UCONN Vs. Tulsa
Day: Wednesday
Date: January 6th, 2015
Location: XL Center
Time: 7:00
TV: SNY
No. 1 UConn Huskies Tulsa Golden Hurricane
11-0 5-8
Prior Meetings
UConn leads the series 2-0
1/7/15 98-60 Home
2/21/15 92-46 Away
Team Overviews
UConn is coming off a great game against an overmatched Cincinnati team. The big news is the appearance of Natalie Butler for the first time this season. She was terrific in her 15 minutes. Also a great sign for UConn is the play of Saniya Chong. UConn trainer Rosemary Rangle has been working hard to get her in position to play pain free and it seems to be working. And her performance is what UConn really needs, a solid guard performance off the bench. At 11-0, UConn is now in the
beginning of their AAC schedule and will be looking to work on what they perceive as weaknesses going forward.
Tulsa is having a tough season but has been playing better of late. They lost their first 3 games of the season, 5 of their first 6 and were 2-7 after 9 games. Recently, they have won 3 of their last 4, winning their first two AAC games bringing them to a 5-8 record. They really are better than their record shows, with several of their loses under ten points, losing by only 13 to a ranked Oklahoma team and by one to George Mason. It appears the close losses have toughened them up as they won their AAC games by two points each.
beginning of their AAC schedule and will be looking to work on what they perceive as weaknesses going forward.
Tulsa is having a tough season but has been playing better of late. They lost their first 3 games of the season, 5 of their first 6 and were 2-7 after 9 games. Recently, they have won 3 of their last 4, winning their first two AAC games bringing them to a 5-8 record. They really are better than their record shows, with several of their loses under ten points, losing by only 13 to a ranked Oklahoma team and by one to George Mason. It appears the close losses have toughened them up as they won their AAC games by two points each.
Stat by Stat Comparison
Leader is bolded.
Leader is bolded.
UConn Tulsa
87.7 Points Per Game 68.0
55.3 Opp Points Per Game 69.4
.530 Field Goal % .410
.371 Opp Field Goal % .413
.347 3 Point Field Goal % .324
.358 Opp 3 Point Field Goal % .324
.746 Free Throw % .636
39.2 Rebounds Per Game 39.4
30.3 Opp Rebounds Per Game 39.5
22.2 Assists Per Game 13.0
13.1 Turnovers Per Game 13.4
1.7 Assists/Turnover Ratio 1.0
1.7 Assists/Turnover Ratio 1.0
13.1 Steals Per Game 7.5
5.6 Blocks Per Game 1.5
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UConn Starters
30 Breanna Stewart
6'4" Senior Forward
6'4" Senior Forward
Her three point shooting percentage sticks out like a sore thumb. Her ability to hit the three at a 47% clip changes how teams can defend her.
2015-16 Stats
10 Games - MPG 31.3, FG% .618, 3PT% .469, PPG 22.2 RPG 8.0,APG 4.7, 20 steals, 28 blocks
10 Games - MPG 31.3, FG% .618, 3PT% .469, PPG 22.2 RPG 8.0,APG 4.7, 20 steals, 28 blocks
3 Morgan Tuck
6'2" RS Junior Forward
6'2" RS Junior Forward
Morgan's shooting percentage continues to rise and is now at 54%.
2015-16 Stats
11Games - MPG 30.2, FG% .539, 3PT% .320, PPG 15.4, RPG 5.6, APG 3.7, 9 steals, 6 blocks
4 Moriah Jefferson
5'7" Senior Guard
5'7" Senior Guard
Jefferson's assist per game is now up to 6.1, the highest of her career.
2015-16 Stats
11 Games - MPG 32.6, FG% .547, 3PT% .350, PPG 13.2, RPG 2.7, APG 6.1, 30 steals, 0 blocks
11 Kia Nurse
6' Sophomore Guard
Kia is starting to play like the Canadian player we saw this summer. Her three point shooting percentage is up to 37%.
2015-16 Stats
11 Games - MPG 28.3, FG% .462, 3PT% .371, PPG 10.2, RPG 2.5, APG 3.2, 20 steals, 1 block
24 Napheesa Collier
6'1 Freshman Forward/Guard
Collier had her first double-double against Cincinnati. No doubt she is staying in the starting lineup.
2015-16 Stats
10 Games - MPG 21.5 FG% .444, 3PT% .000, PPG 6.5, RPG 6.7, APG 1.0, 27 steals, 14 blocks
UConn Bench
51 Natalie Butler
6'5" RS Sophomore Center
12 Saniya Chong
5'8" Junior Guard
Hoping the new procedure to keep her knee pain free continues to work. She looked great in her last couple of games. 47% on threes? Awesome!
