UConn stats... 10 reasons Baylor lost...

[DavidinNaples]

Dear Kim,
I know it is hard to lose a close game to arch rival Uconn. Your team is vey talented, and plays super hard. But, you didn't lose because of the last shot taken by your team not being called a foul. Here is a list of 10 reasons Baylor lost that make more sense than blaming the refs for a non call.

1. Your team missed 40 shots. FORTY. Your guys missed 39 other shots before the last one.
2. Your defense allowed Paige to score 28 points. Hold her to 25 and you win.
3. Carrington, your "go to scorer", was 2-12 in the 2nd half including 0-4 from three range.
4. UConn shot 8-17 from deep. That is 47% from a team that hit only 35% all season.
5. Your team missed 7 of 20 free throws. Make 3 freebies and win.
6. Baylor made only 2 threes all game and missed 7.
7. Normally, your rebounding advantage is 19 per game. Against the Huskies, it was only 2 rebounds. (41-39)
8. Your team had 10 shots blocked by UConn's Ono, Edwards and Griffin.
9. Your guys scored 24 points in the 1st period and only 28 in the whole 2nd half.
10. Starting with 2 minutes left in the 3rd period, and running about 5 minutes of game time, your team gave up 19 straight points and scored 0.

UConn scored 69 points on 43.3% shooting. Give them credit for playing hard and with determination. Each of the items listed above contributed more to your defeat than the last shot your team took. Deal with it, give credit and be mature.

Go Huskies..!!

 

[Urshurak]

But...but....but...the FOUL!!!!!!!! The FOUL at the end! Kim has pictures and video! She showed it to us in a text message on her phone during the post game presser!

AND....LeBron said so!

Don't forget the FOUL at the end!

 

[Bajan Best]

Dear Kim,
I know it is hard to lose a close game to arch rival Uconn. Your team is vey talented, and plays super hard. But, you didn't lose because of the last shot taken by your team not being called a foul. Here is a list of 10 reasons Baylor lost that make more sense than blaming the refs for a non call.

1. Your team missed 40 shots. FORTY. You guys missed 39 other shots before the last one.
2. Your defense allowed Paige to score 28 points. Hold her to 25 and you win.
3. Carrington, your "go to scorer", was 2-12 in the 2nd half and 0-4 from three range.
4. UConn shot 8-17 from deep. That is 47% from a team that hit only 35% all season.
5. Your team missed 7 of 20 free throws. Make 3 freebies and win.
6. Baylor made only 2 threes all game and missed 7.
7. Normally, your rebounding advantage is 19 per game. Against the Huskies, it was only 2 rebounds. (41-39)
8. Your team had 10 shots blocked by UConn's Ono, Edwards and Griffin.
9. You guys scored 24 points in the 1st period and only 28 in the whole 2nd half.
10. Starting with 2 minutes left in the 3rd period, and running about 5 minutes of game time, your team gave up 19 straight points and scored 0.

UConn scored 69 points on 43.3% shooting. Give them credit for playing hard and with determination. Each of the items listed above contributed more to your defeat than the last shot your team took. Deal with it, give credit and be mature.

Go Huskies..!!

200% agree, you literally beat me to this post....

 

[AgStatesman]

Outstanding post!

 

[rollskies]

You forgot the part where UConn went on a 19-0 run and Kim Mulkey didn’t call a timeout. That was so strange to me.

 

[oldude]

Excellent analysis DN.

By complaining about the “non-call” at the end of the game, Baylor’s players and coaches let themselves off the hook for any responsibility for the loss. Sadly, it reflects a weakness in human nature.

 

[Conndog]

The “foul” at the end sure didn’t look like a foul when I was watching in real time. Would it be right for refs to call a foul then when all night it’s been a let ‘em play game? Again, not an obvious foul, UConn players had established defensive position, at the time it looked like good defensive pressure.

 

[Jibariqua]

You forgot the part where UConn went on a 19-0 run and Kim Mulkey didn’t call a timeout. That was so strange to me.

She was way to busy yelling at the training staff to hurry up and get an injured player back on the court.

