Tennessee Postgame Thread

[TeamFirst!]

It was like Lou's quinceanera. She's been getting attention all year long and you can bet she got a ton tonight. Games like these are THE REASON A KID CHOOSES UCONN. The best exposure a young talent like Lou could possibly get. We are all so happy for her. And yeah, she was beginning to tear up in that interview and who wouldn't in her situation.

I just love Aubrey's game. She gives it EVERYTHING she's got but she plays within herself also. Doesn't make a lot of mistakes, plays terrific D and just wrecks havoc out there. Solid offensive rebounder and just an efficient contributor. And that's what Nika is all about also. Great supplementary players who are efficient. Great teams are made up of efficient players and great players. Sometimes both. Both Jackson and Horston are great but neither is as efficient as AE and Lou. And our supplementary pieces were able to contribute enough to win.

We had to shoot lights out to win this game though. We can't count on that every big game. Tonight was the recipe for beating SC. We are going to get creamed on the boards but if we shoot over 50% from the field and 57% from 3 we have a chance.

This team are just the little engine that COULD. The heart of a lion.

 

[Boreifs]

Dorka seems to have weak wrists/forearms. Contested rebounds and times when she had the ball away from her body, opponents were able to strip the ball away. Needs a stronger grip. I squeezed a tennis ball to strengthen wrists/forearms. This strength should help her around the rim, as a few of her shots inside were weak.

On the positive side, team was not rattled. They kept their focus and composure, especially after Tenn whittled the lead. They grinded, played smart, played the way refs were calling the game. Kudos to Geno for his substitutions at some precarious moments.

You do realize she broke her wrist last year and broke a finger this year, right?

 

[Rb335]

View attachment 83490
Looks like Caroline is almost out of concussion protocol

I certainly hope so! Still sporting earplugs on the bench, but looked really engaged tonight. Her return will help tremendously.

 

[BBallF]

Love Dorka! But agree- Grab the ball with Both hands and keep it up high. She’s 6’5” and plays 5’5” by bringing the ball down below her head.

Agree. Part of the problem is that they don't call hand fouls going for the ball anymore and she gets slapped all the time. The other part is that she definitely does need to be stronger and more circumspect with the ball and to use her height when she has it.

 

[Ozimoto]

Lou channeled her inner DT!

I will take a 17 point win at TBA anytime!

 

[DEpup]

She'd help a lot for sure but I doubt she'll be ready. With only one perimeter shooter available, Beal will most likely be on LLS to neutralize her.

You are probably right about Azzi but we should have Caroline back by then to spread the floor a bit more.

 

[hoopsnloops32]

I certainly hope so! Still sporting earplugs on the bench, but looked really engaged tonight. Her return will help tremendously.

She was cleared to travel which is something!

 

[DEpup]

As far as Azzi, I'm beginning to think we won't see her until BE tournament..... If you think about it, if she isn't ready by the SC game then why bother putting her out there until the BE tournament as a tune up for a NC run....

 

[Monte]

Tonight's game, watching our "bigs" play has me worrying about our play around the basket against South Carolina. I agree with a few posters who want to see Dorka become more forceful under the hoop.....on defense+offense.

 

[RedStickHusky]

I just wish he hadn't said the bit about "what do you expect when you come down here." That was unnecessary. If he wants to go off on the refs have at it, though it's not a great look, but there's no need to insinuate there's some impropriety about playing "down there."

Thanks. I was going to post this if no one else did. I've never been a fan of putting cameras and mics in the faces of athletes and coaches when emotions are high, but it's part of the deal and he should know better. Crappy officiating is certainly not unique to being in Tennessee and I guarantee that's the part of his rant that's going to get the most attention. Don't be surprised if we're not still talking about this a few days from now...

 

[dtbtbtb]

Some thoughts:
*a great win on the road against a good TN team in a hostile arena. Geno, the coaching staff and the UConn players should feel very proud of the toughness the team showed tonight.
*This team is so wonderfully conditioned! Those amazing 5 somehow play in a high level for 40 min. (or close to 40)
*Lou: what can still be said about this wonderous young lady. A scorer with ice in her veins and as hard as TN tried to deny her the ball, she found the way to continue scoring. Just an amazing game by her! which WNBA team does not need such a player...
*AE: again, an All-American performance. Steady, reliable, strong, efficient.
*Dorka: worked hard and hit a decisive 3 towards the end of the game but just couldn't hold to the ball...if she wants a future in the WNBA must become much stronger.
*AG: did her part well and stayed close to the things she does well.
*Nika: who will not want Nike to be in their foxhole. One tough player. the floor general. 40 min. and she looked like she could go on and on. 14 assists...wow.
*AP: liked what she did in the minutes she was on the floor. Not an offensive treat but worked hard on rebounds and defense.
*Amari: played too little to leave an impression.
*Horston: A baller! she can sure play and will play in the WNBA. A real athlete with some nice skills.
*Rebounding: this was actually depressing. We got killed on the boards and that does not bode well for the SC game where they are big and skilled while TN were big but not too skilled.
*The refs: yes, they sucked. but good for the team to fight through that.
A win against TN somehow always feels really good and, in many ways, feels more important than some other wins, even if TN is unranked.

