Doggy's UConn/Temple Post Game Report

Game Analysis

After the previous game against Tulsa, you could forgive the fans if they were a little confused on the state of the Huskies. They played an uninspired game and Geno did some really unusual things with his rotation of players.

The question by many out there in UConn Nation was all about getting the bench players involved in the games. Geno insisted that they weren't ready and he knew that from the practices. He felt if they couldn't get things right in practice, they wouldn't do it in the games. Now, I don't know if Geno cares what the fans think, but I do believe he has his finger on the pulse of how the team is perceived by the public and he made some player moves to prove a point. His putting in all subs against Tulsa appeared to be a way to say "see? they aren't ready". It was also a way to motivate those players. That part appeared to work.

Instead of putting in 5 subs at a time, he incorporated a couple of players at a time, manly Megan Walker and Kyla Irwin. And both of those players really responded.

After Temple ran out to a 6-0 lead where even the most positive of UConn supporters had to wonder what was going on, UConn took over and just blasted the Owls. You could see the difference in the execution of the offense. Players made sharper cuts, the passes were crisper, the shooting was more accurate, the screens were more solid. You name it, they did it better.

The Huskies shot 63.8% from the field and 61.5% from three point range. They added 25 assists and only had 11 turnovers. UConn hammered Temple on the boards finishing with a 42-21 advantage.  

I loved how UConn outscored them 23-14 in the fourth quarter after Geno had cleared the bench.      

More info in the player evaluations.

Game Highlights

Game Stats and Box Score

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Game Quotes from Geno

"Once we got settled in, our defense became a lot more solid and we were able to get out in transition a little more and things opened up for us a little bit. I thought the offense looked really, really good at times."

"We'll go back and see how things look for Samuelson tomorrow and see how things look Tuesday and make a decision if she'll go Wednesday or not. She's had issues on that side for a long time, dating back to high school. It's something we'll have to manage the rest of the season. I hope it doesn't keep her out anymore. She's never going to have a time this year she's 100 percent."

"When you see how Walker played today, it's the look she had out there, it's where I belong. This is what I came here to do."

"We're a little worn down because it's been a long season, and it's been a lot, and that's why it's important to get some contributions from some guys on the bench and I thought they had a good day. If they keep doing that it will help us." 

Player Evaluations

Kia Nurse

After a couple first quarter, Nurse had one of her better games. She did hit her first three point shot for UConn's first points, but she missed her next four three pointers to finish the 1st quarter with 3 points. But once that quarter was over, she was just terrific over her next 20 minutes of play. She ended playing 32 minutes and had 24 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. And she didn't have a turnover. And after starting 1-5 on threes, she hit her last 3 long range shots. Take a look at her picture that I've posted. You think she is fit?   

Crystal Dangerfield

Dangerfield had a terrific game. She only played 21 minutes but managed 12 points. She was 2-3 on three pointers and added 2 assists. She missed her first three pointer but hit two big shots in the second quarter to get UConn really moving. As her picture shows, another super-fit UConn player.

"We easily could have come out here and let that be at the forefront of our minds, come out flat and let the game stay close. But we took it personally, what happened the other night and we didn't want it to happen again."  

Napheesa Collier

Not a spectacular game for Collier, but she had some solid play. She was only on the court for 20 minutes but she still had 13 points and 8 rebounds. She worked really hard on the boards and four of her rebounds were on the offensive end that led to baskets. 

 
Gabby Williams

Love this picture. "She floats through the air with the greatest of ease"......

Gabby had a terrific game, garnering a double-double in points and assists. In her 25 minutes Gabby had 12 points and a career high 11 assists. She just see the court so well and almost always completes the clean pass. She only had 3 rebounds, quite the unusual game for her on that end.   

"This game showed growth and maturity and that we can continue to grow,"

Azura Stevens

Stevens used her length against the smaller Owls to her advantage. She only played 20 minutes but had 13 points and 5 rebounds. And she seemed to me to play better on the defensive end in her 1-1 coverage. She did manage 3 blocks as well. It's not easy to slip in and out of the starting lineup, but she handles it well.  

Megan Walker

Who was that No. 3 on the court for UConn? Certainly not that rarely used, underappreciated freshman Megan Walker. What? It was???

Yeah, this was the Walker that we all expected to see. She looked like she belonged and she also looked like she knew she belonged. I don't know what switch went off, but I hope it was not a one game situation. Time will tell on that question. But in the meantime, let's just appreciate what Megan did against Temple and hope that is something we will see from her going forward. In her team leading 32 minutes she had 22 points on 7-11 shooting and 1-1 on threes. She was selective in her shots, and made a lot of great basketball plays. She was also 7-7 on free throws and is now at 77% on free throws.  Her full arsenal was on display in this game, from her three pointer to her drives to the basket to her post moves. She had it all going. Let's hope that this is the start of what she can bring to the table.   

Kyla Irwin

As you probably had noticed from my blogs about Kyla, I have a soft spot for her. No, it's not my head. In my heart! She is a great kid from a great family. And works as hard as anyone on the team. You take one look at the picture I posted and you can see how hard she worked in the off season and this season to date on her body. She has lost several pounds. Her game has evolved as much as her body. It looks like Geno noticed this as well. He inserted her in the game with several starters and she played like she belonged. She hit a contested three pointer, made a few nice passes and my favorite move, she up-faked her defender and drove the baseline for a layup. I believe the picture I posted was part of that play. In her 18 minutes she was 3-3 from the field, 1-1 on threes, scored 7 points, had 1 assist and one steal. Keep it going Kyla!

Mikayla Coombs

Not a bad outing for Mikayla. She was aggressive to the basket and I thought that was a big step for her. She didn't get many prime time minutes, but you certainly can see the skills she has. She played 8 minutes and scored 6 points, calmly making al four of her free throws.      

Molly Bent

Molly got 13 minutes from Geno and while her stats didn't stand out, I thought she played with more focus. In those minutes she grabbed 3 rebounds and one basket for 2 points.   

Kati Lou Samuelson  

Hopefully, Katie Lou will be back soon. You know that Geno won't rush it, but back by the South Carolina game? Most definitely. 

 Final Thoughts

Well, it looks like Geno got what he wanted from the team in this game. His players were focused. They played with passion. The bench came in early and were productive. And he didn't have to use any sarcasm after the game.

He does turn off some people with his comments. My wife thought he was just mean. But you can't deny the effectiveness of what he does. The team responded. Now, the question is, can they use this as a jumping off point for the rest of the season. I have confidence in Samuelson (when she comes back), Collier, Williams, Nurse, Dangerfield and Stevens. Can the bench use this performance to become a contributing factor going forward? Sometimes it's all about confidence. And after this game, Walker, Irwin and even Coombs should have plenty of that going into the next game.

Speaking of the next game, Memphis is next on the schedule. UConn already played the Tigers on December 31st in Hartford winning 97-49. It should be a good game to see if what Geno was trying to do is more than a one game fix.