UCONN - Villanova Post-Game thread

[HopJim]

Aaliyah has to learn to head or ball fake unless she enjoys getting her shot blocked. That's basic basketball. Gut check win. Nice of Villanova to not give Seigrest the ball for five possessions in a row down the stretch.

Agree but on many of her shots that were "blocked," you could clearly see a hand or arm whacking Asliyah somewhere. The only good thing I can say is that the refs were consistent in ignoring fouls on Edwards and Lou.

 

[HopJim]

KUDOS to the team ! Poor girls, no matter how you may say they are tired. I would make a "strategic" sub,one at a time, for Lou, Dorka, to some extend Alyah, just to "catch a breath" even for 1 minute alternately. Even 1 minute should make some mental breath besides physical one. They are tired ! ! It's great they can pull out a BIG WIN !!

While I still feel Ines has a lot of growing to do, starting to feel she should come in at times for limited minutes instead of Patterson. DeBerry as well. In a tight game, Patterson's tendency to foul and clog the middle on offense is scaring me.

 

[BBallF]

I am sorry but the tired narrative is getting, well, tired. So Senechal wasn’t tired shooting lights out against Tennessee but was today, same with Edwards? But Griffin, Dorka and Muhl weren’t tired so they shot well?
No, they had bad shooting nights, it happens and in no way do I need to give them a “break” because I am not one bit on them for shooting poorly, it happens, and they were still very much irreplaceable, important parts of a very impressive gutsy win.

You can tell a player is tired not just by the shooting but by the mental mistakes, the release of the shot, and the general way they play. Lou tried to force like I've never seen before and she was releasing her shots off the bounce on the way up instead of at the apex of her jump or on the beginning of the way down, which is a pure jump shot. She was beat and beat up. Her shot selection was very poor and rushed. Aaliyah tried to drive consistently when it wasn't there and the best example of the lack of mental acuity was when both she and Dorka fought each other for the same rebound only to lose it. It was a tough game and these out of conference away games like ND, Md, and Tennessee have been brutal on us physically.

 

[Geew1992]

While I still feel Ines has a lot of growing to do, starting to feel she should come in at times for limited minutes instead of Patterson. DeBerry as well. In a tight game, Patterson's tendency to foul and clog the middle on offense is scaring me.

Patterson looked fine last night and at Tennessee as well. And was great against Seton Hall.

 

[Ron and Vida]

Dear NCAA Selection Committee: If it isn't too much trouble, can you please keep Villanova out of UCONN's bracket?? Thank you!!

Lol They certainly earned that respect
This has been noted before but there are some great coaches and well coached teams in the Big East

 

[todbo]

Lol They certainly earned that respect
This has been noted before but there are some great coaches and well coached teams in the Big East

As I remember, the NCAA selection committee seems to bracket UConn with another team from its conference. I remember poor USF facing the Huskies for a fourth time in one season.

 

[Padutch5]

Sorry for being late in... I'm exhausted for the trip to and from Hartford, and the electric atmosphere during the game. It really is a different animal when one sees a game almost courtside.

With due respect, UConnCat, I've got to disagree with you and others who talk about the coverage on Maddy S. during the fourth period, not so much what UConn tried, but the reasons why Siegrist was skunked down the stretch. I'm a big fan of Maddy and have been opining she should be first-team A-A, but 'Nova lost a game to a tired UConn squad it well could have won for two reasons:

1) Maddy missed a bunch of first-half shots she normally makes,
2) As Ctkaiser said above, it really was 'Nova's losing touch with their meal-ticket down the stretch. Aaliyah, Aubrey and Dorka had turns trying to stop Maddy, but it took the Wildcats' late-game impatience on offense that shut Maddy down and enabled the Huskies to escape. Olsen is a super young player but she made a lot of questionable decisions in the fourth. Maddy was open and had looks several times and they didn't look her way.

That was my take from my seat a few rows behind the Huskies' bench. My brother and a longtime friend, both very knowledgeable basketball people who also were at the game, agreed they were stunned Villanova so conspicuously forgot about Maddy in the fourth.