 

[oldude]

She was way to busy yelling at the training staff to hurry up and get an injured player back on the court.

That’s a really good point that has not been discussed. Richards blew out her hamstring and was in obvious pain. Young players don’t always have good judgment, so I’m sure Richards wanted back in the game. That’s when a coach needs to step in and say, “You’re done for the night.”

By rushing Richards back into the game, without a complete evaluation from the medical staff, including an MRI, there was a risk of a potential ruptured hamstring that could have ended Richards career. Mulkey demonstrated terrible judgment.

 

[CocoHusky]

That’s a really good point that has not been discussed. Richards blew out her hamstring and was in obvious pain. Young players don’t always have good judgment, so I’m sure Richards wanted back in the game. That’s when a coach needs to step in and say, “You’re done for the night.”

By rushing Richards back into the game, without a complete evaluation from the medical staff, including an MRI, there was a risk of a potential ruptured hamstring that could have ended Richards career. Mulkey demonstrated terrible judgment.

That is absolutely ridiculous! It was the Baylor medical staff made the decision that Didi was able to return to the game. Once the decision was made that she could return Kim asked that the taping of the hamstring be hurried because UCONN was in the middle of a 19-0 run. The same thing happened in the Arizona game last night with McDonald and earlier in the season when Paige was hurried along so she could return to the game against TN. There was no poor judgement and nothing wrong with any coach saying of a key players -get her ready ASAP if she is able to return-this game is on the line.

 

[JoePgh]

Suppose (very hypothetically) the refs had called a foul, Carrington had made the free throws, and UConn had lost. It would have been easy to find a dozen stats to justify why UConn had only themselves to blame for the loss, first and foremost Christyn's 2 missed free throws that could have iced the game. Add to that Paige's zero assists and UConn having only 9 assists as a team.

Geno and the Boneyard could have said, with some justification, "You can't call the game loosely and let them play for 39.5 minutes, and then make a strict call in the last 10 seconds." That would carry about as much weight as Kim's postgame complaints.

It is unfortunate that a great game between two titans came down to the equivalent of a coin flip -- the game turning on a ref's split-second decision not to blow his whistle on one play. But the nature of the game, and of all sports contests, is that such things will occasionally happen.

It would have been better for all concerned if it had been the National Championship game that had to be decided in this way.

 

[CocoHusky]

Dear Kim,
11. Last night Carrington was Baylor best player. What did you wait until Baylor was down double digits (4-14) to put her in the game?

 

[SECbbfan24]

Didi going down was a momentum and game changer on the Baylor’s side but Kim not using a timeout to settle her team down while UCONN went on a 19-0 run lost them the game. That was it

 

[Stinger92860]

The “foul” at the end sure didn’t look like a foul when I was watching in real time. Would it be right for refs to call a foul then when all night it’s been a let ‘em play game? Again, not an obvious foul, UConn players had established defensive position, at the time it looked like good defensive pressure.

first contact was hand on ball. For me that’s always eliminates immaterial contact.

Heck, Williams was whacked across an arm on that layup a few minutes earlier. The ref was there and called nada. That should have been and 1.

 

[ShmiCO]

I want to know why Baylor didn't make adjustments to get more Smith touches. Yes I know Aubry was playing great D, but Smith shot 100% the previous game. Not worth running some plays for her?

 

[CocoHusky]

Didi going down was a momentum and game changer on the Baylor’s side but Kim not using a timeout to settle her team down while UCONN went on a 19-0 run lost them the game. That was it

If she had utilized a timeout during the run then she would not have been in the position to advance the ball at the end of the game and take advantaged CW misses at the foul line.

 

[Carnac]

Dav

Dear Kim,
I know it is hard to lose a close game to arch rival Uconn. Your team is vey talented, and plays super hard. But, you didn't lose because of the last shot taken by your team not being called a foul. Here is a list of 10 reasons Baylor lost that make more sense than blaming the refs for a non call.

