UConn - Notre Dame post game

[AzzisBraids]

UConn's gameplan worked for the most part and they shut out most of ND's posts outside of Marshall's frenzy in the first half. The ND guards won this one. Hidalgo did whatever she wanted and went right so many times I saw it before it happened. There was no backside help. And there was no game management in stopping her.

Westbeld burned UConn from the 3 point line once she saw how they were guarding in the post and there were no adjustments.

Citron played Bueckers so tightly she could tell you which conditioner she uses. KK Arnold tried so hard, Edwards was brilliant and kept this game competitive and ND made sure to take Muhl out of this game so she was wouldn't be a factor down the stretch.

Bueckers was mobbed and she didn't really fight to get open but she had an army against her. This is when you NEED an Azzi Fudd to draw someone away from her. UConn was exposed and ND looked more cohesive and in tune to what Nielle wanted them to do and the result showed that. This was a good loss though, UConn will regroup and Bueckers will realize that she has shoot/get fouled no matter what.

 

[Blacketh’D]

Tough loss to swallow. We all knew this would be a challenge but we let ND’s record and games expect that we would just kill this team. HuskyNan called it by saying that it’s a rivalry and anything can happen. “Well they played bad against Syracuse” and the 20 point win was all but guaranteed.

We once again got beat because a team just went lights out from 3, but we also have a habit of letting aggressive guards light us up for points all the time. I put this game on Paige and I put it on geno. No answer for Notre Dame’s offense and no answer for our poor shooting(which wasn’t even that bad, we just sucked compared to them). I’m still high on us but we are not as good as some fans would like to believe

 

[Florida Fan]

You could tell the entire game that ND was going to win this game. They just had a certain edge that UCONN simply couldn't match. However, there are three reasons why UCONN lost.

1. Nika Muhl. The worst game of Nika's collegiate career. 0 points. Fouled out early in the 4th quarter. An embarrassing display of no game sense and being overly aggressive and she was ineffective in stopping Hildago even when she was in the game.

2. Paige Bueckers. Arguably the worst game of her collegiate career but was also triple teamed all night. She simply didn't show up and got outclassed by two different opponents (Hildago and Westbeld)

3. Geno. I know Geno is a coaching god and a legend but he simply refused to adjust to the Hildago pick and roll all night and the team continuously got burned by it. UCONN is very very prone to a quick guard torching them and it's happened time and time again over the past couple years and happened yet again.

The last big game of the year is South Carolina and they are gonna get torched by 30 if they play like they did tonight.

We didn't matchup well against them. The lane was open for Hildago to score at will. The few times she was blocked she was able to hit an open defender. Small Big East teams are not great preparation for skilled teams with size. Fatigue must have been a factor when ND ran away from us in the 4th quarter. Nika has been a scoring weapon, but nd must have had someone bothering her. ND must be savoring this beat down. They didn't need Olivia, resting until next year.

 

[The deacon]

Just gonna put it out there: the Domers are your kryptonite. Not sure why, but they always rise to play their best against you. Paige et al will bounce back from this. The only game that truly matters is the last one of the season.

We appreciate the sentiment, The FarmFan, but our concern increasingly is that 'the last one' will be coming sooner than we'd like...

 

[maple]

Bueckers was mobbed and she didn't really fight to get open but she had an army against her. This is when you NEED an Azzi Fudd to draw someone away from her. UConn was exposed and ND looked more cohesive and in tune to what Nielle wanted them to do and the result showed that. This was a good loss though, UConn will regroup and Bueckers will realize that she has shoot/get fouled no matter what.

If we had 1-2 consistent 3 point shooters then that alone would draw players away from Paige. I don't personally think Azzi was consistent enough that she made teams have to guard her. I'm talking about someone like LLS, KLS, KML. Someone you absolutely have to commit to defending. Azzi can be that good, but she also can go very, very cold.

 

[Geesworld]

I agree--Hidalgo was amazing. I can understand maybe the 34 points, but how does UConn give up 10 rebounds to a 5'6' guard?

Because that 5'6 guard has enough height and might inside that allows her sneak in and take advantage of a small team

 

[WLT1717]

From my vantage point, a game like this comes down to the upperclass-women. Paige, AE, and Nika needed to play like the solid vets they are - and the overall production wasn’t there. I was mostly surprised by Paige. This should have been her showcase. And yet it wasnt. Everyone has, and deserves, an off-day. But this game should have been circled on the calendar. Her performance - or lack thereof - was an eye opener. It actually puts the Big East wins in a much starker perspective.

