NC State Post Game Thread

[Luckystrike]

What a game! Go huskies!!

Ps: Did anyone noticed Meg Culmo in the stands (in the hot pink) absolutely losing her mind throughout the game? She was the ultimate fan

 

[HuskyNan]

Next year's NCAA Regionals.......is a long way off but

Am I the only one that read this as “UConn might have the home court advantage this year but South Carolina has it next year”? I mean, unless the regionals are Alaska, SOMEONE is going to be close to home. This year was UConn, next year is South Carolina.

 

[SVCBeercats]

Wasn't Liv before her injury?

Yep! My bad!
"Winder-Barrow (Winder, Ga.) forward Olivia Nelson-Ododa is the top ranked player in the ESPN HoopGurlz 100 for 2018 and has everyone from Connecticut to South Carolina to Maryland and many others all giving chase. Now Nelson-Ododa has agreed to give USA TODAY exclusive access into her world by chronicling everything from intimate details about her recruitment to her everyday life in a blog."
Hey guys I’m back with my fourth blog!
Just to give you an update on my knee injury; I’m still rehabbing, but a couple weeks ago I tested myself to kinda see where I was at. I’m expected to be in the clear to do practices, trainings and workouts by the end of the month."

The Olivia Nelson-Ododa Blog: Breaking down her new top six and more

Winder-Barrow (Winder, Ga.) forward Olivia Nelson-Ododa is the top ranked player in the ESPN HoopGurlz 100 for 2018 and has everyone from Connecticut to South Carolina to Maryland and many others a…

usatodayhss.com

 

[Tonyc]

Both teams have the Heart of a Champion. The greatest game Ive ever seem. There was no quit in either team. The Paige and Azzi show was the difference.

 

[Beemer]

What.a.game. I was so jacked afterwards it took me at least an hour to calm down- there was no point in going to bed, the adrenaline was still flowing strong lol

Second best playoff game of any sport I've ever watched in my life. What is #1, you ask? Boston vs Tampa Bay Game 7 Eastern Conference Final in 2011. Score was 0-0 until late in the game. And get this: ZERO penalties were called. Just two great teams going toe to toe for the right to advance to the Stanley Cup Final.

Getting back to UConn- I hurt for Dorka. I pray she didn't suffer any permanent damage and I hope she comes back for one more season.

 

[Coach J]

Not sure if it was mentioned already or not in this thread, and I am nobody to question Geno's success - but if you have the reigning Big East Defensive player of the year on your bench when the opposing team is in need of a 3 and the clock is stopped at the end of the first OT that twice you could have inserted her for defensive only possessions and you don't are you not putting your best possible five on the floor at those times?

Especially when you had two timeouts that you not only could have, but ultimately did end up using after they scored so you could have subbed back in an offensive player?

 

[HopJim]

While Paige's clutch shooting was one of the great performances I have seen in any game, championship or in season, not sure why Azzi isn't getting more love on the Boneyard. Prior to Paige taking over, Fudd was also unstoppable for several critical periods. Kept UConn in the game so Paige could be Paige in the Overtime.

 

[HuskyNan]

Not sure if it was mentioned already or not in this thread, and I am nobody to question Geno's success - but if you have the reigning Big East Defensive player of the year on your bench when the opposing team is in need of a 3 and the clock is stopped at the end of the first OT that twice you could have inserted her for defensive only possessions and you don't are you not putting your best possible five on the floor at those times?

Especially when you had two timeouts that you not only could have, but ultimately did end up using after they scored so you could have subbed back in an offensive player?

Nika’s great at defending a ball handler but she’s been a foul prone disaster at the perimeter. Also, if there were a rebound and UConn got the ball, Geno wanted his best free throw shooters out there. Nika is 25% for the season in FT.

 

[Forego]

Am I the only one that read this as “UConn might have the home court advantage this year but South Carolina has it next year”? I mean, unless the regionals are Alaska, SOMEONE is going to be close to home. This year was UConn, next year is South

Am I the only one that read this as “UConn might have the home court advantage this year but South Carolina has it next year”? I mean, unless the regionals are Alaska, SOMEONE is going to be close to home. This year was UConn, next year is South Carolina.

Jessica Moore is from Palmer, Alaska, so the committee couldn’t hold the regional in Alaska as it would be considered a home game for UConn.

 

[eyeroll]

Paige, Azzi, Christyn, and Evina were or at least at one time rated as the best high school player in the country but on that floor last night there was only one best player, Paige! The others played well but not at Paige's level. It just gets harder for the next two games.

Paige was absolute money in crunch time, no doubt. But let's not forget she played a poor first half and those other teammates kept us in the game with a lead. It's fine to celebrate Paige, but don't do it at the detriment of our other players.

