DoggyDaddy's UConn/DePaul Postgame Report

 






 

 

 

No. 1 UConn Huskies                                            No. 23 DePaul

86                                                                       70 

 

 Post Game report

 

 

Game Highlights

 

When the broadcast started, I had a terrible flashback to that crazy game in DePaul a few years ago then Maya Moore made a steal with a few seconds left in the game and called a timeout. The ensuing end-to-end drive by Swanier with a layup at the buzzer won that game for UConn when it looked like a big upset.    

 

UConn allayed my fears with a quick 7-3 start behind a couple of steals by Jefferson and a three pointer by Stewart. Depaul's only points at that time as a long three pointer, foreshadowing things to come.

 

Coach Bruno had a strategy in place that had them doing three things.

 

- Defensive pressure.  Press off the inbounds. Trap in the half court.

- Make substitutions wholesale. They put in 5 at a time like hockey to keep the players fresh so they could force the pace with their pressure.

- Shoot threes. Early and often. Then shoot them some more. Shoot them from deep.

 

It was an excellent strategy as UConn looked frazzled with the press. DePaul was able to get UConn to play faster than they wanted. Jefferson tried to do too much on her own. UConn missed some shots that they always make. And the ten turnovers in the first half by UConn turned into points for DePaul. In the huddle, Bruno emphasized the pace of the game. He implored them to keep up the pace. Be right there in their faces after a made basket and force the pace. He said that UConn is not used to that pace. And he was right.   

 

The subs did keep DePaul fresh. I don't think they wore UConn down, but DePaul was able to press most of the game and it made a difference in the first half. DePaul's trapping defense much have made UConn think they were looking in a mirror.  

 

I said in my pregame analysis that for DePaul to have any chance, they had to make their threes. And boy did they. Early on they made almost every three and from every distance. I believe it started to get to the UConn players, and they played a little bit tight because of that and the pressure defense.

 

The game was back and forth in the first quarter as UConn was able to make a few threes themselves. Collier put UConn ahead in the quarter with a jumper at the 2 minute mark followed by a three pointer by Stewart. A UConn steal by Stewart and a layup by Nurse put UConn up 24-17 forcing a timeout by DePaul. This was usually where UConn continues the run and creates a lead they just expand and expand. that didn't happen here. Schulte hit a jumper to stop the run but Stewie followed with a layup. DePaul came right back with another three right in the face of the UConn defender to cut the lead to four after one quarter, 26-22.

 

UConn really struggled with the DePaul pressure in the second quarter. After a Tuck three pushed the lead to seven, 31-24, DePaul hit two DEEEEEEP jumpers by January to close to one, 33-32. At this point DePaul had to feel great about the game plan and execution. A floater in the lane gave DePaul the lead and the game went back and for the remainder of the quarter. Stewart hit two free throws to end the scoring and giving UConn a 44-41 lead at the half.

 

UConn dominated the inside outscoring DePaul 20-6 in the paint. They also had ten fast break points to none by DePaul. However, DePaul was able to score off UConn's ten turnovers in the half with 13 points. And the Blue Demons hit 9-17. Two of their three strategies were successful. 1. Press and traps were effective. UConn was not sharp in protecting the ball and 2. DePaul was deadly from deep.  

 

UConn used good defense and excellent ball movement and sharp passing to run out to a 50-41 lead on a 6-0 spurt. DePaul called a timeout but it didn't help as the Huskies used two 3 point plays to go on a 6-2 run for a 56-43 lead. Including the last two points of the 1st half, UConn had finally made their big run, 14-2. DePaul showed that "never say die" attitude ending that run with a big three pointer from Grant. But with every comeback by DePaul, UConn had an answer and after a Chong free throw, UConn had a nine point lead 65-56 after 3 quarters.

 

The story to me of the third quarter was twofold. One, the physical play the officials let go under the UConn basket. There were several times I felt UConn was fouled going up with the ball. And two, maybe because of that physicality, UConn missed several point blank shots. The nine point lead could have easily been twice that.

 

The fourth quarter started out with more sloppiness for UConn. They turned the ball over twice and DePaul capitalized with two baskets to close to 65-60.  Geno gave the bad pass by Chong the ole hair rub. Not good.

 

  

 

It was at the next dead ball when Geno went to Katie Lou Samuelson for her first action of the second half. She was scoreless in the first half, but things do change quickly. She hit a three pointer at the 8:12 mark of the quarter to push the lead back to eight points. Lou made a nice cross court pass to Nurse that led to her basket and a Tuck put back after a Samuelson three point miss made the lead eleven, 71-60. UConn slowly extended the lead behind Stewart and Samuelson to the eventual final margin of 16, 86-70. But trust me, the game was much closer than that.

               

 Game Stats and Box Score 

 

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  Game Quotes From Geno

 

On Stewart playing 40 minutes -  "I just couldn't see myself taking her out. There was just too much chaos going on out there, we needed somebody who could help us everywhere on the floor. She inbounded the ball, dribbled the ball up the floor, scored down low, hit a 3, made a good pass to somebody. When you have Stewie in the game, it is like having three players on the floor because she can do so many things. By taking her out I was scared that we would lose a little bit of that cohesiveness that she gives us."

