USC Postgame Thread | Page 5 | The Boneyard

USC Postgame Thread

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UConnCat said:
Gutsy call by Geno and Azzi delivered the clutch shot.

Great coaches call plays like that. He was telling Azzi he had confidence in her to make a big shot in a big moment despite not making a shot the entire game. Hopefully she builds on those last few minutes.
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"During the timeout, I took a hunch and I ran with it." --Geno
 
Jonathan14 said:
I was so happy for Kaitlin (and for us!) having the game she did on that huge stage. For as much as the media has fixated on this being Paige's last chance for a national championship, I was reminded that there is another player in her final season who isn't going down without a fight. Kaitlin showed tremendous poise and delivered leadership, assists, scoring, and relentless defense. One of her best games as a Husky—if not the best. (Did everyone catch her parents beaming in the audience?) Way to go, Kaitlin!
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Kaitlin was co-player of the game. She was everywhere all at once and vital to breaking the press. This game is not all about points. She was the glue. Geno got a heady player from another heady coach.
 
Skeets said:
The later in the game you get, the more frantic both the players and the refs get.
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USC loaded the offensive boards in the second half. It almost worked with many trips to the foul line. We went sort of small. The battle inside was for ages. Sarah has a presence there that is amazing.

Geno's doubling of USC's inside players made that strategy effective. We only gave up 10 points to their remaining top player. This perhaps resulted in so many fouls being called against us. USC had to earn points at the foul line and they did to keep them in the game until Azzi hit several 3 pointers. We went from a five point lead to double figures. Putting Griffin in the game gave us a second rebounder/size and that helped a lot. Our coaching was topflight last night.
 
Centerstream said:
I'll give some sour grapes...every USBWA voter that didn't vote Sarah #1 for NFOY needs to reevaluate their voting criteria. Period.
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USBWA isn't the NFOY that really matters. The announcers even said Strong is likely the NFOY when it gets announced soon.

I don't know why everyone is so upset about this. Blakes had a great season as well and her stats confirm it.
 
Not sure i ever saw UConn use the elevator door screen(s) to get Azzi open at the top of the arc for that needed 3 pt shot. Pretty cool.

Ladders, ladders, ladders ... I know they have to put them out there (ad$) however read in an article that sounded like the writer had no idea that UConn doesn't cut nets until the natty.

Lastly, I don't know who it was that scheduled a 9 am tennis match for me, right after staying up late to watch the game. Oh wait. That was me. :p
 
BRS24 said:
Not sure i ever saw UConn use the elevator door screen(s) to get Azzi open at the top of the arc for that needed 3 pt shot. Pretty cool.

Ladders, ladders, ladders ... I know they have to put them out there (ad$) however read in an article that sounded like the writer had no idea that UConn doesn't cut nets until the natty.

Lastly, I don't know who it was that scheduled a 9 am tennis match for me, right after staying up late to watch the game. Oh wait. That was me. :p
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That was probably the toughest shot Azzi took all game. When she made it, I came out of my chair screaming. It took the lid off for Azzi, leading to a critical 8-pts in the 4th qtr.
 
cancontent said:
USBWA isn't the NFOY that really matters. The announcers even said Strong is likely the NFOY when it gets announced soon.

I don't know why everyone is so upset about this. Blakes had a great season as well and her stats confirm it.
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First day on the Boneyard? :). No one can take offense like a UConn fan - refs, Charlie Creme, ESPN, USBWA, the selection committee, other coaches, social media, they’re all against the Huskies.
 
HuskyNan said:
First day on the Boneyard? :). No one can take offense like a UConn fan - refs, Charlie Creme, ESPN, USBWA, other coaches, social media, they’re all against the Huskies.
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I do think there is a tendency by some voters, in this case the writers in the USBWA, to focus on scoring. Blakes put up 2 x 50 pt games and she is a great young player. But Sarah is a complete player who fills up a stat sheet. Rebounds, steals and blocks aren’t as sexy as scoring, but they sure do win you games.

I expect the coaches committee who select the NFOY for the WBCA to reverse the USBWA selection and choose Sarah, especially since they consider play from the Regionals in their selections this week.

For the same reason, I now consider Paige to be the favorite for the Wade Trophy over JuJu, Hidalgo and Betts.
 
HuskyNan said:
First day on the Boneyard? :). No one can take offense like a UConn fan - refs, Charlie Creme, ESPN, USBWA, other coaches, social media, they’re all against the Huskies.
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Far from it, but it still perplexes me sometimes when you look at the overall picture. Especially as it seems Huskies come out on top regardless where it counts. ;)
 
It surely won’t put this to rest, but I have to say the reffing wasn’t unfair, even if it was a bit inconsistent. USC was bigger in the post and crashed the boards effectively. Of course they’re going to get a lot of fouls and FTs from a smaller team.