 

[cferraro04]

So many things to take from this game. It is hard to know where to start. To begin with I have heard so many times that 5'6" is too small for basketball...well, I don't want to hear that anymore...let's not talk about the size of the player...you have to talk about the size of their heart. That kid has a huge heart and she plays the game with all of it. 34 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists...UConn had no answer for her. Nika couldn't guard her, KK couldn't guard her, and Paige couldn't guard her...kudos to Hildago...she certainly does not play like a freshman. And, we may very well have watched the performance that clinches her Freshman of the Year award.

Westbeld and Citron did their job...Westbeld stepped up and made big shots...Hildago and Citron found her over and over again. Marshall coming off the bench for 10 points was a bonus for the Irish. The irony of this game is those four players are the only ones who scored in this game. Westbeld, Hildago, and Citron accounted for 72 of the Irish's 82 points...ugggg!

Now to UConn...something was off for this game...the vaulted defense that we have watched over the last 9 games was nowhere to be found...I have to admit it left me scratching my head. I guess it just goes to show what a dominant point guard means to a team.

Paige was double and tripled teamed but, so what that means other players are open... Paige should understand that going forward in for the rest of the season...this game will be part of the scouting of our opponents. Teams will follow the blueprint to render Bueckers ineffective and force the rest of the team to win the game. We are going to need to run some screens to free up Paige. ND was great at setting screens and giving Hildago the ability to turn the corner and go in for an uncontested lay-up. Some weak side help would be good, taking charges or something. Giving the kid a free shot to the basket is unacceptable.

Shade and KK played well and did pretty much what I expected, scoring double-digits, and getting rebounds and steals. KK was 2-2 from three...while Shade's three-point shot was off going 0-6.

Special kudos to Aaliyah Edwards...her double-double against ND was impressive. She can't be expected to do it all on her own...she needs help. Ice tried but unfortunately, she still wasn't ready for the prime time. Brady only got one rebound, she has to do better.

I can't say how much Nika's consistent foul trouble is a liability to UConn's team effort. I do not prescribe to the notion that when Nika fouls out she shows how valuable she is to the Team. On the contrary, when she fouls out she shows what a liability to the team she is. We need her on the floor. We do not have anyone on the bench to replace her. Bettencourt is the best we got off the bench. She is a senior leader on the team...she doesn't help the team getting silly fouls and fouling out. Let's be real folks our opponents are not fouling out. KK and Shade aren't fouling out. They start the game and they finish the game. Nika needs to be mindful of her value when she is on the court...and she must understand her fouling out or being on the bench in foul trouble is a liability.

Sadly, UConn did some good things in this game...they had 13 steals and ND only had 4; UConn only had 13 turnovers while they forced 16 on ND. However, they got out-hustled on the boards 37 to 27. They allowed ND to outscore them in the paint 46 to 26. And, UConn did not shoot the 3 ball well at all. And the saddest of all was losing that way at home in front of all our alumni who were at the game. All in all, I like most of the boneyarders here am disappointed in this game...this was an opportunity to make a statement, gain some momentum, and make the argument that we deserve to move up in the polls. Oh well, it is back to the drawing board. Let's hope Geno can use this game to get more out of this team and the players will use this game as a reminder of what happens if you don't want to win more than your opponent wants to win.

 

[Blacketh’D]

lol. Nothing! That literally tells me nothing. I even highlighted in the game chat she was getting all the rebounds. There is no she had a bad game but… excuse here. We got outplayed and she contributed to that.

 

[Plebe]

Just gonna put it out there: the Domers are your kryptonite. Not sure why, but they always rise to play their best against you. Paige et al will bounce back from this. The only game that truly matters is the last one of the season.

Not always by any stretch; it tends to run in streaks. Two years ago we dominated them by 20 and then Paige had her flukish injury in the final minute. Since then yes, they've beaten us twice in a row, such kryptonite.

I don't see it as mysterious. This team is just vulnerable. Perhaps it was easy to forget that since we hadn't lost in two months. No depth and lack of size add up to little margin for error when a good opponent has a good game, and we simply cannot afford the failures and disappearances such as what we saw tonight.

Edwards played valiantly but one player is not enough. Other than that the best thing I can say about this game is at least no one got severely injured as happened in the last two Notre Dame games.

 

[Stinger92860]

I thought Ashlynn and KK played well.

Ashlyn played well but shot poorly from three (0 for 6). It happens.

