Was at the Game

[Tonyc]

CFerr got great seats so I took off early and attended. Cferr has Tshirts made up in orange with UConn on the front and on the back a tribute to a big UConn Fan Slewbopper also known as WestHavenIrene among a few other screen names. Slew passed a few weeks ago. So we met at Black Bear with other UConn fans Ozzie Nelson, PeteDog, Huskymanic, Devon, Tamara, len, CThsk, WBBfan and a few others. Cferr set up a seat in memory with pictures of Slew, his HS varsity letter and a couple of trophys.

I did notice a you blonde girl sitting behind the bench with her parents, and I dont know if she was a recruit of not. Tina Charles and her mother were in attendence. Also there were Saniya Chongs mom and HS coach Ricci . Saniya was not there as it was too late for her.

For the game it showed our inexperience. Stef and Tiffany were terrific especially in the first half. ND never lost their poise or composure. ND continued to execute and trust their game plan. Diggins is a true leader on the court. ND appeared not to miss to many foul shots or outside shots.
Uconn on the other had experienced where we all thought they should be at this point in the season. They will be there with another year of experience. The one thing we should take away from this game is as good as ND played we hung with them. ALthough we didnt have enough to put them away as we climbed back we were there knocking at the door. Kinda tells you where we are now and where we're headed. We are not there now because of our inexperience, but that does not say we wont be there later in the season when the pressure of tournment play sets in. With that said there arent many teams where we are right now either, which is why I say we have over acheived. Last night reminded of our last game againest Tenn. Renee and company were young and at one point we were down 18 and came back only to lose. They too didnt have enough to overcome an experienced team but they showed us what the future would look like and they lived up to it. This UConn team tonite trailing by 7 late in the game and could not muster up a fight to come back. They will

I heard alot of fans say they are disappointed, how this team lost their fight, however imo this team has overachieved to get to where they are this season. 4 losses 2 to ND and one at Baylor the number 1 adn 2 teams in the country. Suppose we didnt play ND twice. Suppose STJ did or Duke or MD or Stanford the other top teams. Last night it was very apparent how much UConn missed Maya and how valuable she was. UConn is not as bad as they looked last night and ND is not as good as they looked last night. ND is a veteran team with a couple of 5th year seniors and a great point guard in Diggins. They executed, knock down alot of outside shots, and seemed to make almost every foul shot they took. They made UConn look like a young team. No other team has done that to us this season. UConn has pretty much handled every other opponet theyve faced.

Four losses 1 at Baylor, and 2 to ND and 1 to STJ. I heard fans fears of we might not make it to the finals of the BE. Boo to that . I heard we might be a 2 seed because we will lose to ND in the BE finals. Boo to that. This is a very very good team. ND played great last night.

The comments by the sports writers that UConn needs another scorer I agree. KML is still young and learning. Last night ND covered her and Bria like blankets. In the second half ND closed the lanes so we couldnt drive to the basket. It was very difficult for UConn to score. I did like having Tiff and Doty handle the ball coming up court most of the time. Both are experieinced and that took pressure off the younger players. It also eliminated what couldve been more turnovers. I liked that move.

We hung with ND as great as they played, until late in the game. This shows me how good this team if going to be. Am I disappointed we didnt win yes, however I am encouraged that as great as ND played UConn was right there with them. This shows me that we are a very good team and with a year more experience under our belt....well the future looks bright. It also tells me we can go along way in the post season tournments.

As far as the rest of this season. We wont be running into another ND, until the BE finals and perhaps the NCAA tournment. What we need is another scorer. As the sports writers mentioned were lacking another scorer last night. Now thats last night, not so much the entire season. Why is it we cant get everybody to have a good scoring night instead of having one or two players score alot of points and the others dont? We need to get an answer for double teams. Tonight it was pressure on the guards, Doty, Bria and KML. That allowed Stef and Tiff to score and they did. That allow the middle to be open. When ND countered by blocking the lanes UConn struggled. ND on the other hadn set some great pics and some great screens and hit alot of shots, McBride did alot of the damage.

Stef and Tiff looked great especially in the first half. Bria and KML were blanketed something we havent see this season. May fans have asked whats wrong with Stef well tonight nothing because she was played one on one most of the time. The attention was on KML and Bria. When UConn plays Baylor ND Stanford of another great team they need to find a way to get open shots and they need to rebound better. They need to do that well againest more experineced teams.

Im looking forward to the BE tournment. Remember last season ND lost to us 3 times then beat us. I know alot of you are down and disappointed after last night. Dont be. ND played terrific and for most of the game UConn hung with them. We will see what happens under the big lights of the Finals of the BE tourney.

