Yes I'm dredging it up --Miss St

[BroadwayVa]

Just looked at the stats on the UConn WBB site and found a few things interesting--
1. Miss St took 21 shots more than Uconn
2. Miss St two shooter Vivian and ittty Bitty shot about 33 percent--less from 3
3. Collier and Gabby equaled McCowan and one other in rebounding--
4. Miss St had 4 rebounding --Uconn 2
5. Miss St 37 tot Rebound --Uconn 31

Butler got not one rebound, nada. scored nada, zero
Danger rebounded --2

My conclusions after the game were wrong---Gabby and Collier strapped with fouls--equal or exceeded their counter parts on Ms St.
I ask you experts---how did Ms State get 21 more shots than Uconn by only having 6 more Rebound and 4 more steals??
One more thing Miss State ran 5 players in and out--Uconn stayed with 5 and Danger--Butler??
It is obvious to me from the stats that Gabby and Collier did everything humanly possible--
Any comments???

 

[Kaizen]

Great analysis.....but I refuse to look those data.

 

[HoopsFan21]

We missed a lot of shots. What was UConn's FG%? Collier was missing bunnies. She makes a couple of those layups, or we hit a couple more FTs, and we're heading into the fall with a 113 win and 5 title streak going. Gabby and KLS were carrying the team. Kia had a big 3 late. I hate rehashing this game, but something seemed off about Collier - she was rushing and I'm not sure why since they had played so many top opponents all year.

 

[Kaizen]

We missed a lot of shots. What was UConn's FG%? Collier was missing bunnies. She makes a couple of those layups, or we hit a couple more FTs, and we're heading into the fall with a 113 win and 5 title streak going. Gabby and KLS were carrying the team. Kia had a big 3 late. I hate rehashing this game, but something seemed off about Collier - she was rushing and I'm not sure why since they had played so many top opponents all year.

I think if anyone hit one more FT, we won the game, and no OT.

 

[CocoHusky]

Just looked at the stats on the UConn WBB site and found a few things interesting--
1. Miss St took 21 shots more than UConn
2. Miss St two shooter Vivian and ittty Bitty shot about 33 percent--less from 3
3. Collier and Gabby equaled McCowan and one other in rebounding--
4. Miss St had 4 rebounding --UConn 2
5. Miss St 37 tot Rebound --UConn 31

Butler got not one rebound, nada. scored nada, zero
Danger rebounded --2

My conclusions after the game were wrong---Gabby and Collier strapped with fouls--equal or exceeded their counter parts on Ms St.
I ask you experts---how did Ms State get 21 more shots than UConn by only having 6 more Rebound and 4 more steals??
One more thing Miss State ran 5 players in and out--UConn stayed with 5 and Danger--Butler??
It is obvious to me from the stats that Gabby and Collier did everything humanly possible--
Any comments???

Most of this was covered in another thread. UCONN was out quicker to rebounds not out jumped or sky over by the Miss St. guards. I think the rebounding differential at guard was like + 10 for Miss. St.

 

[Sonny44]

I'm still in denial.

 

[CajunHusky]

We missed a lot of shots. What was UConn's FG%? Collier was missing bunnies. She makes a couple of those layups, or we hit a couple more FTs, and we're heading into the fall with a 113 win and 5 title streak going. Gabby and KLS were carrying the team. Kia had a big 3 late. I hate rehashing this game, but something seemed off about Collier - she was rushing and I'm not sure why since they had played so many top opponents all year.

UConn opened the OT period with three blown bunnies. Lou scored all four points in overtime.

Frankly I think the team was just mentally and physically exhausted.

 

[BostonCanuck]

The stats on this one really are interesting. In addition to their additional rebounds and steals, we also turned the ball over 3 more times. But what really jumps out at me is that they had 8 more personal fouls and we had 12 more free throws. I haven't watched the game again, so I don't really remember if we were in the bonus for stretches. But it seems that their foul trouble led to us taking a lot of free throws in lieu of field goal attempts.

