WOW! Bria and Saniya - 45 pts between them!

[Wonkster]

.
We're beginning to look like a guard-oriented team, no? Or is it 'Flavor of the Day?'

 

[Icebear]

I have never seen a UCONN teams shoot as poorly as the first 8 minutes. Everything short and missing FTs to boot.

 

[EricLA]

Agreed. Great game by the two of them. Bria ended up shooting 50% for the game and was also 50% from beyond the arc. Saniya played like she's been part of the team for many months rather than weeks.

 

[ctfjr]

It was a really good test for the team in the second half. Something that I'm sure they will take with them. From what I could see, watching on TV, it appeared PSU was doing everything it could to shut Stewie down. The end result - the rest of the team steps up. The sign of a really good team

 

[VAMike23]

I have never seen a UCONN teams shoot as poorly as the first 8 minutes. Everything short and missing FTs to boot.

You're forgetting numerous shots clanging off the back iron as well...

 

[VAMike23]

And besides Bria's defensive gem, how about Saniya?

She is quickly going from a so-so "freshman" defender to a pretty darned good team defender. She is still going to get 'abused' at times against top ballhandlers, and the game's physicality (against good squads) will present challenges from game to game, but she is more than making up for it by being LIGHTNING fast as a help defender (speed is needed from the mind just as is it in the feet) and an opportunistic stealer of wayward passes in the passing lanes. And she knows how to get rebounds out of the air quickly, too.

On one occasion in the first half, one of the PSU players drove right baseline by one of our guys, and literally in a split second Saniya was right there out of nowhere, exactly where the help needed to be: planted squarely in the player's path, motionless! Like she'd been waiting there all day! I had to wipe my eyes to make sure I wasn't seeing magic tricks.....

That girl can cover ground in a damn hurry is all I've got to say.

 

[boontonbomber]

And besides Bria's defensive gem, how about Saniya?

She is quickly going from a so-so "freshman" defender to a pretty darned good team defender. She is still going to get 'abused' at times against top ballhandlers, and the game's physicality (against good squads) will present challenges from game to game, but she is more than making up for it by being LIGHTNING fast as a help defender (speed is needed from the mind just as is it in the feet) and an opportunistic stealer of wayward passes in the passing lanes. And she knows how to get rebounds out of the air quickly, too.

On one occasion in the first half, one of the PSU players drove right baseline by one of our guys, and literally in a split second Saniya was right there out of nowhere, exactly where the help needed to be: planted squarely in the player's path, motionless! Like she'd been waiting there all day! I had to wipe my eyes to make sure I wasn't seeing magic tricks.....

That girl can cover ground in a damn hurry is all I've got to say.

not only is she quick, but her court sense is as good as anyone on that team. she looks to be a step ahead of everybody else, and looks to be doing it effortlessly. she is a very cool customer, rarely making a bad pass. injuries to kml and morgan certainly unfortunate, but if they hadn't happened i'm not sure saniya would have gotten the minutes she's gotten. and without those minutes, maybe should would not have been able to show what she's shown.

 

[UConnCat]

Jim Fuller ‏@NHRJimFuller 11s
#UConn's Geno Auriemma on FR. G Saniya Chong's blow-by layup "You think Moriah Jefferson was fast, that was a blur going to basket."

 

[jdubct]

I have never seen a UCONN teams shoot as poorly as the first 8 minutes. Everything short and missing FTs to boot.

The only time I can recall that they shot that poorly is against Stanford in a semi-final NCAA game a few years back. Well, they won that one too.

 

[tomcat]

And besides Bria's defensive gem, how about Saniya?

She is quickly going from a so-so "freshman" defender to a pretty darned good team defender. She is still going to get 'abused' at times against top ballhandlers, and the game's physicality (against good squads) will present challenges from game to game, but she is more than making up for it by being LIGHTNING fast as a help defender (speed is needed from the mind just as is it in the feet) and an opportunistic stealer of wayward passes in the passing lanes. And she knows how to get rebounds out of the air quickly, too.

On one occasion in the first half, one of the PSU players drove right baseline by one of our guys, and literally in a split second Saniya was right there out of nowhere, exactly where the help needed to be: planted squarely in the player's path, motionless! Like she'd been waiting there all day! I had to wipe my eyes to make sure I wasn't seeing magic tricks.....

That girl can cover ground in a damn hurry is all I've got to say.

Couldn't agree more. Even when she wasn't shooting, her defense today was excellent. She certainly did not perform like a freshman today.

 

[tomcat]

The only time I can recall that they shot that poorly is against Stanford in a semi-final NCAA game a few years back. Well, they won that one too.

Yep, I remember that game, and it was similar.Let's hope they've gotten that out of their system.

 

[chrissaran]

Stanford was a horrible shooting performance, 12 points at the half. All those colleges that didn't recruit Saniya will be regretting it for the next four years, just like Kelly Faris. It just goes to show you how much player rankings mean. The outside shooting was necessary with the zone collapsing on our bigs. Stef needs to forget the three, dribble closer and shoot the two. ESPN showed a few highlights. The announcer struggled for Saniya's name and gave the final score of the men's game. Way to marginalize the greatest women's basketball program ever. Morons.

 

[DaddyChoc]

Saniya looks like Bria on the court... I've mixed them up a few times already this season

 

[UConnCat]

How 'bout Saniya's pass to Moriah on the break? Terrific play by the two of them.

 

[UcMiami]

Just want to add a word for Moriah on this thread - I thought she too had a fabulous game. She is just a blanket on defense and quick quick hands. I thought BB dropped off a little from her MD performance but the guards ruled the day today and we had the four guard and Kiah team on the floor for quite a little stretch in the first half and they held their own.

 

[EricLA]

Saniya looks like Bria on the court... I've mixed them up a few times already this season

Totally agree! They have a similar style when dribbling the ball.

 

[Jim]

It's good to see Saniya learn from her so-so performance at Maryland. She seems to have gone from a deer in headlights to a dear in the spotlight.

 

[VAMike23]

Nice shot of Bria from today's game:

 

[DaddyChoc]

Bria has grown up to be cute young adult... as most do. the transformation over 4 yrs amazes me

 

[Buzzyboy]

I have never seen a UCONN teams shoot as poorly as the first 8 minutes. Everything short and missing FTs to boot.

I know that you remember the National Championship game against Stanford a few years ago when Maya rescued us. We scored 12 points TOTAL in the first half and after scoring 5 points in just over two minutes we were held scoreless for almost ten minutes, ending up shooting 5 of 29 (17%) and trailing 20-12 at the half. That is something that we all want to forget happened but happen, it did.

 

[DaddyChoc]

I have never seen a UCONN teams shoot as poorly as the first 8 minutes. Everything short and missing FTs to boot.

Ice did you attend the game?

 

[triaddukefan]

Bria has grown up to be cute young adult... as most do. the transformation over 4 yrs amazes me

Most women, or most UCONN players ??

 

[DaddyChoc]

damn I didn't know she had 29 points... yeah she's definitely the bomb

 

[VAMike23]

Bria has grown up to be cute young adult... as most do. the transformation over 4 yrs amazes me

Bria back in the day -

LINK to a long ESPN HoopGurlz article on Bria in 2009, by Glenn Nelson

 

[DaddyChoc]

Most women, or most UCONN players ??

UConn, only because I see them more than most