KK was torched all night by the pick and roll, plus her inability to stay goal side when 1 on 1. There seemed to be no communication on the switches, resulting in unintended double teams and leaving one of the 2 offensive players wide open. It was that way all night and it did not matter who else was involved on D. Hopefully a learning experience.

 

[LwrcasefaN]

What did I just see?

 

[Stinger92860]

They mentioned in game that on Thursday vs Syracuse, Syracuse played a zone D against them and ND struggled to score the entire 4Q.

No idea why we didn't switch to that.

THIS

 

[Chet71]

If there is any silver lining to the game is that it will go a long way in terms of ensuring that Paige returns next year. If we bounced after the sweet 16 I think Paige will be viewed as one of the most disappointing players in a long time. I think she’ll want to stay to play with Azzi for an entire season.

 

[maple]

I can't say how Nika's consistent foul trouble is a liability to UConn's team effort. I do not prescribe to the notion that when Nika fouls out she shows how valuable she is to the Team. On the contrary, when she fouls out she shows what a liability to the team she is. We need her on the floor. We do not have anyone on the bench to replace her. Bettencourt is the best we got off the bench. She is a senior leader on the team...she doesn't help the team getting silly fouls and fouling out. Let's be real folks our opponents are fouling out. KK and Shade aren't fouling out. They start the game and they finish the game. Nika needs to be mindful of her value when she is on the court...and she must understand her fouling out or being on the bench in foul trouble is a liability.

There was discussion last night about Reese getting a bad 5th foul and how all the momentum went SC's way after she went out. And how players like her should know better.

Same goes for Nika.

I am not comparing their skill levels, just pointing out that both of them made the same critical error and it affected both LSU and UConn, respectively.

Need I point to the 1995 NC game and show how the upperclassmen (on both teams) played when they got into foul trouble in the first half. That's the expectation.

 

[tomcat]

I cannot remember a time when I've been so upset and depressed at the same time. I wonder what the hell UConn's game plan was, because I could not discern one, especially as the game went on. Can no one figure out that Hidalgo is going to do the same two things until someone changes the defense to stop her? That Hidalgo and was it Westbeld or Citron? sitcheroo that left the player who is not Hidalgo wide open for a three which, of course, she nailed? And on offense, somehow Ice was in the corner and lo and behold, the pass went to her and she tried the three (which is not her shot) and of course it didn't go in.

The other games that UConn has lost were against teams that were physically bigger and really bad match-ups. This one was winnable, even though they had some bigger players. But they had the game plan and UConn didn't. What resulted was a clinic in how not to defend Notre Dame.

I simply cannot bear to think about what this flawed team will look like against South Carolina, which is not only very big but very good. And the previous poster who said UConn could up as a three-seed in the tournament is absolutely correct.

 

[WiseWillie]

that should have been 'if lucky without injuries" in last paragraph.

 

[Centerstream]

I have a hard time dealing with the fact that when most every team plays UConn, it is the game of their season up to that point. Add to it a team that has been one of our "rivals" and seems to have won as many as they have lost. It sure seemed that ND wanted this game maybe a little more than we did. When we got out to our double digit lead early in the 2nd quarter, and then ND came storming right back, it made it even harder to deal with. It seemed from that point on, that every shot was going to go through the nets. And then Hidalgo just took over no matter who was assigned to her. And then Westbeld joined in along with Citron. Aaliyah kept us in it and Paige tried her best to help. But it wasn't enough. For some reason I thought that Ashlynn was not part of the offense very much, especially in the second half but I could be wrong Maybe being 0 for 6 from outside the arc was a reason. I also cringed whenever Ice attempted an outside shot instead of getting inside to help take some pressure away from Aaliyah, but Geno knows what he is trying to do and I certainly have no idea.

It's kinda sad to say, but the only really, really good thing about tonight's game for me was seeing Caroline on the bench, next to Azzi and they were both all smiles.

It's going to really, really hard getting to sleep this evening.

 

[LwrcasefaN]

Well, at least Aaliyah got the memo. She showed up like she has for the past few years...critics and all.

 

[uconnfan68]

Me too! Whose idea was it to hold an interview for 5 minutes of game time while totally ignoring play by play??
The only replays were from several posessions earlier. They never replayed several vital plays.
Stephanie White is very knowledgable. But she talks endlessly during the action and doesn't give Gus Johnson a chance to call the game.
Otherwise, I thoroughly enjoyed the broadcast!!

I thought White couldn’t get a word in. Almost muted it to keep from hearing Johnson talk about Clark.