The refs mainly let both teams play rough for 3 quarters which allowed USC to lean on UConn - and replays showed a lot of unwhistled grabs and shoves, especially against Paige. But Sarah avoided foul trouble, and it would have been game over for UConn if she’d been whistled closely.

A microcosm of the game was the incidental contact on one play when Paige blocks Kennedy Smith’s shot. She inadvertently slapped Kennedy in the face, and as they both fell she got poked in the eye, also inadvertently. Refs might have called a half dozen fouls on that one play (I jest) but only called one. They got it right.

People say Kennedy played great defense on Paige — as great as you can against someone who’s in the process of scoring 30+ points against your team. But the fact is she plays very ‘heavy’ defense, very handsy. This is what the game is today. In another era, Smith might have fouled out in the first half. She is a great defender in today’s game.

And speaking of Smith, she took several hard hits and was slow to get up from a few of them. And none were whistled. One in particular, a hard screen from Ice, left her flattened on the floor for a moment. It took her completely out of the next play. I hope she doesn’t have any lingering effects from all those hits.

And speaking of Ice, she is a terrific screener. And a very hard one. A number of players have been flattened by running into her. Smith in this game, Molly Mogenson in the last Creighton game. These aren’t dirty plays. Ice is just really strong. And this is an under-appreciated side of her game.
 
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Bone Dog said:
It surely won’t put this to rest, but I have to say the reffing wasn’t unfair, even if it was a bit inconsistent. USC was bigger in the post and crashed the boards effectively. Of course they’re going to get a lot of fouls and FTs from a smaller team.

The refs mainly let both teams play rough for 3 quarters which allowed USC to lean on UConn - and replays showed a lot of unwhistled grabs and shoves, especially against Paige. But Sarah avoided foul trouble, and it would have been game over for UConn if she’d been whistled closely.

A microcosm of the game was the incidental contact on one play when Paige blocks Kennedy Smith’s shot. She inadvertently slapped Kennedy in the face, and as they both fell she got poked in the eye, also inadvertently. Refs might have called a half dozen fouls on that one play (I jest) but only called one. They got it right.

People say Kennedy played great defense on Paige — as great as you can against someone who’s in the process of scoring 30+ points against your team. But the fact is she plays very ‘heavy’ defense, very handsy. This is what the game is today. In another era, Smith might have fouled out in the first half. She is a great defender in today’s game.

And speaking of Smith, she took several hard hits and was slow to get up from a few of them. And none were whistled. One in particular, a hard screen from Ice, left her flattened on the floor for a moment. It took her completely out of the next play. I hope she doesn’t have any lingering effects from all those hits.

And speaking of Ice, she is a terrific screener. And a very hard one. A number of players have been flattened by running into her. Smith in this game, Molly Mogenson in the last Creighton game. These aren’t dirty plays. Ice is just really strong. And this is an under-appreciated side of her game.
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Thought I heard she picked up her first foul in the fourth quarter. Considering who she was defending throughout the game, that was really well done. Another reason why I was enjoying how she was playing against Iriafen and Marshall. Alone, not an easy task. Having to defend both of them off and in during the game and only 1 foul?!?! Can't ask for anything better than that in a game.
 
I think that fall that Shade took in the last game is still a consideration. She wasn't sharp, she wasn't quick and she wasn't playing fundamental defense all of which are what usually makes her difficult. She will have a some rest this week to recover and I do think she and Azzi will be keys to bringing home number 12.
 
cancontent said:
USBWA isn't the NFOY that really matters. The announcers even said Strong is likely the NFOY when it gets announced soon.

I don't know why everyone is so upset about this. Blakes had a great season as well and her stats confirm it.
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Blakes stood out on a mediocre team and Sarah played with a team loaded with veteran talent and still stood out. Blakes most likely wouldn't have seen more than a couple minutes a game playing for UConn this season and Sarah would have been a superstar for Vandy.
 
Great win in a game where you clearly didn't play your best. I thought the defense was good tonight but KK and Shade both were way less than usual on that end of the court which matters. Paige had a good night but missed several shots she usually doesn't miss and the rebounding outside of Sarah as poor to say the least.

Huge plus of the game was KC who in my opinion played her first good game when playing a quality team. She is good on offense yet often doesn't get engaged on that end of the floor buut last night she made some plays that were vital to the win and she will need to continue her play next weekend for UConn to beat UCLA.

Jana is a beast but she doesn't keep the ball up and away from the little people on her shots and rebounds. She needs to get a personal coach to team her how to play the post in the offseason because she isn't getting it in practice with the team. She is young and will get it but Friday will be a big test for her.
 
I thought Marshall had a great game for USC. It appeared to me that she lost a bit of composure in the third quarter but eventually got it back. The second half defense on her was IMO the key to the game. Uconn in the first half could not stop her and was more effective than Iriafen.
 
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