Prognosticators Game 7 (ND) [merged thread]

[bags27]

Turner played in the 2015 NC game. She missed the regular season game where Tuck blazed them at ND. I believe Turner scored all of her points in the second half of that game.

wow; thanks. I have the distinct recollection of a key ND player--I guess it wasn't Turner--getting a serious injury in the quarter or semis and not playing in the finals....

 

[Reypl21]

wow; thanks. I have the distinct recollection of a key ND player--I guess it wasn't Turner--getting a serious injury in the quarter or semis and not playing in the finals....

Number 11 from the year before. Natalie Achonwa

 

[rvwsleep]

I was gonna go 82-67, but rvw beat me to it. I don't think I saw:

81-67 UConn

Are you seeing things too ?

 

[Bigpetunia]

Probably be the best team UCONN has played so far this year. I don't believe UCONN has ever beaten ND on 12/3. So history is not on our side. Unfortunately UCONN will only be up by 6 after 3 quarters. And of course UCONN will be out scored in the 4th. ND breaks UCONN's home winning streak. 73-68.

Meyers, my friend, I really enjoy your posts, so please don't misinterpret this as snarkiness on my part. Still, if I had any prior trepidation about the likely outcome of this game (I didn't), you have successfully erased them! Didn't you make a similar prediction about one of the recent road trip games? Was it UCLA?? Or is this just a strategy you secretly employ (as I suspect) to guarantee a Husky victory? I always respect Notre Dame, mainly owing to my respect for Muffett, but I think this game presents less of a defensive coaching challenge to Geno than previous ND/UConn matchups. Sadly, owing primarily to injury, ND just doesn't have the down low presence to compete, so the resultant ability for Geno to focus on limiting the effectiveness of ND guard play increases exponentially. ND's guards are great, but they're going to be face-guarded by far better defensive players than they've previously faced. Down low, Shepard (who never should have gotten a waiver to play this year) just isn't the answer...not fast or athletic enough. Lots of folks here have expressed worry about Z accumulating fouls. I think this prospect represents a far greater threat to a thin ND team, and to Shepard in particular. I see this as a 15 point UConn victory, though I think the lead will exceed 15 earlier in the game. Now predictions are just predictions, and I may be proved stunningly wrong here, in which case you will be the recipient of my public apology...but I just don't see it!

 

[mhshuskies]

Both teams trade baskets early on 4-4, UCONN goes on a 13-2 run and MM calls a timeout @ 4’ mark. nd scores a quick 5 out of the timeout but UCONN outscores them 18-11 to end the quarter. More of the same in the second quarter, UCONN outscores 25-13 with Megatron hitting a pair of threes from the corner. Game over at the half.

 

[Dillon77]

wow; thanks. I have the distinct recollection of a key ND player--I guess it wasn't Turner--getting a serious injury in the quarter or semis and not playing in the finals....

Number 11 from the year before. Natalie Achonwa

Hey there:
That's correct. Natalie Achonwa blew out her ACL in the closing minutes of the team's quarterfinal win against Baylor. As Coach McGraw is quoted in the linked story below, when Ace went down, "it sucked the air right out of the room."

If you recall, ND was undefeated at the time and went on to still beat Maryland in the semis before falling to the Huskies in the finals. Of the final four "ugghs," the worst moment was in that Final 8 game: Ace was playing so very well and was a leader, a good scorer and the glue of that team.

The only good thing to say is that she came back from surgery well, is having a solid career in the pros and with the Canadian Olympic team and just got engaged to be married this summer.


#2 Irish Return to Final Four With 88-69 Win Over #5/6 Baylor

 

[Bigboote]

Are you seeing things too ?

If we both saw the same thing, it must not be a hallucination. Whew!

 

[rvwsleep]

If we both saw the same thing, it must not be a hallucination. Whew!

In my case, it was probably the mushrooms.

 

[chrissaran]

Mabrey is averaging less than the other two. Gabby covers Young. UConn 86-76.

 

[Carnac]

Both teams trade baskets early on 4-4, UCONN goes on a 13-2 run and MM calls a timeout @ 4’ mark. nd scores a quick 5 out of the timeout but UCONN outscores them 18-11 to end the quarter. More of the same in the second quarter, UCONN outscores 25-13 with Megatron hitting a pair of threes from the corner. Game over at the half.

