Old but not Cold: Baylor - Louisville

[HuskyNan]

Yo, Baylor fans.

Yes, the Cards played rough but they always do. You've got to give it back to them and not let them intimidate you which Baylor did not do even when it was obvious the refs had swallowed their whistles in the first half.

The refs clearly overcompensated in the second half and a slew of fouls were called on Louisville, some unbelievable, to the point that three players fouled out and Baylor took 21 free throws, missing 6. For the game, Baylor missed the first shot of three one-and-ones and made 19-27 from the free throw line. And Mulkey most certainly should have been called for a T when she threw the hissy fit on what was a good call by the refs.

With 34 seconds left in the game and Louisville holding a 1 point lead, Baylor missed four consecutive shots and turned the ball over twice.

Baylor had its chances and it blew them.

 

[easttexastrash]

Yo, Baylor fans.

Yes, the Cards played rough but they always do. You've got to give it back to them and not let them intimidate you which Baylor did not do even when it was obvious the refs had swallowed their whistles in the first half.

The refs clearly overcompensated in the second half and a slew of fouls were called on Louisville, some unbelievable, to the point that three players fouled out and Baylor took 21 free throws, missing 6. For the game, Baylor missed the first shot of three one-and-ones and made 19-27 from the free throw line. And Mulkey most certainly should have been called for a T when she threw the hissy fit on what was a good call by the refs.

With 34 seconds left in the game and Louisville holding a 1 point lead, Baylor missed four consecutive shots and turned the ball over twice.

Baylor had its chances and it blew them.

Nan, in basketball, you expect to have to overcome things of that sort. You don't expect to have to overcome that AND the referees allowing the other team to player that dirty.

I personally think that Mulkey should have jumped on a stool and socked Walz in the nose. THAT would have been must see TV.

But, that game is long gone and nothing will change it. I'm moving onto next season and the WNBA.

Since Baylor will have less talent next season I hope they become the dirtiest team in basketball and absolutely beat the crap out of their opponents like Louisville did in that game. It is proven to be effective and allowed in WCBB. And I know of a few games that they may need to do that in order to have a chance at winning. And if they do, I hope that not one word is said by anyone about how dirty Baylor played. My response will be "oh well, learn to give it back like you get it."

 

[Icebear]

ND, Rutgers, Louisville, Syracuse, Georgetown, etc. It was that way every night in the Big East. Louisville's game plan against Baylor was neither extraordinary nor dirty by Big East standards. Nan has it right.

 

[pap49cba]

Mulkey blew the game... Not the refs.... not the players.... Mulkey. As Geno has said, coaches lose more games than they win. It happens to the best. She will learn.

 

[Zorro]

I just finally got to watch the game care of Sarals (thanks!) and have to agree with Nan, only more so. The officiating in the second half was so bad, and so entirely one-sided that it was scandalous. L'ville shold have won by at least ten points. The double t, the charge call and disallowed basket, the non-technical when Mulkey went bananas; outrageous. That said, it has to have been one of the most exciting games ever played in wcbb, as well as the biggest upset. It was suspenseful to watch,even knowing how it was going to come out. It looked like Sims got away with a couple of muggings on her open court steals, but she played one helluva game. L'ville was of course very lucky to hit all those 3s, but that sort of thing can happen when you aren't playing effective perimeter defense. The same kids were what, 5/23 on 3s against UConn. They got few open looks. Incidentally, the championship game was pretty physical too. As Br'er Bear said, that is the way the game has been played in the Big East.
ps. I, for one, was very impressed with Griner's composure and restraint, just as I was with that of Diggins in the semi-final.

 

[doggydaddy]

I watched the game today and even with the physical play, there was no excuse for letting Louisville to have a 19 point lead in the second half.

The refs did everything they could to get Baylor back int the game.

And I'm not so sure Uconn / Baylor would have been that close.

Uconn was way better than ANYONE in every bracket, not just theirs.

 

[card fan]

First time poster and long time follower of the BEST women's basketball message board. As a Louisville let me first say the UCONN beats Baylor by at least 12 in the finals. UCONN was playing that good. As for all the Baylor fans and non UL fans this notion that the only reason UL beat Baylor is because they played dirty is a joke. Was it physical? Absolutely! When watching it I saw Vails from UL swing at Griner and thought what the heck? When they showed the replay I knew why..Griner tried to take her down like she did Dolson in the regular season game....After the first 10 minutes of the game the really physical play stopped and the flow became better. Second half it was 8 on 5 and UL stilled pulled it out. Baylor fans, you were winning this game with 9 seconds left and BLEW IT! We can go on and on but in reality it doesn't really matter...UCONN beats anyone the way they were playing!!

 

[doggydaddy]

You'd think two posters from Stanford could come with handles better than Cardfan and Card fan.

 

[DaddyChoc]

ETT sounds pissed about something

 

[jplotinus]

It's actually on Youtube!

LINK

UCONN-ND

THANKS! for link. Watched it. Looville refused to lose.

By the way, Hasheem Thabeet served as sidekick as all the Louisville players cuddled with Kevin Durant:

Hey Hasheem, man-up :-0

 

[VAMike23]

You'd think two posters from Stanford could come with handles better than Cardfan and Card fan.

