Princeton Postgame Thread

[oldude]

OMG--I didn't know Lou also was hurt--what's wrong with her???

Right now it’s speculation based on the fact that she didn’t play in the 4th qtr.

 

[Valleyfan]

Whew, I’m still catching my breath after that one! Gritty team win and lots of adjustments on the fly that the team responded to. Some good: Aubrey, Ines hitting some key FTs, AE playing point a few times, barely keeping their composure. Lots bad: too many lob passes, poor overall passing not handling the pressure. And ugly: friendly fire causing another injury, some players that needed to step up didn’t (mainly CD - hopefully she has a bounce back game against Maryland like Aubrey tonight)

Some other observations: Geno’s teams usually have very high basketball IQ. Unfortunately the players tonight, even though they don’t see the floor that much, don’t seem to possess that IQ.

No shortage of things to work on, but confident in the resiliency and grit of the team. Get well soon team!

 

[hoopsnloops32]

Why does everyone underestimate Aubrey? She had one bad game against Norte dame but she’s been one of the best players all season. She probably has the highest ceiling on the whole team.

 

[BRS24]

Geno just said in post game presser that Lou tweaked her foot a few weeks ago and then again tonight so sounds like precautionary and they were gonna keep an eye on it.

 

[hoopsnloops32]

Right now it’s speculation based on the fact that she didn’t play in the 4th qtr.

No, you could see her telling CD she twisted her ankle during a timeout. The camera was right on them.

 

[SLY63]

Right now Brenda is having her team practice their full-court press.

 

[hoopsfan22]

The good news is after Maryland they have a week before the next game. Will be good to get a break for healing.

 

[Littlemin]

Some of the posters here who think this is a game to take potshots at Uconn players ought to find another sport or team to root for; just my opinion. Uconn played down the stretch with two players who barely got off the bench before tonight and a player who MIGHT be at about 60%. But they stayed together against a pretty good team that smelled blood in the water and went after it big time. Me, nothing but respect and admiration for both teams, one of the best UGLY games I have seen ever!

 

[RoadMaster]

Inês is now part of UConn lore. I don't know if they win that game without her. A small part but a vital one.

I couldn't help but wonder, as I watched Coach Berube and her little grin watching Inês sink those last free throws... Was she remembering a UCONN Sophmore sealing a national championship game in 1995, with a couple of free throws?
I know I did..

 

[mbr33ct]

Ducharme, Bettencourt, Patterson, Deberry combined 9 pts, 3-9 FG, 6 AST, 13 PF, 15 TO. Not good.

Thank goodness Aubrey showed up. But man, this is rough right now. Good news is that at some point Azzi and Nika will be back, at some point.

Without them 9 points UConn does not win.

 

[Carnac]

And Lou. I'm guessing she sat at the end because she was hurt.

You guessed right. On Bob Joyce’s post game show, Cris Dailey said that Lou tweaked her ankle and they didn’t want to send her back out there.

 

[fomalhaut]

It is last year all over again.

This year has been much worse, starting with the loss of our best player and an incoming freshman before the season even started.

 

[UConnCat]

 

[pk1234]

Without them 9 points UConn does not win.

They shoot 5-9 and only combine for 8 TO, then UConn wins by 10.

 

[ochoopsfan]

 

[Dezoworld]

UCONN fans clearly know more than me but this seems a little extreme.

I thought CD was very impressive last year. Hasn't she been dealing with some injuries? I know this game was rough for her but I wouldn't consider her a bust. They definitely will need her to step up moving forward with all the injuries

Why is Caroline playing if still injured?

Where was that energy when she had 2 good games in a row. To me it is a mental thing. She just have to get into game shape and use to the speed and flow of the game again. Confidence is key for her.

 

[Hayven]

just ugly all around. It’s going to take a complete effort to escape Maryland. Once again, we don’t win championships in December. I wouldn’t rush Nika or Dorka back for Maryland unless they are really 100%

 

[oldhusky]

Hate to say it, but the back to back loss streak we just dodged breaking could now be vulnerable again in two games. Without Nika and Lou we would be major underdogs against Maryland. That means we are likely facing it again against Florida State, another good team.

We need some good news from somebody, Dorka, Nika, or Lou or fate and bad luck could end that streak even if the others play pretty well. The news over the next couple of days will be like sitting and waiting in a hospital for the results of surgery on a loved one. Hoping for the best but fearing the worst.