Your prediction sounds about right. This year started off badly for Muffet (Brianna Turner sitting out the season), then it got worse when freshman forward Mikayla Vaughn went down with a season ending torn ACL. The only bright spot for McGraw thus far was when the NCAA approved their waiver for Nebraska transfer Jessica Shepard, allowing her to play immediately.

If they’re even a pinch superstitious, and if she’ll allow it, maybe Notre Dame players should rub teammate Lili Thompson’s (3 year starter for Stanford) head for good luck. The Irish point guard, after all, is an endangered species in women’s college basketball — an active player who has actually beaten UConn. Thompson’s production has diminished a bit lately. She’s averaging 3.8 points and 4.3 assists to go with 2.5 turnovers over her last four games, leaving her season figures at 5.7, 5.1 and 2.3, but she's remained a confident player.

This is not one of McGraw's better teams. The only thing she can hope for tomorrow is that her team competes and plays hard for 40 minutes, keeps the score respectable, and no one else gets hurt. The Irish, playing their last of seven straight games away from home, will only dress eight available scholarship players after Tuesday’s injury to Vaughn. ND simply does not have the horses to compete with UConn this year.

Gabby or Kia will be assigned to throw a blanket over their leading scorer Arkie Ogunbowale, in hopes of keeping her under her season average of 20.7 ppg. With Katie Lou Samuelson scheduled to return to the line-up, things should return to normal. If things get any worse for the Irish, they may miss the final four for the 3rd year in a row.

 

[Nuyoika]

Betting against UConn is generally an awful bet so I am going to say we win. I hope to see some good looking basketball and as far as score I'm gonna go UConn 81 ND 73. Everyone say a prayer that Enterline isn't one of the refs.

 

[meyers7]

Meyers, my friend, I really enjoy your posts, so please don't misinterpret this as snarkiness on my part. Still, if I had any prior trepidation about the likely outcome of this game (I didn't), you have successfully erased them! Didn't you make a similar prediction about one of the recent road trip games? Was it UCLA?? Or is this just a strategy you secretly employ (as I suspect) to guarantee a Husky victory? I always respect Notre Dame, mainly owing to my respect for Muffett, but I think this game presents less of a defensive coaching challenge to Geno than previous ND/UConn matchups. Sadly, owing primarily to injury, ND just doesn't have the down low presence to compete, so the resultant ability for Geno to focus on limiting the effectiveness of ND guard play increases exponentially. ND's guards are great, but they're going to be face-guarded by far better defensive players than they've previously faced. Down low, Shepard (who never should have gotten a waiver to play this year) just isn't the answer...not fast or athletic enough. Lots of folks here have expressed worry about Z accumulating fouls. I think this prospect represents a far greater threat to a thin ND team, and to Shepard in particular. I see this as a 15 point UConn victory, though I think the lead will exceed 15 earlier in the game. Now predictions are just predictions, and I may be proved stunningly wrong here, in which case you will be the recipient of my public apology...but I just don't see it!

 

[Rayvin56]

89-72, Good Guys.

 

[VaConnFan11]

The line is UConn -15.5. That's a lot of points against a pretty good team. I saw that SC is a 12.5 point favorite against Duke. That seems like too many points also.

 

[mhshuskies]

The line is UConn -15.5. That's a lot of points against a pretty good team. I saw that SC is a 12.5 point favorite against Duke. That seems like too many points also.

Take UCONN giving anything less than 20!

 

[UConnCat]

Jim Fuller reports game is sold out. That's at the XL center, which is pretty good.

 

[VAMike23]

Notre Dame's individual and Team stats as of Nov 29 :

LINK

 

[EricLA]

Hard to predict. ND is at full strength (less Turner who is out for the year) and UCONN technically is too - but it's Lou's first game back. I think ND's guards are among the best in the nation, but so are UCONN's. Where we have a bigger advantage, IMHO, is our front court. I'd love to win by over 20 going away, but suspect it will be closer. UCONN has yet to put together a complete game (4 quarters), and ND will never give up.

UCONN 79
ND 63

 

[Nuyoika]

Did I win? Was I the closest? Who has the spreadsheet?

 

[Husky fanatic]

Did I win? Was I the closest? Who has the spreadsheet?

Will post today.

 

[meyers7]

Did I win? Was I the closest? Who has the spreadsheet?

I think I won the first 3 quarters.

 

[mhshuskies]

I was a bit off in my prediction. I’ll grudgingly admit nd played better than I thought they would and (choke on my words) MM might actually be a decent coach. However, when it came time to get serious and do what was needed “we made the plays to win the game”.