Upon Further Review & Contemplation

[VAUConnFan]

1. Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis' 26 point, 15 rebound performance on 11-14 shooting is the best big game performance in the history of UConn WBB. Racking my brain for comparative performances turned up only four:
a. Diana Taurasi's 26 point performance against Texas in the national semifinal in 2003
b. Nykesha Sales' record setting 46 point performance against Stanford in 1997 ( I still believe, wholeheartedly, that Coach Auriemma was grinding axes in this game. It is no coincidence that Stanford spent a decade off of UConn's regular schedule).
c. Maya Moore's 29 point performance against LSU in 2008.
d. Maya Moore's 36 point performance against Baylor in 2010
None of the aforementioned comparisons were as offensively efficient, both end complete, and as badly needed by the team in their particular game as was Mosqueda-Lewis' performance last night.
Add to that the fact that KML had to work hard for each and every shot she took. Only one of her shots could possibly be classified as uncontested. Jordan Madden is no defensive slouch. Baylor is an outstanding defensive team. Quite impressive!
ALL TIME GREAT PERFORMANCE!!!!
2. Moriah Jefferson gets more praise than she deserves for hustling back and stopping the breakaway by Brooklyn Pope. Jefferson never touched the ball. It should have either been called a foul or out of bounds to UConn. Jefferson definitely fouled Pope. The official, obviously, did not see the foul, nor could they have seen that Pope may have lost control of the ball on the way up before the foul. In any case, the officials did not call what they did not see and correctly, then, awarded the ball out of bounds to Baylor.
3. All the traveling calls in the first half were correct except for Kelly Faris' along the top of the key. It looked like a travel based on her upper body movement, but I do not believe her feet betrayed her.
4. I cannot figure out why Kelly Faris spent such a long time on the bench in the second half.
5. I cannot figure out why Breanna Stewart was yanked so vehemently by Coach Auriemma after the out of bounds play on which Baylor scored on the quick pass back to the inbounder. I cannot see where Stewart did anything wrong. Getting yanked like that is devastating to one's confidence. It is all but impossible to play up to standards after such an incident.
6. It would not have seemed possible in any pre-game analysis, but the Baylor bench significantly outplayed the UConn bench. Niya Johnson's bullet pass to Pope under the basket may have been the best play of the game.
7. It was good to see Coach Auriemma go nine deep in such a big game. It bodes well going forward.
8. It surprises me that Heather Buck did not get into the game given her past two performances against Baylor. What's up with that?
9. 91 combined points in the second half in a tension filled, high stakes game of this magnitude is heaven for a basketball fan.
10. Given that it was understood that Baylor is not a particularly good shooting team, they managed to get an awful lot of good looks right at the basket. Is there anyone second guessing/wondering if UConn might have been better off staying home? Maybe staying home was why Griner was able to score 21 in the second half.
11. I have reviewed the the last four minutes of the first half and still cannot put my finger on how Baylor was able to so quickly reduce the deficit and swing the momentum. Baylor had to be elated to only be down 3 on the road at halftime.
12. UConn has nothing to be ashamed of. They played well and are no worse than the second best team in the country.

 

[easttexastrash]

I agree that KML was spectacular in this game. She erased all of my thoughts that she was not much more than a spot up shooter. She shot on the move much better than I thought she could. And her rebounding was incredible.

Baylor's bench performed very well. I doubted Mulkey's decision to have Williams start but when Pope came off the bench she was a holy terror. And Johnson is a wonderful passer. She is a pure passing PG that doesn't look to score very often but she can really run the offense and pushed the ball down the court really well. I personally did not think that Prince's drive to the lane was travelling either.

Dolson played her heart out. I am very impressed with her ability to get up and down the court and continue to have an impact on both offense and defense.

Faris did not have the impact that I thought she would, but Baylor's athleticism had a lot to do with that. It really hurt UCONN that neither Doty nor Stewart were factors.

Tuck played really well and is going to be a real impact player. Jefferson did a fairly nice job but doesn't yet have the offensive game to have a major impact on the offense and her assists and TOs were even at 2 of each.

I saw signs of Hartley that make me think she is on her way back to her pre-injury form.

Griner is just unstoppable when she decides it's time to get down to business. Yes, I know how everyone feels about her right now, but she simply is one of the most unstoppable players in the history of WCBB.

Baylor's guards really got after it on defense. How rare is it that UCONN has more TOs than its opponents?

Offensive rebounds were a killer for UCONN, giving up 21, which was half of Baylor's total rebounds.

And last of all, HOW ABOUT CHANDLER AND HIGGINS!