I also did a double-take when reading "first time poster" lol

 

[easttexastrash]

ETT sounds pissed about something

I usually am...

 

[easttexastrash]

Mulkey blew the game... Not the refs.... not the players.... Mulkey. As Geno has said, coaches lose more games than they win. It happens to the best. She will learn.

I agree that Mulkey was less than impressive with her in-game adjustments in this game. Moving Griner off the block and having her move around the court would have helped tremendously. She never changed the gameplan.

 

[Husky68]

honestly, it was awful to rewatch the game again.

The fouls were vicious coming from dirtyville, they put a beating on anyone in the paint, but they did put on a show making all of those 3s.

I think the 3s gave them the confidence to walk around with swagger eventhough they knew inside that they had to play a mean defense to contain Griner.

I still can't watch the whole game at once, it is sad that basketball can turn that physical, what kind of a defensive move is swinging and swatting at a players face all game, that to me seem like a fight.

the championship was tainted by that game, i havent seen an ncaa game that dirty, i mean swinging punches? really?

anyway, the championship game was boring and uneventful, UCONN was way better than anyone they faced in their bracket. Good job, but it wasn't entertaining for the rest of the country to see the women's game takea few steps back to be a 30 point blow out in the last game. a shame it wasn't baylor and uconn, like i hoped for all year.

That wouldve been a fun game, where you are standing up cheering all game.

hammond really played rough.

i'm glad someone spanked dirtyville back to reality, they were terrible and didn't deserve to be there.

"The fouls were vicious coming from dirtyville". You do realize Uconn is the team that Griner "twice" knocked down Dolson with dirty plays and was not called for a foul. And isn't Griner the chick with size 18 mens sneakers who stands 6'8" tall and cold cocked another player? With some bad luck she could be facing some serious jeapordy like that soccer player who hit the ref.

And besides Griner you have Sims who body bounces opponents on just about every play, but since refs don't call fouls when she does it they really aren't fouls are they; but LV's were 'cause they SHOULD have been called. Somehow different when Baylor gets away with fouls. isn't it?

 

[Icebear]

I agree that Mulkey was less than impressive with her in-game adjustments in this game. Moving Griner off the block and having her move around the court would have helped tremendously. She never changed the gameplan.

That supposes there was "A" plan.

 

[meyers7]

That supposes there was "A" plan.

Well truthfully, "get the ball to Griner" was a pretty damn good "A" plan up to that point.

 

[jplotinus]

honestly, it was awful to rewatch the game again.

The fouls were vicious coming from dirtyville, they put a beating on anyone in the paint, but they did put on a show making all of those 3s.

I think the 3s gave them the confidence to walk around with swagger eventhough they knew inside that they had to play a mean defense to contain Griner.

I still can't watch the whole game at once, it is sad that basketball can turn that physical, what kind of a defensive move is swinging and swatting at a players face all game, that to me seem like a fight.

the championship was tainted by that game, i havent seen an ncaa game that dirty, i mean swinging punches? really?

anyway, the championship game was boring and uneventful, UCONN was way better than anyone they faced in their bracket. Good job, but it wasn't entertaining for the rest of the country to see the women's game takea few steps back to be a 30 point blow out in the last game. a shame it wasn't baylor and uconn, like i hoped for all year.

That wouldve been a fun game, where you are standing up cheering all game.

hammond really played rough.

i'm glad someone spanked dirtyville back to reality, they were terrible and didn't deserve to be there.

I regret it wasn't a Baylor - UCONN final. And I feel sorrow for Baylor, fans and team. We've suffered similar, though not identical, disappointments. Some are easier to recover from than others. I have elsewhere fretted that the epic loss to Louisville could scar Baylor's program for awhile. I hope that won't be the case.

Second guessing is par for the course, but the hating on Kim Mulkey seems overblown to me. She was a great, game changing, player and she is a good coach, nah, make that a great coach with 2 nc rings and an unmatched 40-0 season, to boot.

 

[Zorro]

I agree that Mulkey was less than impressive with her in-game adjustments in this game. Moving Griner off the block and having her move around the court would have helped tremendously. She never changed the gameplan.

Just wondrin; has Kim commented on that?

 

[hoophuskee]

Baylor's play was terrible. How any of you can say "too bad Baylor and UCONN didn't play . . ." you are way wrong. You have to deserve being in the finals. Being great in reg season does not mean you deserve. Their defense was terrible. Terrible. Their shooting stunk. Every possession down the court they can assure themselves of a great shot. They are more talented and more athletic. As far as defense, was Griner getting bumped more than Tina used to vs Kia Vaughn? Was this game more physical than UCONN vs RU in the hey-day? Rutgers at least was near UCONN talent. Point is, Baylor still should have won.

Why did Baylor deserve to play in the finals when we all heard how they look dis-interested in the finals of the conference tourney and in this game they shoot lousy, defend lousy, and they aren't prepared to play? And to boot there is talk "too bad they didn't get to play UCONN when Dolson was obviously so hurt? C'mon! Why do they deserve to be in the finals? What makes them so special vs. any other top seed that got beat?

And Lobo did a bad job.