CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Post game report
It wasn't so easy for a change. I'm not sure I like that....lol.
You know it's a tough game when Geno plays his stars a lot of minutes. And boy, did he ever. Stewart, Jefferson and KML all played 40 minutes. It's great to know that they have the stamina and the ability to stay out of foul trouble to play that long.
Now, it wasn't that the game was ever in jeopardy. In fact, the first half looks just like every other game in the tourney. UConn doubled up USF 46-23 and were primed to hand out another beating to another conference foe. But a funny thing happened on the way to the blowout. It didn't happen.
South Florida played a tough, smart and skillful second half, cutting the 23 point lead to 14 at one point. Their problem was it took until the 1 minute mark to do it. UConn really never lost control of the game, but they were outplayed for much of the 2nd half. Shalethia Stringfield tied a career high with 20 points to pace South Florida. Tamara Taylor had 17 points and Courtney Williams added 16 for the Bulls.
Jose Fernandez is a terrific coach, working his team no matter what the score, always teaching and always pushing his players to give max effort.
UConn was led by their stars in this game, not unusual in a championship situation. KML, Stewart, Tuck and Jefferson were just outstanding the entire game. Well, except for the unusually high number of turnovers for the group. The four players had 12 of the 15 turnovers and many were just sloppy play. They let South Florida get them into a hectic play and it at times rattled them.
It's funny how a 16 point win can feel a little unsatisfying for the fans. You get so geared to looking so good in winning by such large margins a game like this just feels so different. But much of the credit goes to South Florida, who will give every team they play in the tournament a very tough time. I'll have them going far in my brackets!
KML was selected Most Outstanding Player and Stewart, Tuck and Jefferson made the all-tournament teams as did Courtney Williams and Alisia Jenkins of South Florida.
Official Basketball Box Score
USF vs UConn
03/09/15 7:00 PM at Uncasville, Conn. (Mohegan Sun Arena)
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VISITORS: USF 26-7
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
20 FERREIRA, Laura..... f 0-3 0-1 1-2 0 2 2 4 1 1 0 0 1 40
24 JENKINS, Alisia..... f 3-7 0-0 4-4 0 4 4 2 10 0 0 4 4 40
03 TAYLOR, Tamara...... g 7-13 2-4 1-2 1 1 2 3 17 0 2 0 1 29
10 WILLIAMS, Courtney.. g 7-22 0-2 2-2 2 1 3 1 16 3 2 0 1 39
23 STRINGFIELD, Shaleth g 6-10 3-4 5-5 0 3 3 3 20 2 1 0 3 40
32 JESPERSEN, Maria.... 2-2 1-1 1-1 1 1 2 1 6 0 1 1 1 9
45 WEBER, Katelyn...... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3
TEAM................ 1 3 4 1
Totals.............. 25-57 6-12 14-16 5 15 20 15 70 6 7 5 11 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 9-27 33.3% 2nd Half: 16-30 53.3% Game: 43.9% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 2-7 28.6% 2nd Half: 4-5 80.0% Game: 50.0% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 3-4 75.0% 2nd Half: 11-12 91.7% Game: 87.5% 0
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HOME TEAM: UConn 32-1
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
03 Tuck, Morgan........ f 8-11 0-1 1-2 4 6 10 3 17 2 3 1 0 27
23 MOSQUEDA-LEWIS, K... f 10-20 1-5 2-2 1 5 6 1 23 6 2 0 0 40-
30 Stewart, Breanna.... f 8-20 1-3 5-7 6 6 12 2 22 2 3 2 0 40-
04 Jefferson, Moriah... g 6-7 1-2 1-1 0 5 5 1 14 5 4 0 2 40-
11 Nurse, Kia.......... g 0-2 0-1 0-0 1 1 2 0 0 1 1 0 0 14
12 Chong, Saniya....... 1-3 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 1 2 0 1 0 0 18
15 Williams, Gabby..... 3-3 0-0 0-0 3 3 6 3 6 1 0 0 0 15
22 Ekmark, Courtney.... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
41 Stokes, Kiah........ 0-1 0-0 0-0 1 1 2 3 0 0 1 0 0 5
TEAM................ 2 2 4
Totals.............. 36-67 3-13 9-12 18 29 47 14 84 17 15 3 2 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 21-37 56.8% 2nd Half: 15-30 50.0% Game: 53.7% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 2-7 28.6% 2nd Half: 1-6 16.7% Game: 23.1% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 2-3 66.7% 2nd Half: 7-9 77.8% Game: 75.0% 1
Game Quotes
(from Uconnhuskies.com)
Coach Geno Auriemma
"KML made herself hard to guard because she was scoring from all over the floor. And that's something we've been working on with her. She's become more than a three-point shooter and she showed it tonight."