 

[JS]

We hung with ND as great as they played, until late in the game. This shows me how good this team if going to be. Am I disappointed we didnt win yes, however I am encouraged that as great as ND played UConn was right there with them. This shows me that we are a very good team and with a year more experience under our belt....well the future looks bright. It also tells me we can go along way in the post season tournaments.

Optimus -

When things are going great, as they have so much of the time, your ultra-positivism can sound like bombast and cause the eyes to roll if not glaze over.

When we're feeling down, like now, it's a refreshing full-read. Suddenly you're full of wisdom and perspective.

They don't call Optimus Prime the leader of the transformers for nothing. Thanks.

JS

 

[Ozzie Nelson]

Look it up in Webster's...Fan...see pic of TonyC.

Go UCONN.

 

[ezxccsc]

I too am looking forward to the BE tourny for 2 reasons, 1) Last nights game is another learning experience for this team helping them to further understand what the coaches have been drilling into them week in and week out. 2) The final game represents GA's 800th win and adds more meaning to it especially in front of a home crowd.

I was a little disappointed with the crowd last night as it didn't seem loud enough as I would have expected. I can remember coming out of the XL slightly deft from the noise level after playing TN the last time and figured it would be like that last night. The 2 quick calls on KML hurt early also. From where I was sitting I was asking myself why the ND guards didn't get called on clearing out with their hand while dribbling a couple times and why CD got called for standing her ground straight as and arrow arms above her head at one point next to SD who was doing the same. Again I am looking forward to the BE Tourny especially the final game and GA's 800th Victory.

 

[ChicagoGG]

Thanks, TonyC. Your take on last night perks me up a tad. Enjoyed meeting you and Phil before the game. Thanks for being welcoming!

 

[Henry]

Notre Dame played great defense in the second half but we also do not have a point guard who can penetrate and dish. When Kelly and Caroline are on the floor at the same time it's like having 2 Maria Conlons. They can bounce the ball and pass around the perimeter and occasionally make a pass to the post but mostly, nothing happens. There are times you need smart players on the floor and times when you need athletic players who can score on the floor. Unfortunately, this is a young team amd Geno had no other options. I feel the effort was good but we could not match up to ND last night.

 

[ChicagoGG]

Are we talking about the same Maria Conlon who could hit the 3 from anywhere by her senior year? The Maria Conlon who took advantage of people sagging off her to drape themselves all over Dee?

And how soon we forget that in the last NC game, Caroline was almost the only person other than Maya to score in the second half and help win the title?

 

[VAUConnFan]

Are we talking about the same Maria Conlon who could hit the 3 from anywhere by her senior year? The Maria Conlon who took advantage of people sagging off her to drape themselves all over Dee?

And how soon we forget that in the last NC game, Caroline was almost the only person other than Maya to score in the second half and help win the title?

Not true!
Caroline Doty scored on a drive to the lane at 12:30 to make it 29-22, hit a three pointer at 5:25 to make it 44-29, then hit her final three pointer at 2:39 to make it 47-31.
Prior to the Doty layup:
Kalana Greene made one of two free throws, 13-20
Maya Moore hit the jumper from the left elbow after rebounding a Tiffany Hayes miss, 15-20
Maya Moore hit the jumper off glass from the right side, 17-20
Kalana Greene hit the layup and one, 20-22
Maya Moore hit hit the three from the top of the key left side, 23-22
Maya Moore hits a jumper from the elbow right side, 25-22
Maya Moore hits the layup in transition 27-22.
Prior to the Doty three pointers:
Tina Charles jumper from the free throw line, 31-25
Maya Moore layup on the putback, 33-25
Tina Charles jumper and one, 36-27
Tina Charles powers up a layup 38-27
Maya Moore three pointer, 41-29

 

[ChicagoGG]

Well, alrighty then - thanks for your extensive play by play. But Caroline still made 8 points when we really needed them.

And part of my point was that I felt that Maria and Caroline were being needlessly maligned. Still feel that way.

 

[UConnChapette]

Just wondering....whose idea was it to have ORANGE shirts? Red, maybe especially with Nike's hateful unis last night. Blue, heck yeah. White, absolutely. Silver/Gray, might be okay. But orange? ORANGE? That isn't even in the palette of UConn accent colors in the entire history of the program.

