The D!!!

[Bigpetunia]

Although we had a few lapses last night, the overall tenacity of our defense continues to carry our team. We can be maddeningly streaky when it comes to our shooting, but great and consistent defense has a wonderful way of softening the effect of bad or streaky shooting nights. Consider this: Of our 28 games so far this season, we have allowed opponents, including last night, to crack 50 in less than one-third of the games, 9 to be exact. Of those, only four cracked 60, and only one, ND, cracked 70, though it took OT to get there. Show me a team that plays great and consistent D, I'll show you great coaching. Great job by Geno and staff!

 

[DobbsRover2]

Defense has indeed been the key, as it has been to an ever increasing extent in the last few seasons. One interesting stat has been the takeways, as the Huskies have reverted to being the Women of Steal that they were in the late '90s, despite losing last year's larceny leader Maya Moore. 14 years ago was a different era, however, when a new breed of athletic defenders like Nykesha Sales, Shea Ralph, and Rita Williams were using innovative trapping schemes to overwhelm ball handlers who were not as experienced as today's average PG. Farris is the biggest culprit in the modern crime wave, but Hayes and Hartley are close behind as accomplices, all sporting 2+ steals per game. Abetted by a variety of other D factors such as increased block rate and lower 3-pt FG% Def this year compared to last year, UConn is still on pace to break the national records in scoring defense (1.4 pts ahead) and FG% def (.002 ahead), both set by the 2009-10 Huskies. Though stats often get a little depressed at the end of year during generally tougher competition, defensive stats are less prone to change, and Huskies have a chance to end up lowering the bar on D.