Auriemma on being outscored in the second half: ''Anytime somebody goes into the locker room and they're down 30 or they're down 20 and they are getting blown out and they come out and they stay blown out, then you know what, they shouldn't come out in the second half at all.'''
"I'm not bragging, but I am rarely wrong in that scenario (how he feels about the teams chances). After you've spent five months with your team, you know it pretty well. There have been many years when we entered the postseason feeling we were the best team in the country and we were the best team in the country. We proved it. There have even been times when we went to the Final Four and I've felt that unless something magical happened we would win. I just knew it, but I don't let the players know it. "There are years when you don't give it a second thought; we're going there, we're going to win and that's all there is to it. Your team tells you a lot over five months. But this team is not very loud. They haven't said a lot. They are constantly quiet. So I am surprised by some of the things they do because when I watch them I sometimes think it isn't possible.
''If (those) four starters play like they played this weekend and like they played in some of the big games that we played this year, we are going to be hard to beat,''.
Coach Jose Fernandez
"That was the difference," Fernandez said. "Connecticut did a great job on the glass."
"I am just so proud of their efforts," Fernandez said. "In the past seven days, these basketball players have proven they can compete."
Player of the Game and Tournament
Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis
Kaleena showed her complete game against USF. She only hit one three pointer in five attempts but she was still able to score 23 points. She put the ball on the floor and pulled up for jumpers, she cut to the basket to receive passes for layups, she posted up for scoring opportunities. She also led the team with six assists, finding her teammates with terrific passes. She struggled to keep the quicker South Florida players in front of her but when the opponent puts four guards on the court at the same time for the majority of the game, there are bad matchups waiting to happen. There were times that KML was guarding Courtney Williams. There is no way she an keep Williams in front of her. That being said, she was out there for all 40 minutes and she showed what great condition she is in.
A terrific game for Morgan. In her 27 minutes, she scored 17 points on 8-11 shooting. She is so efficient. She showed everything but her three point shot in this game. She hit a couple of jumpers, made a few drives from the foul line with either hand and was really effective in the post. It will be a pity that she won't get as many post season honors that I think she deserves.
Moriah Jefferson
South Florida did a great job making UConn play the game even faster than they want to do. And Jefferson struggled here and there, turning the ball over 4 times. What Jefferson showed for most of the game was that she can still play at a high level while playing 40 minutes. I don't think I saw her out of breath once. She scored 14 points grabbed 5 rebounds and handed out 5 assists, some spectatular, against a terrific South Florida defense. She was 6-7 from the field, only missing one out of two from beyond the arc.
When Tuck picked up her second foul midway through the 1st half Geno went with Stokes. Kiah also picked up two quick fouls, forcing Geno to go to Gabby. She promptly grabbed two offensive rebounds and scored on put-backs, giving UConn its first 20-point lead at 37-17.
''There would have been a different feel to the game if Gabby hadn't done that,'' Auriemma said.
Williams was very efficient, playing her game within the confines of the dominating game by UConn's stars. Six rebounds, six points on 3-3 shooting. Just great complimentary play to UConn's winning effort.
Kia Nurse
Nurse played 14 minutes and the box score shows that she didn't do much statistically, but she gave Geno solid minutes, playing some decent defense. This was the star show, so she basically filled in minutes at the 2 spot along with Chong, who had about the same impact on the game as she did. Not much.
Saniya Chong
Chong played 15 minutes and the box score shows that she didn't do much statistically, but she gave Geno solid minutes, playing some decent defense. This was the star show, so she basically filled in minutes at the 2 spot along with Nurse, who had about the same impact on the game as she did. Not much. Yeah, I wrote the same thing for Nurse.
Kiah Stokes
Not much to say here. Kinda like the picture above. Her skillset did not match up well with what Geno was trying to counter in South Florida's strategy. She only played 5 minutes and fouled 3 times. Clearly her foul issues, the pace of the game and the smaller South Florida lineup put Stokes on the bench.
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Is this what they mean by playing with your hair on fire???
I just love this halfback move. No one does it better!
No, Geno, it's only this big.
Watch Morgan make her eyes disappear....scary huh!!!
My Baby!!!!
Yes, let's hear it for the South Florida Bulls, part of our AAC family. I only wish you much luck and good fortune in the NCAA tournament. I'm hoping for a great bracket for them and at least a sweet sixteen slot.
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Now we wait to see who UConn is playing. They play the first 2 rounds in Storrs and the next two in Albany. I have tickets for Albany and I've never been to an NCAA tourney game. I really hope they put Tennessee in that bracket. Now THAT would be something to see live!!
(pictures from the Hartford Courant, UConnhuskies.com)
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