And our inefficiency at the stripe sure did cost us. We made just 17 of 25 free throws (68%) while they hit 10 of their 13 (77%).

 

[CL82]

We missed a lot of shots. What was UConn's FG%? Collier was missing bunnies. She makes a couple of those layups, or we hit a couple more FTs, and we're heading into the fall with a 113 win and 5 title streak going. Gabby and KLS were carrying the team. Kia had a big 3 late. I hate rehashing this game, but something seemed off about Collier - she was rushing and I'm not sure why since they had played so many top opponents all year.

It was the final four.

FWIW, I predict that she will be dominant in semi's this year. I'm sure that game has been in her mind ever since. I'm sure the same is true with Gabby, even though I felt like she played well. I loved seeing her slam stuff around in the locker room afterward. That is a young woman who hates to lose.

 

[CajunHusky]

Just looked at the stats on the UConn WBB site and found a few things interesting--
1. Miss St took 21 shots more than UConn
2. Miss St two shooter Vivian and ittty Bitty shot about 33 percent--less from 3
3. Collier and Gabby equaled McCowan and one other in rebounding--
4. Miss St had 4 rebounding --UConn 2
5. Miss St 37 tot Rebound --UConn 31

Butler got not one rebound, nada. scored nada, zero
Danger rebounded --2

My conclusions after the game were wrong---Gabby and Collier strapped with fouls--equal or exceeded their counter parts on Ms St.
I ask you experts---how did Ms State get 21 more shots than UConn by only having 6 more Rebound and 4 more steals??
One more thing Miss State ran 5 players in and out--UConn stayed with 5 and Danger--Butler??
It is obvious to me from the stats that Gabby and Collier did everything humanly possible--
Any comments???

MS had 21 more shots .... they had 8 more offensive rebounds (second chance shots), and 3 fewer turnovers.
That's 11 of the 21 .... it is conceivable that MS had as many as 5 extra shots by simply having the last shot at the end of each period. the other shots were possibly the result of UConn possessions ending in shooting foul. You mentioned that they had far more foul shots but committed fewer fouls.

 

[Zanzman]

I look forward don't need rear view mirrors

 

[BroadwayVa]

I think if anyone hit one more FT, we won the game, and no OT.

Uconn shot in the 48 area and MS 35 (guestimates from memory, but pretty close) Uconn shot everything better that Ft's 68 to 76 percent.
Uconn in stats (except shot attempts and made shots) was better or close to Ms.

 

[BroadwayVa]

We missed a lot of shots. What was UConn's FG%? Collier was missing bunnies. She makes a couple of those layups, or we hit a couple more FTs, and we're heading into the fall with a 113 win and 5 title streak going. Gabby and KLS were carrying the team. Kia had a big 3 late. I hate rehashing this game, but something seemed off about Collier - she was rushing and I'm not sure why since they had played so many top opponents all year.

Uconn for 20 of 46, Ms had 25 of 67---missed 42 shot to Uconn 26 missed shots---
4 rebounders to 2---mostly taller Ms--rebounders---McGowan bigger, taller than Collier had exactly the same rebounding stats.

Point of this exercise is that Uconn, undersized and only 6 useful players---played a gutzy game and 6 players played against 9 Ms players
If it wasn't for Ms getting up by 10 Geno could have messed with Erwin, or Molly as some relief--

 

[HuskylnSC]

14 offensive rebounds will do that

 

[Tenspro2002]

We missed a lot of shots. What was UConn's FG%? Collier was missing bunnies. She makes a couple of those layups, or we hit a couple more FTs, and we're heading into the fall with a 113 win and 5 title streak going. Gabby and KLS were carrying the team. Kia had a big 3 late. I hate rehashing this game, but something seemed off about Collier - she was rushing and I'm not sure why since they had played so many top opponents all year.

For Collier it was obviously mental. And I agree that it was shocking: she was the calmest, steadiest player all year, including in the biggest games. But in the Final Four she wilted, plain and simple.

I expect to see her -- and the rest of the team -- come back p*ssed off in October and ready to erase the stench of that game.

