South Carolina Game Thread

[bags27]

Prior to the game, I was told the team was positive they were going to win and could win it by 30 points. However the same person extremely close to the team said Geno wouldn't allow it to be a blow out. There was no way So Carolina could come all the way back from a 21 point lead with the starters playing. That's could be why Geno let up the Gas in the 4th quarter. Not sure he wanted the game to get as close as it did. The refs played a part in that.
Sorry Wbbfan1, but I just can't believe this. Even if Geno thought he could win by 30, I don't believe he shared that thought with a single soul, except maybe CD. And I'm sure she'd not utter a word. I don't doubt that Geno might have allowed the score to shrink a bit, but that was because he wanted to burn time and was willing to trade some momentum for minutes.

 

[HardHatGuy#2]

I suspect that he chose that moment to do the cheer, not because he was celebrating an injury, but because that was the first time the crowd had been quiet enough to let a UConn cheer be heard.

That is not an excuse. It was an absolute embarrassment.

 

[Icebear]

FWIW I enjoyed the game until the last 8 minutes or so. It seems that not only did UCONN take their foot off the gas, but suddenly couldn't make layups and what felt like a 15-20 point win actually turned out to be 12 points. SC can take all kinds of moral victories from that - they can say Wilson came back and led the charge, blah blah. Bottom line SC is a very good team. I think UCONN brought out the best in them. And SC plays tenacious defense that's for sure...

There was a lot of uncalled contact on many of those.

 

[j66kicker]

Didn't see it mentioned. .. did UCONN bust out new Road unis tonight?

Yup

 

[Frodo]

The officiating in this game was, to use a word, extraordinary. I'll watch the game again tomorrow, but I can't recall a single time when an SC player had the ball and collided with a UConn defender that it was called a charge...and there were at least several that should have been. It's games like this that makes you wonder if sometimes the officials are, at least unconsciously, trying to keep it close.

 

[Aluminny69]

IMHO, if you lose to a team ranked ABOVE you, you should not drop in the rankings. SC lost, yes, but they lost to the #1 team in the country who was ranked above them. They did not lost to Podunk U. They should retain their #2 ranking.

But ND only lost to UConn also. And ND wins by more than SC does.

 

[iri10]

You know, I think I understand Staley's mindset in making Imovbioh 4th in post minutes over the course of the season, behind not just Wilson and Coates but also White. Imovbioh will be gone next season, while White will be there for a while yet. But I still think they're a better team while she's in there.

 

[01Neaggrad02]

Was it just me or were those announcers really annoying and most of the time homers? The refs.... Sigh... loved when Jefferson threw the ball at one in disgust after she refused to call the obvious foul.... But good game. Felt bad for Lou... she was whistled for fouls that she shouldn't have.

I wonder who is going to be #1 tomorrow according to that Maria girl who works for the SEC... I mean going into the game she was saying SC was #1 right?

 

[bschwartz]

This game said a lot about the rotation for the tourney, I think. Granted Geno may wanted KLS and Collier to experience the atmosphere of a big time game, but no Chong and no Butler.

 

[Carnac]

Would have been more enjoyable if the officials hadn't turned the game into a rugby match, but I'll take it.

Am I the only one? We did it!! Was there ever any doubt? UConn has soundly defeated the #2 and #3 teams in the country. WCBB, take note.When UConn gets a win over teams like ND or SC, a warm calming peace comes over me that a win over anyone else simply can not provide.

We can all take a collective sigh now. We can take a deep breath, and exhale. It's downhill from here until the NCAA tournament begins in March.

UConn won its 60th straight game while ending South Carolina's 45-game home victory string; handing the Gamecocks their first loss here since falling to Texas A&M 50-48 on Feb. 10, 2013.

Geno said it best on his post game interview with Maria Taylor. "We know we're not going to see anyone else this good on their home floor the remainder of the year" What a great time to be alive. It's nice to be a UConn fan. Life is good!

 

[HoopsFan21]

The officiating in this game was, to use a word, extraordinary. I'll watch the game again tomorrow, but I can't recall a single time when an SC player had the ball and collided with a UConn defender that it was called a charge...and there were at least several that should have been. It's games like this that makes you wonder if sometimes the officials are, at least unconsciously, trying to keep it close.