 

[EasyEd]

I'm sure ND had a lot to do with it, but only 1 player really showed up... Edwards. Dumb freshman type fouls on Nika, Shade was cold from the outside, KK couldn't buy a layup or short jumper, Paige's shot was off, and our reserves, looked like reserves. We assisted on less than half of our shots, so people weren't looking for the open player and tried too much to win it on their own. And the defense was unable to contain Hildago and Westbeld. The 3 on 1 fast break that we flubbed, kind of epitomized the evening.

 

[The deacon]

So many things to take from this game. It is hard to know where to start. To begin with I have heard so many times that 5'6" is too small for basketball...well, I don't want to hear that anymore...let's not talk about the size of the player...you have to talk about the size of their heart. That kid has a huge heart and she plays the game with all of it. 34 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists...UConn had no answer for her. Nika couldn't guard her, KK couldn't guard her, and Paige couldn't guard her...kudos to Hildago...she certainly does not play like a freshman. And, we may very well have watched the performance that clinches her Freshman of the Year award.

Westbeld and Citron did their job...Westbeld stepped up and made big shots...Hildago and Citron found her over and over again. Marshall coming off the bench for 10 points was a bonus for the Irish. The irony of this game is those four players are the only ones who scored in this game. Westbeld, Hildago, and Citron accounted for 72 of the Irish's 82 points...ugggg!

Now to UConn...something was off for this game...the vaulted defense that we have watched over the last 9 games was nowhere to be found...I have to admit it left me scratching my head. I guess it just goes to show what a dominant point guard means to a team.

Paige was double and tripled teamed but, so what that means other players are open... Paige should understand that going forward in for the rest of the season...this game will be part of the scouting of our opponents. Teams will follow the blueprint to render Bueckers ineffective and force the rest of the team to win the game. We are going to need to run some screens to free up Paige. ND was great at setting screens and giving Hildago the ability to turn the corner and go in for an uncontested lay-up. Some weak side help would be good, taking charges or something. Giving the kid a free shot to the basket is unacceptable.

Shade and KK played well and did pretty much what I expected, scoring double-digits, and getting rebounds and steals. KK was 2-2 from three...while Shade's three-point shot was off going 0-6.

Special kudos to Aaliyah Edwards...her double-double against ND was impressive. She can't be expected to do it all on her own...she needs help. Ice tried but unfortunately, she still wasn't ready for the prime time. Brady only got one rebound, she has to do better.

I can't say how much Nika's consistent foul trouble is a liability to UConn's team effort. I do not prescribe to the notion that when Nika fouls out she shows how valuable she is to the Team. On the contrary, when she fouls out she shows what a liability to the team she is. We need her on the floor. We do not have anyone on the bench to replace her. Bettencourt is the best we got off the bench. She is a senior leader on the team...she doesn't help the team getting silly fouls and fouling out. Let's be real folks our opponents are not fouling out. KK and Shade aren't fouling out. They start the game and they finish the game. Nika needs to be mindful of her value when she is on the court...and she must understand her fouling out or being on the bench in foul trouble is a liability.

Sadly, UConn did some good things in this game...they had 13 steals and ND only had 4; UConn only had 13 turnovers while they forced 16 on ND. However, they got out-hustled on the boards 37 to 27. They allowed ND to outscore them in the paint 46 to 26. And, UConn did not shoot the 3 ball well at all. And the saddest of all was losing that way at home in front of all our alumni who were at the game. All in all, I like most of the boneyarders here am disappointed in this game...this was an opportunity to make a statement, gain some momentum, and make the argument that we deserve to move up in the polls. Oh well, it is back to the drawing board. Let's hope Geno can use this game to get more out of this team and the players will use this game as a reminder of what happens if you don't want to win more than your opponent wants to win.

Well said, Charlie (I'm learning that's your name.. if not, my apologies). Well done with your lengthy, yet on-point synopsis.

The only thing I'd add or modify is that I feel Sonia Citron was much better than just doing her job. I thought her defense on Paige (with plenty of help from teammates), and the combination of her key points and rebounds were pivotal in opening the Irish's lead in the second half. For a player sporting a leg brace, she was very impressive.

 

[jaydee602]

Well, at least Aaliyah got the memo. She showed up like she has for the past few years...critics and all.

One of the biggest improvements with Alliyah is that she does not miss her layups. She was so frustrating in past seasons when she clanked open layups after receiving sharp passes.
Now, as soon as she gets the ball with position near the rim, it's an automatic two points.