Lets not be the Summitt

[Icebear]

During the one foul called on Stef she was hit in the mouth/nose.

 

[Tonyc]

The calls that bothered me were the no calls on Baylor underneath and the calls on UConns post players underneath. Those calls made UConn almost defenseless underneath. Kiah was great but Stef and Breanna were forced to back off on defense and not take the ball to the hole based on some of the questionable calls. It wasn't one call either. To me it was like the refs were watching UConn bigs differently then Baylor defenders. The reaching and slapping on UConn underneath wasn't called. Stefs drive to the basket which was clearly a defender not allowing her to get the basket by pushing her away and a change was called. Our bigs holding the ball above their head and defenders reaching and slapping to knock the ball away weren't called. I thought there was a new rule of no touch fouls. The last foul on MoJeff late in game underneath where she didn't touch the offensive player was a bad call. The arm swinging call on KML with 2 defenders on her was wrong. She had a right to her space as did the defenders. This game reminded me of the LVille Baylor game against Griner last season. I hope we don't see LVille play that kind of defense on us this season and fouls not called. Bottom line UConn trusted their stuff and pulled it out.

 

[huskybill]

Were there some tough calls against both teams? Yes.
Were some of the fouls on both teams ticky-tacky? Yes.
Did the referees make themselves known today? Yes.
Did the referees call too many fouls in the game? Maybe.

The thing is, the best teams learn how to adjust to how the game is being called. You can't blame the close game on the referees, UConn made plenty of mistakes to allow Baylor to stay close and keep the game competitive. And, Baylor did a lot of things right to cause UConn to struggle and make poor decisions.

I think the team can learn a lot from this game; UConn's offense has been stagnant lately and the team has struggled often. I'm not concerned, I think this team will play through the rough patch and figure it out. This game could pay out dividends in March and April. I think Geno and the other coaches will be very happy with this win and with plenty of examples and game tape for the team to work with for the next three months.

This was a great learning experience for this team, and hopefully a chance for the team and players to get even better.

This is completely wrong. You can only learn from a game that you lose. I've read that on the Boneyard many times.

 

[huskybill]

Interesting...let's see the official scorers determine who wins the game when no players show up.

Please don't leave. No-one else on the BY could make such a clever response as you did above. I've forgotten which game we were talking about. Anyway, I thought it was a war when no players show up.

 

[huskybill]

We've been harping on the need for better officiating forever. This game only reinforces that need. The game is too fast for these folks and they are competent to do their jobs. Some horrible calls on both sides but sad when the refs can't recognize flops a little earlier in the game. As someone said - perhaps it was good that they looked the monitor after the KML "Phantom Elbow" , as the flops seemed to lose their effectiveness after that.

Golly gee. Harping on the need for better officiating has certainly done us a lot of good.

 

[huskybill]

If I can be a bit critical of this thought, how is it determined who is a visitor and not allowed full discourse? ETT is a great WBB fan and I think has earned the right to disagree without being asked to leave. We just had a close and tough win over Baylor, we should expect some frustration on both sides.

Can we just hold hands and sing Kumbaya?

How silly can you be? We have to throw ETT out to prove we are NOT the Summitt.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

If you want Tom's email address, just let me know and you can ask him yourself.

You like to criticize us a lot - the way we post, our tone, etc. We do it among ourselves, yes, but we squabble like family. You are a visitor.

Ah, Nan...just cuz east is a bastard doesn't mean he isn't family!

 

[huskybill]

I'll be a minority voice. I thought the officiating was fair, a few missed or errant calls, but generally good. Replays stimulate nit-picking by viewers and support complaints by critics.

And mistakes (by coaches, players and posters alike) are inevitable. Beth Mowens, for example, did her characteristically superb job announcing play-by-play. BUT. . .

For a brief period Geno unveiled that 1-2-2 zone (introduced briefly vs.. Temple) and Ms Mowenns called it aa 2-3 zone (force of habit).

And when the refs went to the monitor to look at that "foul" by Kaleena, she would have us believe they were considering whether or not to call a foul. Wrong! The decision to call a foul had been made and no "further review" would change that. The reason they huddled around the monitor was to determine whether a flagrant foul (elbow contact up high) was in order. (It wasn't, of course.)