All that said, I'm glad they did, 'cause although the Huskies looked physically tapped, they were wearily triumphant (and relieved) at game's end. Praise to Geno, CD and Co. for their ability win games that other top teams might lose.

Compliments to Aubrey for her performance, and to Dorka for a strong second half and several key plays down the stretch.

I won't get into a duel with all of those who talk about how rough everyone is with the Huskies. When I see first-hand how physical the Huskies are, and that refs called 18 fouls on 'Nova and 12 on UConn, I wonder if some of you are watching the same games I am. It's Division I college basketball, and it's a rough game.

Plaudits for the 14,000+ turnout and how supportive and loud the crowd was. That had to help the weary Huskies. I won't have such a good seat next Sunday (I rotate seats with friends and for South Carolina I'll basically be hanging from the rafters). Yet I look forward to an even more enthusiastic crowd then... I just hope everyone can stay behind the Huskies if they happen to fall behind at some point.

Finally, compliments to the pre-game and half-time programs welcoming and honoring cancer survivors. It really was well done.

P.S. Those fourth-graders from Madison, I believe, who played a short 'scrimmage' at halftime were so much fun to watch. They basically traded baskets for the full extent of their game. And they were having a blast... nothing better than seeing kids playing sports.

Maybe I should expand on the unhappiness with the reffing or the lack there of. Yes this is the big east and its really football in shorts or for those from Philly, roller derby with out skates.
It’s really the inconsistency that is maddening. An over the back obvious foul is not called and then a bump is called. A shoulder into the stomach is not called on the next play. There is absolutely no consistency

 

[Bone Dog]

Maybe you've already seen this from Dan Connelly. He's not the only one to think they looked tired.

 

[Littlemin]

You are right. But they sure “dug deep” to find the energy to gut this one out. A lot of grit and smart plays ( yes, a dumb one or two). Aubrey absolutely took the game over at one point. Then, Villanova plotted to force fouls upon her ( and sort of succeeded). A great basketball game. Better because we won. But don’t watch next Sunday. We have 5 players and they have 10 +. And great ones

All the more reason to watch; what’s the worst thing that could happen, they lose?

 

[Longtime fan]

Aubrey knew she had to help score today so she pulled put the pull up jumper. She is the most athletic player on our team and took another step in her confidence in her abilities. It will be hard to take her out of the starting lineup at this point. As others have said it was a battle and we won. We are showing our fight and our mettle which is good for us. I hope we can have Caroline back for SC for some bench help. Go Huskies!!!

 

[Longtime fan]

there are signs that Caroline is getting close. However, to beat SC, we would need her at full strength and at the top of her game. We would need Azzi as well. We certainly won't have Azzi, and Caroline will be barely able to play 15 minutes, I would think. But it isn't March yet. So there is hope.

 

[CL82]

While not funny, I laughed at a tactic Villanova was using against Edwards during the game. In high school, when we guarded a player significantly taller or more athletic than us, coach taught us to get position with one of our feet between the offensive player's legs and just hold our position. The offensive player typically tripped or shot off balance, and the refs rarely were looking at the floor and missed the call. I couldn't understand why Edwards looked so awkward in the beginning of the game, then caught on to how Vill. was guarding her. As they sometimes say, if the refs don't call it, its not a foul.

Yep, and sitting on the thigh of a taller/bigger player you were trying to box out.

 

[jazz]

Exhausted uconn team beat a very rested nova team and beat them really good down the stretch where they outscored nova by 11 or so in the last 8 minutes. Down 6 and won by 5. Nova couldnt get it going and uconn started to get some big time buckets. The threes from NM and DJ were killers. Good teams find a way and we did. We got subpar scoring performances from our leading 2 scorers and still found a way to win.

Not pretty but we will take the W and move on.

 

[OldSchooler]

Those of us who grew up in Poughkeepsie and played high school sports keep in touch with our old home town. Hard not to root for your own.

