UCONN @ East Carolina
Day: Wednesday
Date: January 28th, 2015
Location: XL Center, Hartford, Connecticut
Time: 7:00
TV: SNY
UConn 18-1 (8-0)
East Carolina 13-7 (4-5)
Overview
On New Years eve day, UConn routed East Carolina 89-38 after what Geno called the worst half in his 30 years with the Huskies. Oh yeah, they had a 23 point lead at the half....lol. UConn was lead by Stewart, who scored 26 points. Jefferson scored 16 points Tuck had 14.
Geno - "They promised me that they would pass the ball to our guys in the second half,"
They listened, scoring the first 21 points of the second half.
After winning four in a row, East Carolina is coming off a painful loss to Tulsa, 74-63. Junior forward I'Tiana Taylor recorded her second double-double in a row with 20 points and 18 rebounds, but the East Carolina women's basketball team was unable to hold Tulsa. Juniors Jada Payne and Jasmine Payne had 10 points apiece. Janesha Ebron put up six points, six rebounds and eight assists.
UConn Starters
4 Moriah Jefferson 5'7" Junior Guard
Vs ECU in the first game - 23 minutes, 5 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assists, 1 TO's, 0 blocks, 0 steals
I'm so glad KML is getting the recognition she deserves. After the tough Stanford outing, she was hammered across the internet. Right now she is leading the country in three point shooting percentage and her game is much more diverse than it has ever been. She was terrific against Cincinnati inside and out.
2014-15: MPG 28.1, FG% .543, 3PT% .518, PPG 14.7, RPG 4.3, APG 2.7, 23 steals, 2 blocks
Vs ECU in the first game - 29 minutes, 14 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 TO's, 1 blocks, 0 steals
Vs ECU in the first game - 27 minutes, 26 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 TO's, 3 blocks, 3 steals
41 Kiah Stokes 6'3" Senior Center
Vs ECU in the first game - 19 minutes, 8 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 0 TO's, 3 blocks, 0 steals
I loved her aggressiveness on offense against Cincinnati, even if she missed too many shots. At least she was looking for them and she will end up at 50%+ no matter how many shots she takes. She only had 3 blocks against Cincinnati. I'm thinking she will have a few more against ECU.
12 Saniya Chong 5'8" Sophomore Guard
Vs ECU in the first game - 25 minutes, 4 points, 1 rebounds, 0 assists, 2 TO's, 2 blocks, 0 steals
Saniya had a terrific end of the game against Cincinnati. She looked more confident than I have seen her all season. I'm hopeful we will see a continuation of that against ECU. She needs to string a few good games together.
22 Courtney Ekmark 6' Freshman Guard
Vs ECU in the first game - 10 minutes, 2 points, 2 rebounds, 0 assists, 0 TO's, 0 blocks, 0 steals
She scored her first points in her college career against ECU but I'm sure she wants to do much better this time. I watched her very closely in the Cincinnati game on the defensive side. That is where you earn your minutes. And she was not good, she was very good defensively. She was calling out the switches, double when appropriate, and was strong with her body. This will continue to get 20 minutes in these kind of games.
UConn Complete Stats
Vs UConn in the first game - 25 minutes, 2 points, 1 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 TO's, 1 block
East Carolina really isn't a bad team. They are not a great team, but they do have some talent. Similar to South Florida, they have a terrific big guard in Jada Payne, who is effective from the inside and shoots 44% on 3's. And they have a double-double machine in I'Tiana Taylor. The problem is UConn shut them down the last time they played and UConn is playing even better now.
If Shaw is back for ECU (she was suspended) she brings some size and shot blocking ability to the game. But she has no offensive game and from what I remember, she was pretty ineffective against UConn's front line. The Pirates are a good 3 point shooting team and shoot plenty during the game. They hope to hit a better percentage than the 1-10 in the previous meeting.
East Carolina starts 3 juniors and 2 seniors. They bring all upper classmen off the bench as well. So they will not be as intimidated as some younger teams are, and they have the advantage of having played UConn already this season.
