Why was Marquette game closer than expected?

[PhillyCoach]

It is obvious to most of us that Sarah is suffering from something and missing Blanca is a real issue. Many posters mentioned these two major points. Those two reasons can answer the question by themselves. However, IMHO there are several other elements that caused the close game.
First, if I heard correctly, Marquette brought back their entire starting team from last year. This sets up quite a few advantages. Their offense and especially their defense was very smooth and flowing. They surprised UConn.
Marquette, and may I say the Big East, has some smart players. They know the game like a Caroline. Talk about smart--they went back door and other plays that again surprised UConn. Also, they played HARD. They did not give up and DID out hustle UConn on many rebounds and free balls.
Playing UConn twice is an advantage. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Marquette figured out that the outstanding "switch defense" leaves small players on BIGS more times than necessary. Marquette worked their offense to create those mis-matches more often. More often than any other team this year. That's one for the Marquette staff and players.
Hey, UConn won the game, but Marquette did one heck of a job playing the #1 team in the country. I appreciate a great effort.

 

[Old Man UConn]

Just a flat performance with no execution. Missing layups and getting out worked by Marquette is concerning. They need a 3rd and 4th scorer.

 

[Bone Dog]

I also thought the floor was slippery. There were quite a few slips. But yes, they played the switches well. Good observation

 

[Centerstream]

Like I posted elsewhere, when we scored our last FG of the game, with 3:37 left in the game, we were up 20. That's not a close game. Our offense went into "use as much clock as possible" offensive mode. Marquette ended the game with one FG and 3 FTs to make it appear to be a close game. But I am thinking that the game didn't get to a single digit game lead at anytime in the second half. My opinion is that a close game is, at a minimum, a single digit lead.

 

[Topsail]

I remember Forbes hitting 2 free throws in 3 rd to close it to 8 pt lead

 

[Bigboote]

. . .
Marquette, and may I say the Big East, has some smart players. They know the game like a Caroline. Talk about smart--they went back door and other plays that again surprised UConn. Also, they played HARD. They did not give up and DID out hustle UConn on many rebounds and free balls.
Playing UConn twice is an advantage. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Marquette figured out that the outstanding "switch defense" leaves small players on BIGS more times than necessary. Marquette worked their offense to create those mis-matches more often. More often than any other team this year. That's one for the Marquette staff and players.
Hey, UConn won the game, but Marquette did one heck of a job playing the #1 team in the country. I appreciate a great effort.

Agree with most of what you said except for the bold. Marquette's bigs were 5-15 from the floor, hardly the reason the game was closer than we'd hoped. Also Marquette scored 56 points yesterday and 53 the first time they played UConn. The big difference in the score was UConn's offense. I would've thought that was a result of the rebounding numbers being just about reversed leading to fewer shots, but both UConn and Marquette took about the same number of shots as the first game. It was shooting percentage. UConn shot 59% from the field and 50 from three in the first game vs. 45 and 35 yesterday.

 

[vtcwbuff]

A near zero contribution from the bench didn't help and neither did the inability to get the occasional rebound.

 

[EricSD]

Just a flat performance with no execution. Missing layups and getting out worked by Marquette is concerning. They need a 3rd and 4th scorer.

I "liked" your post as I appreciate when people keep it real, but this team DOES have 3rd and 4th scorers. Blanca, first, then really anyone else on the floor not named Serah or Jana. I think it was a poor game for a lot of the players at the same time. Ash, Kayleigh, and Allie are all capable scorers. It's not like the team will magically get a KML 3 point scoring queen any time this season... We gotta dance with who brung us!

Offensively, pretty much everyone not named Azzi, Sarah, or KK struggled. Yeah I know, kudos to Marquette for playing really well, but a performance like that for us midway thru the NCAA's will earn the team a trip back home.

 

[Huskee11]

Worth noting that UConn has lost at least one game during the period from late January to mid February every season since the 2017-2018 season, when their only loss was in the Final Four. Looks like UConn will break that string even if a 15 point win is a disappointment.

It is an interminably long season and it is impossible to be at peak performance constantly.

Blanca and Sarah at 100% will solve a lot of problems.

UConn played on Wednesday evening, may have had Thursday off, and per Bob Joyce they flew out at 5 pm Friday for an early afternoon game on Saturday against a team that knows UConn well. Maybe not a trap game, but close.

After Villanova, UConn will be in Connecticut until late March with one excursion to MSG. That should help.

 

[cleobel60]

I "liked" your post as I appreciate when people keep it real, but this team DOES have 3rd and 4th scorers. Blanca, first, then really anyone else on the floor not named Serah or Jana. I think it was a poor game for a lot of the players at the same time. Ash, Kayleigh, and Allie are all capable scorers. It's not like the team will magically get a KML 3 point scoring queen any time this season... We gotta dance with who brung us!

Offensively, pretty much everyone not named Azzi, Sarah, or KK struggled. Yeah I know, kudos to Marquette for playing really well, but a performance like that for us midway thru the NCAA's will earn the team a trip back home.

