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1. Kayla McBride is a darn good ballplayer
2. UConn made an admirable comeback
3. Notre Dame either scored or got a very good look on every out of bounds play
4. Skylar Diggins, again, was not stellar, but made the shots/plays when they were essential
5. UConn's last legitimate possession was heartbreaking, but I have few problems with the decisions that were made and take exception with a few criticisms.
a. Kelly Faris adroitly got to the rim, but did not quite have the repertoire to finish. She, alertly, corralled the rebound and was in the process of pulling the ball out and setting up for another attempt at victory when the officials stopped play to check the shot clock. It is not the offcials fault for stopping the game at this point. they are required to do so. If anyone is to blame here, it is the shot clock official; And, by rule, time is not put back on the clock.
b. After the timeout Kelly Faris inbounded the ball with a long lob to Breanna Stewart. There was some criticism about this decision with the felling that Kelly should have passed the ball to Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis at the top of the key. True, KML was open, but she would have caught the pass at least 8 feet behind the three point arc; Certainly not in a good scoring position. Secondly, the long lob pass was not a bad pass and the catch was not that great a catch; Relatively routine.
c. The out of bounds play, itself, was very well conceived and should have led to a layup. The execution, though, lacked precision. Either Stefanie Dolson did not come out high enough to set the pick, or Stewart started her move a tad too early and could not get close enough to Dolson to rub her defender off. The slightest contact would have created enough separation to free Stewart for the layup. As it was, Notre Dame had the play well defended, but not because they were alert and communicating well.
d. It would have taken a darn good play for Stewart to create a scoring opportunity off of that inbound. With the time remaining, there was no need to force the issue, so I have no problem with Stewart's decision to bring the ball out and reset.
e. There was considerable criticism of Caoch Auriemma for not taking a timeout at some point during this possession. If a timeout was going to be called, this was the time to call it. However, the ball is now back in Kelly Faris' hands. If you cannot trust Faris, whom can you trust? Especially after she had just previously gotten to the rim relatively easily.
f. Now, things start falling apart as Faris, again, tries to get to the rim. Notre Dame, tot heir credit defended this quite well. Faris ran her defender off of Dolson and encountered two other Notre Dame defenders as she drove to the hoop.
g. Kelly is now airborne with limited options(no problem, things like this happen), and fires a pass to the left corner for KML that carried KMl out of bounds. A few years ago, KML would have been able to call a timeout and retain possession. However, that rule was changed, so her only choice was to try to heave it out to halfcourt to keep the play alive. A few feet farther out, and UConn retains possession. As it was, Diggins intercepts the pass. Again, I have few to no problems with the decisions made. Stuff happens.
h. I did not clearly see Bria Hartley foul Diggins three times, but she clearly fouled Diggins on the right side just beyond the halfcourt line. There was no call, but that is to be expected, and will be addressed again.
i. My only major complaint comes with how Notre Dame scored the layup. Notre Dame ended up with a 5 on 1 with Achonwa eventually scoring. but Diggins could have passed to any of four teammates and the result would have been the same, a layup. Achonwa defended Faris on the baseline and had taken a step out of bounds, then sprinted to the other end for a layup. Notre Dame comes down 5 on 1 and Achonwa scores a layup. I have major problems with that scenario. That should never, ever happen. I can recall Tina Charles getting vehemently yanked out of a game, never to return, for a similar transgression against the US Olympic Team. A 5 on 1 opportunity at that point in the game SHOULD NEVER EVER HAPPEN.
j. Getting back to the no call- Considering the overwhelming numbers Notre Dame had when Hartley fouled Diggins as she crossed the mid court stripe, would not the officials have been obliged to call an intentional foul there had they blown their whistles? Thereby awarding Notre Dame two shots and the ball? If so, the no-call, was most judicious.
2. UConn made an admirable comeback
3. Notre Dame either scored or got a very good look on every out of bounds play
4. Skylar Diggins, again, was not stellar, but made the shots/plays when they were essential
5. UConn's last legitimate possession was heartbreaking, but I have few problems with the decisions that were made and take exception with a few criticisms.
a. Kelly Faris adroitly got to the rim, but did not quite have the repertoire to finish. She, alertly, corralled the rebound and was in the process of pulling the ball out and setting up for another attempt at victory when the officials stopped play to check the shot clock. It is not the offcials fault for stopping the game at this point. they are required to do so. If anyone is to blame here, it is the shot clock official; And, by rule, time is not put back on the clock.
b. After the timeout Kelly Faris inbounded the ball with a long lob to Breanna Stewart. There was some criticism about this decision with the felling that Kelly should have passed the ball to Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis at the top of the key. True, KML was open, but she would have caught the pass at least 8 feet behind the three point arc; Certainly not in a good scoring position. Secondly, the long lob pass was not a bad pass and the catch was not that great a catch; Relatively routine.
c. The out of bounds play, itself, was very well conceived and should have led to a layup. The execution, though, lacked precision. Either Stefanie Dolson did not come out high enough to set the pick, or Stewart started her move a tad too early and could not get close enough to Dolson to rub her defender off. The slightest contact would have created enough separation to free Stewart for the layup. As it was, Notre Dame had the play well defended, but not because they were alert and communicating well.
d. It would have taken a darn good play for Stewart to create a scoring opportunity off of that inbound. With the time remaining, there was no need to force the issue, so I have no problem with Stewart's decision to bring the ball out and reset.
e. There was considerable criticism of Caoch Auriemma for not taking a timeout at some point during this possession. If a timeout was going to be called, this was the time to call it. However, the ball is now back in Kelly Faris' hands. If you cannot trust Faris, whom can you trust? Especially after she had just previously gotten to the rim relatively easily.
f. Now, things start falling apart as Faris, again, tries to get to the rim. Notre Dame, tot heir credit defended this quite well. Faris ran her defender off of Dolson and encountered two other Notre Dame defenders as she drove to the hoop.
g. Kelly is now airborne with limited options(no problem, things like this happen), and fires a pass to the left corner for KML that carried KMl out of bounds. A few years ago, KML would have been able to call a timeout and retain possession. However, that rule was changed, so her only choice was to try to heave it out to halfcourt to keep the play alive. A few feet farther out, and UConn retains possession. As it was, Diggins intercepts the pass. Again, I have few to no problems with the decisions made. Stuff happens.
h. I did not clearly see Bria Hartley foul Diggins three times, but she clearly fouled Diggins on the right side just beyond the halfcourt line. There was no call, but that is to be expected, and will be addressed again.
i. My only major complaint comes with how Notre Dame scored the layup. Notre Dame ended up with a 5 on 1 with Achonwa eventually scoring. but Diggins could have passed to any of four teammates and the result would have been the same, a layup. Achonwa defended Faris on the baseline and had taken a step out of bounds, then sprinted to the other end for a layup. Notre Dame comes down 5 on 1 and Achonwa scores a layup. I have major problems with that scenario. That should never, ever happen. I can recall Tina Charles getting vehemently yanked out of a game, never to return, for a similar transgression against the US Olympic Team. A 5 on 1 opportunity at that point in the game SHOULD NEVER EVER HAPPEN.
j. Getting back to the no call- Considering the overwhelming numbers Notre Dame had when Hartley fouled Diggins as she crossed the mid court stripe, would not the officials have been obliged to call an intentional foul there had they blown their whistles? Thereby awarding Notre Dame two shots and the ball? If so, the no-call, was most judicious.