UConn is on fire. They are consistently over 50% from the field and 40% on three's during this recent hot streak. ECU is not going to slow that down. Geno again will have the opportunity to play the starters as much or as little as he wants. Against Cincinnati, he had the bench play more minutes than the starters. I don't see that happening at home against someone other than Jamelle.
The bench is starting to get a better feel for the game. And together, there is more chemistry than before. I will be looking forward to seeing them continue to grow.
Geno - "They promised me that they would pass the ball to our guys in the second half,"
They listened, scoring the first 21 points of the second half.
After winning four in a row, East Carolina is coming off a painful loss to Tulsa, 74-63. Junior forward I'Tiana Taylor recorded her second double-double in a row with 20 points and 18 rebounds, but the East Carolina women's basketball team was unable to hold Tulsa. Juniors Jada Payne and Jasmine Payne had 10 points apiece. Janesha Ebron put up six points, six rebounds and eight assists.
UConn defeated Cincinnati, 96-31 on Sunday. KML and Breanna Stewart led the way with 19 points each, while the Huskies' defense held the Bearcats to just 22.4 percent shooting from the field. They have been on a roll, winning 17 straight and over the last six games averaging 94.2 ppg and only giving up only 45.3 ppg. That's 48.9 point MOV for those who are mathematically challenged. Domination.
On January 10th, Seniors Akia Jones and Ondrea Shaw as well as junior Khadijah Ellison aren't playing with the team following their suspensions for violating team rules. I don't know if the suspension will be lifted for this game. I know that the Pirates certainly could use Shaw's height and she currently ranks tied for 16th in the country in blocked shots per game at 3.2. I'll add Shaw to the bench in my preview below of the players. Jones and Ellison don't play much.
UConn Starters
11 Kia Nurse 6' Freshman Guard
Vs ECU in the first game - 17 minutes, 13 points, 1 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 TO's, 0 blocks, 2 steals
A better game for Nurse against Cincinnati than the previous two outings. I'm hoping that this is the end of her freshman wall issues. I'm just stunned at her season shooting percentage. Amazing for a freshman guard.
A better game for Nurse against Cincinnati than the previous two outings. I'm hoping that this is the end of her freshman wall issues. I'm just stunned at her season shooting percentage. Amazing for a freshman guard.
2014-15: MPG 24.5, FG% .550, 3PT% .483, PPG 11.9, RPG 3.5, APG 3.2, 35 steals, 0 blocks
Vs ECU in the first game - 27 minutes, 16 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 TO's, 0 blocks, 5 steals
Moriah has a poor shooting game for her. But it really was only the first half where she shot 0-3 from the floor. She was 2-3 in the second half. She was 8-9 against ECU in the first matchup. I'd expect more of that.
Moriah has a poor shooting game for her. But it really was only the first half where she shot 0-3 from the floor. She was 2-3 in the second half. She was 8-9 against ECU in the first matchup. I'd expect more of that.
2014-15: MPG 26.6, FG% .572, 3PT% .510, PPG 11.7, RPG 2.4, APG 4.7, 45 steals, 3 block
23 Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis 5'11" Senior Forward
Vs ECU in the first game - 23 minutes, 5 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assists, 1 TO's, 0 blocks, 0 steals
I'm so glad KML is getting the recognition she deserves. After the tough Stanford outing, she was hammered across the internet. Right now she is leading the country in three point shooting percentage and her game is much more diverse than it has ever been. She was terrific against Cincinnati inside and out.
2014-15: MPG 28.1, FG% .543, 3PT% .518, PPG 14.7, RPG 4.3, APG 2.7, 23 steals, 2 blocks
3 Morgan Tuck 6'2" Sophomore Forward
Vs ECU in the first game - 29 minutes, 14 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 TO's, 1 blocks, 0 steals
She had a very solid game in limited minutes last time out. I believe that limiting her minutes will be something we will see more and more of. Not enough to impact her play but enough to rest the knee. She was so impressive with her off hand in the last game it made me wonder which hand is her strong side.