Great game and a great team effort to beat a proud and telented opponent in their house. Take the "W" and get on the bus.

Make that 4 others who liked this, Kibby

 

[RockyMTblue2]

I like ETT and a non-UConn point of view ob the board. Please don't go ETT!

You ought to know that ETT thrives on this largely jocular banter. Hey, wasn't yesterday's game great! Got everyone's blood up, a profusion of threads, lots of good stuff.

I do not like that part of yesterday's game that said Baylor's grand strategy was the old flopola, but in the end talent and tenacity would rule the day.

 

[HoopsFan21]

There was one sequence where Hartley was dribbling at mid-court after receiving a pass from I think Mosqueda-Lewis in the back court, and on that one play you saw two separate Baylor players run into both players while they were not even really moving, just sort of dribbling in place. Naturally both players fell backwards without a foul call bringing out the boos from the crowd. Clearly they were attempting to draw the offensive foul which is going to be pretty tough to do on a near stationary offensive player.

Also I forgot that being 6-5 is an automatic foul.

 

[ctchamps]

Nice post -
And I think their reviewing of that foul/flop actually changed their perceptions and calling of fouls in the second half. So it actually was a benefit to Uconn that KML picked up that foul.
Also - I think Geno has a valid point - the fouls around the outside have been tighten way up, the mugging in the lane continues, unless you hit the arm above the head - pretty much all body contact is being let go including displacement of the player in the air, unless it is flagrant.

Totally agree with you. The officials allowing (wo)man handling in the interior prevents UConn from playing to it's strength. Perhaps it was karmic payback for the Ville-Baylor game that gave UConn number 7. As long as UConn still came out with the w I consider karma is on UConn's side.

I thought the officiating was bad for both teams. The officials weren't deliberately out to get UConn. The way fouls were called in the first half the game was impacted and it's my opinion it impacted UConn more than Baylor because they had to change their aggressiveness on defense which is the best in women's bb.

But that doesn't account for their lack of offensive production in the second half. That was an issue of composure. Stef and Stewie had stretches of deer in the head light syndrome. At the end they regained their composure, but it was the first time this season where they showed vulnerability.

As far as the KML foul, it had to play in the mind of refs that the play was a flop and there should have been a no call. I can't fault the official who made the call because the line of vision didn't allow for accuracy and without the benefit of replay necessitated the call. Once made it couldn't be retracted. But the officials didn't take long to confer it was not a flagrant. They adjusted in the second half, and although I wish they had done so sooner these things happen.

The big issue is how the team reacts going forward. Other teams will watch this tape and play UConn accordingly. Yuck. It's up to the players to make the adjustments.

 

[wire chief]

I like ETT and a non-UConn point of view ob the board. Please don't go ETT!

I too am OK with ETT's participation. No need for visitors to be completely vanilla.

 

[doggydaddy]

Totally agree with you. The officials allowing (wo)man handling in the interior prevents UConn from playing to it's strength. Perhaps it was karmic payback for the Ville-Baylor game that gave UConn number 7. As long as UConn still came out with the w I consider karma is on UConn's side.

I thought the officiating was bad for both teams. The officials weren't deliberately out to get UConn. The way fouls were called in the first half the game was impacted and it's my opinion it impacted UConn more than Baylor because they had to change their aggressiveness on defense which is the best in women's bb.

But that doesn't account for their lack of offensive production in the second half. That was an issue of composure. Stef and Stewie had stretches of deer in the head light syndrome. At the end they regained their composure, but it was the first time this season where they showed vulnerability.

As far as the KML foul, it had to play in the mind of refs that the play was a flop and there should have been a no call. I can't fault the official who made the call because the line of vision didn't allow for accuracy and without the benefit of replay necessitated the call. Once made it couldn't be retracted. But the officials didn't take long to confer it was not a flagrant. They adjusted in the second half, and although I wish they had done so sooner these things happen.

The big issue is how the team reacts going forward. Other teams will watch this tape and play UConn accordingly. Yuck. It's up to the players to make the adjustments.

I'm having a déjà vu here. After the Maryland and Penn State games last year the word was to play Uconn physical in the paint.

I don't think teams can look at this game and replicate what Baylor did. I'm not sure what they did.

