OU Game Recap

[Longtime fan]

MW was not having a good game and Oklahoma was undersized yet Geno did not have confidence in Ono to give her meaningful playing time. That was a disappointment for me.

It was a surprise. We saw Kyla and then Makayla and Ono early, but only for about 2 minutes. No one contributed a thing, so Geno most have decided; "this will be a test for our starting five." And that was it.
He has a plan but he doesn't always share what it is. So we speculate.

 

[mbr33ct]

Pac12 isn't even offered here. Guess I won't have to worry about missing the game on Saturday, since it's not possible to watch it outside of the west coast.

I was going to go into the FUBO TV trial offer for you but I see Rixxx beat me to it. I defer to his post #100, just below yours.

 

[BobbyJ]

Seemed like the perfect game for Geno to change things up with a zone. Our defense has been average at best for a UConn team throughout year. Would be interesting to see if he considered zone to stop the drives and hot outside shooting.

He started the game in a 2-3 zone and Robertson torched it with 3s and he had to go man because they couldn't rebound out of the zone. Then his man defense showed their vulnerability to drive penetration right down the gut. Their lack of bulk and a shot blocker makes their margin of error razor thin against a team smart enough to take it right at them.

 

[Ozimoto]

Much has been said. In a nutshell, OU played well. UConn? Not at all.

 

[j66kicker]

I do think (at least in the back of their minds) that they can't always go the boards as aggressively as they want because of the fear of foul trouble. By 4Q, foul issues never materialized and they just went after it.

I was thinking that too. May in the 'front' of their minds tho, and reinforced by Geno...?

 

[Blaneylover]

This was nearly "The Perfect Storm" which could have snapped the ridiculous regular season winning streak. They were at home. Their freshman didn't know enough to be intimidated. Their sharpshooter was hot. We couldn't throw it in the ocean. M. Walker was shaking off some strep throat-related rust.

In the end, we got enough stops to win down the stretch, holding them without a basket for nearly 6 minutes. Collier and Samuelson refused to let this be the night that the streak ended. Williams was great down the stretch.

On to CAL.

 

[hoopsfan22]

It would be nice to have Batouly. A big body that can clog the paint and give fouls, and she seems a little more steady shooting wise than some other options.

 

[PAHuskeyFan]

I haven't watched the game, but looking a the box score this AM I thought I was looking at UTenn stats. Only 10 assists with 12 turnovers, 12% three point shooting and 46 rebounds.

The only saving grace in watching the video replay of the game will be that you already know the result, so it shouldn't be as "stressful" as it was for those of us who watched last night. You could save the time and just watch the ND game again.

 

[BroadwayVa]

Agree. I turned it of at the beginning of the 4th quarter to make sure they won.

I also think the undefeated talk that went on around here the last few days also played a part. The basketball gods do not appreciate that. It was just a warning shot from them, but we need to be more careful.

I'm not superstitious. I don't believe in poking the BB gods however= I agree.

 

[BroadwayVa]

It would be nice to have Batouly. A big body that can clog the paint and give fouls, and she seems a little more steady shooting wise than some other options.

It would have been nice if AEH, or Dt or Gabby was playing--it ain't what it ain't, AS the man once said you can only dance with the girls that can dance or will dance with you.

 

[BroadwayVa]

The OP has asked us not to label the Sooners a good team. I demur. They are a good team, and last night they were a very good team. A 3-6 (now 3-7) team made up of talented and eager Freshmen and Sophs is not the same as a veteran team with a similar record. On an uncharacteristic off-night for the Huskies, the young Sooners played great, especially on defense. Fans of the sport should admire them...they’ve got a few great seasons coming up...I’ll be pulling for them and watching with interest!

I certainly agree: If OU for 30 minutes wasn't a really good team then Uconn was really bad--and they ain't.

 

[uconn2000]

PAC Channel is offered in Sport Package by Comcast.
So it is possible to see in east coast

 

[DefenseBB]

Re watching the game we played street ball. We were not patient we did not have poise until the final 7 minutes when we began to start to look like the UConn team we know. To many ill advised shots and forced shots. Assists were way down. You can blame it on the long layoff...

The first 2 min were vintage UConn going up 6-0, then the impatience set in as you noted. Way too many sloppy passes that resulted in TOs and not enough crashing the boards as shots were taken without anyone underneath. Meg tried but was rusty with the 2 week layoff. I now want to point out the issue of depth that Geno refuses to address- put the players in and give them so time. Stop with the “they need to earn it with practice” statements, if you brought them here, play them like you used to in 1999-2009, when you had 10 players get 10 min a game In close games, not the 10 min of garbage time. I know he can develop them, so please modify your approach as you are burning out our main 5.

 

[Ozimoto]

For those who think the bench did absolutely nothing, here is what I saw from Kyla Irwin in her very brief time on the floor. Screen set that allowed Napheesa to get an uncontested layup on a roll from the top of the key.. Help defense that stifled a clean look in the paint for OU. Blocking out under the boards on the defensive end. Some of the starters should play the same way, especially on defense and in their off the ball contributions.

She may not be fleet of foot or a standout offensive threat, but her time on the floor last night was not a waste of minutes. I think she could have played more and the team would not have suffered for it.

 

[BroadwayVa]

It was almost the "perfect storm", Oklahoma was playing perfect ball but managed to only sustain it for 35 minutes...on flip side, UConn decided not to play "pretty ball", to steal a line from Vic.