1. Your team missed 40 shots. FORTY. Your guys missed 39 other shots before the last one.
2. Your defense allowed Paige to score 28 points. Hold her to 25 and you win.
3. Carrington, your "go to scorer", was 2-12 in the 2nd half and 0-4 from three range.
4. UConn shot 8-17 from deep. That is 47% from a team that hit only 35% all season.
5. Your team missed 7 of 20 free throws. Make 3 freebies and win.
6. Baylor made only 2 threes all game and missed 7.
7. Normally, your rebounding advantage is 19 per game. Against the Huskies, it was only 2 rebounds. (41-39)
8. Your team had 10 shots blocked by UConn's Ono, Edwards and Griffin.
9. Your guys scored 24 points in the 1st period and only 28 in the whole 2nd half.
10. Starting with 2 minutes left in the 3rd period, and running about 5 minutes of game time, your team gave up 19 straight points and scored 0.

UConn scored 69 points on 43.3% shooting. Give them credit for playing hard and with determination. Each of the items listed above contributed more to your defeat than the last shot your team took. Deal with it, give credit and be mature.

Go Huskies..!!

Dave, this is THE BEST post I've read regarding this game. It puts the game in proper perspective. Thank you very much!! Everyone needs to read this, reflect on it, then put their rocks and darts away, and go about their business.

 

[SECbbfan24]

If she had utilized a timeout during the run then she would not have been in the position to advance the ball at the end of the game and take advantaged CW misses at the foul line.

Or if she used them to settle her team down, maybe it doesn’t come down to that.

we will never know, you simply cannot allow any team to go on a 19-0 run and expect to win

to their credit, they clawed back and almost came back, it was two heavy weights going at it

 

[Zinethar]

Someone mentioned LeBron's stupid tweet. Why would anyone listen to someone who clearly doesn't know the rules as he thinks it isn't traveling if he takes 3 or more strides to hit his dunk.

 

[jazz]

Dear Kim,
I know it is hard to lose a close game to arch rival Uconn. Your team is vey talented, and plays super hard. But, you didn't lose because of the last shot taken by your team not being called a foul. Here is a list of 10 reasons Baylor lost that make more sense than blaming the refs for a non call.

1. Your team missed 40 shots. FORTY. Your guys missed 39 other shots before the last one.
2. Your defense allowed Paige to score 28 points. Hold her to 25 and you win.
3. Carrington, your "go to scorer", was 2-12 in the 2nd half and 0-4 from three range.
4. UConn shot 8-17 from deep. That is 47% from a team that hit only 35% all season.
5. Your team missed 7 of 20 free throws. Make 3 freebies and win.
6. Baylor made only 2 threes all game and missed 7.
7. Normally, your rebounding advantage is 19 per game. Against the Huskies, it was only 2 rebounds. (41-39)
8. Your team had 10 shots blocked by UConn's Ono, Edwards and Griffin.
9. Your guys scored 24 points in the 1st period and only 28 in the whole 2nd half.
10. Starting with 2 minutes left in the 3rd period, and running about 5 minutes of game time, your team gave up 19 straight points and scored 0.

UConn scored 69 points on 43.3% shooting. Give them credit for playing hard and with determination. Each of the items listed above contributed more to your defeat than the last shot your team took. Deal with it, give credit and be mature.

Go Huskies..!!

Others had their hand in it too, but you can thank AG for #3.

 

[jazz]

Dear Kim,
I know it is hard to lose a close game to arch rival Uconn. Your team is vey talented, and plays super hard. But, you didn't lose because of the last shot taken by your team not being called a foul. Here is a list of 10 reasons Baylor lost that make more sense than blaming the refs for a non call.

1. Your team missed 40 shots. FORTY. Your guys missed 39 other shots before the last one.
2. Your defense allowed Paige to score 28 points. Hold her to 25 and you win.
3. Carrington, your "go to scorer", was 2-12 in the 2nd half and 0-4 from three range.
4. UConn shot 8-17 from deep. That is 47% from a team that hit only 35% all season.
5. Your team missed 7 of 20 free throws. Make 3 freebies and win.
6. Baylor made only 2 threes all game and missed 7.
7. Normally, your rebounding advantage is 19 per game. Against the Huskies, it was only 2 rebounds. (41-39)
8. Your team had 10 shots blocked by UConn's Ono, Edwards and Griffin.
9. Your guys scored 24 points in the 1st period and only 28 in the whole 2nd half.
10. Starting with 2 minutes left in the 3rd period, and running about 5 minutes of game time, your team gave up 19 straight points and scored 0.