 

[HuskyNan]

 

[my2cents]

I said last game thread there was no talking about "what ifs" with players being out ... but yeah now it's getting to the point where it's truly impossible not to consider the fact that UConn is in an incredibly bad spot with all the injuries. I mean, to have two (!!!) more players go out this game with apparent injuries ... you just can't ignore it. It's extremely unusual and puts UConn in a very tough spot. It's just not fair.

The point I was trying to make, to no avail it seems....in the 4th qtr, the ONLY guard we had was Ines Bettencourt ( who as a freshman has had very little playing time). So to say, wow we had 27 turnovers....makes no sense to me.
Also, we may have to bring walk-ons on, (if Muhl and Lou are out) as any players foul out, we could end up with 4 players playing.

 

[HuskyNan]

Some people sound like they’re becoming slightly unglued. Chill. Geno isn’t going to play an injured player in an early December game so the Huskies can win a regular season game against an out of conference opponent. If they lose, they lose. It’s not the end of the world

 

[fomalhaut]

A few days ago I was thinking that Muhl was the one player we could not afford to lose.

 

[ThisJustIn]

From radio:
CD -
Had it all the way, right?
Yes we did. lol.
Give our kids a lot of credit... missing 5 starters. You couldn't make this up and what keeps happening. To have 3 of the 5 players we had at the end of the game? Bettencourt making free throws when she had to.
Did a lot of crazy things, but we won a game most peple wold have lost.

Debbie - Started - Had cruise control... and then moments of...

CD: Chaos.

When it was getting close, what message?

No Nika. Big loss. Not to have pg to control game, she has a lot of experience. When you get thrown into the fire, gotta fingure it out. Wasn't always pretty but we figured it out.
Defense first half terrific, second half they got easy buckets - things we could control that we didn't cant fix.

Debbie -Aubry - rebound game.

Absoultey couln't have one without. 2 years ago wouldn't have happend. That's growth. Gaining confidence

Debbie - Strong - Lou at start

CD: Lou. good offense in beginning, then she was playing point guard. then tweaked her ankle. Just another injury.

Rains it poors.

CD Maybe casue so many years good luck w/injuries.

Bob: Last 12 months been a nightmare re: injuies

CD - DeBarry - gave us good minutes in first half. Second half, trying to make plays not able to make, inexperience. Princeton ut a lot people in the lane so we needed NOT to drive. Inexperience. Kudos that they were trying to make the play...can't have experience unless get experience.

Edwards and Aubrey -out of time out plays.

There has to be one good sign. Not usually speechless. Can't describe. You expected this during covid. Because testing every day. Who's going to be out. Now it's the same feeling, but not covid..
Strong bunch but don't know how much more we can handle.
Watch film, do recover. Get ready for Maryland.Then exams - week to regroup.
Hopefully start to get some people back.

When do you know who will go to Marylad with?

Don't know.Usually not problem sleeping. Last night up at 2am. Never experienced it before.
No way guys who finished the game could have been prepared to end the game.
Coaches need to do better job preparing. Players need to all be connected in a way not been in the past. We're down people, so you have to suck it up. In pandemic you could cancel games - I don't want to! Kids showed up. Says evertyhing about CT basketball and the kids we have. Any other team would have lost.

 

[GoUconn7961]

Some thoughts on the Princeton game:

• This is Carla’s 3rd season as HC at Princeton, coming off 2 straight Ivy League championships with her experienced team favored to win another this year. The Tigers are talented, smart and they execute their gameplan well.
• Much like last season, when injuries and illness plagued UConn, the Huskies are trying to piece it together once again. That was obvious when Amari checked in, 2.5 minutes into the game, and Ines came off the bench in the 3rd qtr.
• Watching the replay of Nika’s injury, it appeared clear that the knee she caught from Aaliyah as she fell was the worst of it and possibly put her into the concussion protocol.
• Lou was basically the go-to scorer at Fairfield for 4 years. I don’t imagine she ever expected to be the go-to scorer for a fifth straight season at UConn, and then the pg on a team with Paige, Azzi & Nika. I have no idea why Lou was on the bench in the 4th qtr down the stretch???
• Right now, for this team, with so many players out, Aubrey clearly needs to be that player that put up 30 ppg for Ossining HS and did a little bit of everything. Which is just about what she did tonight.
• This was the ugliest of ugly games. But somehow it was a win. Not much else to say........
• MD on Sunday is going to be a much tougher test. Not sure which Huskies will be in uniform, but UConn will need to dig down deep to find a way.

Per Megan Gauer on Twitter Lou had previously had a sore ankle/heel and tweaked it tonight.