6'5" RS Sophomore Center
It was great to see her play. And it was an amazing start. Looking forward to more.
2015-16 Stats
1 Game - MPG 11.0, FG% .714, 3PT% .000, PPG 11.0, RPG 8.0, APG 0.0, 2 steals, 2 blocks
5'8" Junior Guard
Hoping the new procedure to keep her knee pain free continues to work. She looked great in her last couple of games. 47% on threes? Awesome!
2015-16 Stats
9 Games - MPG 12.4, FG% .520, 3PT% .471, PPG 4.4, RPG 1.3, APG .8, 3 steals, 3 blocks
15 Gabby Williams
5'11" Sophomore Forward
Getting close to double digit scoring for the season. A great weapon off the bench.
5'11" Sophomore Forward
Getting close to double digit scoring for the season. A great weapon off the bench.
2015-16 Stats
11 Games - MPG 18.5, FG% .620, 3PT% .000, PPG 9.2 RPG 6.2, APG .9, 19 steals, 7 blocks
33 Katie Lou Samuelson
6'3" Freshman Guard/Forward
Geno sent a message last week. We could see if she got it.
2015-16 Stats
10 Games - MPG 17.5, FG% .388, 3PT% .255, PPG 7.0, RPG 2.6, APG 1.7, 9 steals, 0 blocks
22 Courtney Ekmark
6' Sophomore Guard
Ekmark is playing great in her limited minutes. She should see more if she keeps it up.
2015-16 Stats
8 Games - MPG 10.5, FG% .600, 3PT% .444, PPG 3.0, RPG 1.4, APG 0.8, 2 steals, 1 block
20 Tierney Lawlor
5'7" Junior Guard
Still miss perfect!
2015-16 Stats
8 Games - MPG 3.0, FG% 1.000, 3PT% 1.000, PPG 1.1, RPG 0.1, APG 0.4, 0 steals, 0 blocks
5'7" Senior Guard
And still my favorite on the team!!!
2015-16 Stats
7 Games - MPG 2.3, FG% .167, 3PT% .167, PPG 0.4, RPG 0.0, APG 0.1, 0 steals, 0 blocks
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Tulsa Golden Hurricanes
Head Coach Matilda Mossman
Matilda Mossman is in her fifth season at The University of Tulsa after being appointed as the head women’s basketball coach on March 22, 2011. Mossman took over a five-win team and in just her second year won a conference championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
In her first season at the helm of the program, the Hurricane posted 13 wins, and finished league play with an 8-8 record and a sixth-place finish, but a year later, the program took another big step forward as the Hurricane captured the Conference USA tournament title, advanced to the NCAA Tournament and posted the first non-losing record (17-17) since 2006.
During the 2013-14 season, Tulsa posted a 12-16 overall record, including a 6-10 mark in Conference USA, but bounced back to tally the first winning record (18-14) since 2006 and advance to the WNIT Second Round during the 2014-15 season.
In 12 years as a collegiate head coach, Mossman has registered an overall 207-155 record. She had a 67-27 mark at Arkansas (1981-84), an 80-66 mark at Kansas State (1984-89), and has a 60-62 record in four seasons at Tulsa. She also coached on the high school level for nine seasons. In 21 years as a head coach, Mossman has compiled a 398-208 record for a .656 winning percentage.
Tulsa Starters
23 Ashley Clark
5'11" Senior Guard
2015-16 Stats
Clark was a 42 position ranking by ESPNU, was ranked 103rd overall and 30th among shooting guards by Olson’s Collegiate Girls Basketball Report and was a three-star recruit by ESPN U HoopGurlz.
13 games - MPG 30.8, FG% .402, 3PT% .222, PPG 13.3, RPG 7.0, APG 2.2, 15 steals, 5 blocks
03 Erica Wakefield
5'4" Sophomore Guard
A returning letterwinner . . . has played in 31 games and earned nine starts . . . has one double-figure scoring game in her career . . . has career averages of 3.9 points (121) and 1.7 rebounds (53).
2015-16 Stats
13 games - MPG 32.3, FG% .446, 3PT% .333, PPG 11.2, RPG 3.5, APG 3.4, 18 steals, 3 blocks
13 games - MPG 32.3, FG% .446, 3PT% .333, PPG 11.2, RPG 3.5, APG 3.4, 18 steals, 3 blocks
00 Kelsee Grovey
5'8" Senior Guard
A three-year letterwinner and starter . . . has started in 85 of 92 games . . . has tallied 55 double-figure scoring games . . . ranks on Tulsa’s career top-10 list in six categories, including third in three-point field goals made (165), eighth in assists (228) and free throw percentage (.822 - 167 of 203), and 10th in points (1,032), field goals made (350), three-point field goal percentage (.367 - 165 of 449) and steals (132) . . . has career averages of 11.2 points (1,032) and 2.4 rebounds (228).
