Watched the ND game 3 times and Im thinkin

[Tonyc]

You know what? We won with Lou and Gabby not in the game. We found some new stars. MW and Z emerged and help take over the game and they will only get better. We had a big scare, and we over came it. We found a way to win. Many fans anticipated Z to be a first team AA and when we got into the season some had doubts. Well since Lou has been out Z has had a chance to use what she has learned at UConn in real game situations and when the game was on the line she came through BIG.

Alot happened during that game. There were ups and downs. Overall a huge learning experience that I believe will help UConn throughout the season. We learned was how to win when everything isnt going right. We learned how to grind it out. The result was a huge win for UConn.

IMO as most of you know I believe with our talent, and coaches we shouldnt have games like this. We should win every game by double digits. We are that good. As fans we need to understand this isnt the way its suppose to be but again we are that good and we have been spoiled and now we expect the impossible because thats all we've known. We must remember we are all human even Geno and our team and it cant always be that way.

 

[eebmg]

Watched the ND game once (live broadcast) and the 4th quarter 5 times.

 

[CTyankee]

Well since Lou has been out Z has had a chance to use what she has learned at UConn in real game situations and when the game was on the line she came through BIG.

Now that's what I'm sayin!!!

 

[donalddoowop]

You had to watch the game three times to figure that out? Just messing with you. I don't know how to add emojis.?

 

[JordyG]

You had to watch the game three times to figure that out? Just messing with you. I don't know how to add emojis.?

Love your new avatar. Zing went the strings....

 

[Carnac]

A game like that, you can watch over and over. Because UConn won, and because it's against their biggest rival Notre Dame.

When the Huskies got ND's lead down to 5 in the 4th quarter, and the Irish took a time out, momentum got up from ND's lap, went over and sat back down on UConn's lap, where she had been sitting during the first quarter. Notre Dame was gassed in the 4th quarter. Their legs and energy were gone.

 

[my2cents]

Eveyone's talking about Megan Walkers rebounds, I was impressed with her move to the basket and scoring.
Once she gets her confidence by seeing her shots go in, she will be a load to stop.
She will be our next All American

 

[Suebird10fan]

Tony, I agree with every word.

 

[Ukonnfan]

I started watching the first quarter again. I’m very sorry, but I see a real problem with the referees. The clawing that ND does on defense surprises me. All throughout the game. It surprises me how it seems to be ok with the officials. For just one instance, see the 7:49-7:54 sequence. Katie is fouled no? The official is standing 5 ft. away or so, staring at what’s going on. There are only 2 reasons for that negligence. One of them is incompetence. The other I’d rather not say. I hope it’s my imagination.

 

[j66kicker]

Notre Dame was gassed in the 4th quarter. Their legs and energy were gone.

Your 2 cents = my 2 cents. We won like we usually do when everything isn’t going well - lockdown defense leading to transition game, and superior conditioning, in Q4. I can’t say I knew we were going to do it, but we did what I figured/hoped we would (whew!).

 

[msf22b]

Referees rarely (almost never) decide a game
They generally call a game in a certain manner; more or less the same
for both teams.
I thought that that was the case Sunday.

 

[msf22b]

You know what? We won with Lou and Gabby not in the game. We found some new stars. MW and Z emerged and help take over the game and they will only get better. We had a big scare, and we over came it. We found a way to win. Many fans anticipated Z to be a first team AA and when we got into the season some had doubts. Well since Lou has been out Z has had a chance to use what she has learned at UConn in real game situations and when the game was on the line she came through BIG.

Alot happened during that game. There were ups and downs. Overall a huge learning experience that I believe will help UConn throughout the season. We learned was how to win when everything isnt going right. We learned how to grind it out. The result was a huge win for UConn.

IMO as most of you know I believe with our talent, and coaches we shouldnt have games like this. We should win every game by double digits. We are that good. As fans we need to understand this isnt the way its suppose to be but again we are that good and we have been spoiled and now we expect the impossible because thats all we've known. We must remember we are all human even Geno and our team and it cant always be that way.