UConn scored 69 points on 43.3% shooting. Give them credit for playing hard and with determination. Each of the items listed above contributed more to your defeat than the last shot your team took. Deal with it, give credit and be mature.

Go Huskies..!!

I have another one:

Dear Kim,

The game would not have been close at all if not for the following:

1. Refs let the players play. This historically is advantage UCONN, but Baylor has big bodied, strong, older players that could have easily been called for 4 fouls on CW, 2 on AG, lost count of the ones on PB, and I remember one arm slap on Liv, just to name a few. Now we got away with a couple too, but most of your players should have spent the last night in jail for assault and battery. Now you can't have it your way all game long and then cry for a foul at the end!
2. Was it really a carry? Looks like one, but take another look. The ball does go high but it is not carried. EW's hand never carries the ball over.
3. Was that really a foul at 19 secs to go on AE? Your guys hammered CW several times, Liv once and AG twice going to the hole and no foul......How is this chicken-* a foul?
4. Why is it that you think the refs didn't give your team the calls when our only 2 bigs pick up ticky-tacky fouls and get into foul trouble in both the first and second half? Your guys foul all day and never had any foul trouble??
5. How is it we shoot 2 FTs in the first half??
6. I must say that when the refs finally did call a foul on your team, they really earned it! Nothing ticky-tacky about getting clobbered. Eventually they had to call a damn foul or somebody was going to lose some teeth!

In summary you are quite lucky the game was called the way it was otherwise we don't have a close finish at the end. You should be thankful this is not a best of 3, because our young players know how to hold their own and would have been much tougher the second or third time around. You had your chance and blew it. Go home.

 

[oldude]

That is absolutely ridiculous! It was the Baylor medical staff made the decision that Didi was able to return to the game. Once the decision was made that she could return Kim asked that the taping of the hamstring be hurried because UCONN was in the middle of a 19-0 run. The same thing happened in the Arizona game last night with McDonald and earlier in the season when Paige was hurried along so she could return to the game against TN. There was no poor judgement and nothing wrong with any coach saying of a key players -get her ready ASAP if she is able to return-this game is on the line.

The Baylor “medical staff” in this instance was a trainer. There was no medical doctor evaluating Richards. A turned ankle is far different than an injured hamstring. Even the NFL doesn’t send players back on the field with a pulled hamstring. The standard procedure for an injured hamstring is for a clinical diagnosis, potentially including an MRI to determine if the hamstring was torn. No such diagnosis or procedure was performed on Richards, who was in obvious pain.

 

[Performance]

Dear Kim,
I know it is hard to lose a close game to arch rival Uconn. Your team is vey talented, and plays super hard. But, you didn't lose because of the last shot taken by your team not being called a foul. Here is a list of 10 reasons Baylor lost that make more sense than blaming the refs for a non call.

1. Your team missed 40 shots. FORTY. Your guys missed 39 other shots before the last one.
2. Your defense allowed Paige to score 28 points. Hold her to 25 and you win.
3. Carrington, your "go to scorer", was 2-12 in the 2nd half and 0-4 from three range.
4. UConn shot 8-17 from deep. That is 47% from a team that hit only 35% all season.
5. Your team missed 7 of 20 free throws. Make 3 freebies and win.
6. Baylor made only 2 threes all game and missed 7.
7. Normally, your rebounding advantage is 19 per game. Against the Huskies, it was only 2 rebounds. (41-39)
8. Your team had 10 shots blocked by UConn's Ono, Edwards and Griffin.
9. Your guys scored 24 points in the 1st period and only 28 in the whole 2nd half.
10. Starting with 2 minutes left in the 3rd period, and running about 5 minutes of game time, your team gave up 19 straight points and scored 0.

