SC Postgame Thread

[Tank]

SC team rebounds so well, esp on offensive boards, it’s such a huge advantage, to beat them you have to get strong on the rebounds or they will wear you down with second shots. They won 41-26 on the boards.

That old thought that they cannot hit a three is over, they can knock it down when needed.

 

[Urshurak]

UConn played fine first three quarters (3rd quarter was just okay.). 4th quarter was just baaaaaad. UConn lost in quarters 2,3 and 4 points wise. After going up by 13 and losing by 16, you don’t win games with a 29 point swing…

Offensive rebounds by SC leading to second chance points was the big part of this loss. UConns offense was second part of it. Awful in 4th quarter. As bad as it gets.

And 19 TO’s. Yikes

 

[Happydad745]

SC out rebounded UConn by 15, add that to the excessive turnovers and a few other problems...but, it is early in the season and the team will learn from this defeat.

 

[LoboDays]

Everyone standing around watching and waiting for Paige to perform her miracles.. No one comes up big. If Paige can’t do it, no one can. That can’t happen against the best teams.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

This version of the Huskies, well, I think they need to be tougher, harder.

 

[eebmg]

It is such a security blanket for SC when you can get offensive rebounds. If you only get one shot, the pressure to be flawless just grows. SC could miss and not be concerned.

I think we need to get Piath and DeBerry some minutes and forget the idea that fouls are bad. Play physical with all the size you have to rotate in. Make them feel you at least. And to give up more TO's than SC. Did not see that coming.

 

[LwrcasefaN]

4th quarter beat-down was very disappointing....but.showed enough that if we play well we can beat them.

Geno said the only way Azzi can be stopped if she stops herself. Reason #2: if she is on the bench due to coach's decision.

Ono plays like this...she is more than good enough to be a big factor in April.

SC has beasts inside...their three ball shooting surprised me.

They made 5 out of 18...27%. The surprise is Uconn only taking 8!

 

[saywho]

Azzi didn't get much opportunity today time-wise. When she was in though, she really just hangs out on the wing and isn't very aggressive in getting herself open. It's almost like plays were happening without her, and she just stood there. Not bashing her -- it may be by design. Just an observation.

 

[Rb335]

A really bizarre game. The team looked very energetic and ready in the first quarter. But once the transition game faded, we struggled with half court offense. The fourth quarter reminded me of that awful Q1 down in SC a few years ago. Just dreadful. And the rebounding, my goodness.

Are we a better team than last year? At this point I’m not convinced since our on paper depth is nowhere to be found and a few rotation players from last year look less polished. But by season end, I’m sure all of that will change. Part of the process.

 

[LwrcasefaN]

Before the ONO bashing starts, she played a very good defensive game. She needs the other bigs to help on defense.
Very sad 4th quarter.

ONO was great if you ask me.

 

[Camiam88]

Everyone standing around watching and waiting for Paige to perform her miracles.. No one comes up big. If Paige can’t do it, no one can. That can’t happen against the best teams.

Agree. All of SCs guards went after it today, while CW/E/Azzi when in just kept throwing it back to Paige. Same for dorka/ONO/AE. They need to get aggressive in the paint instead of always dishing back out

 

[oldude]

I have had a feeling for a few games, which may be entirely wrong, but I'll throw it out there. I am beginning to wonder if Aaliyah's summer with the Canadian national team didn't hurt her development coming into this season. She basically had to cut short her summer practice and conditioning program at UConn to join the national team, and then got precious little PT leading up to and during the Olympics. Aaliyah needs to play "catchup" now.

 

[Dokey]

While this was pretty much what I predicted (I had it 77-60 SC), it could have gone the other way even with SC dominating offensive rebounds had not four things happened: the lack of focus that led to two straight turnovers on routine in bounds, ONO’s inability to shoot the mid range jumper (they didn’t even bother to guard her), Geno’s timeout with 14 seconds on shot clock, and—finally—the conventional wisdom play for the last shot at the end of the third. Along with the prevent defense in football, this is the dumbest play in all sports. Every coach does it. Look, you have plays, you practice moving the ball to find the open shot on every other play and then you leave yourself with one, often poor chan e to score. It tells your team you guys can’t grab an offensive rebound—percentages against it—but make the shot or miss I don’t believe you guys can play defense for 10 seconds. End of sermon. It will no doubt fall on deaf ears. But I repeat—the dumbest play in sports.

 

[bballnut90]

UConn is a finasse team. South Carolina is an athletic team. The difference really showed in this game.

SC just looked so much more physical out there. Dominated the glass and rendered UCONN's bigs completely ineffective. Boston was phenomenal today. Cooke also looks markedly better this year, taking better shots and is hitting them at a great clip. I think if Cooke continues to play like this SC is going to be very difficult to beat. SC was just quicker and more athletic at almost every position. 1 (potentially 2) more games between the two this year, so we'll see how the next game goes. Both teams should improve.

Worth noting, for as much hype as each freshman class has, only 1 frosh played for each team and neither made any impact.

 

[SLY63]

Very disappointed, but if you told me we would have 19 TOs and and give up 19 O Rebs, I would have expected worse. I can't tell, should that make us optimistic?

 

[BBallF]

They had almost 20 offensive rebounds, were stronger, had more energy, and it exposed some glaring weaknesses in our players and team. We poorly box out if at all. Azzi was non-existent ofensively and a liability on defense. Aaliyah had a below average game with turnovers, bad floor decisions and not being a real factor underneath. CW stopped driving and Evina disappeared as she usually does in the second half offensively. Paige and Liv showed up but Paige stopped wanting to shoot at certain points.

My overall take is that we were tired. They had a tough physical game yesterday and SC had a coast with Oregon depleted by injury. I also thought the refereeing was horrendous. I still don't know why we have such poor refs in the women's game.

