Game Analysis
From my blog yesterday - Well, sometimes it only takes ONE run and boy, what a run it was. UConn trailed 3-0 when they went on a 19-0 run to take a 16 point lead. They stretched that out a few times, but until the fourth quarter, UConn kept their lead at 16-22 points. A late run by UL and a few missed by UConn brought the final lead to 11 in UConn's 69-58 win. I'm sure that Louisville coach will focus on the way they outscored UConn 18-12 in the fourth quarter to close the gap. And I'm just as sure that many UConn fans will think the same thing. "Oh my, UConn lost the last three quarters! We are doomed". Silly talk. Louisville was the No. 4 team in the county. They might still be after this game. Teams don't seem to move in the polls much after losing to UConn. They are not Wichita State and anyone expecting that 24-6 first quarter lead to end up being a 96-24 win was just dreaming.
UConn did what they needed to do to beat Louisville, a team that beat Notre Dame by 33 points. I don't think we need to dissect the game any more than that. Well, except I did some of that in the player analysis...lol. Enjoy!
Game Highlights
Game Replay
Commercial Free
******************************************************************************
Game Quotes from Geno
"Our defense probably. That was number one. I thought we defended them as well as we wanted to, that was the plan going in. We executed and led to a couple easy things and then at the other end, on offense we just were really sharp on the offensive end. I think when you combine those two things, the way we played on defense and how we executed on the offensive end that’s how you got what you got and I don’t think any of our players or any of our coaches went in and thought okay when we get up 20 this is how were going to play but it was a pretty impressive first half. It really really was because that is not an easy team to play against"
"I know, every time I go to take someone out I go, oh man I don’t know if I want to do that so I say I’ll give them a breather a little bit later and then a little bit later comes and I go, oh no maybe a little bit later and you look up and 40 minutes have gone by. I keep saying that we have got some players that are pretty tough. I mean Gabby made some plays today that are just impossible to describe. Just the stuff that she does it’s unlike anything a lot of people have seen to watch her play basketball. And then she and Lou worked really well together, they got a lot done and kept the defense all balanced. It’s not easy to get a lot of really good players in high school that score 4,000 points each to come to Connecticut, you tell them tonight you’re going to have to pass the ball, they’ll break out into a rash and start getting shakes. So we have to work really really hard to make sure that you stay with what you’re doing and the first half was perfect. Second half got a little bit ugly, I don’t think we were as sharp. Maybe they got tired, I don't know."
"When you schedule teams like this, whether it’s earlier in the season or whether it’s this time of year, it’s always about what’s coming in March so for us to know that against a really good team we have the ability to do what we did but at the same time I guess against a really good team we have the ability to not play as well and I think you need both of those things more than we get normally so for us to get a chance to see both sides of when we’re at our best and when we’re not. Obviously we don’t get that enough. We knew we were going to get it tonight one way or another. That way the second half went, I thought the whole game was going to go like that, that it was going to be like that so I think we got out of it what we wanted".
Game Quotes
Coach Jeff Walz
"That 19-0 run was part of the plan, we tried to get them a little overconfident out there (laughs)...We had some good shots and we missed. I thought we took some that were too quick that led to transition for them and that's something you can't do. You've got to make that extra pass and get them to try to guard you. After the first quarter, I thought we did a good job of that. That's the one thing about them - they can score. And unfortunately, they scored a bunch in the first quarter and put us behind the eight ball."
"We competed. I'm happy about that. Losing sucks. Whoever sits there and says that there is such a good thing as a good loss is crazy. That's what you say to make yourself feel good. I hate it. That first quarter, when we made the first shot, I said 'Ok, here we go, let's continue to put pressure on them.' And we couldn't do that. Then when you give them a chance to build that lead, then you're pressing. I was proud of them. I thought we competed, which is what you want to do. I just wish we could have made it a better game there right off the bat."
Player Evaluations
Napheesa Collier
This was not the best shooting day for Collier. She missed all four of her three point shots, she missed 2 of her 4 foul shots. But she still managed 14 points, grabbed 6 rebounds and handed out 4 assists. She also had three steals, so not a terrible game for her. I thought she took too many threes and would have like to see her patrol the paint more on offense, but overall, she had a solid game, especially in that decisive first quarter. Her defense was outstanding, using her long arms to disrupt the Louisville offense.
Kia Nurse
Kia really listens to instructions! Geno said guard Asia Durr and boy did she ever guard the hell out of her. Her face guarding was key to shutting the prolific Durr down. And even when Durr had the ball she struggled to get off a clean shot. Between Nurse and Williams, UConn has two of the best one on one defenders in WCBB. Kia used all her energy on the defensive end, so she didn't look to score much. She only took 4 shots but she handed out 4 assists with only 1 turnover. You don't need to score to make a big contribution to the result.