UConn scored 69 points on 43.3% shooting. Give them credit for playing hard and with determination. Each of the items listed above contributed more to your defeat than the last shot your team took. Deal with it, give credit and be mature.

Go Huskies..!!

Awesome letter to Kim, you summed the game up perfectly!!!

 

[Longtime fan]

Dear Kim,
I know it is hard to lose a close game to arch rival Uconn. Your team is vey talented, and plays super hard. But, you didn't lose because of the last shot taken by your team not being called a foul. Here is a list of 10 reasons Baylor lost that make more sense than blaming the refs for a non call.

1. Your team missed 40 shots. FORTY. Your guys missed 39 other shots before the last one.
2. Your defense allowed Paige to score 28 points. Hold her to 25 and you win.
3. Carrington, your "go to scorer", was 2-12 in the 2nd half and 0-4 from three range.
4. UConn shot 8-17 from deep. That is 47% from a team that hit only 35% all season.
5. Your team missed 7 of 20 free throws. Make 3 freebies and win.
6. Baylor made only 2 threes all game and missed 7.
7. Normally, your rebounding advantage is 19 per game. Against the Huskies, it was only 2 rebounds. (41-39)
8. Your team had 10 shots blocked by UConn's Ono, Edwards and Griffin.
9. Your guys scored 24 points in the 1st period and only 28 in the whole 2nd half.
10. Starting with 2 minutes left in the 3rd period, and running about 5 minutes of game time, your team gave up 19 straight points and scored 0.

UConn scored 69 points on 43.3% shooting. Give them credit for playing hard and with determination. Each of the items listed above contributed more to your defeat than the last shot your team took. Deal with it, give credit and be mature.

Go Huskies..!!

But the game did pivot when Richards went down. A really bad break for them. But that is the nature of the beast. We didn't have Nika Muhl, and injuries happen in sports. Both teams are great because both are " deep in talent. No one wins with five. That's why teams like Central Missouri State don't get to the elite eight. They don't have enough top players. Anyway, UCONN also sucked at the foul line ( Olivia missed two in a row, Williams missed 3 of four, and even Paige missed one). It happens. It was a great, physical game with fouls abounding....many not called.... because the refs let the players play. Which, I prefer. In the end, you make a great point. This game did not hinge on one call. We came back and held on. Six freshman and all.

 

[GoUconn7961]

Dear Kim,
I know it is hard to lose a close game to arch rival Uconn. Your team is vey talented, and plays super hard. But, you didn't lose because of the last shot taken by your team not being called a foul. Here is a list of 10 reasons Baylor lost that make more sense than blaming the refs for a non call.

1. Your team missed 40 shots. FORTY. Your guys missed 39 other shots before the last one.
2. Your defense allowed Paige to score 28 points. Hold her to 25 and you win.
3. Carrington, your "go to scorer", was 2-12 in the 2nd half including 0-4 from three range.
4. UConn shot 8-17 from deep. That is 47% from a team that hit only 35% all season.
5. Your team missed 7 of 20 free throws. Make 3 freebies and win.
6. Baylor made only 2 threes all game and missed 7.
7. Normally, your rebounding advantage is 19 per game. Against the Huskies, it was only 2 rebounds. (41-39)
8. Your team had 10 shots blocked by UConn's Ono, Edwards and Griffin.
9. Your guys scored 24 points in the 1st period and only 28 in the whole 2nd half.
10. Starting with 2 minutes left in the 3rd period, and running about 5 minutes of game time, your team gave up 19 straight points and scored 0.

UConn scored 69 points on 43.3% shooting. Give them credit for playing hard and with determination. Each of the items listed above contributed more to your defeat than the last shot your team took. Deal with it, give credit and be mature.

Go Huskies..!!

Screenshot this as a .jpg and post it on Twitter and don't forget to tag Kim, Carrington & Baylor Women's BBall. I'd be happy to do it for you. Oh, and don't forget to tag ESPN and LeBron

 

[Rb335]

Dear Kim,
I know it is hard to lose a close game to arch rival Uconn. Your team is vey talented, and plays super hard. But, you didn't lose because of the last shot taken by your team not being called a foul. Here is a list of 10 reasons Baylor lost that make more sense than blaming the refs for a non call.

