UCONN - Marquette postgame thread (merged)

[Urshurak]

You know, Stanfords a good team. They also lost an unlikely game against a middle pack conference foe. I know what’s wrong with our team, not sure what there excuse is.

I have no doubt UConn can rebound from this, but my concern is there is nothing that can be done to prevent it. Tournaments are gauntlets. Can’t be done with 5 players.

Lots of you are saying “when we get CD and Azzi back” but they’re glass figurines right now.

I hope I’m wrong. I just don’t see it this year folks.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

I've given likes to the few UCONN fans here on the BY above, who know why this and several other losses happened!
It's sicking to read the comments of most of you!
It sounds like "How can the players do this to ME!" As if they tried to lose these games!
These girls over the course of the past 2 injury riddled seasons have exhibited a courage and a passion to fight through enormous odds to win a vast majority of their games against huge odds!
UCONN has approximately 62 points, divided up:
Paige 20+ points
Azzi 20+ points
Caroline Ducharme 16+ points
Ice 6+ points
Sitting on the bench in warmups, sick inside because they're unable to help their healthy teammates out!
If they were healthy we'd be blowing out every opponent by close to 30 points a game!
I don't know what the future holds for this team, but I'll remain proud as "H-ll" for whatever they accomplish the rest of the way!
Forget what this means to YOU and think what it means to THEM!
Be a Fan NOT a Fanatic!
I know I'll be belittled by some but that's ok, my 75 year old back is strong enough to take it!

 

[AJay11]

This is the second game (first being ND) where I felt bad for the team. Maybe it was just me, but they looked ready to collapse or cry from frustration at the end of the fourth. I could tell they were trying but they all seemed down. I hope someone is giving them hugs and letting them know that they've got this!
On another note, and then I'll move on from this game but I noticed Lou only took one 3 point attempt. I wondered if she was being guarded well or is she avoiding taking shots because of confidence/injury. In crunchtime, I thought she could just start chucking them since nothing else was working in the lane but their seemed to be a reliance on Dorka and Nika to shoot threes, which is nice but... I hope Lou is okay. Also praying that somebody returns to bring a breathe of fresh air.

 

[AzzisBraids]

Everything that could go wrong, did. There were times towards the end when I thought UConn would make a run then it all collapsed. This team is exhausted and look a half step late all night. Better now than in March.

 

[temery]

I can't imagine how much this one on top of the disappointment after their battle with SC is weighing on the spirits of our warriors. I just hope they feel the strength of how much love and support there is for them from UCONN nation. Nothing but pride and appreciation for these guys. Truly a special group of young woman. Emotionally and mentally they hit their low point but they still have three goals for this season and they will regroup, feed and feed off each other and take it one game at a time as they battle to fulfill each of them. It's truly a privilege to root for them.

I like you. My new favorite poster, along with a few others in this thread.

"I just hope they feel the strength of how much love and support there is for them from UCONN nation."

Based on some, but not all or even most posts last night, you wouldn't know it. And the reality is a negative comment weighs a ton more than dozens of positive comments. And those prone to negative comments tend to post more often.

It's time to test this 'addition by subtraction' thing I keep reading about.

Thank you for your post.

 

[jaydee602]

I've given likes to the few UCONN fans here on the BY above, who know why this and several other losses happened!
It's sicking to read the comments of most of you!
It sounds like "How can the players do this to ME!" As if they tried to lose these games!
These girls over the course of the past 2 injury riddled seasons have exhibited a courage and a passion to fight through enormous odds to win a vast majority of their games against huge odds!
UCONN has approximately 62 points, divided up:
Paige 20+ points
Azzi 20+ points
Caroline Ducharme 16+ points
Ice 6+ points
Sitting on the bench in warmups, sick inside because they're unable to help their healthy teammates out!
If they were healthy we'd be blowing out every opponent by close to 30 points a game!
I don't know what the future holds for this team, but I'll remain proud as "H-ll" for whatever they accomplish the rest of the way!
Forget what this means to YOU and think what it means to THEM!
Be a Fan NOT a Fanatic!
I know I'll be belittled by some but that's ok, my 75 year old back is strong enough to take it!

