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Message: [QUOTE="connie, post: 2055220, member: 7882"] Much has already been said about Saturday's game. For what it's worth, here are some stats. to consider [B]3-Point shooting[/B] -UConn on the year average is 38.7%; on Saturday, UConn shot 30% -Tulane on the year average is 33.2%; on Saturday, Tulane shot 42%, including [I]50% in the second half[/I] [U]Concl:[/U] UConn a bit down from its average, partially due to off nights for Lou, Saniya and Crystal (5 for 18); Tulane played way over its head in the second half, including 6 for 12 on threes. This may be one of the things most attributable to making it a close game. [B]Free Throws[/B] -UConn on the year average is 77.2%; on Saturday, 19 of 28, including 60% in the second half -Tulane on the year average is 70% from the line; on Saturday, 6 of 6 (all by Kolby Morgan) [U]Concl[/U]: great job by UConn not fouling and getting to the line and shooting (esp. Phees 11/12). Off night for Gabby and Crystal (3 for 10). Good job by Tulane hitting all their free throws. [B]Field Goal %[/B] -Uconn: on the year average is 51.2%; on Saturday, 38% -Tulane: on the year average is 42.5%; on Saturday, 36% [U]Concl:[/U] both teams off, esp. UConn. However, UConn shot better (45.5%) in the second half. [B]Assists[/B] -UConn on the year average is about 23 per game; on Saturday, 11 -Tulane on the year average is about 14 per game; on Saturday, 10 [U]Concl:[/U] UConn way off. This is a telling statistic. I suspect that it reflects low field goal % and lackluster ball movement. [B]Rebounds[/B] -UConn on the year average is 40 per game; on Saturday, 44 -Tulane on the year average is 35.7 per game; on Saturday, 31 [U]Concl:[/U] UConn performing as usual. But they looked tired by mid-way through the 3rd. Gave up some rebounds late in the game. [B]Steals[/B] -UConn on year average is 10.2 per game; on Saturday, 6 -Tulane on year average is 7 per game; on Saturday, 6 [U]Concl[/U]: UConn off the pace. Tulane close to average. Perhaps, Kia’s absence felt here. Also, a tired team will likely get fewer steals. Credit Tulane with ball protection. [B]Turnovers[/B] -UConn on the year average is 12.5 TOs per game; Saturday, 18. That’s almost a 50% increase. -Tulane on the year average is 17 per game; Saturday, 12. [U]Concl[/U]: This stat. also explains why the game was close. [B]Blocks[/B] -UConn on the year average is about 4.7 per game; on Saturday, 5. -Tulane on the year average is about 3.4 per game; on Saturday, 2. [U]Concl:[/U] UConn played well in this area; not so much, Tulane. However, the stuff of Lou late in the 4th quarter was noteworthy under the circumstances. [B][U]Final Thoughts[/U][/B] Statistics are easily a source of deception. And even when not, they cannot tell the whole story. That said, I think we can take away two things from the above. One: UConn shot poorly; Tulane shot very well, especially from 3-point land. Two: UConn turned the ball over; Tulane not so much. UConn looked tired, especially in the 4th quarter. Perhaps we can attribute that to a short bench, the time of the year (deep into the schedule) and the pressure. By comparison, Tulane did not experience that. They went 8 deep into the bench. And they fed off the home court crowd and the adrenaline of almost defeating a major dynasty and ending one of the the longest winning streaks in sports history.They had way more energy in the second half. Finally, sports often comes down to “the breaks”. And Tulane got a lot of them. To name only several that I can recall: -Late in the 3rd, a missed Tulane shot bounces under the rim, off a Tulane hand, and straight off Lou’s shoe to Tulane and two points; -Saniya scrambles for a rebound off a Vorpahl miss, turns up court, loses control and double dibbles. Tulane gets the ball; -Lou fouls with 2.3 seconds at the end of the 3rd, blocks the inbounds pass, which moves the ball about 5 feet [I]further down court[/I]; Vorpahl grabs the inbounds pass and nails a 3 from about 30 feet at the top of the arc as time expires; -Phees puts up a shot in the 4th that falls 95 times out of a 100; it bounces around and comes out; she short arms the first of two free throws; -UConn pins down Tulane late in the 4th, Vorphal punts up a prayer as the shot clock expires; the ball goes high off the backboard, violently bangs the front of the rim, circles the hoop, and falls down the drain. And so it goes. None of this takes anything away from Tulane. They. Played. Great! But sometimes, a little luck is the best plan. [/QUOTE]

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