I agree with both Old Man Uconn and ErcSD. However, 3rd and 4th scorer need to be good on defense and good rebounders. I think Allie is really a excellent shooter/scorer, but needs to be more defensive minded also.

 

[Bone Dog]

I agree with both Old Man Uconn and ErcSD. However, 3rd and 4th scorer need to be good on defense and good rebounders. I think Allie is really an excellent shooter/scorer, but needs to be more defensive minded also.

Disagree. Allie’s defense is much improved. She is very defensive minded.

 

[Stagnant]

I do think Forbes and Volker are unique players in the big east and we don’t have great answers for them. We can put Sarah strong on one of them. But that means the other one won’t have Sarah strong on her.

 

[RoadWarrior]

Like others, I found this game difficult to watch at times. Not because Marquette was playing some stifling defense, but because we settled too often for jump shots. I was pleased to see Ashlynn drive to the rack, something that I wish others would do more often. I think that more free throws would be a byproduct.

When I first learn of a UCONN POI, one of the qualities I look for is whether they are confident, athletic, and aggressive on the offensive end of the floor. The coaching staff can assess “fit” and focus on teaching defense. Anecdotally, I believe that’s why players like Blanca and Blakes of Vanderbilt (ranked below Allie in HS) have a more immediate impact when they arrive in college.

Finally, I appreciate that the team has some excellent shooters; however, I wish the team would strike a better balance between hunting/taking more shots and overpassing.

 

[Cuango]

I "liked" your post as I appreciate when people keep it real, but this team DOES have 3rd and 4th scorers. Blanca, first, then really anyone else on the floor not named Serah or Jana. I think it was a poor game for a lot of the players at the same time. Ash, Kayleigh, and Allie are all capable scorers. It's not like the team will magically get a KML 3 point scoring queen any time this season... We gotta dance with who brung us!

Offensively, pretty much everyone not named Azzi, Sarah, or KK struggled. Yeah I know, kudos to Marquette for playing really well, but a performance like that for us midway thru the NCAA's will earn the team a trip back home.

True, but there is no reason to suppose that is any more likely today than it was yesterday morning. Yes, we had a bad game. Clearly, Sarah is under the weather, we don’t have our top reserve, (a reserve who is wayyyy more influential on this team than most reserves), and no one but Azzi was able to step up and help out with scoring. They are a veteran team who played exceptionally well, the ball was bouncing their way, we didn’t box out and gave up a lot of offensive boards, and yet we still won by 15! The sky is not falling! We simply had an off game! As I recall, we had a number of those last season and still won #12!

The staff will address what they can and things will be fine. I am not concerned at all that we had an off game mid February. The only thing I am concerned about is our health! Obviously, if Sarah and/or Blanca are somehow unable to return to their former level of play, then we may have a problem. However, (A) There is no reason (as of now) to think that is going to happen and (B) If that were to be the case, there’s absolutely nothing to be done about it! Geno et al, would simply do what they are very experienced at, which is fielding the best shorthanded team possible. After all, we are not chopped liver even without those players? Would our odds go down? Sure, but we still would be a formidable team.

Let’s see what happens with Sarah and Blanca before we start panicing!

 

[hoophuskee]

Easy answers in regard to our core players and either being sick/hurt and just missing:

1---- Our best player Sarah Strong was sick. Sarah Strong was sick. Sarah Strong was sick.

2--- Blanca was out. Blanca was out. Blanca was out.

3--- Geno’s decision to play Ashlynn/Allie at the 4 position sacrificing rebounding for pace-of-play and shooting.

When your team loses or has illness/injury issues for two of the top 3 creators, two of the top 3 efficient scorers, 2 of the top 3 defensive % rebounders, 2 of the 3 top players in steals for a team known for pressing, in which 1 of the 2 players is the overall best player in the game, then more than likely from time-to-time these non-pros are going to have an off-game.

 

[Centerstream]

I agree with both Old Man Uconn and ErcSD. However, 3rd and 4th scorer need to be good on defense and good rebounders. I think Allie is really a excellent shooter/scorer, but needs to be more defensive minded also.

As posted in the Allie thread from a day or two ago, Allie is a sophomore and her defense has picked up this season. If a player on UConn can't play defense in practice, they won't see much game time before the fourth quarter. Allie is one of top 4 off the bench, playing in every game this season.

 

[ucmiami2]

I remember the days with DT, and Maya, and Stewie, and the way the rest of the team would just relax when they would Take and make three or four shots early in the game - it even happen when they moved to the W and when they played for the USA. The rest of the team would see that and go 'Yeah, we got this!'

Paige and Azzi are those types of players as well, but their college careers have been so disrupted by injuries to themselves and their teammates that that reliance didn't/hasn't really developed.

Sarah is another of those players. She screams 'I got this!' in her own whispering, shy voice to her teammates.

