UConn-Duke postgame thread

[AzzisBraids]

This is the kind of game that makes you miss Aubrey Griffin, specifically

 

[Centerstream]

I get it now...just seeking reactions.

 

[cgshuskie]

A tough win. Coaches should have let Q into the game for some experience. Hope we have some gas left got the Southern Cal game on Monday. Also, Ice must shot for us to go farther. Thank goodness for Paige!!!!

 

[Childhood]

I give much credit to Duke's defense. It's the first game that made Ash to have 0 point in the tournament. She's average 20 points per game. And it's also the first game that made Paige looked gased.

 

[ThisJustIn]

Quick transcription of CD on the radio:
Survive and advance.

CD: Exactly. It was … I think we slowed it down a little bit. Maybe a little too much. They were really tired in the first half. We lost a little gas in 4th.

Defense: First half..

CD: Defense was great. They’re a good defensive team and we are too . Had a great game plan going in. Struggling on the offensive end. Held them on defensive end and came up empty on the offensive end.

We limited their looks Proud we didn’t stop on defensive end when offense didn’t fall.

Late in second – put up a wall up, didn’t want any transition pts. No 3s (they hit a couple). We didn’t go to boards. Because AE sitting down.

This is the same game we lost last year. Nika. I told her I thought she had a great game. Lot of great plays. Big difference. (Held Richardson to 5-13) We gave up some to her left (she likes). Over all terrific job on her.

AE 4th foul – bring in Brady.

CD: Argh. You have to be really smart. We tell our kids, there’s always going to be a questionable call. And one dumb one. Took chance. And she got her 3rd. 4th was offensive. We need to be better. Clutch play – hit that shot.

Duke tie ups? Offense bogged down?

CD: Our players were expecting them to foul because they had fouls to give. Don’t stand and hold ball like bread. (KK. Inexperience?) You need to pivot and turn and get it to another player. We’ll be working on that.

KK – attacked rim well. Big plays early on. Decisions late… came out of a time out w/ a set play but she saw an opening.

I don’t look at them as freshman, but when you get to this point, they’re still freshman.

We win a game (53pts) and Ash didn’t score, and she’s been one of our top scorers the last few games. To do that? Sometimes you just have to grind it out.

Elite 8 – wowa.

Really proud. Really happy for this teams. A lot of “firsts” they’ve experienced that have not been positive. 2 in row etc. Says about out program. Consistency. Don’t realize how hard it is. Happiest for our players – Nika and AE- having to go through last year.. Have opportunity to win a game (unlike last year.)

 

[Blond D.]

NOONE gets an F. We played a tough defense and did what we needed to do.

Paige gets a B. in the 4th quarter. She can't dribble around forever.
Aaliyah gets a C. One bad foul the rest were not the best calls by the ref considering how much she was getting bumped around.
KK. gets a B. she missed a lot of shots but played great defense.
Ashlynn gets a C- for not getting open. But did play some solid defense.
Nika gets a B+ for playing some excellent defense ( I don't know what game you were watching) many excellent assists, rebounding, pretty steals.
Ice gets a B. She did what she could.

These grades are based on how they usually play not graded against other team's players..

Duke has the #2 defense and we beat them at their own game. I'm happy with the win.

GO HUSKIES!!!

 

[Centerstream]

Ugly, ugly, ugly. More than that, this is a team whose players seem to be out of gas.the best conditioning in the world foes not prepare them for playing the whole game without a break.
I have to believe the bect team will be ready to simply wear them out. Geno can do as he did in this game, keeping the starters in until they absolutely have to come out, or he can substitute more liberally, hoping to keep the legs fresh. There are risks to either. I think I would rather see the more players and less exhaustion.

Who will he put in? I guarantee you that if Geno puts in Q or Ines, it will be a deer in the highlights condition. And I like both players, but not in a game situation like the last two.

 

[boontonbomber]

Everyone was tired, I saw a real tired shoulder droop from Nika in the 4th...

Apologies for being dismissive of the coaching...but I knew when to take Edwards out...the last 2 or 3 minutes of the 2nd quarter...even the announcers expected it.

Arnold had a fine game; made some big plays.
Ice was ok.

Everyone but Geno knew to take Aaliyah out. He's done it many times,and again, almost cost them. Coaching 101.

 

[Centerstream]

I know that it's technically a foul but when Aaliyah got her 4th foul, she was on her back, the Dookie player had her foot up against Aaliyah's body, she did the natural thing and moved her arm in order to get up and the Dookie flopped backwards to pick up the foul. On replay it just looked so fake but it served it's purpose.

Oops, maybe it was her 3rd.

 

[FanFromMaine]

We won with 4 players on the floor at the end of the game that could barely lift their arms BUT THEY DID!!!!
So happy for the best 6 player team (regardless of why there are only 6!!!!!!!!) in the world. They never gave up and never looked like they were panicking.
I also discovered tonight that my nerves have an impact on my blood glucose levels, and not in a good way. It happened last Monday too but I missed the correlation.

Sorry to hear…

Be well.

 

[msf22b]

Everyone but Geno knew to take Aaliyah out. He's done it many times,and again, almost cost them. Coaching 101.

I was going to say that...Everyone in the boneyard knew...

 

[Centerstream]

Quick transcription of CD on the radio:
Survive and advance.

CD: Exactly. It was … I think we slowed it down a little bit. Maybe a little too much. They were really tired in the first half. We lost a little gas in 4th.

Defense: First half..

CD: Defense was great. They’re a good defensive team and we are too . Had a great game plan going in. Struggling on the offensive end. Held them on defensive end and came up empty on the offensive end.

