Our girls were not ready for a Chicago Street fight last night

[jsloanjr]

Hats off to Doug and his team last night. He did UCONN a huge favor and opened their eyes to toughing them up before the NCAA tournament in March and April. I feel sorry for ND this weekend in Storrs.........No mercy!!
DePaul got UCONN's attention that this season will be very tough and every team will come at them swinging, pushing, scratching and fighting.........Thanks Doug for the street lesson last night.......The good news, we won and no injuries..........

 

[HuskyPhan]

The scoreboard would argue that our girls were game for that street fight

 

[Goodgood]

Although the game was hard-fought, the points came pretty easily for UConn while Depaul scored from NBA-range 3-point shots. Eventually, they would miss a few and the outcome was never in doubt.

 

[Monte]

The scoreboard would argue that our girls were game for that street fight

Yes, they were, but it was a wake-up call! I was glad it happened this early in the season. That woke them up. .............I think they would have lost without Stewie, but you could say that about some other games also.

 

[HuskyNan]

Honestly, even though DePaul was playing some great ball and the score was close in the first half, it never felt to me as though the Huskies could lose. I get a vibe when it feels that the game isn't going UConn's way and I never had it last night. Anyone else?

 

[johnnyc]

Honestly, even though DePaul was playing some great ball and the score was close in the first half, it never felt to me as though the Huskies could lose. I get a vibe when it feels that the game isn't going UConn's way and I never had it last night. Anyone else?

Not me. Of course Breanna Stewart being on the court helps a lot with that.

 

[Monte]

Honestly, even though DePaul was playing some great ball and the score was close in the first half, it never felt to me as though the Huskies could lose. I get a vibe when it feels that the game isn't going UConn's way and I never had it last night. Anyone else?

I wish I was like you. I am a pessimist. I really did think that, in the first 3 quarters, that they could lose!...........whew!

 

[HoopsFan21]

I wish I was like you. I am a pessimist. I really did think that, in the first 3 quarters, that they could lose!......whew!

I didn't think they would lose unless those 3s kept dropping, but I figured they couldn't keep torching the nets like that. Dayton eventually went cold(er) in the second half last year too. If you run into a team that stays hot all 40 minutes (like Louisville vs. Baylor in 2013), then it's just not your night to win. Maintaining a super long winning streak takes a fair amount of luck I'd say which is why I don't think the 90 game one will be broken any time soon. Despite the run the Huskies are on dating back to last season, they are still not even half way there, and even if they go undefeated this year would still have a long way to go to get to 90 and would have to do without Stewie and Mo.

 

[willtalk]

Basketball is about Timing and Matchups. Fortunately Uconn is too good and Depaul not good enough to have taken advantage of those factors.

 

[iamcbs]

Hats off to Doug and his team last night. He did UCONN a huge favor and opened their eyes to toughing them up before the NCAA tournament in March and April. I feel sorry for ND this weekend in Storrs....No mercy!!
DePaul got UCONN's attention that this season will be very tough and every team will come at them swinging, pushing, scratching and fighting....Thanks Doug for the street lesson last night..The good news, we won and no injuries.....

Where did you get this from? The game was no street fight, DePaul plays the way they always do, they press, trap, and play at a fast pace. the only difference in yesterday's game was that they set a season high for 3-point FG's with 13. Jessica January is shooting 29% from the 3-point line this season and she went crazy last night. TO's were also an issue, DePaul scored 19 points off TO's. At the beginning of the 3rd Qtr when UConn slowed the pace they dominated. There was never any point in the game where UConn wasn't in total control or in danger of losing. In March no one will remember this game.

 

[NewCorn]

Honestly, even though DePaul was playing some great ball and the score was close in the first half, it never felt to me as though the Huskies could lose. I get a vibe when it feels that the game isn't going UConn's way and I never had it last night. Anyone else?

Well, Nan, I did feel most of the way that UConn would win, but when DePaul go the score to 65-60 with 8 minutes to play, I would not have bet the farm, maybe not even the horse.