 

[Buzzyboy]

Not true!
Caroline Doty scored on a drive to the lane at 12:30 to make it 29-22, hit a three pointer at 5:25 to make it 44-29, then hit her final three pointer at 2:39 to make it 47-31.
Prior to the Doty layup:
Kalana Greene made one of two free throws, 13-20
Maya Moore hit the jumper from the left elbow after rebounding a Tiffany Hayes miss, 15-20
Maya Moore hit the jumper off glass from the right side, 17-20
Kalana Greene hit the layup and one, 20-22
Maya Moore hit hit the three from the top of the key left side, 23-22
Maya Moore hits a jumper from the elbow right side, 25-22
Maya Moore hits the layup in transition 27-22.
Prior to the Doty three pointers:
Tina Charles jumper from the free throw line, 31-25
Maya Moore layup on the putback, 33-25
Tina Charles jumper and one, 36-27
Tina Charles powers up a layup 38-27
Maya Moore three pointer, 41-29

I certainly don't know what your problem is! It surely seems like it was Maya (of course) and Caroline Doty who were keys to our comeback with a lesser amount of help from the seniors, Tina and Kaleena. To minimize what Carolina did, particularly when you consider how much time she had missed between losing her senior year in high school and most of her freshman year at Storrs, is pretty petty on your part. It does seem that Carolina bashing is a forte of yours. I'm thinking if you had to deal with the adversity that she's had to, you'd be knitting or doing some other low profile activity rather than devoting all her energy fighting through pain to try and contribute to her team in a sport that requires an enormous amount of fitness and training. She's certainly not the Caroline she could (and WOULD) have been without her ACL's but she's still an asset to this team and no one recognizes it more than Geno. I think I defer to his awareness of what and who is good for this team and maybe you should as well.

 

[meyers7]

however imo this team has overachieved to get to where they are this season.

In your blue tinted world Tony, how is that even possible?

Personally I think they have done well. I don't think they have overachieved. I think they have done about what many of us expected (granted we were the pessimists and pretty sure Tony wasn't in our group). Some of us thought we would have about 4-6 losses this year. (I didn't think St. John's would be one though). And either we win the BE and NCAA or we'll have 5-6 losses. Right about where we thought we be.

Yes call us Dallas Green. They are who we thought they were.

 

[HuskyNan]

Just wondering....whose idea was it to have ORANGE shirts? Red, maybe especially with Nike's hateful unis last night. Blue, heck yeah. White, absolutely. Silver/Gray, might be okay. But orange? ORANGE? That isn't even in the palette of UConn accent colors in the entire history of the program.

You would have to know ctwhitey/slewbopper/Ruffian to get it. The shirts were an homage to Ruffian, our recently deceased fellow fan.

 

[cferraro04]

Just wondering....whose idea was it to have ORANGE shirts? Red, maybe especially with Nike's hateful unis last night. Blue, heck yeah. White, absolutely. Silver/Gray, might be okay. But orange? ORANGE? That isn't even in the palette of UConn accent colors in the entire history of the program.

The orange shirts were a memorial to David Fletcher who posted here and on ESPN an avid UConn fan. He had a dark sense of humor. He used to wear an orange shirt with Connecticut on the front. He thougth it was comical that he could pirate Tennessee's colors and put UConn on the front. We all thought it was a fitting tribute to him as the person he was to wear orange UConn shirts in his memory last night. It was especially significant for last nights game because he had purchased a seat for the game and had planned to be there but the Lord had other plans. His seat number was 217 row A number 12. So we also decorated his seat with stuff that paid tribute to his life. His high school basketball letter, a book on the Rolling Stones, his orange shirt, Pictures of his dog, Dixie, pictures of horses as he was an avid follower of the ponies. We later cleaned up the material we displayed and we are sending it back to his family in Ohio

So, you see sometimes you have to get beyond colors in order to do the right thing.

 

[HuskyNan]

In your blue tinted world Tony, how is that even possible?

Personally I think they have done well. I don't think they have overachieved. I think they have done about what many of us expected (granted we were the pessimists and pretty sure Tony wasn't in our group). Some of us thought we would have about 4-6 losses this year. (I didn't think St. John's would be one though). And either we win the BE and NCAA or we'll have 5-6 losses. Right about where we thought we be.

For a team to be 26-4 the year after losing All-World Maya Moore and depending on three freshmen, two sophomores, a junior, a gimpy redshirt junior that's essentially in her second year and one senior that's just now "getting it", that's pretty good. There are 300 teams that would love to be as bad as UConn is right now.

 

[meyers7]

For a team to be 26-4 the year after losing All-World Maya Moore and depending on three freshmen, two sophomores, a junior, a gimpy redshirt junior that's essentially in her second year and one senior that's just now "getting it", that's pretty good. There are 300 teams that would love to be as bad as UConn is right now.

I completely agree. ( I think that's pretty much what I said)

 

[HuskyNan]

I completely agree. ( I think that's pretty much what I said)

Kinda, but not as well But then, you are a Smarty Pants.