Poll: Who Wins : TN or SC - Game Thread [MERGED THREAD]

[iri10]

Tennessee now has wins over 3 of the committee's top 12 teams, including one on the road. Some on this board may not want to hear this, but Tennessee is creeping its way into the discussion for a top-16 seed and the right to host. Not saying they're there yet, but they're in the discussion.

Weeks back, I read a few Vols fans at Volnation wondering seriously if Tennessee would even make the tournament. Can't deny that they've at least solidly punched their ticket by now.

 

[DaddyChoc]

as I always mention... Diamond on a BAD DAY shouldn't be letting Tennessee lose games that they have lost.

 

[Bayareahusky]

How man turnovers did Diamond have?

Only 1 turnover for DD tonight.... In that regard it was a good game for her.....

 

[BostonCanuck]

No way SC loses this game if Wilson had played most of the second quarter or if Dawn had brought her in sooner in the fourth quarter. She almost waited until the game got out of hand.

Almost??

 

[WestCoastPup]

Just finished watching the game. Wow, just wow!! Seems Tenn had an answer for the Wilson / Coates duo ... foul trouble. Seriously, SC has many opportunities stem the tide ... the final straw I think was having sitting Wilson till 7 min left and down by 6. Should have brought her back at 8min mark, and only down by 2 ...
I watched the game with an eye of "what would UConn do" and really don't think either team will match up against the huskies. SC so often got lost on defense, leading to an open look or open lane. The final DD drive that drew 4 defenders was the most egregious.
Looking forward to 2/13 and really hoping we bump into Tenn in Dance.

 

[easttexastrash]

Yes. But do you fall down after that contact?

Flopping is a skill. Mulkey instructs a full day on it at her summer camp.

 

[eebmg]

By watching Dawn's after practice meetings with the media for the past week I can assure you that SC didn't.. Tennessee just was the better team today. That should make you happy.

Hardly. I think most BY's would want to meet up with SC when they are playing their best and on a roll. How else to measure where we are prior to the the tournament? I know we proved alot with our OOC record but we still need challenges to keep us strong. The sweetest wins are against the best. I still think SC is dangerous if their posts stay in the game so we need to bring our A game.

 

[Bayareahusky]

Hardly. I think most BY's would want to meet up with SC when they are playing their best and on a roll. How else to measure where we are prior to the the tournament? I know we proved alot with our OOC record but we still need challenges to keep us strong. The sweetest wins are against the best. I still think SC is dangerous if their posts stay in the game so we need to bring our A game.

Need to get them running.... I know 2 years ago we did that and they were noticeably out of shape... caused Dawn to hire a conditioning coach... good move... it will be a good game.... and i do not think it matters if we win or lose

 

[eebmg]

Thanks you. Thank you.

Sure, I'm not happy about the ending.. but there's so much complaining in this thread about everything. "Neither team runs offense"... "Terrible coaching on both sides".. "THAT was the number 4 team?"... "This game is terrible" etc.

Sure, the ending was controversial.. but this is the 2nd week in a row that we've been able to watch a REALLY entertaining WCBB game on Big Monday and it was FUN and GOOD for the game.. and judging by the reaction on social media I'm not the only that thinks this. Not every team is going to look like UConn because Geno Auriemma doesn't coach every team in the United States (perhaps he should, but he doesn't unfortunately).. so accept that as fact and ENJOY THE GAME.



Also, great game Lady Vols. They came to play from the start and beat us at our own game. I'm looking forward to this three-way race for the regular season and tournament title..

I agree that in general, the BY is hard to please. Our style of basketball is hard to replicate (unfortunately). Still, I for one enjoyed this game alot. Both teams showed alot of heart and alot of talent. I have often bashed DD for wasting her talent but she played great and I can now see why she may go 1 (or 2) in the WNBA draft. I have often thought of DD in comparison to Jewel Lloyd (who is wildly inconsistent) but I think she is (at least talent wise) better. Also, MR played very well and showed alot of toughness as well as a much improved post game. TN needs to figure out how to get her the ball more.

On the SC side, I was most impressed with Wilson. She is tough on both sides of the ball. Very quick and skilled. To me, Coates is still an enigma. Very strong but often gets taken out of the game.

I hope SC comes into Storrs at their best so we can have a really good competitive game (UConn win by double digits of course )

 

[eebmg]

Yes and no. There was that spate of missed bunnies by Coates - I think there were three in a row in the third quarter or early fourth. Towards the end of the game, the kept fouling Nared, their best free thrown shooter, rather than pressuring her to pass and fouling someone else. Lots of other examples of missed opportunities.

But yes, even though the last foul was perhaps technically legit, with five seconds you let them play on.

You cant let them play on. Either a blocking foul or a travel. I thought it was a travel. She lost her balance when the SC player pulled away from contact. Falling down often happens when you expect more contact to keep you on balance and the defender pulls away.

 

[eebmg]

Need to get them running.... I know 2 years ago we did that and they were noticeably out of shape... caused Dawn to hire a conditioning coach... good move... it will be a good game.... and i do not think it matters if we win or lose

I agree. SC's transition defense was horrible and running full steam will really cause a post dominated team to suffer. Coates in particular will be affected since I think Wilson is very athletic and fast for her size.

