UCONN vs. SC post game thread (merged)

[MSGRET]

@MSGRET is going to have to do a lot of work to find someone remotely close to the final score in his predictions thread

Already posted and it was simple actually. Less work than having 18 point earners.

 

[gold2323]

Never underestimate the HEART OF A CHAMPION

 

[BullDawg]

What a treat to watch the Huskies today. Focus and preparation showed throughout their dominance.

 

[FairView]

It just feels good.

 

[DEFCONN1]

To repeat myself from the chat room, I’m hoping this win makes us bad for women’s basketball again !

 

[Basingstoke]

I echo the word of the day; WOW!
In addition to the obvious points in UCONN's performance (Azzi, Sarah, Ash, Paige's dimes and Jana's inside presence)...
For the game, this was not an extreme anomaly as far as 3 point shooting goes. I think it's only a little better than their season average. The big difference for that was finally doing it against a top 5 opponent.
They obviously met South Carolina on an off day shooting-wise, but their defense was great, they won the turnover battle and they dominated on the boards. This was incredibly impressive and, potentially, bodes well for the future.
Hot shooting can come and go, but defense, ball security and rebounding can be reliable constants.
On a side note: even though Paige shot poorly today, I was so impressed with her post defense on Edwards.
Everyone who played today in the first 39 minutes made a real contribution!
Such a well-earned victory

 

[Stagnant]

I didn’t get to watch it. I am flying today. I am pretty stunned by the result.

I think UConn has gotten a lot better with the return of Aubrey. I think that has been huge for the huskies. Azzi is in a good groove right now. And I think some of the result might be about South Carolina; they aren’t the same team they were.

 

[Next 12]

WOW! WOW! What a game. Statistically we won EVERY category in this game. Uconn was superb! AZZI was a beast. SARAH and PAIGE had double=doublrs. ASHLYNN came off the bench and lit it up with 3 3pointers in a row. Looks like we are back into our NCAA playing mode. Everyone with meaningful minutes scored. A real team effort. GO HUSKIES!!!!

Winning a game like this made me wonder how So,Carolina won 23 games. In a previous game So.Carolina Made oner 20 fouls and the team they were playing made over 20 fouls. It must have been a slug-fest. In this ggame there were only 21 fouls combined. Better PLAY!

 

[msf22b]

How glorious it is to be wrong!

Was it not just this morning (maybe last night) that I complained that the team was underachieving
-that the stars didn't show up for big games
-that what you've seen is what you will get
and that past performance is what you most likely will see this afternoon.

Wrong, wrong, wrong.

What happened?
Geno called the team out on their disappearing act after ND...no sugar coating
As he said in the pre-game...you just have to say it once...repeating it is not positive but negative ...the stars have to star in order to win...

Let's not forget...Page and Azi missed a whole lot of shots in the first half
(If they would have made a plurality of them we would have won by 40).
But (especially in Azi's case) she kept shooting (and driving) and causing general mayhem.

And everyone stepped up...all those who also had been absent against Southern Cal, ND and UTenn.

And lordy B, we had effective center play
and rebounded.

And the sub pattern was immaculate and effective. everyone contributed

And of course for the other team facing an unfamiliar juggernaut, it becomes harder and harder to make shots...and the way they turned over SC...gave then no chance to come back...there were no serious runs against us in the 2nd half.

The game had been decided and UConn was not interested in a 2nd-act reversal. They kept the pressure and aggression on for the entire game.

Now....we've seen Jana actually dominate (for short stretches) ...more, more, more.

How glorious to eat crow...
I've got a pie in the oven.

MSF

 

[ABCDFE]

Haven’t seen game. But preparing my crow now.

 

[UConnCat]

 

[ConnecticutBB]

Can someone post the post game interviews?

 

[UConnCat]

 

[Zanzman]

In the "Just Thinking" thread earlier in the week I got some "Wow" emoji reactions to my post.

As predicted, SC came out over confident their Coach and Team with their normal "swagger.". UCONN punched them in the mouth early and SC never recovered. Dawn got her traditional scowl on her face, she yelled at the team and the refs. The only thing I predicted that didn't happen was Dawn getting a Tech or two...instead she "gave up and sat" on the bench waiting for the pain to end.

SIGNATURE WIN??? I don't know...is a win over SC going to look good in the eyes of the committee??? The fact that SC won 70 straight at home had to be worth at least a look from the committee.

GO UCONN!!!!

Toot

 

[veryolddog]

I admit, that I have viewed this years team with a lot of doubt. I only followed the team in the news. I watched them play once before and I was not impressed. I did watch them today and I was impressed. This was a big win and an important confidence booster. I anticipated a loss for UConn. Instead, I was surprised with a substantial victory against the biggest nemesis for the team before the tournament. Good for them. Play like this all the time.

 

[NYCHUSKIES]

I hope top HS recruits watched this game and saw what a beautiful and unselfish game of basketball Uconn plays.

 

[Vowelguy]

SC had a 4 game winning streak. Has anyone ever won 5 in a row vs Geno?

 

[jaydee602]

I thought this game was well officiated. UCONN actually had more foul shots. None of the refs were mentioned during the game & that's always a good sign.
Kudos to:
Brenda Pantoja, Pualani Spurlock, & Katie Lukanich.

 

[Conndog]

Against SC, sometimes the other team can get a lead; but invariably, SC will have a monster quarter where they take the lead back and then pull away. UConn never let them do this- UConn played great all 4 quarters and after each one kept expanding their lead. Great coaching by Geno and staff- UConn was superbly prepared, the timeout to settle team when SC reduced lead to 10in 2nd quarter was perfectly timed, his substitutions were effective and didn’t give SC any advanatage.

 

[maple]

SC had a 4 game winning streak. Has anyone ever won 5 in a row vs Geno?

Maybe McGraw?

 

[ubasketball]

I think the most amazing thing about this game is that we established our dominance by halftime with, at best, modest contributions by Paige, Azzi and Sarah. It was then that Azzi caught fire and demolished any hope that SC had for a comeback. By far, the biggest things this team has lacked this year is consistency and confidence. It has never been a question of talent. Now, we have a real shot at the NCAA title.

 

[Vowelguy]

Along with everything else, this now means that teams have to game plan big time against Azzi, which should open things up for others.

 

[PAHuskeyFan]

After Tennessee game Geno was criticized for "calling out Paige"...those comments were here on the BY and in sports and social media. Geno was being "called out" by reporters and "average fans" for picking on Paige. I said NO ..NOT WHAT HE WAS DOING...Geno has used this tactic for years...especially after a loss he believes should have never happened... He called out past "stars" like DT, Stewie, KLS and Pheesa... (Long time UCONN watchers can probably remember others...) With his goal always being to energize the entire team...not just the stars, he makes ALL the players realize THEY ALL need to do more...to help the TEAM be successful. Guess what...today was what Geno was trying to achieve... AND it WORKED!!!

 

[jaydee602]

We knew that Geno would appreciate the rebounds more than the 3 pointers, especially the offensive boards. He is obsessed with limiting the opponent to 1 shot.

 

[BRS24]

View attachment 107043 View attachment 107044

Not sure I've ever seen a whole team as a negative in the +/- category?