Even with two All-Americans out, we still had 1 AA and 2 legitimate candidates out there
and the two young-uns likely to be among the next batch up on the wall.
Not exactly a chopped-liver lineup

 

[Zorro]

Wasn't Geno saying something just the other day about the real test of a champion being able to win when you are not at your best? He used the analogy of a pitcher not having his best stuff and not being able to locate his pitches, and still finding a way to win. That certainly applies to the ND game. Fourth quarter, Gabby out, Lou out, Z with four fouls, and still they found a way to win. Bodes very ill for the rest of the WBB elite!!

 

[Hope]

Can someone explain to me what is going on at 25:07? Jackie Young gets a layup. I've watched this play a couple dozen of times and with all the switching going on I—surprise, surprise—can't figure out how she got such an easy shot. I know there are some basketball tacticians on the boneyard who are just dying to tell me. Thank you.

 

[oldude]

Only watched the full game twice, but also the 4th qtr another 2 times. One of the things I found interesting was just when the XL Center crowd started to get back in the game.

The 1st of many plays that seemed to shake the arena occurred early in the 4th qtr when Danger, pushing the ball down the middle of the court, hit MW with a pass on the wing and Walker exploded to the basket for a layup cutting the lead to 8. ND hit a 3 pushing the lead back to 11, but from that point on it was all Huskies, and the XL Center crowd was deafening.

 

[willtalk]

Wasn't Geno saying something just the other day about the real test of a champion being able to win when you are not at your best? He used the analogy of a pitcher not having his best stuff and not being able to locate his pitches, and still finding a way to win. That certainly applies to the ND game. Fourth quarter, Gabby out, Lou out, Z with four fouls, and still they found a way to win. Bodes very ill for the rest of the WBB elite!!

That is why basketball more than any other team sport is a game of Timing and match ups. One aspect of Timing comes into play when you are playing a good team while your team is having an off night. If Uconn were playing a lesser team even with the off night circumstance in play they would still have won easily, but they were playing a very good team. There is nothing that mitigates and off night like depth. Another factor in Timing is not also how well your team is playing but how well the other team plays that same night.

This aspect of Timing ( players having an off night ) factor is more likely when a team is too reliant on too few players. In this last game Uconn not only had depth but also had really good player to step in and fill the void left by those on the bench.

Another aspect of Timing is which team of officials are working that night. As was mentioned by some posters they called the game relatively loose which according to some factored in ND favor. I am unfortunately commenting in generalities due to the fact I could not watch the entire game and mistakenly deleted my DV recording of it before I watched the rest of it.

 

[donalddoowop]

Only watched the full game twice, but also the 4th qtr another 2 times. One of the things I found interesting was just when the XL Center crowd started to get back in the game.

The 1st of many plays that seemed to shake the arena occurred early in the 4th qtr when Danger, pushing the ball down the middle of the court, hit MW with a pass on the wing and Walker exploded to the basket for a layup cutting the lead to 8. ND hit a 3 pushing the lead back to 11, but from that point on it was all Huskies, and the XL Center crowd was deafening.

Nurse came down and hit a three that neutralized ND's three and UCONN never looked back. I believe some people left early and missed the most exciting part of the game. There are a number of empty seats I saw in the fourth quarter.

 

[donalddoowop]

Eveyone's talking about Megan Walkers rebounds, I was impressed with her move to the basket and scoring.
Once she gets her confidence by seeing her shots go in, she will be a load to stop.
She will be our next All American

She hit another shot in the lane that was not allowed because of a foul or violation on someone. I believe Dangerfield will be UCONN's next AA.

 

[pvdoggy]

Eveyone's talking about Megan Walkers rebounds, I was impressed with her move to the basket and scoring.
Once she gets her confidence by seeing her shots go in, she will be a load to stop.
She will be our next All American

Don't know if she will be the next but AA, I think Megan is more advanced at this point than either Lou or Pheesa at similar stage of their freshman year and she seems pretty fearless as well.

 

[connie]

Can someone explain to me what is going on at 25:07?

This is a great play by ND. Mabrey sees that Lou, Crystal, MW and Gabby all have their back to the lane. Young moves high toward Ogunbowale, as if to set a screen. Gabby follows O. Crystal angles to pick up O. moving toward the baseline. This leaves the lane completely open. Young darts straight back to the basket and Mabrey makes a perfect skip pass, hooking around Phees. Crystal's back is to the basket. Young goes straight to the hoop.