 

[BroadwayVa]

The stats on this one really are interesting. In addition to their additional rebounds and steals, we also turned the ball over 3 more times. But what really jumps out at me is that they had 8 more personal fouls and we had 12 more free throws. I haven't watched the game again, so I don't really remember if we were in the bonus for stretches. But it seems that their foul trouble led to us taking a lot of free throws in lieu of field goal attempts.

And our inefficiency at the stripe sure did cost us. We made just 17 of 25 free throws (68%) while they hit 10 of their 13 (77%).

Yet Uconn made 17 --10 more than Ms st. ---
The real factor was DEPTH--Ms State shooting was not great---Ms Used `10 players (really only 9, 1 was in for 1 minute) Geno used really only 6 --mostly 5--if fatigue was a factor too--I'd be surprised.
Yes , uncharacteristically uconn had more T.O. ---

 

[BroadwayVa]

Most of this was covered in another thread. UCONN was out quicker to rebounds not out jumped or sky over by the Miss St. guards. I think the rebounding differential at guard was like + 10 for Miss. St.

The stat you listed ---says to me D. E. P.T.H. ---and the over reliance on 3/4 players---he used what he had--
If Butler was aggressive in scoring and rebounding--it may--MAY-have offset some of the rebounding advantage Ms Took.

 

[geneticrex]

There isn't a single area that perfectly explains the outcome, but Collier's inability to make shots she routinely converted, really hurt. She may have missed more shots she's made all year, in that one game, than she missed all year.

Hey, she's human and these things happen. That's why you play the game.

 

[CocoHusky]

The stat you listed ---says to me D. E. P.T.H. ---and the over reliance on 3/4 players---he used what he had--
If Butler was aggressive in scoring and rebounding--it may--MAY-have offset some of the rebounding advantage Ms Took.

Hard to blame anyone especially Nat. Sometimes the ball just doesn't bounce your way. UConn for whatever reason was out of sorts almost from the jump. Guard rebounding is and has always been UCONN's game. The team gave us one hell of a surprising & joyous season. Very proud of them all.

 

[HoopsFan21]

Oh man I had forgotten how badly UConn was getting blown out in that game. Thanks for the reminder.

 

[JoePgh]

At one level (the level of arithmetic), the loss has a really simple explanation: 67 shots vs. 46. While there were several reasons for this, the biggest was in offensive rebounds: 14 for the maroon team vs. 6 for the blue ones. That contrast is even more stark when you look at it from the point of view of missed shots recovered: Miss State missed 42 shots and got back 14 (33% of misses recovered), whereas UConn missed 26 shots and got back only 6 (23% recovery). If the two teams had taken a roughly equal number of shots, UConn would have won by 10-15 points.

In view of some of the comments here, it needs to be emphasized that the problem was not in shooting accuracy (at least regarding field goals as opposed to free throws): UConn shot 43% and Mississippi State shot 37%. UConn shot nearly 50% (7 for 15) from 3-point range, whereas Miss State was 6 for 22. Despite the mediocre free throw shooting, UConn scored 7 more points at the line than Miss state did.

The problem, quite simply, is that UConn did not get enough shots, and Miss State got too many. And the main reason for that was that UConn could not clear its defensive boards. In my opinion, that boils down quite simply to a size disadvantage.

In most games, UConn could overcome a size disadvantage with clever offense and defensive breakdowns by the opponents, but Vic Schaefer did not allow those methods to be used. With both teams playing effective defense and both teams unimpressive on offense, the inability to end Miss State's offensive possessions after 1 or even 2 shots was the difference maker.

 

[BroadwayVa]

Great analysis.....but I refuse to look those data.

No analysis--that's what DavidinNaples, JOEP, Oldude, Eric and Cocohusky do---I just presented the data on the Box Score.

 

[BroadwayVa]

At one level (the level of arithmetic), the loss has a really simple explanation: 67 shots vs. 46. While there were several reasons for this, the biggest was in offensive rebounds: 14 for the maroon team vs. 6 for the blue ones. That contrast is even more stark when you look at it from the point of view of missed shots recovered: Miss State missed 42 shots and got back 14 (33% of misses recovered), whereas UConn missed 26 shots and got back only 6 (23% recovery). If the two teams had taken a roughly equal number of shots, UConn would have won by 10-15 points.

