What did Miss State do?

[OldAlum]

First, I have to admit I have not seen the whole game. When it was live I was too nervous and peeked and then looked away! Afterwards I haven't had the heart to watch it.
UConn certainly did not bring their A game. But what was Miss State able to do better or differently than, say SCar who UConn beat without playing their A game?

 

[mdakota]

IMHO, we played tentatively. Miss State did a good job of staying matched up defensively (except on Gabby a few times). That forced us to try to make more one on one plays. We couldn't contain the dribble drive from Miss State. We also had a number of unforced turnovers. I think we lost our composure a few times. Miss State got to the most 50/50 balls, they really hustled, they played like every play was the last one. On top of our turnovers, we missed a number of bunnies. They controlled the pace of the game and the rebounds. They came in with a game plan and executed it better than ours.

 

[BigBird]

Agree with MDakota. My snap shot is 17 UConn turnovers, a flock of missed free throws and lay-ups, and MSU's effective denial of the high-low pass.

Take away any ONE of these ills, and we're having a very different conversation.

 

[CocoHusky]

They were not afraid. MSU got off to an early start +16, outrebounded UCONN significantly (+12?) in the first half. They were very aggressive defensively and combined that with not being afraid to foul. They fould 23 times to UNCONN's 15 times and by the time UCONN was sent to the line in the latter stages of the game UCONN was visibly exhausted and missed frequently. Gabby was magnificent! She made Herculean defensive stops on a 5'2" and a 6'7" player to force overtime. On the decisive play she was probably .1 of a second too late challenging the winning MSU jumper.

 

[bizarro aj]

In no way did miss st beat uconn, it was uconn that lost the game. When a team is missing their foul shots and layups they don't deserve to win.

 

[JimGunther]

I'm not an X and Os guy but, one of the players (I think) said they were admonished not to let UCONN "play pretty". We're usually able to overcome attempts at disruption but, MSU executed their plan masterfully.

 

[CocoHusky]

In no way did miss st beat UConn, it was UConn that lost the game. When a team is missing their foul shots and layups they don't deserve to win.

Uhm.. MSU had 21 more shot attempts than UCONN and shot a lower percentage (37% to 44%), MSU missed more layups than UCONN. Try again!

 

[mdakota]

In no way did miss st beat UConn, it was UConn that lost the game. When a team is missing their foul shots and layups they don't deserve to win.

So we didn't get beat?

 

[Sonny44]

Definitely an under inflated ball. We should force an investigation.

 

[huskeynut]

Its not what Mississippi State did so much as what UConn didn't do. Too many turnovers, not great foul shooting, offense looked raged.

 

[CocoHusky]

I'm not an X and Os guy but, one of the players (I think) said they were admonished not to let UConn "play pretty". We're usually able to overcome attempts at disruption but, MSU executed their plan masterfully.

That "not pretty" is a very accurate description of what MSU did defensively. They put size 6'7" on the entry pass into the post, jammed the cutters and played close on the offside where the ball is supposed to go as a counter to a jammed cutter. They were called for their share of fouls but they never stopped.

 

[Centerstream]

MissSt scored 2 more points than the good guys did. Nuff said.

 

[dtbtbtb]

UConn did a good job on defense against a much taller team aside than few breakdowns against the dribble drive. The issues was that on offense UConn did not get to any real flow becouse of the defense MS was playing which was very physical and when UConn was able to get to the basket there were a 6'7 or 6'5 players there... UConn missed a large number of lay ups (by UConn standards) and did not shoot well from 3 point land. It seemed as well that aside than Gabby no one wanted to take the game over

 

[Wbbfan1]

Miss St punched UConn in the mouth in the beginning of the game and it took most of the 1st half before UConn gained any momentum. If I recall correctly late in the 2nd quater, UConn cut Miss St lead down to 4 points after a high of 16 points. Unfortunately before the end of the 2nd quarter Miss St built the lead back to 8 points. If it was a 4 lead for Miss St with UConn having the momentum going into the half, who knows the game might have different.

However, with that said when the game was tied in the 4th quarter or UConn up two points, they could never grow the lead. Missed Free Throws, poor shot selection on too many possessions kept Miss St in the game with the momentum. UConn seemed to be on their heels and pressured on their possessions. Miss St had an easier time making baskets to tie the game or take a 2 point lead at times.

We know what happened on the last two possessions. One team made a poor decision and the other made a great shot at the end to win the game.

If the game was played over, we know which team would win the game. Congrats to Miss St, they won the game when it counted.

 

[UcMiami]

They applied a lot of ball pressure making passes more difficult for the passer.
They did a good job of playing tight on the players without the ball, while not getting beat on back door cuts.
Specifically they played very tight on the high post, usually Gabby and usually with a six seven post player limiting her options to dribble drives.
Offensively they made shots.

 

[RogueDave]

For clarity, we all are aware of Coaches definitions...

He does not mind if his team gets Beat = The other team flat out is better and his team gave their best efforts...

He abhors Losing = His team does not give their best efforts and the other team wins...

I have not decided which we did against Miss St...

My initial feel is that we got beat if we take into account the awesome season we had with so few players able to contribute and carrying the streak...

We lost in the sense of the game if take into account the uncharacteristic mental miscues and fatigue...

But honestly I have to watch the game a couple more times to really have a better sense of it...

Oops never mind the camera shots of crowd we more important than the closeups of the players during the game to read their reactions to the on court play...

 

[schmendrick]

My unscientific take:

After Mississippi State's first punch had us on our heels, the cumulative effect of vastly exceeding expectations over the course of the season left us without the bounce in our stride to complete the comeback.