Was a three-star recruit by ESPNU HoopGurlz and had a 30 position ranking by ESPNU.
2015-16 Stats
13 games - MPG 34.4, FG% .395, 3PT% .364, PPG 11.1, RPG 2.8, APG 2.2, 19 steals, 1 block
33 Crystal Polk
6'2" Freshman Forward
Polk was a four-year letterwinner at Lawton Ike High School . . . had a national No. 46 post ranking by ESPNU HoopGurlz.
2015-16 Stats
13 games - MPG 15.8, FG% .556, 3PT% .000, PPG 7.7, RPG 4.1, APG .4, 7 steals, 42 blocks
21 Te'era Williams
5'11" Junior Forward
A returning squad member . . . sat out the 2014-15 season due to medical reasons after suffering an ACL injury.
Transferred to Tulsa as a junior from Butler Community College . . . was a 2013-14 NJCAA All-America second-team selection.
2015-16 Stats
9 games - MPG 17.8, FG% .371, 3PT% .000, PPG 4.8, RPG 3.9, APG 1.0, 5 steals, 3 blocks
Tulsa Bench
4 Teanna Reid
5'6" Junior Guard
A returning letterwinner . . . has played in 30 games and earned 20 starts . . . has nine double-figure scoring games . . . has averages of 7.1 points (213) and 3.3 rebounds (101) at Tulsa . . . has the school’s best three-point field goal percentage (.423 - 36 of 85).
Transferred to Tulsa as a sophomore after one season at Butler Community College.
2015-16 Stats
9 games - MPG 23.2, FG% .356, 3PT% .326, PPG 8.8, RPG 3.1, APG 2.0, 8 steals, 0 blocks
22 Jessica Pongonis
6'1" Junior Forward
Transferred to Tulsa as a junior from Saint Joseph’s University . . . played in 30 games at SJU.
2015-16 Stats
3 games - MPG 12.7, FG% .417, 3PT% .000, PPG 3.3, RPG 2.0, APG .3, 1 steal, 0 blocks
25 Tyjae Scales
6'1" Freshman Forward
Was a four-year letterwinner at The Kinkaid School . . . helped her team post a 92-17 mark during her high school career.
2015-16 Stats
13 games - MPG 12.2, FG% .550, 3PT% .000, PPG 2.0, RPG 3.7, APG .2, 4 steals, 0 blocks
13 games - MPG 12.2, FG% .550, 3PT% .000, PPG 2.0, RPG 3.7, APG .2, 4 steals, 0 blocks
35 Leisl Spoerl
6'1" Sophomore Forward
A returning letterwinner . . . sat out the 2014-15 season due to medical reasons . . . has played in 28 games and has seven starts . . . has four double-digit scoring games . . . has career averages of 4.9 points and 3.1 rebounds per game.
Spoerl was a three-star recruit, had an 88 scouts grade by ESPNU HoopGurlz and was ranked #289 among the Top 300 prospects
2015-16 Stats
8 games - MPG 14.1, FG% .500, 3PT% .000, PPG 5.5, RPG 3.5, APG .2, 3 steal, 3 blocks
8 games - MPG 14.1, FG% .500, 3PT% .000, PPG 5.5, RPG 3.5, APG .2, 3 steal, 3 blocks
Game Analysis
Here is another opponent that just doesn't have the skill level to compete with the Huskies. Tulsa starts 4 players under 6' tall and their only height in the starting lineup is freshman forward Crystal Polk. This will be a tremendous test for the young lady.
Tulane is lead by their guards Ashley Clark, Kelsee Grovey and Ericka Wakefield who are the only double digit scorers on the team. Grovey is the only true three point threat on the team and UConn will have to pay attention to her to prevent another hot guard from hitting from the outside. Tulsa really doesn't have much size, so UConn will again try to work the ball inside and when they double the ball, UConn will look to kick it out for open threes. It's been their formula in the half court offense all season.
UConn will press early and try to turn Tulane over but the Golden Hurricane is pretty good in protecting the ball. Their 5'4" guard Wakefield going against Moriah Jefferson should be a fun matchup.
Tulane does have a few 6'1" players off the bench and we should see them for more minutes than they have played to date to help cope with UConn's size advantage.
Final Prediction
This is a pretty tough matchup for Tulsa. UConn's size and quickness combination will be devastating. This will be a chance for UConn's bench players to get lots of time to work on their games. Hopefully we see Butler for extended minutes.
UConn should win this one by 55+.
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