So What's The Consensus?

[Sonny44]

A. We survived a tough physical game with a win. We proved we can handle tough (dirty?) defenses. Just what we needed as preparation for the big stage. Other teams are wasting their time trying to beat us up. Geno will come up with a strategy for this type of play.

OR......

B. We're exhausted and beaten up. Our girls can be beat using a physical approach by a bunch of goons. We wear too much make-up. We don't like the tough going and LV has shown the world how to play against us, maybe even beat us?

OR.... is there a C?

 

[HuskyNan]

UConn went on the road and played a ranked team in front of a hostile crowd. Even though they were played extremely physically, and weren't getting any calls from the refs, a group consisting of one senior, two juniors, two sophomores, and three freshmen managed to pull out a double digit win.

It was just like a tournament game. Good win. Time to go back to Storrs, get a couple massages and get ready for Georgetown.

 

[DaddyChoc]

UConn went on the road and played a ranked team in front of a hostile crowd. Even though they were played extremely physically, and weren't getting any calls from the refs, a group consisting of one senior, two juniors, two sophomores, and three freshmen managed to pull out a double digit win.

It was just like a tournament game. Good win. Time to go back to Storrs, get a couple massages and get ready for Georgetown.

bottom line

or are we suppose to call them dirty thugs who needs to be investigated because "our girls" won by only 10 points. Who the hell Louisville think they are...

 

[Icebear]

Well, it did smack of thuggery in the historical sense and, yes, an investigation and accountability for the officials would be nice.

 

[alexrgct]

My concern isn't really about the physical play so much as it's about not hitting wide open shots. Louisville just isn't very good, so even with a lot of things going their way, they simply didn't have the capacity to make enough plays to win the game.

Baylor and ND are very good, are also going to get a lot of calls, and will come back on you if you let them. UConn can't just hope someone else makes a play in tight games.

This game reminded me a lot of the losses to ND and Baylor except Louisville was nowhere near as good as those teams. That's discouraging because we may well have to beat both if we want to win a NC this year, and we can't do it without kids being willing and able to make big shots when it counts.

Caroline and Bria hit a couple of big shots late, but that wouldn't have been enough to beat a better team.

 

[HuskyNan]

Couple things, Alex (I can't quote you, iPad won't let me see whole text, so bear with me):

1. Why do you think the Huskies will play like that again? I think they'll learn from it.

2. You mention that last night was like the Baylor & ND games and that seem to bother you but there's one big difference - UConn won last night. Yes, L'ville isn't as good as the other teams but if you take the view that the Huskies gave up the two losses to BU and ND, rather than being beaten by better teams, then it makes a difference. I think that UConn is as good as BU and ND but just didn't know how to close out close games on the road in a hostile arena. Now they do.

 

[Icebear]

Couple things, Alex (I can't quote you, iPad won't let me see whole text, so bear with me):

1. Why do you think the Huskies will play like that again? I think they'll learn from it.

2. You mention that last night was like the Baylor & ND games and that seem to bother you but there's one big difference - UConn won last night. Yes, L'ville isn't as good as the other teams but if you take the view that the Huskies gave up the two losses to BU and ND, rather than being beaten by better teams, then it makes a difference. I think that UConn is as good as BU and ND but just didn't know how to close out close games on the road in a hostile arena. Now they do.

Nan, that is exactly how see last night's game. I think the game was a huge step up under very tough circumstances. It was a test they met.

I. also, reject the idea that ND and Baylor are better than us. They won games that they were losing on their home court. I, also, believe that the Huskies had more upside than those teams.

 

[doggydaddy]

We're doomed.

 

[cohenzone]

That was worse than the ND game. While I agree that UConn missed far too many 3s - actually took far too many 3s, impatient I thought, and that led at least in part to the foul shot differential - the officiating was god terrible. I don't buy the "you can't call everything" line. Yes you can, when the "everything" is beyond mere hand checking. It would stop the "everything" from happening in a hurry. There was more grabbing going on from LV than on the opening day of a Filene's basement sale. In the sequence where Shimmel supposedly forced a jump ball on a Tiff drive to the hoop, the replay showed very well, that Tiff was held twice on the drive before the final "held ball" where the Shimmel had her hands clearly across Tiff's arms. And the LV post player wrestling with SD used the unusual technique of swatting her arm across SDs face, not her mid-section. But those were only the most egregious examples. At least UConn was still standing at the end of the 15th round.

 

[ursusminor]

Well, if going into the lane was going to get me mugged and stripped with no call, I'd be settling for threes, too. Or a phantom "jump ball" call when Kiah was the only player with her hands on the ball!

 

[alexrgct]

In a game, you can make plays that help you win, and your opponent can make plays to help them win. Against Baylor and ND, UConn didn't make enough plays to help themselves win down the stretch, and Baylor/ND made enough plays to help themselves. Against louisville, UConn didn't make enough plays, but neither did Louisville...because they're Louisville. UConn also opened up a bigger lead early...again, because they're Louisville.

Hey, there's no shame in your ceiling being the Final Four. That would be a pretty incredible result, perhaps Geno's best coaching job. But if you're thinking national championship this season for UConn, that game was not a step forward.

 

[Icebear]

Against louisville, UConn didn't make enough plays, but neither did Louisville...because they're Louisville. UConn also opened up a bigger lead early...again, because they're Louisville.

Sorry but you seem to defeat your own argument that UConn didn't make plays. UConn opened a bigger lead because both Doty and Hartley made plays. Caroline made plays at both ends of the court.

