UConn vs. USF. Badass Award goes to. . .

[Kibitzer]

. . . Morgan Tuck.

Morgan not only scored a double-double (22 pts./12 rebounds) but kept the scrappy Bulls on their heels with an array of shots from the arc (50% on treys), mid-range and contested lay-ups. When not wreaking havoc on USF, she appeared to be the consistent respected voice in those mini-huddles (e.g., before free throws).

 

[Kaizen]

Kia has 16 pts and four 3 pts, deserved for the 2nd award.

 

[CocoHusky]

She was also very composed and articulate (as usual) in the post game interview.

 

[Kaizen]

Remember USF lost to Baylor by only 3 pts, USF is a good team.

 

[alexrgct]

Remember USF lost to Baylor by only 3 pts, USF is a good team.

They also lost two other games this season. No real shame in those particular losses, but a three loss team losing to the number one team in the country is no surprise.

A 16-point win over a ranked opponent to extend the winning streak to 51? Now, THAT's badass.

 

[msf22b]

Right on Kib.
Morgan's the bomb!

 

[Hongster]

Yes Morgan showed more fight but I thought all three seniors did very well. Without Stewie team seems to have a hole down low. USF made 3 treys in a row, Stewie check back in and the momentum stopped for USF. Then Mo and Tuck bombed away with back to back three. Kia played a much better second half. Collier seemed a bit lost today, she needs more time, made too many defensive mistake and foul.

 

[Carnac]

. . . Morgan Tuck.

Morgan not only scored a double-double (22 pts./12 rebounds) but kept the scrappy Bulls on their heels with an array of shots from the arc (50% on treys), mid-range and contested lay-ups. When not wreaking havoc on USF, she appeared to be the consistent respected voice in those mini-huddles (e.g., before free throws).

Kib, this was a "no-brainer"!! Morgan was out there showing off this afternoon. Her performance to today could be characterized as Morgan being Morgan, and I loved it!!!
If you had had so much as a fleeting thought of giving it to someone else, that act alone would have been just cause to ask you to turn in your credibility card sir.

The return of soreness in her knee (she indicated that it comes and goes and is not fore warned when it does) is of grave concern, and means UConn Nation will have to hold our collective breath the rest of the season. We all know how much Morgan means to this team. That fact was made obvious Friday night.

Since there's a good possibility that she's going to have to sit out several more games between now and the end of the season, we can only hope that it doesn't flare up the last week of the NCAA tournament.

IMHO, I think we'll need her (at full strength, no pain) in games 5&6, more so than in the first four. Collier, Samuelson and Butler should be ready for tournament play come March, and should be able to cover in her absence if need be. I say that because no one knows how/if her knee is going to hold up between now and then. That's a circumstance even ol' Carnac cannot predict.

 

[Sonny44]

But it was Kia who shot them down at the end.

 

[johnnyc]

Stewart should also get one.....double double, 11 rebounds

 

[Carnac]

But it was Kia who shot them down at the end.

Agreed, Kia did have a good game yesterday, but it was a group effort. If you blinked, you missed seeing Butler. She only played 1 minute. I wonder why? The big 3 play most of the game. Mo 39 minutes, Tuck 37 and Stewie 36.

USF appears to be closing the gap just little. Remember last year, USF was only one of three teams (Stanford & Dayton) that scored 70 or more points against the Huskies.
You know USF had this game circled on their calendar. Attendance was announced as a season-high 6,634. USF averaged 2,169 for its first nine home dates, with a high of 4,859.
Their fans certainly knew this was a marquee game. It may have been closer if Alisia Jenkins had been available. Courtney Williams and her are the two straws that stir the drinks for them.

 

[ucbart]

Has anyone noticed how clutch Lou can be in the second half of big games? When she hit that first 3 of hers I saw a fire in her that I hadn't yet seen yet. She could be the ultimate bad ass, IMO. When she finally stops being a "freshman" this girl could be something really special as she expands her game from the inside-out. She has a ton of skill.

 

[Ukonnfan]

Morgan Tuck, yes....
I was dissapointed how many times Kiah didnt pass into the post. I ran out of fingers while counting. Im thinking this was problem last year for a little while. Moriah did the same thing, but not near as much. Just saying. Im sure when they view the film Geno will let them know.

 

[vtcwbuff]

She was also very composed and articulate (as usual) in the post game interview.

She was a lot more articulate than the interviewers.

 

[meyers7]

Has anyone noticed how clutch Lou can be in the second half of big games? When she hit that first 3 of hers I saw a fire in her that I hadn't yet seen yet. She could be the ultimate bad ass, IMO. When she finally stops being a "freshman" this girl could be something really special as she expands her game from the inside-out. She has a ton of skill.

She did a nice job on the boards yesterday too. Something we hadn't seen a lot of yet.

 

[AboutWeston]

I can't wait for a game when, in this thread ("Badass award") we can all shout out "The Butler did it"

 

[ctfjr]

The beast underneath does it again!

 

[Carnac]

Has anyone noticed how clutch Lou can be in the second half of big games? When she hit that first 3 of hers I saw a fire in her that I hadn't yet seen yet. She could be the ultimate bad ass, IMO. When she finally stops being a "freshman" this girl could be something really special as she expands her game from the inside-out. She has a ton of skill.

In case you haven't noticed, we're already half way through the season. 31 (if you count the exhibition) games scheduled, 16 already played. The game is beginning to slow down for the freshmen. They'll stop being freshmen in about eight more weeks.

And to answer your question, yes, we've noticed. Her decision making is getting better with respect to shot selection. And the good thing is that she's only going to get better. Do you think she's more comfortable in her shot selection and pulling the trigger now than at the beginning of the season? You bet she is!!!

Have you noticed that the big 3 get first preference on taking shots during half court possessions? I'm pretty sure that's by design. Its also a good bet that Geno has told Collier, Chong, Williams, and KLS to not be afraid to take the shot if they're open.