Voepel: S. Carolina should have beat UCONN

[Carnac]

A handful of years back (too many to remember), I was involved with a 16 and under Babe Ruth Baseball Team. At the State Tournament, "They" (Tournament Director, etc) said our team wasn't good enough to win... we lost our 2nd game in a double elimination tournament, then steam rolled through the "losers bracket" to meet the team that beat us in the championship. We beat them twice by no less than 6 runs in each game to win the State and go on to Regionals. In our 2nd game at the Regional, we were up by 5 over another State Champ when the skies opened up with big time rain, and the game had to be stopped, to resume the next day. At breakfast in a local restaurant, my wife and I were seated near 2 coaches from the other team. We could hear them talking about how weak our team was, how we couldn't possibly win the game.... although we were up 5-0 at that point. When the game resumed, our guys were on fire...banging balls off the outfield fences and scoring almost at will...while giving up almost no runs. I believe we won by 10...
In this case...and in others where our "underdog" team won the game that "They" said we should not win, I had a very simple response... "Scoreboard"...
IIRC... UCONN had more points than SoCarolina.... so, Michelle... I say... "Scoreboard"...

There is a Reason Teams/Players actually PLAY THE GAME to determine the outcome.

BTW... that baseball team swept the Regional Tournament UNDEFEATED and went onto the National Championship Tournament where they ended up taking 2nd Place in the Country. Not bad for a Team that wasn't supposed to be good enough to win the State.

So was I. I played Babe Ruth League Baseball back in 1963 and 1964. We played in the old Wrigley Field Stadium (home of the inaugural season (1961) for the MLB Los Angeles Angeles who had left for Chavez Ravine (Dodger Stadium) a year earlier).

We had one guy make it the majors from our league. George Hendrick St. Louis Cardinals et.al. He was the only one in the league that hit several balls over the left field wall. We were scrawny and gangly teen agers at the time, and that 15' high brick wall (with a gravel warning track) was 340' down the left field line. A bridge too far for the rest of us.

I believe it was HE who started the trend of wearing his pants down to the tops of his shoes (like many do today) Most other players wore them down to just below their calf.

 

[Carnac]

A handful of years back (too many to remember), I was involved with a 16 and under Babe Ruth Baseball Team. At the State Tournament, "They" (Tournament Director, etc) said our team wasn't good enough to win... we lost our 2nd game in a double elimination tournament, then steam rolled through the "losers bracket" to meet the team that beat us in the championship. We beat them twice by no less than 6 runs in each game to win the State and go on to Regionals. In our 2nd game at the Regional, we were up by 5 over another State Champ when the skies opened up with big time rain, and the game had to be stopped, to resume the next day. At breakfast in a local restaurant, my wife and I were seated near 2 coaches from the other team. We could hear them talking about how weak our team was, how we couldn't possibly win the game.... although we were up 5-0 at that point. When the game resumed, our guys were on fire...banging balls off the outfield fences and scoring almost at will...while giving up almost no runs. I believe we won by 10...
In this case...and in others where our "underdog" team won the game that "They" said we should not win, I had a very simple response... "Scoreboard"...
IIRC... UCONN had more points than SoCarolina.... so, Michelle... I say... "Scoreboard"...

There is a Reason Teams/Players actually PLAY THE GAME to determine the outcome.

BTW... that baseball team swept the Regional Tournament UNDEFEATED and went onto the National Championship Tournament where they ended up taking 2nd Place in the Country. Not bad for a Team that wasn't supposed to be good enough to win the State.

Great story PA.

 

[Dokey]

Including three right around the basket. Voelpel makes a good point that it should add more fuel to the fire for SC should they meet again in the NCAAs. It was a very winnable game for either team and SC struggled executing down the stretch and then got singlehandedly beat by Bueckers.

Of course, these missed shots under the basket would never have come into play had UConn not thrown the ball away on a bonehead pass. If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, we’d all have a very merry Christmas.

 

[mbr33ct]

I find it hard to believe the game was decided on the last four misses by South Carolina...doesn't the previous 39+ minutes count anymore?

 

[bballnut90]

Of course, these missed shots under the basket would never have come into play had UConn not thrown the ball away on a bonehead pass. If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, we’d all have a very merry Christmas.

I think the overriding point Voelpel makes is that the game was extremely close and SC had missed opportunities and it ultimately ended up being a close painful loss. Anytime a team makes several mistakes and loses a close hard fought game, they often feel they could have/should have won.

If she was a player on SC, she'd view this as a game her team should have won and she would use the loss as motivation for revenge should they meet in the NCAAs. Had SC hit one of their 4 misses on the final possession and won, she'd likely have said the same thing about UCONN in reverse.

 

[CocoHusky]

I find it hard to believe the game was decided on the last four misses by South Carolina...doesn't the previous 39+ minutes count anymore?

Of course the first 39 Minutes counted & resulted in the score being tied. A tie or close game cannot be decided on missed shots. They could have been decided on a made shot however which was really her point and the same point Geno made in his post game presser. Don't understand why that is so hard to comprehend- just sayin!

 

[oldude]

The late great Mississippi historian, Shelby Foote commented on the difference between Northerners and Southerners when it came to the Civil War. Of Northerners, Foote said that once you win a war, you put it behind you and go on with your life. As for Southerners, Foote’s assessment was more harsh, pointing out that losing a war stays with you forever.

Perhaps it’s time for the BY to put this one behind us and move on. After all, UConn did win the war.

 

[CocoHusky]

This wasn't a war it was a game. Anyone ever associated with a real war would greatly resent that comparison.

 

[bballnut90]

This wasn't a war it was a game. Anyone ever associated with a real war would greatly resent that comparison.

This also is the first battle should they meet in the NCAAs, and that is the game that will really count. Looking back, I don't think any ND fan feels they "won the war" in 2013 when they beat the Huskies 3 times pre-NCAA but lost in the Final Four and watched UCONN slaughter a mediocre Louisville team for the title.

 

[CocoHusky]

This also is the first battle should they meet in the NCAAs, and that is the game that will really count. Looking back, I don't think any ND fan feels they "won the war" in 2013 when they beat the Huskies 3 times pre-NCAA but lost in the Final Four and watched UCONN slaughter a mediocre Louisville team for the title.

You don't even have to go back that far, in 2019 UCONN lost to Louisville in the regular season and was able to avenge the loss in the NCAA tournament.