"We were aware of how DePaul wants to play the game and in the first half they did a great job to make us play their pace. At the half, we talked about grabbing the game back and playing the pace we wanted. And we wanted to make a couple of more passes on each possession to limit the amount of times we needed to run back [on defense]."

“Doug is just incredibly positive with his team, and always sees the positive. He tells me every year that he’s going to beat us, and then afterwards, he’s tells me we’re going to play twice — here and the Final Four. He said it to me last night. And he said it to me after the game.”

“There was one time that I didn’t know what to say. I just turned around and said this is crazy, this is complete insanity. It reminded me a little bit of the Dayton game. I even lied to them one of the time saying that they are not going to make all of them (3-pointers).”

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Game Quotes from DePaul Coach Doug Bruno

  

"Confidence can only come from doing. I never once told my team we would beat UConn. I told them the truth about how I feel about this season. There's more parity in women's basketball that I've seen in my lifetime, UConn aside. … It's wide open as to who the other three teams will be in the Final Four this season."

“It takes work to develop relationships. People don’t understand that. To have a relationship with another human being is work. It’s a love-hate with his players maybe, but at the same time, (Auriemma’s) worked to a point where he gets them to listen.”

“Tonight was a chance to prove you could be one of the three teams that could fight your way to Indianapolis. That was the goal. What happens on the floor score wise, you have to play the way you’re going to play. And I thought our players earned the right to start to become confident."

“Of course, you want to win the game … but in the bigger context of the season, that’s what we’re trying to do.”

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Player Evaluations 

 

 Breanna Stewart 

Stewart is the best player in the country and certainly played like it in this game. She was there every time UConn needed her. I really noticed tonight how much more she is going after rebounds outside of her area. It's a big change in her game and aggressiveness. It led to her playing 40 minutes and scoring 29 points and grabbing 12 rebounds.
 

 "We were playing like our heads were cut off. They were playing their tempo and we were doing it right back instead of taking our time and settling down.”

On the wholesale subbing by DePaul - "The subbing was interesting. When we first saw it, I thought coach was mad at his players."

 

Moriah Jefferson

 

Jefferson had an interesting line. She played 38 minutes and had 9 points and 9 assists. She had three turnovers in the face of intense DePaul pressure. For the most part she did a good job handling the press but I'm sure she would be the first to admit she needs to do better. 

 

 

 Morgan Tuck

 

I'd be happy with Morgan's stat line every game. In 32 minutes, she scored 16 points, snared 11 rebounds and handed out 5 assists. But it should have been better. I counted 4 misses from right at the basket that Tuck normally makes. It certainly could have been a little nerves. She had 9 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists in the 2nd half after settling down. She played really strong in the paint in this game, misses aside.


  

Kia Nurse

It was good to see Nurse with double digit scoring again. She was her usual aggressive self but her three turnovers were the results of being too aggressive. In her 32 minutes she scored 10 points and handed out 5 assists. A productive outing for Kia.

 

  Gabby Williams

 

Geno has limited her minutes, with only 18 in this game. She still managed 8 rebounds and 6 points on 3-5 shooting. But she got caught up in the DePaul pace of game and made too many mistakes. She is still only a sophomore and a game like this is a great learning experience.  

Katie Lou Samuelson

 

Lou struggled some in the first half. She only played 4 minutes, took one shot, a three, and missed. But the second time she entered the game in the second half? Night and Day.

 

She went 4-5 from the field, 2-3 on threes, and scored 10 points in 8 minutes. A great fourth quarter by the next superstar for UConn (no jinx intended).    

 

"It's nice to know he has that trust in me,"

 

 

Sorry, no game action photo available
Napheesa Collier

 Collier had a quiet game. I'm not sure she was prepared for the pace of the game. She did play 17 minutes but only scored 2 points and untypically grabbed only 2 rebounds.  Her defense was still solid. 

 

Sanyia Chong

 

Chong played well in her limited minutes. She hit a big three in the second quarter and grabbed a few tough rebounds as well.  She is really learning to move her feet more on defense, doing a much better job of keep her player in front of her.  She ended up with 11 minutes played and scored 4 points and had 3 rebounds. In a crazy paced game like this she only had one turnover. But it was a big one as it allowed DePaul to close to 5 in the 4th quarter.    

 

  

Final Thoughts

 

I have to write how impressed I was with DePaul. They had a game plan and they stuck with it. Their energy level was outstanding and as they work in the two Illinois transfers they will be a handful by the time the NCAA tourney rolls around.  

 

UConn next plays their campus opener against a weakened Notre Dame team. It appears that Brianna Turner will miss this game and that is a huge loss for the Irish. I'm working on the pregame report right after I finish this. Yes, I have no life...lol.

 

Actually, I'm heading to Florida to visit my son, daughter-in-law and of course my beautiful granddaughters. The 9 year old has a cheerleading competition Saturday. Watch for her in 9 years as a UConn cheerleader!!!