UConn - ND post game (merged)

[hoophuskee]

Worried about Azzi. The best shooter in the country is not right now.

I think you should be more worried when the next asteroid hits.

 

[veivoli]

I saw it. Laughed out loud. My guess is that Ayanna is someone not to mess with.🙂

With those muscles? You've got to be kidding!

Woke up from the anaesthetic in time to read this thread. Sounds like a good, if somewhat patchy result.

Now to find a pirate video of the game and see if I can stay awake to watch it.

Go Huskies!

 

[Vowelguy]

I think you should be more worried when the next asteroid hits.

2% chance of 2032 🤣

 

[BBallF]

It was absolutely team defense. Different looks, and constant double-teaming. Not just KK.

True not just her and true Geno's defense worked like a charm, but when she was playing her one on one, she did nothing and KK face guarded her when she didn't have the ball to prevent her from getting it. It was a shutdown.

 

[HuskyNan]

I want to give the bench a shoutout. They had 19 total points and they managed to sustain the energy level on defense.

 

[Vowelguy]

Speaking of the bench, I very much appreciate Jana's enthusiasm and encouragement. She's a good teammate.

 

[AzzisBraids]

I question Blanca's "great game" with 4-11 shooting and her 5 TOs!

Her ability to slash to the rim cause problems and made Notre Dame have to consider her. She's a freshman and she hasn't looked like it, but this was probably the biggest game of her career thus far. Her passing and assists were key timely buckets.

 

[BBallF]

Tough game for BQ but she will be better for it....

Totally. It was a big atmosphere, big exposure game and she was clearly off focus in the beginning. Still she had 8 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. It's coming for her.

 

[BBallF]

Her ability to slash to the rim cause problems and made Notre Dame have to consider her. She's a freshman and she hasn't looked like it, but this was probably the biggest game of her career thus far. Her passing and assists were key timely buckets.

I would only add that her future biggest games are coming in early April. A game like tonight is just another speed bump on the straightaway to her development as a great player.

 

[Nolefan]

Totally. It was a big atmosphere, big exposure game and she was clearly off focus in the beginning. Still she had 8 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. It's coming for her.

I really don’t think she played Bad she had some good moments too .. she’s still learning baptism by fire ..

 

[MilfordHusky]

Yeah, ND is a rival but Niele Ivey is good people. I liked her as a player, too

Niele seems like a classy person.

 

[Happydad745]

One final thought about Ash and K9...Ash would be a starter on any team in the country, and K9 on most of them.

 

[Tonyc]

Azzi is shooting 100% from the line. Drive the lay and get fouled

 

[donalddoowop]

We will learn from this game. We will improve from this game. We won big against a good team. We didnt fire on al cylinders and won big. THink about it..........................we are really really good. I dont thiink we can be stopped. barring injuries.

ND is not a good team. They are a weak team.

 

[MilfordHusky]

The first half was sloppy/lackluster, but the second half was stellar.

I was shocked when I saw that the point spread was 29.5. And we beat it! A record MOV against ND. Nice work! Despite our 3-point shot being off. Our top 7 were very solid.

I feel for ND, with all their injuries. But is is similar to what happened to us for the prior 4 years, when we made the Final Four 3 times.

 

[donalddoowop]

Totally. It was a big atmosphere, big exposure game and she was clearly off focus in the beginning. Still she had 8 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. It's coming for her.

Blanca also made two nifty assists and one time leaped to snare a pass and that turned into a bucket for UConn.

 

[JellyBean]

Hats off to ND and Coach Ivey. They played hard but our talented and skill level overwhelmed them. In the postgame, Azzi said it best, "we have too many options to be stopped" and I agree with her. UConn got options on offense and on defense, UConn is dangerous. And for the folks that were worried about Ashlynn and her shooting/scoring. I think she did well tonight. Like I said before, Ash doesn't have to score a lot. Her rebounding and defense is plus. But when we need Ashlynn to make a bucket, she makes them when it matters. Well done, UConn.

 

[Dogstar]

One final thought about Ash and K9...Ash would be a starter on any team in the country, and K9 on most of them.

Ash is a starter do you mean K9?

 

[H Dog]

It's possible to say that KK played a great game but acknowledge that HH is the better player.

C’mon now, why can’t you give KK her props,this is the 2nd time you are cutting on someone complimenting her. She was the better and more efficient point guard tonight and I don’t think that HH actually ever did score when KK was directly covering her. And most of her points actually came when she was out of the game or her team was down 30 points or more. In the grand scheme of things they are both amongst the best point guards in the country who are asked and required to do very different things for their teams. Who’s to say which one is actually “better”, statistics per game don’t always tell the full story.

 

[bkart1978]

Credit to KK and Ash for the scoring run early in the second half that pushed the lead out of the vicinity of single-digits for good. If anyone still thinks they shouldn't be starting for this team, I don't know what to tell you.

 

[Dogstar]

Credit to KK and Ash for the scoring run early in the second half that pushed the lead out of the vicinity of single-digits for good. If anyone still thinks they shouldn't be starting for this team, I don't know what to tell you.

Ur right..2 big 3s ...and the train kept rolling on and on.

 

[DefenseBB]

I was at the game in my usual spot behind the bench and when Sanchez got a bit “chippy” with Ash late in the game as @HuskyNan noted, Ash didn’t back down and gave it right back at her but with her usual grin despite giving up 7 inches, which at that point Geno point at Serah to go in for Ash which EVERYONE knew why. So when Sanchez tried that with Serah, Serah was absolutely not going to let ANYTHING SLIDE.

A few other things, KK absolutely played GREAT and I am so happy for her. Remember that the HG Top100 had Hidalgo at #5 and KK at #6 so KK proved a lot tonight. BTW, that class of guards was simply INSANE-#1 Juju, #2 Mikayla Williams, #9 Zoe Brooks, #11 Taliah Scott, #12 Madison Booker, #13 Malaysia Fulwiley, #15 Ash, #24 Kymora Johnson and #25 Tessa Johnson. Just unreal and KK is clearly in that company…

Sarah Strong, in a marquee game that showcased two elite candidates for POY, proved well ahead and this is NOT a slight at Hidalgo who I thought played well and did everything she could but KK, Azzi and K9 were beasts in stopping her while NO ONE could slow Sarah down.

Azzi did affect the game despite struggling with her 3 pt shot. That said, Hidalgo was better. Both will be All-Americans, HH 1st team, Azzi 2nd and both on the WBCA 10 player team. FWIW, Blakes had 14 vs Michigan today (Azzi had 31 vs the Wolverines).

I have watched ND play 6 times this year and honestly, they had a good game plan today and played very well but UConn is just at another level. Prosper is really good and impressed me. Adding KK Bransford would have only helped marginally by adding a 7th person to the rotation, not much more.

As noted previously, “defense travels so when shots don’t fall…”. This team has a confidence AND an edge so sit back and enjoy. Onto the next circled game on the calendar….13 days.

 

[Happydad745]

Ash is a starter do you mean K9?

Of course she is, but I am saying any other team as well.

 

[Bigboote]

I don’t know if anyone else noticed but late in the fourth quarter, Ash found herself guarding Gisela Sanchez in the paint. Sanchez gave Ash several sharp jabs with her elbow and due to the height difference, I think it caught Ash in a sensitive spot. FWIW, Ash jabbed back but she was outmatched.

Then Geno subs Ash out for Serah, who had a few words for Sanchez. Serah got a little spicy and I love it. The Huskies have each others’ backs

A little before that, Shade was under the basket covering a big, held her ground after the entry pass, and Sarah got a block or steal. Might’ve made Sanchez a little spicy.

 

[CL82]