LOL...I had to leave the chat room to avoid all the hostile negativity. Criticism is fine, but they were attacking our team's character, desire, and dedication. And they spared nobody!
These women have worked so hard to provide thrills & enjoyment for their fans during an unprecedented season. They overcame unfathomable injuries & a gruelling schedule to maintain a high ranking. The personal attacks from fair weather fans were unnecessary & unwarranted.

 

[jaydee602]

The strangest part of this game was that UCONN had a half dozen possessions to tie or take the lead. They missed their shot every time. In past games, they would make the go ahead basket & never look back. Geno even called a timeout to set up the tying basket, but there was an immediate turnover. Just an uncharacteristic game from our Huskies.

 

[VaConnFan11]

Teams often times reflect the energy of their coach. There were numerous camera shots of Geno on the bench either looking uninterested or looking at the floor. Contrast that to the Marquette coach whom I think never sat down during the entire game. She was constantly working the refs and cheering her team on.

I have said this before, UConn has no half court offense. Take away the outside shooter(s) and a turnover is sure to happen trying to force the ball inside. When you run the same offense for 38 years, eventually teams will learn how to defend it.

The next game is definitely winnable, but it will be physical. The 2 games after that are "losable" games.

 

[veryolddog]

Lots of grieving in this thread. Time to watch the next game on Saturday against Georgetown. This is still a very good basketball team. We should be grateful that we have a team with these kind of young competitive women that can play with the excellence that they pursue. The men's and women's basketball programs make UConn.

 

[Dillon77]

Whoa. I had strange vibes last night when folks brought up the date: my younger son was born that day and now he'll be ready for the big "Three-Oh" birthday in March.

 

[Dillon77]

I thought Megan Duffy's post-game press conference indirectly put things in perspective:

• she acknowledged we (Marquette) watched the S. Carolina game and acknowledged the physical and emotional toll;
• she gave credit to all the UConn players and noted 'they have two first-round WNBA players" over there; and
• Duffy fully expects UConn to rebound further down the season.

As I wrote last night on the Bench, UConn faced the wrong team at the wrong place under the circumstances, kind of like the Villanova game last year. Rest up, hopefully get some players back. As we all know, even though it's the shortest month, February can be long....

 

[Pharos]

Yeah it’s unfortunate because this game — and others — could have been the time where the bench players really proved themselves (I’m not taking Ines into consideration). But every time they are given an opportunity … nothing. Every single game I go in hoping that they will come off the bench and be this huge spark. Sometimes they provide a little something but never a wow factor.

Remembering Gabby...

 

[darkstar1]

In the bright side, the Big East will have another team in the dance for sure now.

 

[LwrcasefaN]

I hope these kids aren't beating themselves up. They really needed to exhale. No exhaustive breakdown of Xs and Os can explain this. Ignore the ball and stats for a second. Just look at the faces (even the bench and coaches) and you can see the weight of the effort, the expectations, and the yearning wishing they could help. I respect the grind.

 

[Shenandoah]

After the Georgetown game, give the team Sunday and Monday off. Close the gym and locker room, no practice no film study. Nothing. Get away from basketball for a couple of days.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

Just exhausted. Five kids. Getting beaten up night after night. Traveling across the country. Trying to go to class.

We saw the exhaustion in the Providence game. A mediocre team was relentless in defense, getting physically all over the UConn players, especially our two front court players.

Coach Geno said it months ago- he didn't know how long these kids could hang on.

They're human.

 

[Shenandoah]

When 2/5 of the player on the floor are not even a threat to shoot, never mind score, it's no wonder that the other 3 are getting beat up so badly. It doesn't change at all when the bench players are inserted. Amari has shown a good shooting touch out to the 3 point arc, but lately she doesn't even look to shoot. Ines has to understand that when she is on the floor with Nika, she has to become the 2 guard, NOT the 2nd point. Ayanna has a nice touch from 10': USE IT.

