*****************************************************
So much to say about this game. David hit a lot of the high points so I won't repeat them. I'll just gush over Aubrey Griffin for a bit.
This young lady showed me some things I knew she had in her, but I didn't know we would see it so soon. I think we saw every aspect of her game. She had more than one highlight reel play but my personal favorite was the block of the three point jumper at the top of the key and subsequent layup after she grabbed the ball at mid-court. That was just special. And I think UConn found their other post player. She has such long arms and great jumping ability, she can easily post up and shoot over the defender. We saw what she can do when her head is on right and she just plays. She really is Gabby-like.
I also loved what I saw from Anna Makurat. She is starting to find the range. After starting out 0-11 on threes, she is now 6 for her last 13. I bet no one thought she was doing that well. The other thing she brings is a player that can rebound on the defensive end and then start a fast break. She is not fast, but she doesn't hesitate. Smart player, great shooter, terrific rebounder.
By the way, I just wrote about two freshmen who had 33 points and 23 rebounds between them.
I couldn't write about this game without talking about the two seniors. Kyla Irwin only took one shot this game, but she still had a solid impact on the results. She had 5 assists and only one turnover. Starting point guard Molly Bent did a great job filling in for the other senior Crystal Dangerfield, who sat out once again with back issues. Bent scored 10 points, hit two big threes, and had 3 assists and only one turnover. She was just solid in this game, just what UConn needed.
On a normal night, when Griffin isn't playing like a young Tamika Catchings, Megan Walker would have been the player of the game. She scored 29 points, was 3-6 on threes, and added 3 assists. I'm thinking this is her All-American season.
Due to foul trouble Olivia Nelson-Ododa and Christyn Williams were limited in their minutes and contributions to this effort. They weren't terrible but a few of those fouls were just bad. Really bad. UConn can't afford that in games against the better teams.
Geno said after the game that he expects Dangerfield to be back for the Notre Dame game. But this injury has given Molly a chance to get some confidence and the trust of Geno. It will let UConn rest Dangerfield more often without losing that much.
I did worry about a slow start. But I didn't expect Seton Hall to turn into DePaul on a good night. It was a great sign that the Huskies were able to weather the storm. This team has some grit!!!
I did worry about a slow start. But I didn't expect Seton Hall to turn into DePaul on a good night. It was a great sign that the Huskies were able to weather the storm. This team has some grit!!!
Some interesting games Thursday night.
No. 9 Maryland lost their second game of the season, this time to No. 14 North Carolina State. The Terps, in my opinion, are just not that good. Certainly not a Top 10 team. They have played only three teams with an RPI under 100 and they lost to two of them, beating only James Madison by 2 points. A paper tiger if I ever saw one.
The big upset was newly appointed No. 2 Louisville, fresh off their win over the former No. 1 team Oregon, lost to unranked Ohio State 67-60. If you remember correctly, UConn beat this same Buckeye team 73-62. So, can we do comparable scores now?
Louisville jumped 6 spots in the poll after beating Oregon. Will they drop 6 after losing to an unranked team?
*****************************************************
By David in Naples!!!!!
Consider:
1. Molly Bent scoring 7 points on 3-4 shooting.
2. Aubrey Griffin coming off the bench to score 11 pts.
3. Aubrey tying Megan for most shots taken at 9.
4. Seton Hall making 7 of their first 14 threes. (50%)
5. Olivia and Christyn sitting most of the half with 5 total fouls.
6. UConn down by 9 points after 1 period. Then outscoring SH by 13 in the 2nd.
Part 2- So the 2nd half was just as surprising.
1. In what world does Aubrey go 10-12 from the free throw line.
2. UConn’s two leading rebounders came off the bench. Aubrey w/ 12 & Anna w/ 11.
3. Seton Hall cools down and goes 6-20 from 3 pt range after making 7-14.
4. Molly with 10 pts on 4-7 shots. She had 4 shots all season.
5. Kyla starts & plays lots of minutes, 0 pts & 0 rebounds. Leads the team in assists.
6. UConn goes 16-19 from the free throw line. 84.2%..!!
7. The Huskies end up w/ better 3 pt shooting than SH. 40% vs 38%.
Great win for the Huskies..!!
UConn women outlast Seton Hall
Walker, Griffin lead UConn over Seton Hall
Griffin Scores 25 on court her father played on
Top Twenty-Five Scores and Links
Upsets in Red
Upsets in Red
No. 2 Louisville 60 Ohio State 67
No. 8 Florida State vs 19 Michigan State
No. 9 Maryland 59 No. 13 North Carolina State 66
No. 18 Gonzaga 70 Montana State 55
No. 24 Michigan vs Syracuse
Statistical Sites
Rankings and RPI Sites
Message Boards
UConn Territory - The best UConn women's message board ever!!!
College Fans Only - WCBB board where no holds are barred
Vol Nation - Tennessee women's basketball board
CockyTalk - The upstart South Carolina women's basketball board
CockyTalk - The upstart South Carolina women's basketball board
ND Nation - Notre Dame women's basketball board
Rebkell - WCBB for everyone that thinks they are smarter than everyone else
*********************
I'm always open for suggestions. Just please reply to this blog or email me at:
No comments:
Post a Comment