If there is one team you do not want to be in a close game late, it's South Carolina. Call it luck, divine intervention, whatever, they pull those games out. You can't take your foot off the gas, because as Geno has said a million times, you can't just turn it back on whenever you want which is why he wants the team to go 110% all the time. A stop, turnover, and a made shot on the other end and next thing you know it's an 7 or 8 point lead with 5 to play. Whatever UConn did in the 3rd quarter, they should have kept doing in the 4th in my opinion. I'm not sure why they didn't, but it looked like we were trying to steal a win by playing 3/4 of a game. Wilson's injury helped us quite a bit.

 

[HuskyNan]

Wilson's injury helped us quite a bit.

I'm glad A'ja is OK. Having said that, her absence balanced out the cheesy calls on Morgan, who had to sit with two fouls.

 

[Carnac]

The officiating in this game was, to use a word, extraordinary. I'll watch the game again tomorrow, but I can't recall a single time when an SC player had the ball and collided with a UConn defender that it was called a charge...and there were at least several that should have been. It's games like this that makes you wonder if sometimes the officials are, at least unconsciously, trying to keep it close.

Moe more thing...........The thing I liked best about tonight's game is that South Carolina NEVER LED. They looked up at UConn all evening.

 

[HoopsFan21]

Moe more thing......The thing I liked best about tonight's game is that South Carolina NEVER LED. They looked up at UConn all evening.

After the game ESPN said in the last 9 games, UConn has trailed for only 14 seconds.

 

[Icebear]

It was never in doubt.

 

[johnnyc]

FWIW I enjoyed the game until the last 8 minutes or so. It seems that not only did UCONN take their foot off the gas, but suddenly couldn't make layups and what felt like a 15-20 point win actually turned out to be 12 points. SC can take all kinds of moral victories from that - they can say Wilson came back and led the charge, blah blah. Bottom line SC is a very good team. I think UCONN brought out the best in them. And SC plays tenacious defense that's for sure...

The number two team in the nation only put up 54 at their place. No alleged 'comeback' is going to hide that.

 

[Replicant]

IMHO, if you lose to a team ranked ABOVE you, you should not drop in the rankings. SC lost, yes, but they lost to the #1 team in the country who was ranked above them. They did not lost to Podunk U. They should retain their #2 ranking.

Is that what the card is telling you?

 

[HoopsFan21]

The number two team in the nation only put up 54 at their place. No alleged 'comeback' is going to hide that.

Look at the box score, the two teams really didn't play that much differently from each other. I would definitely not call this a blow out, and their best player was hurt in the 2nd quarter.

 

[uconnfan68]

It was never in doubt.

I admire your faith.

 

[Huskyfaninsd]

I believe it is more accurate to say that their best play was hurt towards the end of the second quarter. I doubt her presence would have done anything else...the damage was already done.

Has anyone ever considered that maybe UConn decided to slow it down to maybe not showcase plays, etc.? I mean I would say it is highly probable we will see SC again. And I do believe it was a blowout...the game was decided at the end of the third quarter.

 

[Kmoney]

I really enjoyed the mutual respect displayed by the players and the coaches after the game. There were several hugs and conversations. Although Dawn has the glare of "Nurse Ratchet" during the game, She really impressed me after the game. I can't wait to see the press conferences.

 

[johnnyc]

Look at the box score, the two teams really didn't play that much differently from each other. I would definitely not call this a blow out, and their best player was hurt in the 2nd quarter.

Lol....okay. Sorry you can't enjoy the victory.

I see one team played differently enough to have scored 12 points more than the other team (and it really wasn't as close as that).

 

[HoopsFan21]

Lol....okay. Sorry you can't enjoy the victory.

Who says I'm not enjoying it? I enjoyed it thoroughly. But there are some takeaways here, and one of them for me is that the two teams are quite a bit closer than I thought they were. Kudos to Dawn and South Carolina. They've put together a great program and had an awesome crowd and game day experience.

 

[bschwartz]

 

[chrissaran]

The game was not a blowout. Would SC have won if Wilson doesn't get hurt? What if, as someone already mentioned, the phantom foul against Morgan hadn't been called? Morgan doesn't come out. Wilson plays however many minutes. UConn wins.