And then yesterday, that Sarah didn't show up until the second half! And the it was a shock for her teammates. Suddenly it wasn't 'Well, if I shoot well, we may win by 40 instead of 30, that would kinda cool!' but instead 'If this shot doesn't go in, they may tie the game!' Suddenly taking a shot wasn't fun, maybe its better to pass to someone else. Let Azzi do this! And she did for the most part - she averages 13.6 shots a game this year and yesterday she took 14 shots in the first half. KK was back to her normal self. Jana averages a little under 1 shot every 4 minutes and went 2-2 in her 8 min in the first half. But ... no one else even matched their normal production. Allie for example averages more than a shot every 4 minutes for the year (though I suspect that is much higher in 2026), and she took a shot every 12.5 minutes yeasterday. Shade took 3 shots in the 15 first half min. etc.

It was an off game, and they won easily, but it was a slog. I am confident that Sarah, Azzi, and KK know what to do when it is important. On this one test, I am not confident that the rest of the team can rise to the occasion. A good game to experience for the players, and a good coaching tool I suspect.

NB I don't think Sarah has an issue - she certainly didn't have one in the second half - I don't think she was 'cured' in the 10 minutes in the locker room!

 

[hoophuskee]

I remember the days with DT, and Maya, and Stewie, and the way the rest of the team would just relax when they would Take and make three or four shots early in the game - it even happen when they moved to the W and when they played for the USA. The rest of the team would see that and go 'Yeah, we got this!'

Paige and Azzi are those types of players as well, but their college careers have been so disrupted by injuries to themselves and their teammates that that reliance didn't/hasn't really developed.

Sarah is another of those players. She screams 'I got this!' in her own whispering, shy voice to her teammates.

And then yesterday, that Sarah didn't show up until the second half! And the it was a shock for her teammates. Suddenly it wasn't 'Well, if I shoot well, we may win by 40 instead of 30, that would kinda cool!' but instead 'If this shot doesn't go in, they may tie the game!' Suddenly taking a shot wasn't fun, maybe its better to pass to someone else. Let Azzi do this! And she did for the most part - she averages 13.6 shots a game this year and yesterday she took 14 shots in the first half. KK was back to her normal self. Jana averages a little under 1 shot every 4 minutes and went 2-2 in her 8 min in the first half. But ... no one else even matched their normal production. Allie for example averages more than a shot every 4 minutes for the year (though I suspect that is much higher in 2026), and she took a shot every 12.5 minutes yeasterday. Shade took 3 shots in the 15 first half min. etc.

It was an off game, and they won easily, but it was a slog. I am confident that Sarah, Azzi, and KK know what to do when it is important. On this one test, I am not confident that the rest of the team can rise to the occasion. A good game to experience for the players, and a good coaching tool I suspect.

NB I don't think Sarah has an issue - she certainly didn't have one in the second half - I don't think she was 'cured' in the 10 minutes in the locker room!

In regard to Sarah, a sick player is more likely to not play as consiistent. This is a college player not a pro. It's not like Michael Jordan in his prime in NBA Finals having to be helped to the bench.

 

[Ozimoto]

I think the biggest issue with the game yesterday was rebounding.

 

[NycUcWbbFan]

In the two Marquette games, UConn was remarkably consistent on defense (Dean Oliver’s Four Factors):

• The difference in the two games was the Offense (Pics 1 and 2: points per possession, scoring percentage, bench points, points in the paint/ layups, offensive rebounding).

This was a fluke stress-test game: What would happen if the Top 3 became a Top 1.5 in each half.

• The defense held.
• Players in the Top 9 not named Azzi, Sarah and KK had a reality-check (Pics 1 and 2) (good to have before the NCAAT).

Pics 1 and 2: Source: Live Stats &1

Live Stats (Source of Pics 1 and 2):

• 12/17/2025: Marquette at UConn | Rotations
• 2/14/2026: UConn at Marquette | Rotations

 

[hoophuskee]

In the two Marquette games, UConn was remarkably consistent on defense (Dean Oliver’s Four Factors):

• The difference in the two games was the Offense (Pics 1 and 2: points per possession, scoring percentage, bench points, points in the paint/ layups, offensive rebounding).

This was a fluke stress-test game: What would happen if the Top 3 became a Top 1.5 in each half.

• The defense held.
• Players in the Top 9 not named Azzi, Sarah and KK had a reality-check (Pics 1 and 2) (good to have before the NCAAT).

Pics 1 and 2: Source: Live Stats &1
View attachment 117107
View attachment 117108

Live Stats (Source of Pics 1 and 2):

• 12/17/2025: Marquette at UConn | Rotations
• 2/14/2026: UConn at Marquette | Rotations

Might it also be possible that the defensive rebounding was down (I see 1st game DRB% was 71.4% vs 61.3%) in which guards like Shade and Heckel had to rebound more resulting in less opporunities for efficient fastbreaks because one less passing guard and/or shooter is up the floor? Then again, this game vs the 1st had pace near the same.

In the 1st game Sarah was dreb% 28.6%. Blanca who plays a lot of the 4 position was 25.8%. So in those 47 minutes they played many of their passes would go to a guard who would have two guards on the wing vs in this game one guard pinned down more - probbaly more because of Sarah not feeling well and Blanca out.

Just a thought.