Remember Monty Stickles? Played tight end for Notre Dame, then was a #1 draft choice by the 49ers, where he played for about 7 years in the '60s. Played football for the Poughkeepsie H.S. Pioneers, too, but I remember him as a great rebounder in basketball.

 

[Rixxx]

The difference between UCONN and most other teams including NOVA is that this is such a tight knit, talented team than any of the players can lift the team when others are struggling. Today that was Griffen
I agree that Mady has a beautiful shot but what was here stat of % of shots made. It seemed like She took quite a few shots.

Siegrist will be an All American. It just bugs me that she initiates contact on most of her non-three point shots. She will elevate, get the shot away and then contact the defense's arms on the way down and then shoots foul shots. Or she will jump into the defense as she is making her layup and shoot "and one".

 

[Longtime fan]

Sorry for being late in... I'm exhausted for the trip to and from Hartford, and the electric atmosphere during the game. It really is a different animal when one sees a game almost courtside.

With due respect, UConnCat, I've got to disagree with you and others who talk about the coverage on Maddy S. during the fourth period, not so much what UConn tried, but the reasons why Siegrist was skunked down the stretch. I'm a big fan of Maddy and have been opining she should be first-team A-A, but 'Nova lost a game to a tired UConn squad it well could have won for two reasons:

1) Maddy missed a bunch of first-half shots she normally makes,
2) As Ctkaiser said above, it really was 'Nova's losing touch with their meal-ticket down the stretch. Aaliyah, Aubrey and Dorka had turns trying to stop Maddy, but it took the Wildcats' late-game impatience on offense that shut Maddy down and enabled the Huskies to escape. Olsen is a super young player but she made a lot of questionable decisions in the fourth. Maddy was open and had looks several times and they didn't look her way.

That was my take from my seat a few rows behind the Huskies' bench. My brother and a longtime friend, both very knowledgeable basketball people who also were at the game, agreed they were stunned Villanova so conspicuously forgot about Maddy in the fourth.

All that said, I'm glad they did, 'cause although the Huskies looked physically tapped, they were wearily triumphant (and relieved) at game's end. Praise to Geno, CD and Co. for their ability win games that other top teams might lose.

Compliments to Aubrey for her performance, and to Dorka for a strong second half and several key plays down the stretch.

I won't get into a duel with all of those who talk about how rough everyone is with the Huskies. When I see first-hand how physical the Huskies are, and that refs called 18 fouls on 'Nova and 12 on UConn, I wonder if some of you are watching the same games I am. It's Division I college basketball, and it's a rough game.

Plaudits for the 14,000+ turnout and how supportive and loud the crowd was. That had to help the weary Huskies. I won't have such a good seat next Sunday (I rotate seats with friends and for South Carolina I'll basically be hanging from the rafters). Yet I look forward to an even more enthusiastic crowd then... I just hope everyone can stay behind the Huskies if they happen to fall behind at some point.

Finally, compliments to the pre-game and half-time programs welcoming and honoring cancer survivors. It really was well done.

P.S. Those fourth-graders from Madison, I believe, who played a short 'scrimmage' at halftime were so much fun to watch. They basically traded baskets for the full extent of their game. And they were having a blast... nothing better than seeing kids playing sports.

" ....if they happen to fall behind at some point..." I suspect that point will be first possession for SC. Seriously, if we have these same 5 starters and same 3 on the bench, we are gong to get steam-rolled. We can hang, our 5 vs their 5 , for a while. But once they bring in players 6-10, we can't match them.

 

[Ozimoto]

Many players on many teams do this. People make the same comment about Caitlyn Clark. If that is how the rules of the game are interpreted and applied by the referees then you take advantage of it. Several Huskies do this too.

 

[Bald Husky]

Siegrist will be an All American. It just bugs me that she initiates contact on most of her non-three point shots. She will elevate, get the shot away and then contact the defense's arms on the way down and then shoots foul shots. Or she will jump into the defense as she is making her layup and shoot "and one".

Smart girl