 

[HuskyNan]

The Huskies did not fold emotionally, at least CD and Bria didn't. With the lead cut to 6, supporting players tossing up bricks, the Louisville players pumping their fists and the crowd screaming, Caroline and Bria executed enough plays to shut up the crowd and seal the deal. The Huskies have always had the talent, but it was that composure shown last night by enough key players to get the win that had been missing before. It's a step forward, even if it was incredibly ugly.

I just want to say about Bria - I don't care if she goes 0-20 during the game, if the game is on the line, I want her taking the last shot. The kid is a Winner with a capital W.

 

[alexrgct]

Sorry but you seem to defeat your own argument that UConn didn't make plays. UConn opened a bigger lead because both Doty and Hartley made plays. Caroline made plays at both ends of the court.

I'm talking about opening a bigger lead earlier in the game, not down the stretch.

 

[vtcwbuff]

Guys, UConn has at least one game like this every year. Usually between mid January and mid February. Shots don't fall, calls go the other way and the opponent plays chippy and performs better than expected.

The important thing to remember is that they WON a road game by 10 points on a night where a whole lot of stuff didn't go their way.

 

[meyers7]

The Huskies did not fold emotionally, at least CD and Bria didn't. With the lead cut to 6, supporting players tossing up bricks, the Louisville players pumping their fists and the crowd screaming, Caroline and Bria executed enough plays to shut the crowd up and seal the deal. The Huskies have always had the talent, but it was that composure shown last night by enough key players that got the win. It's a step forward, even if it was incredibly ugly.

I just want to say about Bria - I don't care if she goes 0-20 during the game, if the game is on the line, I want her taking the last shot. The kid is a Winner with a capital W.

Agree although we did miss a ton of open 3's throughout the game, we made a couple clutch ones at the end.

 

[earl the pearl]

I look at the game as another growing experience for this young team. It's good to face adversity now so you will be able to deal with it when you face it later. I think we missed a lot of shots that we need to make.

I also think our girls are definitely tough enough. We are normally the team dishing it out.

 

[Wbbfan1]

I was disappointed in Stef's play when the game got physical. She is big enough to take the pounding and dish it out as well. When the ball goes into the paint, she shouldn't have it stripped and she should be able to go strong to the basket to make baskets or get fouled. With they way the game was played last night, she probably should have had more then one foul called on her if she setting hard picks, being physical in the low post and demanding the ball. Kiah and Stef have to be taking more then 7 shots in a game if this team is to win the National Championship. I do realize the lack of shots by Kiah and Stef aren't totally their fault as the other players have to get them the ball. But they have a responsibility to be in a position to get the pass and then do something with it.

I admire Kelly's game and all she does for the team, but when playing the better teams, her lack of scoring is really hurting the team. It makes it twice as hard on the other players when Kelly is ignored and no threat to score. She's got to find a way to get involved on offense and be a threat to score points.

 

[earl the pearl]

I was disappointed in Stef's play when the game got physical. She is big enough to take the pounding and dish it out as well. When the ball goes into the paint, she shouldn't have it stripped and she should be able to go strong to the basket to make baskets or get fouled. With they way the game was played last night, she probably should have had more then one foul called on her if she setting hard picks, being physical in the low post and demanding the ball. Kiah and Stef have to be taking more then 7 shots in a game if this team is to win the National Championship. I do realize the lack of shots by Kiah and Stef aren't totally their fault as the other players have to get them the ball. But they have a responsibility to be in a position to get the pass and then do something with it.

I admire Kelly's game and all she does for the team, but when playing the better teams, her lack of scoring is really hurting the team. It makes it twice as hard on the other players when Kelly is ignored and no threat to score. She's got to find a way to get involved on offense and be a threat to score points.

I would tell to keep shooting........she makes those shots in warm up. She has got to shoot when they give her those shots.

 

[vtcwbuff]

Dolson needs to watch tape of Tina Charles controlling the ball in the paint. She does not know how to protect the ball. Maybe a little stickum might help.

 

[Replicant]

The Huskies did not fold emotionally, at least CD and Bria didn't. With the lead cut to 6, supporting players tossing up bricks, the Louisville players pumping their fists and the crowd screaming, Caroline and Bria executed enough plays to shut the crowd up and seal the deal. The Huskies have always had the talent, but it was that composure shown last night by enough key players that got the win. It's a step forward, even if it was incredibly ugly.

I just want to say about Bria - I don't care if she goes 0-20 during the game, if the game is on the line, I want her taking the last shot. The kid is a Winner with a capital W.

You nailed it!

P.S. I still want to know what happened to Pris?

 

[Enigma64]

The tightly contested games and the losses will hopefully pay a future benefit.

Every trial endured and weathered in the right spirit makes a soul nobler and stronger than it was before.
~ James Buckham

 

[Wonkster]

... Or a phantom "jump ball" call when Kiah was the only player with her hands on the ball!

.
Yeah, that one really p***ed me off.
.

 

[UcMiami]

Dolson needs to watch tape of Tina Charles controlling the ball in the paint. She does not know how to protect the ball. Maybe a little stickum might help.

Dolson also doesn't have Maya or NeNe making the entry passes - I am surprised by the quality of entry passes she is getting (as in bad) - at least half of those passes are too late so the double team is already in place, too early so she hasn't got a chance to establish her position, or so off line that they either are immediate turnovers, or in order to catch them she has to move way out of position and is no longer able to do anything with them. This has got to be frustrating the crap out of the coaches.
Not saying she is playing at Tina's level (especially the level of her last year +) but she isn't getting the type of 'service' that every post needs.
And yes - every game there are some beautiful entry passes, but it is really hit or miss.

 

[grizz36]

We're doomed.

DOOMED!!!