 

[Tonyc]

Its very hard to play great for an entire game. Paige came through when we needed her to come through and it was one of the greatest performances ever. Everybody had their moments and made great plays. However when the game was on the line Paige took over and made it happen.

 

[Bama fan]

More likely Amari is regretting she didn't develop herself more.

Playing basketball at this level is hard. Playing UConn basketball must seem impossible. I've heard she works very hard, and the physical assets and skills are certainly there. It would be great, if her academic demands allow it, that she gets to play some final four minutes and give herself something to build on. Hell, it may be we could just use a body in there for a few plays here and there to give somebody a moment to breathe, I'd love to see Amari have an opportunity to rise to the occasion, but Geno is Geno on the issue of trust.

I am not aware that Amari is having academic demands that would preclude her from playing. Piath Gabriel is the player Geno noted was absent due to academic issues.

 

[Bama fan]

This was one for the ages. And the game was played on the eve of my 80th birthday. I can't imagine a better birthday present. Thank you, Huskies.

I wish someone would do a composite stat sheet of Paige in OT games at UConn. That would include the Tennessee game last year, where she scored all of UConn's points.

Paige and Azzi absolutely have ice water in their veins, hitting all those FTs down the stretch.

BUT QUICK, NOW, WITHOUT PEEKING: Who scored UConn's last 5 points tonight?

Happy Birthday! Nice to have such a present.

 

[DoctorWho85]

This just proves that the rest of women's basketball is catching up to UConn. UConn is still UConn, but there is more parody in the game and it's culminated it probably the most exciting for UConn basketball since the 6OT game between Syracuse men and UConn. Only getting harder from here and these women showed they have the grit to handle it. I think they break through and win it all.

 

[SVCBeercats]

Paige was absolute money in crunch time, no doubt. But let's not forget she played a poor first half and those other teammates kept us in the game with a lead. It's fine to celebrate Paige, but don't do it at the detriment of our other players.

 

[visitingcock]

Both teams have the Heart of a Champion. The greatest game Ive ever seem. There was no quit in either team. The Paige and Azzi show was the difference.

Tonyc you are ever the optimist and gush over with superlatives My nature is contrary to yours: I'm ever the skeptic. However, I will agree that it was "one of" the greatest games I've ever seen. In the running for the greatest.

 

[eyeroll]

View attachment 74983

What is your point in posting the minutes?

 

[Atleast5char]

This was one for the ages. And the game was played on the eve of my 80th birthday. I can't imagine a better birthday present. Thank you, Huskies.

I wish someone would do a composite stat sheet of Paige in OT games at UConn. That would include the Tennessee game last year, where she scored all of UConn's points.

Paige and Azzi absolutely have ice water in their veins, hitting all those FTs down the stretch.

BUT QUICK, NOW, WITHOUT PEEKING: Who scored UConn's last 5 points tonight?

Happy birthday!

 

[hookshot]

Nika’s great at defending a ball handler but she’s been a foul prone disaster at the perimeter. Also, if there were a rebound and UConn got the ball, Geno wanted his best free throw shooters out there. Nika is 25% for the season in FT.

 

[npignatjr]

Paige was absolute money in crunch time, no doubt. But let's not forget she played a poor first half and those other teammates kept us in the game with a lead. It's fine to celebrate Paige, but don't do it at the detriment of our other players.

The Nika Dorka group came in and pushed UConn into the lead.

 

[hookshot]

You're right ! I had the same thought at the time - put Nika in - then, immediately thought exactly what you are saying. There were a couple times when I wanted ONO out for a very short while, for the same reason, so she couldn't get fouled. Bigs are less likely to get fouled, but Nika , as the ball handler, would have been

 

[Oracle9]

I wish the haters would stop with the home court nonsense. The reason Connecticut is where they are is the formula that the committee uses. If teams don’t want Connecticut to be near home then beat them and knock them out of the two or one seed. Has there ever been a survey done asking the non-home team what impact the crowd has once the game gets started. I’ve often heard players say they completely tune out the noise and just live on the court. I have also heard players say it motivates them when the entire arena is against them they take on that underdog role.

Didn't help Iowa. It's Uconn did you think they would let it pass w/o the complaints. ND wasn't having a problem until their mental lapse. Please just being salty because everyone had Uconn done for the season and here they come.

 

[jaydee602]

While I will be disappointed if UCONN loses this weekend, I will still be proud & amazed that this team has reached the final four.
After Paige's injury, our embarrassing losses to Georgia Tech & Villanova, our humiliating defeat at Oregon, & all the other setbacks, did ANYONE believe that our Huskies would still be playing in April??
We knew that they are great frontrunners, but they embraced the unprecedented role of underdog!