 

[HoopsFan21]

Well, Nan, I did feel most of the way that UConn would win, but when DePaul go the score to 65-60 with 8 minutes to play, I would not have bet the farm, maybe not even the horse.

That was pretty nerve wracking. I was starting to get that Stanford feeling like there was nothing we could do to stop them and it was just destiny that we would lose no matter the difference in talent level. But then Lou nailed that 3 and I thought there's your ball game. I'm not sure of our record in games decided by 5 or 10 points or fewer since we're not in too many of those games, but I just don't like us in those situations. They seem to work out about as well as Geno's 20 seconds before halftime time outs to set up a play that inevitably fails.

 

[Wbbfan1]

Once UConn got the lead to 13 points at the start of the 3rd quarter, didn't think DePaul could come all the way back to take a lead. Even when the lead was down to 5 points at the start of the 4th quarter, I was still comfortable that UConn would win. Of course that feeling was made much easier when Katie Lou hit the three point shot to make it an 8 point game. Didn't think Stewie, Moriah and Morgan would allow the team to lose at that point of the game.

Wrote in the game thread last night, I don't think the Players were over looking DePaul, just think DePaul executed a perfect game plan. There was very little drop off on each Mass Substitution that Depaul had during the game. 10 Players all of similar abilities with outstanding effort.

 

[jsloanjr]

DePaul forced UCONN into at least 10+ easy lay ups with their tough defense. They could play this game again next week on a neutral court and UCONN would win by 40........That little gym makes them feel invincible and other than UCONN, most teams would have lost last night. UCONN kept its composure even though they were struggling with DP pressure........Hot tubs today for these players..

 

[magic]

Please ?Let's not lose our minds. Depaul could have easily shot 20 % from 3 pt. Land , and huskies blow them out. Doug knows Geno and Huskies better than anyone, and had tons of time to build his team 'S PSYCHE. Let'see how the rest of theirseason goes now. Any team , at any level that makes 9 treys in the first half is going to " look " great.

 

[msf22b]

The Street Fight metaphor works for me.

I wasn't quite as positive as Nan that we would prevail but felt a lot better when they stated whipping passes around in the 2nd half
and DePaul's traps invariably found a Husky unguarded under the basket.

What was inspiring was the way these Chicago kids delivered punch after punch on both sides of the ball ...for quite a while.

What was slightly scary was how discombobulated our kids became...sure, punching back...but seemngly surprised that someone dare challenge them.

So far the the season has generated a sense of almost entitlement (perhaps more on the boneyard than with the team)...that's over now...They understand, teams are going to throw their wildest haymakers and hope for the best.

I agree with those who along with Geno think the experience will prove positive.

Just consider who was thrown off their game (at times) last night...just about everyone...Even Stewie made a dumb, wild prayer of a pass.

Nice that the rookie came in a played a bunch of really effective minutes especially as she was as useless as any in her first-half appearance....She's a smart cookie....listens, observes and puts the knowledge to good use.

 

[HoopsFan21]

The Street Fight metaphor works for me.

I wasn't quite as positive as Nan that we would prevail but felt a lot better when they stated whipping passes around in the 2nd half
and DePaul's traps invariably found a Husky unguarded under the basket.

What was inspiring was the way these Chicago kids delivered punch after punch on both sides of the ball ...for quite a while.

What was slightly scary was how discombobulated our kids became...sure, punching back...but seemngly surprised that someone dare challenge them.

So far the the season has generated a sense of almost entitlement (perhaps more on the boneyard than with the team)...that's over now...They understand, teams are going to throw their wildest haymakers and hope for the best.

I agree with those who along with Geno think the experience will prove positive.

Just consider who was thrown off their game (at times) last night...just about everyone...Even Stewie made a dumb, wild prayer of a pass.

Nice that the rookie came in a played a bunch of really effective minutes especially as she was as useless as any in her first-half appearance....She's a smart cookie....listens, observes and puts the knowledge to good use.

If this were a year ago, I think they lose that game. The seniors this year know how to take care of business. You saw a real determination in Stewie last night that she was going to win the game even if she had to play 1 on 5.