In view of some of the comments here, it needs to be emphasized that the problem was not in shooting accuracy (at least regarding field goals as opposed to free throws): UConn shot 43% and Mississippi State shot 37%. UConn shot nearly 50% (7 for 15) from 3-point range, whereas Miss State was 6 for 22. Despite the mediocre free throw shooting, UConn scored 7 more points at the line than Miss state did.

The problem, quite simply, is that UConn did not get enough shots, and Miss State got too many. And the main reason for that was that UConn could not clear its defensive boards. In my opinion, that boils down quite simply to a size disadvantage.

In most games, UConn could overcome a size disadvantage with clever offense and defensive breakdowns by the opponents, but Vic Schaefer did not allow those methods to be used. With both teams playing effective defense and both teams unimpressive on offense, the inability to end Miss State's offensive possessions after 1 or even 2 shots was the difference maker.

Now that is an analysis---I concur with your assessment.
If i may, while it is true the size (team vs team--not just 2 vs 7) was a big factor. I suggest that Schaefers use of multiple personnel--only William and Vivians put in most minutes--kept active fresh legs --tired legs miss shots--rebound less--to me this boils down to --Depth-
it is not my intent to disrespect natalie--she was what she was--her effect in this game only plugged in a body for a player--as she had in aggressive smaller player games--she was effectively taken out. In my best attribute of second guessing--I wonder if trying Erwin may have had a better impact. So shoot me.

 

[BroadwayVa]

Most of this was covered in another thread. UCONN was out quicker to rebounds not out jumped or sky over by the Miss St. guards. I think the rebounding differential at guard was like + 10 for Miss. St.

As they say ---Touche' --point and counter point.

 

[CocoHusky]

At one level (the level of arithmetic), the loss has a really simple explanation: 67 shots vs. 46. While there were several reasons for this, the biggest was in offensive rebounds: 14 for the maroon team vs. 6 for the blue ones. That contrast is even more stark when you look at it from the point of view of missed shots recovered: Miss State missed 42 shots and got back 14 (33% of misses recovered), whereas UConn missed 26 shots and got back only 6 (23% recovery). If the two teams had taken a roughly equal number of shots, UConn would have won by 10-15 points.

In view of some of the comments here, it needs to be emphasized that the problem was not in shooting accuracy (at least regarding field goals as opposed to free throws): UConn shot 43% and Mississippi State shot 37%. UConn shot nearly 50% (7 for 15) from 3-point range, whereas Miss State was 6 for 22. Despite the mediocre free throw shooting, UConn scored 7 more points at the line than Miss state did.

The problem, quite simply, is that UConn did not get enough shots, and Miss State got too many. And the main reason for that was that UConn could not clear its defensive boards. In my opinion, that boils down quite simply to a size disadvantage.

In most games, UConn could overcome a size disadvantage with clever offense and defensive breakdowns by the opponents, but Vic Schaefer did not allow those methods to be used. With both teams playing effective defense and both teams unimpressive on offense, the inability to end Miss State's offensive possessions after 1 or even 2 shots was the difference maker.

Exceptional analysis @JoePgh, agree completely with the exception of the one opinion regarding a size disadvantage for UCONN. Mississippi St. size advantage was 6'7" McCowan and 6'4" Okorie. Combine they were out rebounded and outscored by Gabby and Napheesa. Rebounds 12:16 Points: 17:32. The guards and SF position was where UCONN lost the rebounding battle decisively 15:25. UCONN had a size advantage at SF KLS 6'3" vs 6'1" Vivians: At G Dilligham 5'9" to Nurse 6'0". At G Chong 5'8" vs. Itty Bitty 5'5" generously. In summary + 10 in rebounds (G& SF only) +3 in Turnover margin + 8 in PF get you pretty close to a shot differential of 21.