 

[topogigio]

I was at the game, and it took me awhile to watch the DVD version. Looking at the loss from a numbers perspective led me to this conclusion. Miss State was up by 16 (29-13) at the 7:36 point in the 2nd quarter. For the remainder of the game 23:34, UConn outscored the Bulldogs 47-31, even though they were certainly not playing even their "C" game. Now for only 2 "what ifs"; if that banked 3 pointer from the top of the key as the clock ran out was not good, or just one of UConn missed relatively easy shots went in - game over. Sigh...... till next year.

 

[GiladKatzDeli]

MSU did a couple of things. One, they pressured all the way out to half court, which made it difficult for us to get into our offense until late in the shot clock. This is what that Napier/Boatright UConn men's team did to such great effect a few years ago. MSU also made it difficult for us to reverse the ball to find open shooters. We weren't able to play using the whole floor, since they basically cut it in half. We have an excellent team, but a lot of our offense is still generated from getting spot up looks at the basket (Kia, KLS). We beat a lot of teams on the pass, but we don't have a lot of players who consistently beat defenders on the bounce. If you get in the passing lanes and have the size and athleticism to deny players touches (as MSU did) it makes things difficult. Last year's team was so dangerous because it could play so many different ways and still win. We didn't have the experience to play this type of game this year, but next year will be a whole new ballgame!

 

[01Neaggrad02]

First, I have to admit I have not seen the whole game. When it was live I was too nervous and peeked and then looked away! Afterwards I haven't had the heart to watch it.
UConn certainly did not bring their A game. But what was Miss State able to do better or differently than, say SCar who UConn beat without playing their A game?

They played their A++ game and we played out B+/A- game... I think the biggest reason they won was they had 6'7" who ripped the rebounds out of the hands of Collier and then put it back up for 2. I wish we had some height this past season....

 

[tomcat]

Miss St punched UConn in the mouth in the beginning of the game and it took most of the 1st half before UConn gained any momentum. If I recall correctly late in the 2nd quater, UConn cut Miss St lead down to 4 points after a high of 16 points. Unfortunately before the end of the 2nd quarter Miss St built the lead back to 8 points. If it was a 4 lead for Miss St with UConn having the momentum going into the half, who knows the game might have different.

However, with that said when the game was tied in the 4th quarter or UConn up two points, they could never grow the lead. Missed Free Throws, poor shot selection on too many possessions kept Miss St in the game with the momentum. UConn seemed to be on their heels and pressured on their possessions. Miss St had an easier time making baskets to tie the game or take a 2 point lead at times.

We know what happened on the last two possessions. One team made a poor decision and the other made a great shot at the end to win the game.

If the game was played over, we know which team would win the game. Congrats to Miss St, they won the game when it counted.

Yep. That was the game we saw. UConn did not play well, but MSU did a real number on UConn's trademark passing game. Not only not a lot of luck with passes inside, but UConn showed little ability to swing the ball from one side to the other looking for their famous open three pointer. It took a convergence of bad UConn play plus a MSU team that had exactly the right idea.

 

[BroadwayVa]

First, I have to admit I have not seen the whole game. When it was live I was too nervous and peeked and then looked away! Afterwards I haven't had the heart to watch it.
UConn certainly did not bring their A game. But what was Miss State able to do better or differently than, say SCar who UConn beat without playing their A game?

Me and others have thrown some pebbles/some stones at everyone other than Gabby (Gabby did all she could do)---
Here is what I sincerely believe---Miss St didn't do much to force Uconn to lose! Which would normally mean Uconn did something to cause the loss--Uconn lost the game--but not by anything they could emotionally physically control.
Gabby missed Free throws and a couple of shots she normally would make--many with minimal defense on her.
Napheesa--during the season it became almost expected that she would make 100 percent or at least 90 percent of her shots--
and all of her Ft's---look at how many OPEN shots she missed---Saniya hit's typically 80 percent (or close) of her Free Throws
and too often missed both or at least one. Katie Lou and Kia had opportunities to take over the game and didn't---why???

Point of all the above---some emotional issue enveloped the entire starting 5---Nerves?? but to me it was less Miss St than Uconn;s
emotions. I.e. Uconn beat Uconn.

If Uconn plays that team in 5 more games---out of the six (including the FF) they will have won 5. Miss st was good but not that good.

 

[Monte]

The name of the game is: HUSTLE.

 

[BroadwayVa]

MSU did a couple of things. One, they pressured all the way out to half court, which made it difficult for us to get into our offense until late in the shot clock. This is what that Napier/Boatright UConn men's team did to such great effect a few years ago. MSU also made it difficult for us to reverse the ball to find open shooters. We weren't able to play using the whole floor, since they basically cut it in half. We have an excellent team, but a lot of our offense is still generated from getting spot up looks at the basket (Kia, KLS). We beat a lot of teams on the pass, but we don't have a lot of players who consistently beat defenders on the bounce. If you get in the passing lanes and have the size and athleticism to deny players touches (as MSU did) it makes things difficult. Last year's team was so dangerous because it could play so many different ways and still win. We didn't have the experience to play this type of game this year, but next year will be a whole new ballgame!

Most of what you say I agree-- but in the 4th quarter Collier passed out every time she go the pass --she took many of her patented shots while open--they didn't fall---Katie got passes she normally took and made a drive to the basket--didn't , if they made half of the missed FT's Uconn wins in regulation--if Uconn makes ONLY 2 shots more--they win in regulation. This was a squeaker not a drubbing!
A weakness of Geno's offense--by default or design--Uconn rarely (if ever, except KLS) drove to the basket Unless wide open or fastbreak. Danger the one who could do it wouldn't--why???
New Year --new game

 

[BroadwayVa]

The name of the game is: HUSTLE.

I played that game in Vegas --with a couple of hostess.