This will be good for us. Getting beat like that should be a total team wake up call. I hope.

 

[KhoolKidd89]

Some thoughts on the SC game:

• Round 1 is in the books and while it’s clear that UConn is not quite at SC’s level yet. I will remind BY naysayers that in his 37 years as UConn’s HC, Geno’s teams always improve as the season progresses. Round 2 – January 27 – Columbia, SC.
• This was a really competitive game between two great teams for 3 qtrs. The Huskies lost their poise in the 4th qtr and SC finished strong.
• Paige wasting no time today, looking for her shot from the very start of the game, as well as dropping several beautiful dimes when SC rotated a second defender to stop her penetration.
• Evina started off strong as well but faded some as the game went on, before reappearing again in the 4th qtr.
• Liv’s 1st qtr was as good as I have ever seen her play, and she played well throughout the game. She needs more help from Aaliyah and Dorka.
• SC crashing the offensive boards in waves reminds me so much of Pat Summit’s Lady Vols in their heyday. Ultimately UConn was unable to overcome SC's rebounding advantage.
• Interesting time for Mir to get her first PT of the season. Obviously, those minutes would have been Aubrey’s minutes if she were healthy.
• The refs clearly made a conscious decision to swallow their whistles today, particularly on charging calls.

Great recap. It’s clear that we miss Aubrey!

 

[JellyBean]

You don't waste anytime! LOL!!

But our girls played their hearts out. With that being said, a lot of work is ahead of us. So much talent on paper. Now our girls have to put it together mentally and physically. We have to be more than just Paige, C Williams, and Evina Westbrook. Rebounding. Rebounding. Rebounding. Defense. Defense. Defense. Watch tape of the game if you have to. Just put this game behind you and learn from it.

Enjoy Thanksgiving and We Believe In You, Ladies!! UConn!! UConn!! UConn!!

 

[Urshurak]

Well almost all you jokers wanted a loss, so don't bother to cry!

What?

 

[ucbart]

I think one major point has been missed-we were GASSED.

 

[Dokey]

While this was pretty much what I predicted (I had it 77-60 SC), it could have gone the other way even with SC dominating offensive rebounds, had not four things happened: the lack of focus that led to two straight turnovers on routine in bounds, ONO’s in ability to shoot the mid range jumper (they didn’t even bother to guard her), Geno’s timeout with 24 seconds on shot clock, and—finally—the conventional wisdom plat for the last shot at the end of the third. Along with the prevent defense in football, this is the dumbest play in all sports. Every coach does it. Look, you have plays, you practice moving the ball to find the open shot on every other play and then you leave yourself with one, often poor chance to score. It tells your team you guys can’t grab an offensive rebound—percentages against it—but make the shot or miss I don’t believe you guys can play defense for 10 seconds. End of sermon. It will no doubt fall on deaf ears. But I repeat—the dumbest play in sports

 

[tchodgd]

Some thoughts on the SC game:

• Round 1 is in the books and while it’s clear that UConn is not quite at SC’s level yet. I will remind BY naysayers that in his 37 years as UConn’s HC, Geno’s teams always improve as the season progresses. Round 2 – January 27 – Columbia, SC.
• This was a really competitive game between two great teams for 3 qtrs. The Huskies lost their poise in the 4th qtr and SC finished strong.
• Paige wasting no time today, looking for her shot from the very start of the game, as well as dropping several beautiful dimes when SC rotated a second defender to stop her penetration.
• Evina started off strong as well but faded some as the game went on, before reappearing again in the 4th qtr.
• Liv’s 1st qtr was as good as I have ever seen her play, and she played well throughout the game. She needs more help from Aaliyah and Dorka.
• SC crashing the offensive boards in waves reminds me so much of Pat Summit’s Lady Vols in their heyday. Ultimately UConn was unable to overcome SC's rebounding advantage.
• Interesting time for Mir to get her first PT of the season. Obviously, those minutes would have been Aubrey’s minutes if she were healthy.
• The refs clearly made a conscious decision to swallow their whistles today, particularly on charging calls.

SC's size and depth wore UCONN down. A few minutes into that fourth quarter and you knew it was over. Paige looked tired, she had to work very hard to get free of the smaller, quicker Henderson. Christyn had a chance to dump it off to open big's on some of those drives, too fixated on the rim. Boston is a beast, if you let them play like that down low, there's no stopping her.

 

[uconnfan68]

Some thoughts on the SC game:

• Round 1 is in the books and while it’s clear that UConn is not quite at SC’s level yet. I will remind BY naysayers that in his 37 years as UConn’s HC, Geno’s teams always improve as the season progresses. Round 2 – January 27 – Columbia, SC.
• This was a really competitive game between two great teams for 3 qtrs. The Huskies lost their poise in the 4th qtr and SC finished strong.
• Paige wasting no time today, looking for her shot from the very start of the game, as well as dropping several beautiful dimes when SC rotated a second defender to stop her penetration.
• Evina started off strong as well but faded some as the game went on, before reappearing again in the 4th qtr.
• Liv’s 1st qtr was as good as I have ever seen her play, and she played well throughout the game. She needs more help from Aaliyah and Dorka.
• SC crashing the offensive boards in waves reminds me so much of Pat Summit’s Lady Vols in their heyday. Ultimately UConn was unable to overcome SC's rebounding advantage.
• Interesting time for Mir to get her first PT of the season. Obviously, those minutes would have been Aubrey’s minutes if she were healthy.
• The refs clearly made a conscious decision to swallow their whistles today, particularly on charging calls.

With Dee Kantner and Joe Vazily(?) and a stone post, did you expect a fair game? But even I have to admit they weren’t the difference.