do it because that's what we always explain in practice when we run these scenarios. No, that was his baseline obligation to hammer that point home in the final huddle. And I for one think he probably did not, because I can't believe she would have attempted a play like that, had the only correct tactic for this scenario been properly emphasized. If he failed to do that, then I really hope that becomes publically known, as I think it would make a world of difference for Saniya.

 

[housekeys]

In defense of Geno, he said in the post game presser they went over that in every practice.

Actually what he said is, they go over it in practice and typically they want to have enough time on the clock for a rebound or put back. This may have been the reason Saniya started earlier than most wanted, to leave some time on the clock. Not a fan of such logic.
I was also somewhat surprised by how the entire team, minus Kia who was on the left side, where all on the right side of the court. Very little spacing and a lot of hands and traffic, making Saniya's only move to her left, with not too many passing options.
Can't complain about Geno or the team. It was a team loss, coaches and players. That same team, coaches and players, have been phenomenal all season.

 

[Aluminny69]

Geno was really classy in not throwing Soniya under the bus. I love Soniya and what she has done for the team this year and how she perceived after three difficult years to step up from a role player to start every game and play a critical role in undefeated team prior to tonight.Having said that Milford there is no we can sugarcoat that play as anything less that a rookie mental error. Even if she made the play or drew the foul there was enough time for MSU to get another possession with 15 seconds remaining. Timing is everything in the last minute of a tied game. As I said in another post Soniya must be crushed ending her career on a play like that and I feel absolutely terrible for her.

You have absolutely no way of knowing what was said in the huddle before the inbounds. Unless the coaches emphatically told the players to hold the ball until the last second, like MSU did, then you cannot blame the players. Based on Geno's presser, I don't believe that was the plan. Maybe HBO filmed it, and can shed some light.

 

[DICKG]

He should. He IMO deserves the blame.

I am not happy at all that Chong has this on her forever. It's a damn shame and should never had happened.

This is not the first time a UConn player did not understand time and score in a tight NCAA Final 4 game. Thinking back to Bria Hartley racing up the Denver court with the shot clock off and turning it over.

Every UConn player should know in a tied game that you always hold for the final shot at the buzzer so the worst you get is Double OT. It's basic stuff. This is not a mistake that should be happening.

You are right, every player should know, but how often have any of these players been in these situations. The coaches said to take the last shot.

 

[pvdoggy]

People who thinks you should hold the ball till the last few seconds before trying to score are nuts! With 18 secs left, you score when you can, and let your defense do the work. I think Brady and or Belichick said the same thing in the last Superbowl.

 

[UC10NN]

If Geno really said that...Wow.

I think another overtime would have been better for UConn than the alternative no?

Just to be clear.... Geno wanted a few seconds left in case of a miss and for a second chance. He did not want 12 seconds left....

 

[StephStorrs]

One could very well argue that it should have never gotten to the point where they were forced into taking that last minute shot to begin with. One could argue that they should have come out stronger, played a better game, and had the game in the bag by the half. It's all about how you look at it, and I'm not going to put the loss on Saniya. A thousand things could have gone differently to avoid the situation entirely.

Geno is a good coach. He can be harsh, he can be cruel, and he can be ridiculously unlikable at times. But he loves his team, and he's loved coaching them this season. I can't imagine him throwing any of them under the bus. Not now, not after this season, not after that game.

 

[Stinger92860]

You have absolutely no way of knowing what was said in the huddle before the inbounds. Unless the coaches emphatically told the players to hold the ball until the last second, like MSU did, then you cannot blame the players. Based on Geno's presser, I don't believe that was the plan. Maybe HBO filmed it, and can shed some light.

Forgot about HBO, but no way they were in the huddle.

 

[Aluminny69]

People who thinks you should hold the ball till the last few seconds before trying to score are nuts! With 18 secs left, you score when you can, and let your defense do the work. I think Brady and or Belichick said the same thing in the last Superbowl.

There are two distinct theories on that, neither one is "nuts." Miss. St. held the ball till the last few seconds, twice, and it worked out for them, so it's not "nuts."

 

[Aluminny69]

Forgot about HBO, but no way they were in the huddle.

Geno called a timeout. Then they reviewed KLS and she got the free throws. What makes you think there wasn't a discussion of what to do?

 

[Aluminny69]

Just to be clear.... Geno wanted a few seconds left in case of a miss and for a second chance. He did not want 12 seconds left....

Yes, I agree. Thanks for that clarification.

 

[willingtonfan]

Geno is the greatest basketball coach of all time, no question. But if he has an Achilles heel, it's coaching close games. I believe his record is unbelievably poor. I know the graphic said he is 0-4 in overtime games, now 0-5. Probably because UConn just doesn't play that many close games.