 

[Paul1969]

I was at the game and Baylor fans were complaining about the refs constantly around me. I think it's just natural. WE both were the benefit and detriment of bad calls

 

[Adesmar123]

I too am OK with ETT's participation. No need for visitors to be completely vanilla.

Ok before this gets misconstrued - like a good game of telephone - the ETT leaving topic arose out of ETT's request for Tom's email address on order to complain about the mods. That is usually the first step to being banned. So in antici..................................pation of what was to come, there was a series of "nice to know ya's".

 

[reno tony]

Interesting...let's see the official scorers determine who wins the game when no players show up.

I think what cost Baylor the game was Sims trying to put the whole team on her shoulders and carry her team to victory. There were only two players that I ever saw that could do that. Diana Taurasi and Candace Parker. There may be others that I haven't seen. Some others come to mind but I haven't seen them play.

 

[jsloanjr]

Some UCONN players have made the refs job very easy with cheap and unnecessary fouls. Last night was a great example. Hopefully, Geno will address the players in question and will make it much more difficult to beat UCONN with zero free points..........We missed Morgan Tuck's points rebounds and toughness last night.

 

[pinotbear]

I too am OK with ETT's participation. No need for visitors to be completely vanilla.

Completely vanilla, no, but, not completely nutty, either!

 

[huskybill]

Completely vanilla, no, but, not completely nutty, either!

Visitor or not, being completely nutty is my job.

 

[Shenandoah]

I don't think teams can look at this game and replicate what Baylor did. I'm not sure what they did.[/quote]

Baylor sure didn't cause us to miss so many outside shots. Or layups for that matter...

 

[Buzzyboy]

The referees don't determine who will win. The teams do.

Its kind of embarrassing to UConn basketball when a thread sounds like it came right out of the Summitt.

The refereeing in the women's game is about awful. I've seen all too many games where the ref's really changed the whole tone of the game by calling fouls that put people on the bench, limiting their minutes on calls that were ludicrous. Other times I've seen them allowing people to be practically disemboweled without calls. There has to be a little balance and I'm not suggesting last nights game was THAT bad but it surely wasn't as good as it should have been. Yes, there have been far too many games decided solely on bad calls from the referees and that should never ever happen!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Buzzyboy]

I think what cost Baylor the game was Sims trying to put the whole team on her shoulders and carry her team to victory. There were only two players that I ever saw that could do that. Diana Taurasi and Candace Parker. There may be others that I haven't seen. Some others come to mind but I haven't seen them play.

Maya seems to always be left out and I surely don't know why. I remember numerous times where she had the team on her back and if you remember, her first national championship game against Stanford when UConn only scored 12 points at halftime, wasn't it Maya that was magnificent and led the way to their turning the game around???? I also remember where Diana almost single handedly assured Notre Dame of a national championship when in her freshman year, with UConn having something like a 14 point half time lead, she shot something like one of fifteen in the second half to give Notre Dame a comfortable comeback win. I periodically bring that up because some people put Diana on a mountaintop as if she was the Princess of perfection and yet there have been times where she's been anything though I agree, it hasn't happened very often because she is an outstanding talent.

 

[RadyLady]

I also remember where Diana almost single handedly assured Notre Dame of a national championship when in her freshman year, with UConn having something like a 14 point half time lead, she shot something like one of fifteen in the second half to give Notre Dame a comfortable comeback win. I periodically bring that up because some people put Diana on a mountaintop as if she was the Princess of perfection and yet there have been times where she's been anything though I agree, it hasn't happened very often because she is an outstanding talent.

Let me see....two major players were out with injuries - Diana was a freshman -

Diana was a FRESHMAN, and who knows if she was told to shoot when she gets the ball - she sure shot and yes, she missed all but one.

Diana is a great player and deserves that mountain top. But even climbers of mountains have to start - (here it comes) at the bottom.

"princess of perfection"...good grief

 

[Waquoit]

I think what cost Baylor the game was Sims trying to put the whole team on her shoulders and carry her team to victory.

You are not wrong here but I think the way you frame it was too complementary to Sims. She played a selfish game and made it all about her. If she stayed within the team concept they might have won.

 

[ABachelor6CR]

The worst officiating game I witnessed was during a Big Tourny game when they called 30 just in the first half ! It got so ridiculous that the fans started booing at every whistle.......