Doggydaddy's Den: DoggyDaddy's Dailies 12/12/16

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Here is my UConn/KSU post game report.

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Nice win for UConn against KSU in what could have easily been a letdown game after the big Notre Dame win. Still on the road and against an undefeated but unknown KSU team in front of over 12K screaming Wildcat fans.

The Huskies won this one 75-58 in a game that had gotten as close as 11 points in the second half. Like I said, I'm working on the Post Game report, but I do have a few comments.

The game played out pretty much as I expected. KSU is a tough team that plays for a coach that won't let them stop playing hard no matter the score.

I mentioned their big center Breanna Lewis and she didn't disappoint. She had 18 points and 4 blocks.

I also predicted a big game for Samuelson from outside the arc based on the zone that the Wildcats play. I was right.

Geno seemed happy with the game. He was all smiles in the post game interview and threw a couple of jabs at Samuelson, who was standing right there. He really loves this team.

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South Carolina handled Minnesota, winning big. They really looked like the championship contender that they are. When they take 33 threes and make 16, they are just about unbeatable.

Of course they won't shoot that well every game, but with Davis and Gray, this Gamecock offense is much scarier than in the past.

A couple of months before they play, but this will be a very tough game for The Huskies.

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Well, I watched most of the Tennessee/Texas game where the Longhorns beat the Lady Vols 72-67.

This was a matchup of two teams desperate for a win.

Coming in, Tennessee was 4-3, with losses against two unranked teams and a beat down from No. 4 Baylor in their last outing. They had dropped out of the top 25, the fans were staying home, the message boards were turning red with anger and looking for blood!

Texas, while still ranked No. 17 (boy, does that annoy Tennessee fans), were only 2-4. But their losses were only to top 11 teams. They could not afford a loss to a sinking Tennessee squad.

Texas ran out to a quick 9-0 lead and pushed the lead to 15 points at one point in the first half. It looked like a reprise of the Baylor game, but Jamie Nared wouldn't let that happen. She hit TWO really long three point set shots (yes, set shots. She didn't really jump) to close the gap to five at the half.

In the third quarter, Nared and Deshields continued the comeback, with Tennessee finally taking a lead 39-37 with 6 minutes left in the quarter on a Deshields jumper. The game was tied at the end of the third quarter. It was a closed game for the entire fourth quarter, but Texas held a slim lead for most of it. They his their foul shots at the end. And in spite of two long threes for Tennessee to try to stay in it, Texas held on for the win.

A few thoughts on this one.

Jamie Nared is a talented player, but the Deshields attitude is rubbing off. On one play, she blocked the shot and then stared down the player as she laid on the floor. It was an unnecessary show of arrogance and not warranted at all. Especially when your team has struggled all season. This attitude is part of the problem. She also doesn't play very smart. Her 4 fouls in the second half were killers. It took her out of the game mentally and a couple of them were just dumb.

DDD (Diva Diamond Deshields) is sometimes dynamic on offense. She has the physical skills to dominate on the offensive end. But her shot selection is horrible. She tries to take over the game, but while doing that she launches jumpers when tightly guarded and some are just too early in the shot clock. But it's her defense that is killing Tennessee. If you can watch this game on reply anywhere, watch how lazy she is on defense.

I thought Holly Warlick's head was going to explode in the first half as Tennessee started to fall behind.

Joyner Holmes will be maybe the best player in the country someday. She is just a beast. Just give her some time and she will be a dominating player.

So, how far does Tennessee fall now? They were still getting votes in the poll. Do they get any in the next one? We will find out on Monday afternoon. They get a break next week. They play Appalachian State on Wednesday before playing No. 10 Stanford on next Sunday at home. That is maybe a must win for this team.

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No. 15 Kentucky lost to unranked Arizona State in overtime. Looks to me that the SEC is made up of two good teams, Mississippi State and South Carolina.

I'm not so sure about Mississippi State. Yes, they are undefeated, and yes they beat ranked Texas, but they haven't played another ranked team and almost lost to Iowa State, where that game went to overtime. They won't play another ranked team until January 23rd against South Carolina. If they win out until that game, they would be 19-0 and possibly moving up in the rankings. They are No. 5 now. They could be in the top 3 by that game. It's just not good for the women's game for a top team to play against lousy competition in their OOC schedule.

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By David in Naples!!!!!

Tonight's Fun with Numbers is dedicated to Napheesa Collier. She lit up the stat sheet with numbers that add up to greatness. Consider:

1. Napheesa had 1 foul.
2. She made 2 free throws.
3. Unfortunately, Collier also had 3 turnovers.
4. Phees handed out 4 assists.
5. She had all 5 of UConn's blocked shots.
6. Collier had an amazing 6 steals.
7. Scored 7 points in two quarters.
8. Totall rebounds = 8
10. Made 10 baskets for her 22 points.

After the game it came out that Napheesa played with neck spasms. To bad it slowed her down and hindered her play...