 

[huskeynut]

Street fight - well maybe. I believe it was a great game.

Did I think we would lose - NO! First, we had a decent lead in the first half and DePaul had to climb to close the gap by the end of the half - even when they shot lights out. Early run beginning the second half moved the lead to double digits. And DePaul's shots wereen't falling, especially the 3's. Yes they closed to within 5 points early in the 4th quarter but they had too big a hill to climb and had expended a lot of energy just to get close.

And the closer was Katie Lou. Game - set - match!

 

[CocoHusky]

Of course the UCONN Girls were not prepared for a street fight, they were expecting to play a basketball game. Mission accomplished! Besides people from Chicago can't fight anyway.

 

[WestCoastFan]

Of course the UCONN Girls were not prepared for a street fight, they were expecting to play a basketball game. Mission accomplished! Besides people from Chicago can't fight anyway.

Good deep dish pizza though

 

[tomcat]

Calling it a street fight works for me, too. It's a metaphor, for cryin' out loud. It wasn't literally a brawl!

I thought it was the most entertaining game I've seen in quite a while. I'm not sure how many teams can bring the pressure like DePaul can, but give them credit, they played a fine game. Was the game in doubt? Probably not, but at one point my wife and I were thinking about a certain game at DePaul that was settled only when Ketia Swanier ran the floor and tossed one in with seconds to go.

All in all, I wish UCOnn could have at least 10 of these a year.

 

[FairView]

Come on, the game was never in doubt.
We're just spoiled by blowouts and that messes with our view of the world.
I think back to seasons when UConn would be challenged in several games, but I still felt that the team would make adjustments at half time and come back strong enough to win.
UConn walked away with a 16 point win and led most of the game.

 

[hjoerring]

That was pretty nerve wracking. I was starting to get that Stanford feeling like there was nothing we could do to stop them and it was just destiny that we would lose no matter the difference in talent level. But then Lou nailed that 3 and I thought there's your ball game. I'm not sure of our record in games decided by 5 or 10 points or fewer since we're not in too many of those games, but I just don't like us in those situations. They seem to work out about as well as Geno's 20 seconds before halftime time outs to set up a play that inevitably fails.

One cannot take issues with the way people experienced situations but, as good as Depaul played, they were in the game by bombing longrange and forcing Uconn players to play fast/a lot of minutes without rest. A lot of teams may withered under such circumstances, but if you do not knock them out by the 2nd or 3rd period you may, your self, have nothing left in the tank. This is what happended last year with Dayton- and they had legitimate bigs and more inside game then Depaul. This was a good game for our team because he showed that we can player both ends at a faster pace. Much of the turnovers were we not expecting and anticipating their players to use speed to contest: be it a pass, drippling into a trap/crowd, etc. Now the coaches have a film that they can show to the team and especially the freshmen, the intensity that is expected and the mental/physical toughness required to do so. So, if the Stanford game last year gave us something to zero in on, this game by Depaul will serve the same purpose- smelling salt to clean the sinuses. While winning was never in doubt (winning or losing is irrelevant here), getting our feathers ruffled when we proud ourselves on being the attackers, should get our feet back on the ground, and remind us that the work of a Uconn bb player is a never ending job- it's a process.

 

[ThisJustIn]

I thought the women were totally ready for what they got - a drag race. But being told what was going to happen and being IN what was going to happen... totally different experiences. Once they got over the adrenaline rush, they were great. Wonderful play on all sides - and plays that made you scratch your head. But those plays happen in EVERY game. The quality of this game simply put a spotlight on them.

Love DePaul ball - love how hard and clean his players play. Still really pissed that the Big East is gone.

 

[HardHatGuy#2]

Less UConn not being prepared than DePaul having a GREAT game plan and executing it to a T. DePaul could have beaten any other team in D1 with that game. What saved us was a great halftime adjustment, disciplined, confident players, and Katie Lou and Saniya stepping up.

Now nobody else can catch us off-guard with the pseudo-System strategy DePaul tried.