Yes, I completely agree. For instance, after they got the ball with 20 secs left after Saniya lost it, why not shout "foul." Worst case, they make the two free throws and we get the ball back with 15 or so secs to have a chance to tie/win.
And in that loss to Stanford in 2014, Stanford got the ball back with us up 2. Why not foul? Worst case, they score two points -- THEY CAN'T SCORE THREE -- and tie the game again.
I saw on TV in fact that UConn has never, repeat NEVER, won an overtime game in the NCAA tournament (0-5). I can only recall one game of any kind we have won in overtime, a game against South Florida some years back.
I know that Geno generally doesn't like the strategic use of fouls but for heaven's sake, this is the NCAA national semifinal, do whatever the heck is necessary to win!

Another point -- since the referees stopped play to do the review of the flagrant foul call when Lou was flattened, should they not have restored the time that had gone off the clock after the foul was committed to where it should have been had the call been made in a timely fashion? Because had the foul been called when it was committed, the clock situation would have been different, and we might have had one more possession that would have given us one more chance to win. Just a few thoughts.

 

[BostonCanuck]

People who thinks you should hold the ball till the last few seconds before trying to score are nuts! With 18 secs left, you score when you can, and let your defense do the work. I think Brady and or Belichick said the same thing in the last Superbowl.

What a ridiculous statement. This was not a routine half-court set run in the middle of any given Sunday's game. (And I am talking about basketball, not football by the way.) For the situation that was at hand, it was the only responsible tactic.

 

[Stinger92860]

Geno called a timeout. Then they reviewed KLS and she got the free throws. What makes you think there wasn't a discussion of what to do?

My point was that the HBO crew was not in the huddle. What point are you trying to make? What makes you think I even mentioned what was said in the huddle?

 

[housekeys]

The best option, in retrospect, may have been to get the ball to Gabby at the top of the key with 10 seconds or so on the clock. She has shown all year that she can fly by just about anyone, and attack the basket, when guarded that far out. Kind of like what Miss State ran for their last shot, with William. But, who knows? Should, could, maybe's are meaningless at this point. Oh well.

 

[VAMike23]

Nobody's nuts --

Geno said himself that it was "not in the plan" to go for the score with as much time left as there was. Guess I'll have to go back and listen again to confirm. My recollection is that he said you usually don't score on the initial attempt so you just want a *little* bit of time for a putback is all. Not so much time that the other team has the time that MSU did tonight.

So yes, in that sense Geno did say that he wanted the last shot.

Having said this, Saniya was trying to make a play and she obviously thought there was an opening. Geno wasn't criticizing her and neither am I. It's not like she threw a lazy cross court pass or dribbled it off her foot. She was trying to win the game--the "old" Saniya would never have had that confidence IMO. So it didn't work out but credit to Saniya and the strides she's made as a Husky.

 

[ASweet3781]

People who thinks you should hold the ball till the last few seconds before trying to score are nuts! With 18 secs left, you score when you can, and let your defense do the work. I think Brady and or Belichick said the same thing in the last Superbowl.

Nuts? If the game is tied and you can eliminate any chance the opponent has of getting a shot to win do you not hold for the final shot?

MSU was given an extra shot they shouldn't have had. They made it. And we are on the way back home tomorrow. Doesn't sound nuts to me.

 

[Aluminny69]

Here's another head scratcher. With 18 seconds left in regulation, UConn had a foul to give. Saniya fouled the MSU player in two seconds, leaving 16.7 seconds. What was the point of that?

 

[augustaTC]

Which. is. why. you. dont. start. that. early. to. the basket.

I am so sick of ersatz coaches/critics finding it so easy to look for and find a scapegoat. I get you're disappointed. Maybe you lost a ton of money on the game. Whatever. But these are kids and sometimes things don't work out. LET. IT. GO.

 

[Stinger92860]

The best option, in retrospect, may have been to get the ball to Gabby at the top of the key with 10 seconds or so on the clock. She has shown all year that she can fly by just about anyone, and attack the basket, when guarded that far out. Kind of like what Miss State ran for their last shot, with William. But, who knows? Should, could, maybe's are meaningless at this point. Oh well.

But gabby had several turnovers in the last few possessions. She was exhausted. Have you ever seen anyone leave more on the court?

 

[ASweet3781]

Here's another head scratcher. With 18 seconds left in regulation, UConn had a foul to give. Saniya fouled the MSU player in two seconds, leaving 16.7 seconds. What was the point of that?

I had forgotten about that. I didn't see it in the box score?

 

[Stinger92860]

Here's another head scratcher. With 18 seconds left in regulation, UConn had a foul to give. Saniya fouled the MSU player in two seconds, leaving 16.7 seconds. What was the point of that?

Forgot about that.