 

[SCGamecock]

Need to get them running.... I know 2 years ago we did that and they were noticeably out of shape... caused Dawn to hire a conditioning coach... good move... it will be a good game.... and i do not think it matters if we win or lose

We're a much better conditioned team now because of that... better than most top ten teams I've watched. But I still don't expect Coates and Wilson to run up and down the floor in transition all night with UConn, although A'ja has already shown she could play an entire game this season if needed..

The rest of the team can definitely run. Cuevas and Cliney have track team speed, Gray is deceptively quick as well...

 

[MaineFan]

The movie is EXCELLENT. I never knew the story about the women, both black and white, that worked for NASA. The movie is so uplifting, I can't imagine anyone that wouldn't enjoy it.

The movie was a film adaptation of a book by Margot Lee Shetterly. For those here in Connecticut, Shetterly will be the keynote speaker at Quinnipiac University in Hamden for their Black History Month event.

Black History Month Keynote Speaker: Margot Lee Shetterly

Daughter-in-law of artist/author, Robert Shetterly, of Brooksville, Maine

 

[blaqtech]

If anyone thought Holly Warlick was leaving
you're wrong
Wins over Stanford, Notre Dame and now South Carolina
Can we say CONTRACT EXTENSION

 

[triaddukefan]

Weeks back, I read a few Vols fans at Volnation wondering seriously if Tennessee would even make the tournament. Can't deny that they've at least solidly punched their ticket by now.

I bet alot of their fans are booking flights to Dallas as I type

 

[SCGamecock]

I bet alot of their fans are booking flights to Dallas as I type

They'll be there regardless if Tennessee is there.. most likely to unsuccessfully root against UConn.

 

[HuskyNan]

SC did so many things to lose this game they didn't need any "help" from the refs. As always, some of the calls were questionable, but we UConn fans only emulate the ND folks when we succumb to the impulse to shout things like "the refs stole the game," etc. At the end of the day, it was a pretty entertaining game, the result of which carries very little meaning besides one night's bragging rights.

South Carolina and Tennessee are both SEC teams so the game has implications for their conference standings.

 

[Gabbyfan]

As I watch these non Uconn games where the teams involved are in the top ten, the gap between Uconn and the rest of WCBB is so apparent. These other teams have skilled players and with size to boot, but the offensive and defensive schemes being taught by their coaches is so rudimentary compared to UConn. The amount of standing around and waiting for a single but very transparent move to be made is almost laughable.
This is not to say that UConn cannot be beat, for these are college kids and anything can happen, but the culture at UConn is predicated on making sure that lapses do not happen. What it will take for UConn to lose is an incredibly high shooting percentage for the opposing team coupled with injuries or foul trouble for UConn. Baring this scenario, it is another undefeated season and NC for the Huskies (the east coast version)

 

[HoopsFan21]

If anyone thought Holly Warlick was leaving
you're wrong
Wins over Stanford, Notre Dame and now South Carolina
Can we say CONTRACT EXTENSION

Yup. It's time to lock her up. Holly deserves to be a Vol for life. It's what Pat would have wanted.

 

[Ukonnfan]

Shouldn't have been that close at the end. I know officiating is not that easy. But it sure makes me wonder.... When i played the there would have been a policeman imediately escorting that guy screaming and cussing the ref out from the first row behind the scorers table when a technical foul was called on Wilson. That man should be ashamed of himself.

 

[Wbbfan1]

Holly's game plan was sound, but she almost blew the game by going to slow down offense in last 5 minutes. Diamond made a basket with 5 minutes left and then Lady Vols didn't score a basket until 47 seconds were left when Nared made a basket after a missed shot. That was some horrible offense by the Lady Vols in crunch time. Dawn's decision to put the Lady Vols on the line with 42 seconds left and the IMO the refs bad all at the end of the game saved the Lady Vols. As the final scored indicated A'ja's technical foul was the difference in the game. Lady Vols made the 2 free throws and it sent A'ja to the bench with her 4th foul. Without the Technical, So Carolina probably wins the game.

Lady Vols also went 6 minutes in the 3rd quarter without scoring a basket and So Carolina didn't take advantage of it. They only out scored the Lady Vols by 4 points in the quarter (17-13) Also with all their offensive talent, So Carolina only scored 10 points in the 2nd quarter. How does that happen?

Fully agree with this. Holly's team actually showed up with the discernable game plan you described. More amazingly, they executed against it quite effectively and consistently. Somebody pick me up off the floor when I regain consciousness!

 

[bizarro aj]

Stop with the refs blew the game. SC isn't that good, as thats the 2nd unranked team to beat them. Lets face it great teams blow out unranked teams. I hope you all realize that SC doesn't stand a chance to beat uconn.
And yes i was one of the 12 that picked Tennessee to win the game.

 

[Checkmate]

Stop with the refs blew the game. SC isn't that good, as thats the 2nd unranked team to beat them. Lets face it great teams blow out unranked teams. I hope you all realize that SC doesn't stand a chance to beat uconn.
And yes i was one of the 12 that picked Tennessee to win the game.

True, SC is not a great team. However, when the officials take away their best player, they become mediocre.

 

[bizarro aj]

True, SC is not a great team. However, when the officials take away their best player, they become mediocre.

Again with the refs? How many times do you hear geno make excuses? Great teams adapt to any situation and overcome.

 

[CocoHusky]

Was without internet and cable last night so I missed this game. Awoke at 5:00 to see that TN won. Will watch replay later
Congrats to TN, big win, bigger than ND win because it was in conference and on the road. Jamie Nared????
I see many comments about refs taking players out of the game-never believed in that! Players take themselves out of the game by fouling.