2014-15: MPG 25.3, FG% .591, 3PT% .176, PPG 14.4, RPG 5.1, APG 2.8, 13 steals, 8 blocks
30 Breanna Stewart 6'4" Junior Forward
Vs ECU in the first game - 27 minutes, 26 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 TO's, 3 blocks, 3 steals
Something tells me Stewie has been listening to the ESPN talking heads and many others around the world of WCBB that Loyd has had the better season and is the leading candidate for POY. And she doesn't like it. She was dynamic against Cincinnati. Look for more of that for the rest of the season.
2014-15: MPG 27.9, FG% .541, 3PT% .333, PPG 16.9, RPG 7.0, APG 3.2, 33 steals, 41 blocks
UConn Bench
Vs ECU in the first game - 19 minutes, 8 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 0 TO's, 3 blocks, 0 steals
I loved her aggressiveness on offense against Cincinnati, even if she missed too many shots. At least she was looking for them and she will end up at 50%+ no matter how many shots she takes. She only had 3 blocks against Cincinnati. I'm thinking she will have a few more against ECU.
2014-15: MPG 20.7, FG% .500, 3PT% .500, PPG 5.4, RPG 8.1, APG 1.1, 12 steals, 83 blocks
Vs ECU in the first game - 25 minutes, 4 points, 1 rebounds, 0 assists, 2 TO's, 2 blocks, 0 steals
Saniya had a terrific end of the game against Cincinnati. She looked more confident than I have seen her all season. I'm hopeful we will see a continuation of that against ECU. She needs to string a few good games together.
2014-15: MPG 20.3, FG% .441, 3PT% .345, PPG 5.8, RPG 2.3, APG 1.7, 10 steals, 5 blocks
15 Gabby Williams 5'11" Freshman Guard
Vs ECU in the first game - 17 minutes, 1 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 TO's, 0 blocks, 2 steals
A quiet game for her is a terrific game for most freshman, with 7 point and 6 rebounds. But her last outing against ECU was one of her worst of the season. I don't think she forgot that. Let's see how she responds. She has grown a lot in January.
A quiet game for her is a terrific game for most freshman, with 7 point and 6 rebounds. But her last outing against ECU was one of her worst of the season. I don't think she forgot that. Let's see how she responds. She has grown a lot in January.
2014-15: MPG 16.4, FG% .604, 3PT% .000, PPG 8.2, RPG 6.1, APG 1.3, 27 steals, 8 blocks
Vs ECU in the first game - 10 minutes, 2 points, 2 rebounds, 0 assists, 0 TO's, 0 blocks, 0 steals
She scored her first points in her college career against ECU but I'm sure she wants to do much better this time. I watched her very closely in the Cincinnati game on the defensive side. That is where you earn your minutes. And she was not good, she was very good defensively. She was calling out the switches, double when appropriate, and was strong with her body. This will continue to get 20 minutes in these kind of games.
2014-15: MPG 14.2, FG% .267, 3PT% .222, PPG 2.2, RPG 2.0, APG 1.0, 4 steals, 0 blocks
UConn Complete Stats
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East Carolina Starters
23 Jada Payne 6'2" RS Junior Guard/Forward
Vs UConn in the first game - 34 minutes, 7 points, 5 rebounds, 0 assists, 4 TO's
2014-15: MPG 32.0, FG% .451, 3PT% .440, PPG 17.3, RPG 5.8, APG 1.6, 27 steals, 13 blocks
24 I'Tiana Taylor 6'1" Junior Forward
Vs UConn in the first game - 23 minutes, 6 points, 4 rebounds, 0 assists, 7 TO's, 3 steals
2014-15: MPG 28.1, FG% .429 3PT% .000, PPG 11.4, RPG 10.2, APG .5, 34 steals, 16 blocks
21 Abria Trice 6'1" RS Junior Guard/Forward
Vs UConn in the first game - 22 minutes, 6 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 TO's, 1 steal
2014-15: MPG 23.7, FG% .368, 3PT% .208, PPG 8.4, RPG 4.7 APG 1.1, 32 steals, 15 blocks
33 Janesha Ebron 5'6" Senior Guard
2014-15: MPG 27.1, FG% .321, 3PT% .250, PPG 3.2, RPG 3.7, APG 4.6, 31 steals, 7 blocks
20 Tatiana Chapple 6' Senior Forward
Vs UConn in the first game - 12 minutes, 0 points, 0 rebounds, 0 assists, 2 TO
She is starting in place of the suspended Shaw. If Shaw is back, she won't see much time.