I agree with every thing up to : UConn DECIDED not to play----. OU DECIDED UConn Wouldn't play pretty ball.
After a recruit arrives at UConn Geno lines them up and gives them a shot in the tail of : You will play GENO pretty ball or excuses..

 

[BobbyJ]

The first 2 min were vintage UConn going up 6-0, then the impatience set in as you noted. Way too many sloppy passes that resulted in TOs and not enough crashing the boards as shots were taken without anyone underneath. Meg tried but was rusty with the 2 week layoff. I now want to point out the issue of depth that Geno refuses to address- put the players in and give them so time. Stop with the “they need to earn it with practice” statements, if you brought them here, play them like you used to in 1999-2009, when you had 10 players get 10 min a game In close games, not the 10 min of garbage time. I know he can develop them, so please modify your approach as you are burning out our main 5.

Save your time typing it. If in his mind the game is in doubt, Auriemma is never going to sacrifice a game to develop bench players. Right or wrong, just not gonna do it.

 

[Florida Fan]

I don't like admitting to being superstitious, but how can I not: UConn was up 8-2 when I turned the game on and then lost the lead within the next 90 seconds. I stopped watching at the 4Q media timeout when UConn still trailed 62-61.

Don't even try to convince me that my refusal to watch the last 4:20 of the game didn't directly result in Oklahoma's long scoring drought.

Thanks for your commitment to our Huskies, and the win.

 

[Vowelguy]

What were Geno or CD s comments?

 

[UConnCat]

What were Geno or CD s comments?

Scroll down to hear CD postgame. Sounds like she enjoyed the game.

UConn Women 72, Oklahoma 63 | Husky HQ | 97-9 ESPN - Hartford

 

[uconnfan68]

ONO with 2 fouls in her 4 minutes of game time against a team with NO height had something to do with it.

Some strange calls... typical Dee Kantner night.

 

[ochoopsfan]

A couple of opinions from the OU Board UConn - OUHoops

Sooner 81 said:
Coale should go back to coaching school and learn how to set picks - Robertson is red hot and she doesn’t even set one pick to free her. Terrible coaching in my opinion - when you have someone like that and she only gets 12 shots that falls on the Coach Every time !!

Sooner Spock said:
Just got back from the game. OU had no transition defense or the lead going into the 4th quarter would have been greater. You are not going to get UConn to go 2-17 BTA but we did despite their shooting 41% for the season. The game changed in the 4th quarter because UConn was sending no one but Collier to the offensive boards the first 3 quarters but started attacking the offensive boards at the start of the 4th quarter. Through 3 quarters the Sooners were a +1 on the boards for the game they were a -10. The huskies continued to get 2nd and 3rd changes throughout the final period.

Didn't help that we scored only 1 point in the last 5+ minutes. Offensively we just quit moving the last 10-13 minutes and points were harder to make. Shaina also started forcing penetration late after playing under control for most of the game (also had a second qtr lull). We had no answer for Collier (23 points, 17 boards) who is listed as 6'2" but I think she is at least 6'3". She definitely appeared 3" taller than Simpson. But Lampkin could not defend her so Sherri had no choice but to ride Simpson.
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One other note, from my, OCHoopsfan, observation of the game. When Lou was guarding Robertson she got off no three point shots and scored one two point basket. When anyone else guarded her she got off many three point shots and scored on 6 of them.

 

[Longtime fan]

It would be nice to have Batouly. A big body that can clog the paint and give fouls, and she seems a little more steady shooting wise than some other options.

Does anyone truly feel that Batouly will ever be healthy enough to play? And to play consistently? She seems like a player with a damaged body that simply cannot hold up to demanding, regular work. I think her role will be limited to a few minutes, at best, against selected AAC opponents, late in the 4th quarter. When I saw her on the bench in the OU game, it reminded me that she has now been hurt for about 3 weeks...maybe more. Which reminded me that she always seems to be recovering from an injury. Which reminded me that she is never 100% healthy, and ready to go. Of course I want her to emerge as an unexpected force. But I have no optimism on the subject.

 

[hoopsfan22]

Does anyone truly feel that Batouly will ever be healthy enough to play? And to play consistently? She seems like a player with a damaged body that simply cannot hold up to demanding, regular work. I think her role will be limited to a few minutes, at best, against selected AAC opponents, late in the 4th quarter. When I saw her on the bench in the OU game, it reminded me that she has now been hurt for about 3 weeks...maybe more. Which reminded me that she always seems to be recovering from an injury. Which reminded me that she is never 100% healthy, and ready to go. Of course I want her to emerge as an unexpected force. But I have no optimism on the subject.

I'm hopeful because I think she could be a real nice addition to the team on the court, but feel that she will follow in Doty's footsteps. Her body is betraying her basketball abilities, and if she can't stay on the floor for very long this season, she may hang 'em up for good in April to focus on her off court endeavors.

 

[HopJim]

They did play zone at the beginning of the game. Wasn't wo

They did play zone at the beginning of the game. Wasn't working real well either.

Made my post based on first half. Did not notice zone but did see commitment to it in 2nd Half, both 2-2-1 and box and one. Only remember box and one a few times in the 20+ years have been watching.

 

[trb123]

I find it difficult to watch the replay without being reminded that this may be the stormy petrel of the 2019-20 season.