UConn - Creighton post game thread - Big East Champions!

[topogigio]

Congrats to the Huskies, great win and another BE championship. Outstanding D overall. Some sloppy dribbling and passes but chalk it up to 3 games in 3 days. Shade did so many things that don't show up in the box score!

 

[RoadMaster]

Swipe..

 

[jaydee602]

Not a big deal, but more of a curiosity.
Joe Vaszily & Maj Forsberg officiated intense ACC & Big 10 finals yesterday.
Is there any reason why they were flown in & assigned to a Championship game tonight with no rest when so many top refs are available? Is this an indictment on the overall officiating?

 

[RoadMaster]

Some nice action shots.. Swipe

 

[RoadMaster]

 

[hoopsdiva]

For all the talk about UConn's suffocating defense, the most amazing thing to me is that for this whole tournament they did it without Aubrey. Once we add Aubrey back into the equation their defense will be incredible.

 

[mainerhuski]

I might have missed it, but did John Fanta again mention that Geno has given Azzi until tomorrow to decide on her future?

PB & KC hoisted the trophy. Except for Azzi, the others seniors/grad students didn’t play. So… not Azzi’s last BET?

 

[Bone Dog]

For all the talk about UConn's suffocating defense, the most amazing thing to me is that for this whole tournament they did it without Aubrey. Once we add Aubrey back into the equation their defense will be incredible.

Yup! OMG, yes! Once Aubrey is able to give them a dozen or twenty minutes, no fatigue issues will appear.

And this game was a demonstration -- if another one was needed -- that a 1st quarter offensive burst is enough to win, as long as you can smother the opposing team for the rest of the game. I'd rather see them pull away in the later quarters in the tournament, like they did against SC a few weeks ago. But I find some comfort in their ability to dominate on the defensive end. The last team I remember playing defense at this level was SC in Boston's final season.

 

[RoadMaster]

Strike up the band..

 

[Vowelguy]

I know Creighton is a more perimeter-oriented team, which lends itself to a smaller UConn lineup, but we can't have Jana playing 10 mins.

 

[huskeynut]

23rd Big East Tournament Champions!!!!!!!!!!!

Three games in three days - all dominant wins. Can't ask for more than that.

Creighton came to play. A very good team and well coached. Projected 8 seed for NCAA's is an insult to them.

Next up the NCAA's.

 

[Happydad745]

Why do I get the feeling KK is playing like she just had an extra cup of coffee too many?

 

[Centerstream]

PB & KC hoisted the trophy. Except for Azzi, the others seniors/grad students didn’t play. So… not Azzi’s last BET?

Yeah I was wondering because I thought the presenter (Val Ackerman??) asked for the seniors...but I admit I have really, really bad hearing

 

[HuskyNan]

Congrats to the Huskies! We're all down on the Big East from time to time, but the Huskies can only beat the teams lined up against them, and they do! Well done, Geno, CD, Paige and Co.

All-tournament team: Paige, Sarah, Lauren Jensen and Kelsey Ransom should be definite... Ransom was phenomenal. If it's five players, could be Azzi on reputation, but she did little in any of the games except averaging 12 points... maybe somebody from 'Nova? Webber?

Bascoe?

 

[Basingstoke]

A great win over a seasoned, talented and relentless Creighton team.
Paige was spectacular and Sarah was a force of nature. Great start for Jana (& a horrible, horrible call on her offensive foul - she was correctly doing what big girls are supposed to do, but the refs bit on the Creighton flop).
I know it was a quiet game for Ice, but her legal screen/pancake on Mogensen was perfect (though there refs' call, again, was not).
First half Azzi's shooting was beautiful to behold.
On the down side, it was a puzzling night for turnovers: 5 for KK (I believe 3 in the 1st minute when she was first subbed into the game) and 5 for Kaitlyn vs only 1 assist between the two of them. I'm pretty confident that they've now gotten it out of their systems and it will never happen again...
That being said, the team's defense was great!!!
One extraordinary aspect of Paige's performances was that (I believe) she only had 1 turnover in 3 games (in addition to making 50/40/90 a distinct possibility).
Again, congratulations to the team for a great tournament run and (to both teams) for being still able to provide high-quality play on the 3rd consecutive game of the Big East Tournament gauntlet!
Now there's time for rest and healing while mixing in some intense practices in preparation for March Madness.

 

[The deacon]

Yup! OMG, yes! Once Aubrey is able to give them a dozen or twenty minutes, no fatigue issues will appear.

And this game was a demonstration -- if another one was needed -- that a 1st quarter offensive burst is enough to win, as long as you can smother the opposing team for the rest of the game. I'd rather see them pull away in the later quarters in the tournament, like they did against SC a few weeks ago. But I find some comfort in their ability to dominate on the defensive end. The last team I remember playing defense at this level was SC in Boston's final season.

Agreed, Bone Dog... the scheduling of games in the NCAA tournament is a little easier on the legs, so hopefully fatigue won't be a problem for the Huskies, especially given what likely will be a nine-player rotation.

Agreed also re that SC defense in '22-23, which made Caitlin's Clark's 41-point torching of the Gamecocks in the Final Four all the more remarkable.

 

[The deacon]

Bascoe?

Could be, Nan... she's a sensational freshman, but had a shaky semifinal game.

 

[DEFCONN1]

Elated we won a tough championship game. The Husky intensity was outstanding, especially on D. How could you not be proud of this bunch. The one observation I had that on offense was, when Paige had the ball, a lot of her teammates backed off and watched the Paige show. This is okay on some plays, but can’t be a regular occurrence. The team needs to be engaged and keep moving without the ball In case Paige hits a dead end. Hopefully, if I saw this I’m sure coach saw it, and will address this issue. Go Huskies, on to bigger and better things!

 

[Centerstream]

Not a big deal, but more of a curiosity.
Joe Vaszily & Maj Forsberg officiated intense ACC & Big 10 finals yesterday.
Is there any reason why they were flown in & assigned to a Championship game tonight with no rest when so many top refs are available? Is this an indictment on the overall officiating?

Makes me wonder where Dee Kantner was...

 

[ERWUC65]

Certainly evidence of fatigue - unusual turnovers from KK and Kaitlyn. I hope some rest will get that corrected. Certainly can't fault the defense and special praise for Azzi and Ash in that respect. I am concerned about Ice and Ash getting their confidence back on offense as we will need them to take on some of the load in the tournament. We needed it all from Paige, Sarah and Azzi tonight against a scrappy and talented, but undersized Creighton team. We will have no such height advantage going forward.

 

[RoadMaster]

One more..

 

[HuskyNan]

Creighton is a very experienced team. Seven seniors, 2 juniors, and 2 freshmen. Most of them have been playing together for years

 

[Fishy]

1) I am glad we won. I like winning.

2) This conference is terrible and it hurts us. It’s not good when we’ve basically gone two straight years without an anxious moment.

 

[uconnfan68]

1) I am glad we won. I like winning.

2) This conference is terrible and it hurts us. It’s not good when we’ve basically gone two straight years without an anxious moment.

But it’s better than going through mbb vs SHU @ SHU.

 

[Vowelguy]

1) I am glad we won. I like winning.

2) This conference is terrible and it hurts us. It’s not good when we’ve basically gone two straight years without an anxious moment.

Better than the American, where UConn lost 0 games in its entire 7-year tenure.