 

[Vowelguy]

DT vs Tenn in 2003
Nykesha vs Tenn in 96 Final 4

 

[pap49cba]

You might want to change your avatar if you're going to hang around here...

 

[HuskyNan]

1. Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis' 26 point, 15 rebound performance on 11-14 shooting is the best big game performance in the history of UConn WBB. Racking my brain for comparative performances turned up only four:
None of the aforementioned comparisons were as offensively efficient, both end complete, and as badly needed by the team in their particular game as was Mosqueda-Lewis' performance last night.

I dunno. I was with you until the "as badly needed" part. Diana had several games where she hit an absolutely clutch shot that not only gave UConn a lead but also deflated the opponent. I love KML, but Diana hit more clutch shots than any other Husky, IMO.

8. It surprises me that Heather Buck did not get into the game given her past two performances against Baylor. What's up with that?

Geno needed points. Morgan - and I love this kid - was absolutely fearless on the offensive end. She's the only one besides KML that had the guts to go at the Baylor defenders. Heather is simply not wired to play offense with that intensity.

 

[VAUConnFan]

DT vs Tenn in 2003
Nykesha vs Tenn in 96 Final 4

Cannot argue there.

 

[VAUConnFan]

I dunno. I was with you until the "as badly needed" part. Diana had several games where she hit an absolutely clutch shot that not only gave UConn a lead but also deflated the opponent. I love KML, but Diana hit more clutch shots than any other Husky, IMO.


Geno needed points. Morgan - and I love this kid - was absolutely fearless on the offensive end. She's the only one besides KML that had the guts to go at the Baylor defenders. Heather is simply not wired to play offense with that intensity.

You are not wrong, but I used "badly needed" to demonstrate how inefficent and deficient the offense was minus KML last night. Mosqueda-Lewis was 11-14, the rest of the team was 18-50; Not bad for a lot of teams, but not enough to compete with Baylor.

 

[UConnCat]

You are not wrong, but I used "badly needed" to demonstrate how inefficent and deficient the offense was minus KML last night. Mosqueda-Lewis was 11-14, the rest of the team was 18-50; Not bad for a lot of teams, but not enough to compete with Baylor.

If you take away Griner, the rest of Baylor shot 20-51. Not that much different. The 9 pt advantage in FTs was the difference.

 

[VAUConnFan]

If you take away Griner, the rest of Baylor shot 20-51. Not that much different. The 9 pt advantage in FTs was the difference.

You are right, Baylor's supporting cast performance was not much different. But that is how Baylor plays and has been playing the past four seasons. UConn, though, has relied on a much more balanced offensive approach that was conspicuously absent in yesterday's game. Such things happen over the course of a season, but could have seriously hurt them in last night's contest if not for the game of a lifetime performance turned in by Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis. As mentioned, what stood out was the 15 rebounds and the fact that almost all of KML's shots were contested by very good defenders on a very good defensive team.

 

[Jonathan Husky]

DT vs Tenn in 2003
Nykesha vs Tenn in 96 Final 4

How about Wolters 30+ against Stanford in FF semi final

 

[VAUConnFan]

How about Wolters 30+ against Stanford in FF semi final

Wolters had a great game and was unstoppable against Stanford. That game, though, was never close, never in doubt. In addition to Wolter's 31 points, Rebecca Lobo scored 17 and Jamelle Elliott tallied 21. Those three alone outscored Stanford. Had Wolters turned in a similar performance against Tennessee in the Elite 8 game two years later, she would have to be in the discussion.

 

[ladybears4eva]

I think winning the game would put Diana on top.

 

[VAUConnFan]

I think winning the game would put Diana on top.

Diana, certainly, did not win the game by herself. Nor did Kaleena lose the game by herself. It is unfortunate, though, that Ms Mosqueda-Lewis will not be able to look back as fondly upon her performance in Monday night's game.

 

[huskybill]

Wolters had a great game and was unstoppable against Stanford. That game, though, was never close, never in doubt. In addition to Wolter's 31 points, Rebecca Lobo scored 17 and Jamelle Elliott tallied 21. Those three alone outscored Stanford. Had Wolters turned in a similar performance against Tennessee in the Elite 8 game two years later, she would have to be in the discussion.

But Kara couldn't turn in that kind of performance against Utenn because Geno kept her on the bench after her second foul halfway through the first half.

 

[VAUConnFan]

But Kara couldn't turn in that kind of performance against Utenn because Geno kept her on the bench after her second foul halfway through the first half.

Without doubt. That loss probably ranks as the second toughest in UConn WBB history; the toughest, of course, being the loss to Notre Dame in the 2001 semifinal.