1. Your team missed 40 shots. FORTY. Your guys missed 39 other shots before the last one.
2. Your defense allowed Paige to score 28 points. Hold her to 25 and you win.
3. Carrington, your "go to scorer", was 2-12 in the 2nd half including 0-4 from three range.
4. UConn shot 8-17 from deep. That is 47% from a team that hit only 35% all season.
5. Your team missed 7 of 20 free throws. Make 3 freebies and win.
6. Baylor made only 2 threes all game and missed 7.
7. Normally, your rebounding advantage is 19 per game. Against the Huskies, it was only 2 rebounds. (41-39)
8. Your team had 10 shots blocked by UConn's Ono, Edwards and Griffin.
9. Your guys scored 24 points in the 1st period and only 28 in the whole 2nd half.
10. Starting with 2 minutes left in the 3rd period, and running about 5 minutes of game time, your team gave up 19 straight points and scored 0.

UConn scored 69 points on 43.3% shooting. Give them credit for playing hard and with determination. Each of the items listed above contributed more to your defeat than the last shot your team took. Deal with it, give credit and be mature.

Go Huskies..!!

A game is 40 minutes and over a hundred possessions. It is a shame that the last play overshadows what was a really fun game of runs. Baylor missed a fair amount of layups, as did uconn. Both teams missed FTs, uconn at a critical moment. Both teams got away with fouls. Each team had the opportunity to put the game away way before the final possession. If that Carrington shot had occurred 5 minutes earlier, nobody would be talking about it. The refs always play a part, but the countless other possessions played a much larger part in the outcome.

If I was Kim, I would be wondering if I could have drawn up a better play for an open look, to put the fate of the game in one of my players making a shot rather than the refs blowing the whistle.

 

[SECbbfan24]

I honestly would have given the ball to Smith on the last possession

Carrington was great but struggled in the 2nd half while Smith was hotter. Smith is your all American and who has been on the big stage, I would have given it to her. Let her face up to drive it to the rim. Smith is difficult to stop in the open floor without fouling.

 

[oldude]

I honestly would have given the ball to Smith on the last possession

Carrington was great but struggled in the 2nd half while Smith was hotter. Smith is your all American and who has been on the big stage, I would have given it to her. Let her face up to drive it to the rim

Agree completely. In fact, I think Baylor should have played through Smith every time down the floor during crunch time.

 

[hoophuskee]

1--- Geno gets criticized on here which I feel very unduly for not using his bench. Yet who was Baylor's backup pg and how did she perform? Maybe in some of those wipeouts Baylor had they should've worked more slow down halfcourt? I guess any coach can be criticized too. They are all blundering &8%!%s!!!!

2-- Geno gets criticized for playing his starters 40 minutes in big games. If you believe at all in +/- stats than ask Kim how she feels knowing that she had had Carrington on the bench for those 1st 3.5 minutes in which UCONN went up by 9. I'm sure those that preach bench, bench, bench are thrilled knowing that Kim was "satisfied" knowing Carrington had maybe more energy late than some of the other UCONN guards that played 40. -----

Ohh wait-- Baylor lost------ huh? lol just having some fun. And--- I ammmmmmmmm THRILLED!!!!!!

We're advancin' and they ain't!!!!

 

[SECbbfan24]

Agree completely. In fact, I think Baylor should have played through Smith every time down the floor during crunch time.

If I was the HC. I would have cleared everyone out and let Smith go one on one. She either has the chance to score at the rim or to get fouled. If a defender comes over she could kick it out for an open jumper.

the last play design was horrible to me. Kim is great coach but she dropped the ball there. The spacing was bad and didn’t give Carrington much of a shot anyways. Theoretically she was fouled but both teams got a way with much more without being called so can’t expect them to call that.

anyways, I still think this was a final four game and it shouldn’t have been in the elite 8.