 

[TeamFirst!]

Tennessee just demolished us on the offensive boards. They got to the basket a lot and were in a position to get the rebounds. We are more of an outside shooting team. We have to hit our shots to win against top competition.

 

[uconnfan68]

Dorka seems to have weak wrists/forearms. Contested rebounds and times when she had the ball away from her body, opponents were able to strip the ball away. Needs a stronger grip. I squeezed a tennis ball to strengthen wrists/forearms. This strength should help her around the rim, as a few of her shots inside were weak.

On the positive side, team was not rattled. They kept their focus and composure, especially after Tenn whittled the lead. They grinded, played smart, played the way refs were calling the game. Kudos to Geno for his substitutions at some precarious moments.

Dorka had a broken wrist followed by a broken thumb. Probably not as strong as she’d like to be, but she was getting hacked every rebound. It was a very physical game against a very tall and long team. She probably would like a few shots back too.

 

[eggfit]

I always breathe a sigh of relief when Nika has the ball. What a star. What a general. She is the sneakiest stealer in the league. She can dribble around anybody. She's fearless. She's tireless. She's faster than a speeding bullet. Can bend steal with her bare hands. She's NIKA!!!

 

[DEpup]

I know TN didn't get ranked this week although they should have with some of those teams in the 20s but does this still count as a Quad 1 win?

 

[TeamFirst!]

I don't think the officiating was that bad. It's Geno's job to work the refs and he did his job. Us getting to the line in the 3rd quarter was huge. Geno wants to win badly. You can see it in everything he does. He is the total package. Great adjustments. Motivating. Inspires excellence and resilience. Just a great coach.

 

[Carnac]

WOW!!!!!!

That was a war on the court.

The officiating was a disgrace to the game and both teams. Geno was spot on in his interview with Holly at halftime.

We are a tough, gritty, battle tested team.

Lou was sensational. Shot after shot going in all night.

Aaliyah proves she's an AA. So strong and powerful in the paint.

Dorka and Aubrey battled all night and play some solid defense.

Nika with her assist magic - 14. Pius 7 points. And her tough as nails attitude the whole game.

Remember during the summer, we were all wondering who and what we had. We all wondered if Lou could play at this level and help us at all. Coming from tiny Fairfield, she had not played at THIS level, and we were not sure she could. We also had no idea how Aubrey would do this year after taking last year off for back surgery. Kudos to her medical team btw. Little did we know.

After tonight, we know know EXACTLY what we have and WHO we have. The thing I like most about this team is there are no magicians on the roster. EVERYBODY shows up, and comes to play.

My biggest fear was we would come out slow and timid, and fall behind early and play catch up the rest of the night. ALL of my fears were put to rest that 1st quarter.

 

[MSGRET]

Agree wholeheartedly and some posters may not like hearing that, what with such a big win, but she needs to grab the ball and hold onto it.

Kind of hard to grab a ball when your broken thumb has a protective sleeve on it.

 

[PacoSwede]

fomalhaunt wrote 'Jackson should have been tossed. That was about as flagrant an intent to injure as I've seen in a while.

i say: oh yeah!

there was a lot of grit and inspiring play in this game, and of course the final score was satisfying, but that 'double technical' call is what i'll rememeber most as time passes.

liya didn't do anything to warrant such a call, but rickea j should have been assessed a foul 2 (or whatever it's called) that brings with it an ejection! if liya did commit a foul, it was a common foul before the incident, while Ms Jackson's stunt was an egregious display of dirty play.

to me, it looked like a purposeful attempt to 'take out' liya, to do her harm, and that was clearly possible. it was reminiscent of the assault(s) on crystal dangerfield by the despicable domer Arike, who got away with it scot free, as i recall.

in live action the refs might have missed the vileness of these attempts to injure, but when they're blatantly obvious on tape .... well.

it's disgraceful, but not surprising, the officials chose to avoid making a potentially sensational and controversial ejection call by claiming both parties were at fault.

hah! bah!!!

 

[housekeys]

It's coached. Chris complemented the players physicality in the second half.

It's coached (physicality), it becomes a problem when it becomes a strategy.

 

[HuskyNan]