We limited their looks Proud we didn’t stop on defensive end when offense didn’t fall.

Late in second – put up a wall up, didn’t want any transition pts. No 3s (they hit a couple). We didn’t go to boards. Because AE sitting down.

This is the same game we lost last year. Nika. I told her I thought she had a great game. Lot of great plays. Big difference. (Held Richardson to 5-13) We gave up some to her left (she likes). Over all terrific job on her.

AE 4th foul – bring in Brady.

CD: Argh. You have to be really smart. We tell our kids, there’s always going to be a questionable call. And one dumb one. Took chance. And she got her 3rd. 4th was offensive. We need to be better. Clutch play – hit that shot.

Duke tie ups? Offense bogged down?

CD: Our players were expecting them to foul because they had fouls to give. Don’t stand and hold ball like bread. (KK. Inexperience?) You need to pivot and turn and get it to another player. We’ll be working on that.

KK – attacked rim well. Big plays early on. Decisions late… came out of a time out w/ a set play but she saw an opening.

I don’t look at them as freshman, but when you get to this point, they’re still freshman.

We win a game (53pts) and Ash didn’t score, and she’s been one of our top scorers the last few games. To do that? Sometimes you just have to grind it out.

Elite 8 – wowa.

Really proud. Really happy for this teams. A lot of “firsts” they’ve experienced that have not been positive. 2 in row etc. Says about out program. Consistency. Don’t realize how hard it is. Happiest for our players – Nika and AE- having to go through last year.. Have opportunity to win a game (unlike last year.)

Really, really appreciate these CD transcription posts, so Thank You!!!!

 

[tchalla1]

Ugly winning beats pretty losing

Losing is never pretty...

 

[FanFromMaine]

According to who in Google???

You have your standard but it sure isn’t mine!!

 

[DEpup]

Who will he put in? I guarantee you that if Geno puts in Q or Ines, it will be a deer in the highlights condition. And I like both players, but not in a game situation like the last two.

I think Q could have handled a couple minutes early to maybe let Shade have a seat and re-enter herself. Q is defensively challenged so I get why she isn't getting minutes but she could be matched with an opposing bench player.

 

[jeff30189]

2nd serious question.
I know it's late in the season and we haven't had a different lineup for a long stretch of games. But maybe replace Shade in the staring lineup with Ice. Let Ice get a rhythm and Shade becomes the player who gives us a healthy 6 man rotation. Get some early inside toughness and throw off USC pregame preparations.

If that's serious, I'd love to hear some of your jokes.

Ash spaces the floor and plays consistent defense. Ice is just lost out there for long stretches of time, and she lacks confidence. If Geno could play the 5 starters for 40 minutes each, he would.

 

[Dynastic]

Everyone but Geno knew to take Aaliyah out. He's done it many times,and again, almost cost them. Coaching 101.

That was a “just why damn it” moment. Geno really doesn’t like to call timeouts either, but I have to say there must have been a real trust in the process and we move on.

 

[DEpup]

So a positive... Edwards was in foul trouble but she didn't get the 5th. That's more than I can say for Brink two games in a row and she's the #2 pick in the draft supposedly.

 

[my2cents]

I know why Geno did it, but taking the air out of the ball really hurt our offense. It gave Duke time to set up and pressure the ball. A couple of quick baskets might have given UCONN some breathing room.

The air wasn't taken out of the ball, it was out of our players lungs.

 

[Audi1954]

I think Q could have handled a couple minutes early to maybe let Shade have a seat and re-enter herself. Q is defensively challenged so I get why she isn't getting minutes but she could be matched with an opposing bench player.

Agree. Giving Q a few minutes when Duke had some subs in. Maybe get a few rebounds or steals? Just give someone a rest. Ice held her own. May have saved Edwards from her third foul.

 

[jeff30189]

NOONE gets an F. We played a tough defense and did what we needed to do.

Duke has the #2 defense and we beat them at their own game.

Precisely, maybe you can give out some C's and D's if it was against Jackson State, but this Duke team can play defense and it showed.

Ash had an off night, and it was Edwards turn to commit some stupid fouls. Paige outplayed her season averages, KK had 5 steals and 12 points, and Nika went 3/6/8/4 and held the other teams biggest weapon in check. No one shot well.

To win from this point forward, no one can have an off night, no one can get in foul trouble, and turnovers have to be limited to 12 or less. Possible, but unlikely.

 

[CleverLiz]

Everyone was tired, I saw a real tired shoulder droop from Nika in the 4th...

Apologies for being dismissive of the coaching...but I knew when to take Edwards out...the last 2 or 3 minutes of the 2nd quarter...even the announcers expected it.

Arnold had a fine game; made some big plays.
Ice was ok.

Agreed! Edwards committed fouls which a Senior should not have! With a 10pt lead and two minutes remaining in half, put Ice in to protect Edwards from her silly reverting back to freshman year! Picking up her fourth, that’s on Edwards, don’t see an urgency in her play this far in the tournament. That left Paige as the only offensive threat and nearly cost them the game as she was exhausted! First Nika, then Aliyah, come on Seniors, Rise Up!!!!

 

[Hayven]

I’m glad they got the W. But, throw the tape away and move on. Nothing to learn from this one

 

[Blond D.]

SO... Does anyone think we won the Sarah Strong Sweepstakes with the win over Duke? Sure hope so. Another big for next year sure would be good.

Personally i would rather have Lara Somfai. i think she would fit better and we need another Big who can hit a 3, can play inside, rebound and has good handles.