"I think for me personally it's whatever the team needs on that night and that was my job today and Lou did a great job, knocked down a bunch of shots, Gabby's passes were on point and Fee as well. I think when you come in and have all these people who do their roles and do them well, that's what makes us special."
Gabby Williams
Gabby never ceases to amaze me. EVERY game she does something that no other woman in college basketball can do. Not one. Her pinpoint passes are infectious as you see the other players looking for the same type of angle passes. The key to her passing is her use of the bounce pass. She finds a spot on the floor to throw the pass, and it always bounces right to the player receiving the pass in perfect position. Her rebounding is so phenomenal. She rebounds in space, out of her area, sometimes it looks like from OUTER space. Her physicality has to be intimidating for the other team to see. Geno played her 40 minutes. I guess her hip was ok....for those who are so worried. She managed 12 points and 15 rebounds and a team leading 6 assists. Other teams have shooters. Other teams have passers. Other teams have rebounders. Other teams have defenders. She is the one player that other teams just don't have and is UConn's big advantage.
"I think we executed great and did everything, defensively we executed and offensively we ran everything we wanted to run, our shots were falling and we were feeding off each others energy."
"I think we executed great and did everything, defensively we executed and offensively we ran everything we wanted to run, our shots were falling and we were feeding off each others energy."
Kati Lou Samuelson
Katie Lou showed her national player of the year chops in this game. I know, Wilson from South Carolina is still the favorite, but I think that Samuelson is the better player. We've said it all season, but her total game is just filling out. She is moving so well without the ball. Yes, Gabby makes great passes, but if Samuelson doesn't make the sharp cuts, or back door moves, Williams doesn't have someone to pass to. She continues to take and make a ton of three point shots, but she does so much more than that. And her defense is getting close to Nurse and Williams level. She also played 40 minutes in this game. And she scored 26 points and 3 rebounds. Another great game for Samuelson.
"I think I was really focused today and at shootaround, you know no screwing around just was ready to go, doing what I could to prepared."
"I think a huge part was our defense and I think that starts with Kia and Gabby, the way they played, they shut them down really quickly. We had that momentum on offense and executed all of our plays perfectly and we ran each one to get a different option every time. We kept going to what we were good at."
Crystal Dangerfield
Damn, just look at those arms, her pecs, shoulders....whew. I don't know if I said this before, but she reminds me of Calvin Murphy of many years ago. They say when he was getting an injection, he kept breaking the needle because his muscles were so strong. But this was not her best game because of her poor shooting. She didn't take a lot of good shots and that impacted her percentage. She did manage 30 minutes on those shin splints so that was good. She had a couple of OMG moves, especially the look-off take to the basket. Loved it. She will get hot again.
Azura Stevens
Stevens....ahhh....Stevens. I can't figure her out. Sometimes she looks like the best player on the court and sometimes she looks like she just doesn't know what she's doing. She did both in this game. Her early play was just terrible. She missed her first four shots and mostly because she didn't seem confident and was way too tentative. But in the second half she hit a few big shots when UConn looked like they might let Louisville cut the lead to under ten points. I think the tournament play is going to inspire her. I just have a feel. She only player 16 minutes, but she scored 8 points, grabbed 4 rebounds and handed out 2 assists.
Megan Walker, Kyla Irwin, Molly Bent,
Mikayla Coombs, Batouly Camara, Lexi Gordon
Mikayla Coombs, Batouly Camara, Lexi Gordon
Only two minutes for the group and that went to Walker. I guess the good news is they had the best seat in the house and saw a pretty good game. We will see much more of them in almost every game before the Final Four.
Final Thoughts
Four more games in the regular season, Three more games in the AAC Tournament. Geno will use these seven games to prepare UConn for the NCAA Tournament.
Then four games to prepare for the Final Four. I'd be shocked if there was a challenge before that.
Next up is the rematch with Temple, who UConn hammered 113-57 on the road. In the friendly confines of the XL center can UConn do it again? I have a feeling Geno will put on the breaks early if the game gets out of hand. Temple is having a terrible season, They play Wichita State Wednesday night, so maybe they can have a little momentum coming into Hartford. But that's doubtful. They have lost 5 out of 6 games since the UConn loss.
Then four games to prepare for the Final Four. I'd be shocked if there was a challenge before that.
Next up is the rematch with Temple, who UConn hammered 113-57 on the road. In the friendly confines of the XL center can UConn do it again? I have a feeling Geno will put on the breaks early if the game gets out of hand. Temple is having a terrible season, They play Wichita State Wednesday night, so maybe they can have a little momentum coming into Hartford. But that's doubtful. They have lost 5 out of 6 games since the UConn loss.
No comments:
Post a Comment