2014-15: MPG 17.6, FG% .476, 3PT% .000, PPG 2.7, RPG 2.8, APG .9, 12 steals, 5 blocks
East Carolina Bench
01 Shae Nelson 6'1" Senior Forward
Vs UConn in the first game - 12 minutes, 2 points, 0 rebounds, 0 assists, 0 TO's, 0 steals
2014-15: MPG 14.5, FG% .289, 3PT% .264, PPG 6.2, RPG 2.1, APG 1.0, 6 steals, 2 blocks
22 Jasmine Phillips 5'10" Junior Guard
Vs UConn in the first game - 23 minutes, 6 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assists, 2 TO's, 2 blocks, 4 steals
2014-15: MPG 23, FG% .458, 3PT% .429, PPG 10.0, RPG 4.9, APG 1.8, 41 steals, 17 blocks
04 Devaughn Gray 5'11" Junior Forward
Vs UConn in the first game - 16 minutes, 6 points, 2 rebounds, 0 assists, 2 TO's, 0 blocks, 0 steals
2014-15: MPG 12.9, FG% .391, 3PT% .411, PPG 6.7, RPG 1.5, APG 0.6, 9 steals, 2 blocks
40 Ondrea Shaw 6'4 Senior Center
Vs UConn in the first game - 16 minutes, 3 points, 3 rebounds, 0 assists, 1 TO's, 1 block
2014-15: MPG 16.0, FG% .347, 3PT% .000, PPG 1.5, RPG 4.4, APG 0.6, 7 steals, 48 blocks
Game Analysis
East Carolina really isn't a bad team. They are not a great team, but they do have some talent. Similar to South Florida, they have a terrific big guard in Jada Payne, who is effective from the inside and shoots 44% on 3's. And they have a double-double machine in I'Tiana Taylor. The problem is UConn shut them down the last time they played and UConn is playing even better now.
If Shaw is back for ECU (she was suspended) she brings some size and shot blocking ability to the game. But she has no offensive game and from what I remember, she was pretty ineffective against UConn's front line. The Pirates are a good 3 point shooting team and shoot plenty during the game. They hope to hit a better percentage than the 1-10 in the previous meeting.
East Carolina starts 3 juniors and 2 seniors. They bring all upper classmen off the bench as well. So they will not be as intimidated as some younger teams are, and they have the advantage of having played UConn already this season.
UConn is on fire. They are consistently over 50% from the field and 40% on three's during this recent hot streak. ECU is not going to slow that down. Geno again will have the opportunity to play the starters as much or as little as he wants. Against Cincinnati, he had the bench play more minutes than the starters. I don't see that happening at home against someone other than Jamelle.
The bench is starting to get a better feel for the game. And together, there is more chemistry than before. I will be looking forward to seeing them continue to grow.
Final Prediction
So, how will this game go? Any different than any of the other conference matchups? Sad to say, I don't believe it will. The talent disparity is just too great for the experienced Pirates to make up. Geno needs a few more minutes for the starters and that won't help in the MOV department.
UConn might get off to a slow start, just because they are due to do this again. But they will have a big lead at the half and plenty of time for the reserves in the second half.
UConn will score over 90 again and ECU will only manage 40 or so.
UConn by 45+.
UConn might get off to a slow start, just because they are due to do this again. But they will have a big lead at the half and plenty of time for the reserves in the second half.
UConn will score over 90 again and ECU will only manage 40 or so.
UConn by 45+.
thanks again, DD!
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