I am not knowledgeable enough to say that this is a breakdown on D. Looks to me like a beautiful read by Mabrey, and great communication and execution by a highly skilled team playing against a very athletic and talented defense.

What a game!

 

[my2cents]

She hit another shot in the lane that was not allowed because of a foul or violation on someone. I believe Dangerfield will be UCONN's next AA.

You may be right about Dangerfield, as she really has improved. MW has the potential to be the next, NPOY

 

[winlots]

"WATCHED THE ND GAME THREE TIMES AND I'M THINKIN"

TONY: love it when you think, Dude.

 

[BroadwayVa]

You know what? We won with Lou and Gabby not in the game. We found some new stars. MW and Z emerged and help take over the game and they will only get better. We had a big scare, and we over came it. We found a way to win. Many fans anticipated Z to be a first team AA and when we got into the season some had doubts. Well since Lou has been out Z has had a chance to use what she has learned at UConn in real game situations and when the game was on the line she came through BIG.

Alot happened during that game. There were ups and downs. Overall a huge learning experience that I believe will help UConn throughout the season. We learned was how to win when everything isnt going right. We learned how to grind it out. The result was a huge win for UConn.

IMO as most of you know I believe with our talent, and coaches we shouldnt have games like this. We should win every game by double digits. We are that good. As fans we need to understand this isnt the way its suppose to be but again we are that good and we have been spoiled and now we expect the impossible because thats all we've known. We must remember we are all human even Geno and our team and it cant always be that way.

we w

Geez Tony you are THE Man--some, if not a lot, saw during the game that which is high lighted above. In the late 3rd and 4th we were saying --winning without Lou or Gabby, Wow!! But let us not make that a habit.
The core 4, and Danger--we knew from last year this was a winning combination. Add Azura and \Megan Walker, stir in a bit of AEH--the stars are aligning in an impossible way. If Mykala and/or Alexi become a fit, Touly--Golly Gee whiz, don't throw away Molly and the Tank-Irwin. Nothing but the best is to happen.
Not to be a downer--and I don't think a loss means a downer- in sports, all sports, the combinations happen that seem less inevitable with Uconn, but happen nevertheless--. We analyzed, dissected, chewed an chopped the Ms St game--and we knew probably less today than in April.
Suffice to say: Uconn is very good--learned to dig deep and win, won from down deep--the most important lesson for a winning team is to know they can win regardless of the adversity--and Uconn passed the written test-- pundits were writing as the game went on--Uconn loses at home--HA!!

 

[BroadwayVa]

This is a great play by ND. Mabrey sees that Lou, Crystal, MW and Gabby all have their back to the lane. Young moves high toward Ogunbowale, as if to set a screen. Gabby follows O. Crystal angles to pick up O. moving toward the baseline. This leaves the lane completely open. Young darts straight back to the basket and Mabrey makes a perfect skip pass, hooking around Phees. Crystal's back is to the basket. Young goes straight to the hoop.

I am not knowledgeable enough to say that this is a breakdown on D. Looks to me like a beautiful read by Mabrey, and great communication and execution by a highly skilled team playing against a very athletic and talented defense.

What a game!

Yes it was a breakdown in Defense, but one that happens, less with Uconn, but happens with help defense. Muffet chewed up every close game Uconn played last year and followed the model set for her---it takes a smart team, one that follows directions, and is dedicated---ND did just that. Muffet is a great coach--I really hate to admit that--she teaches a lot of Geno's methods, read the defense (Mabrey, Young, Lilli did just that) Shepard ain't on slough neither. This may be the best coached , most intelligent team Uconn shall meet all year.
The ONE play that irked me most was the inbounds play to under the basket up and in--STOLEN from GENO. Go back a few years and that was a standard on a Geno team.

 

[BroadwayVa]

You may be right about Dangerfield, as she really has improved. MW has the potential to be the next, NPOY

Danger didn't improve--she leaped from Frosh to Soph--she has a lot of learning to do --and is learning, watch she and Geno on the side lines during the game--the master teaches the pupil learns--got to love that. As much as some shall deny my expectations--I think Danger will end the year as the best Div 1 PG--shoot me.