 

[Jmsdawg]

Double disappointment for me last night, for some reason my Fox Sports channel was not available to me last night and when I wake up this morning I find out UConn lost the game. Still trying to find out what went wrong with Fox Sports last night but hopefully I can find the game on YouTube. Just hope no one was hurt last night and the game was just a fluke.

 

[MSSportsGuy]

I didn't watch but remarked how incredible the no back to back losses in 30 years are plus the 14 straight FF appearances truly are. In some ways it's as impressive as the 11 NCs that were collected along the way.

The Iron 5 have been through a lot this year. We saw ND win a NC in 2018 in a similar fashion with mainly using 5/6 players so it's definitely possible to win with that number but the margin for error is almost zero.

This may turn out to be Geno's best job in years if he can pull this team back to the FF and if he wins a NC, it will be the most unlikely of them all.

 

[freshler40]

When 2/5 of the player on the floor are not even a threat to shoot, never mind score, it's no wonder that the other 3 are getting beat up so badly. It doesn't change at all when the bench players are inserted. Amari has shown a good shooting touch out to the 3 point arc, but lately she doesn't even look to shoot. Ines has to understand that when she is on the floor with Nika, she has to become the 2 guard, NOT the 2nd point. Ayanna has a nice touch from 10': USE IT.

We do need more threats to score. With the opponents only having to focus on three of our five our job is much harder for the few! We often turn down open shots for harder ones it seems. Being less passive will help all our players. We are pass happy which often results in turnovers. Our guards need to penetrate, not pick up their dribble then pass. Our half-court offense with the double high posts needs a makeover.

We seem laser focused on one thing and don't see other possibilities. This change is coachable. We have great bones, just need to get them arranged in the right order.

 

[Beemer]

IMO everybody needs to give this team a break. These 5 young women are physically, mentally & emotionally exhausted. They simply did not have any more to give last night. It doesn't help either that IMO Geno is also physically, mentally & emotionally exhausted as well, he didn't have any more to give either. Give Marquette credit too, they played very well.

What the starters really need is rest. I know they have to travel to Georgetown but I see no reason why the starters should practice, let them get as much rest as possible. I don't know what to say about the bench, I don't know why none of them has really stepped up. Yes I know they're freshmen & sophomores but even so, their performance has been lacking to say the least.

Losing 2 in a row for the first time in 30 years isn't the end of the world. The sun still came up this morning and the world is still turning.

Go Huskies!

 

[GoUconn7961]

There goes that #1 seed. Unless there a lot of losses by other top teams and we run the table (which we were supposed to do starting with this game) we're a #2 seed at best.

Honestly, who cares? I'm not trying to be snarky in my reply. The tournament still feels miles away and the most important thing these kids need is rest.

 

[VA Huskie]

I've given likes to the few UCONN fans here on the BY above, who know why this and several other losses happened!
It's sicking to read the comments of most of you!
It sounds like "How can the players do this to ME!" As if they tried to lose these games!
These girls over the course of the past 2 injury riddled seasons have exhibited a courage and a passion to fight through enormous odds to win a vast majority of their games against huge odds!
UCONN has approximately 62 points, divided up:
Paige 20+ points
Azzi 20+ points
Caroline Ducharme 16+ points
Ice 6+ points
Sitting on the bench in warmups, sick inside because they're unable to help their healthy teammates out!
If they were healthy we'd be blowing out every opponent by close to 30 points a game!
I don't know what the future holds for this team, but I'll remain proud as "H-ll" for whatever they accomplish the rest of the way!
Forget what this means to YOU and think what it means to THEM!
Be a Fan NOT a Fanatic!
I know I'll be belittled by some but that's ok, my 75 year old back is strong enough to take it!

Is there a way to give your post 1000 “likes”? You nailed it! And my 76 year old body appreciates how well you expressed my thoughts.

 

[Rb335]

After sleeping on this loss, I’ve come to the conclusion that this shouldn’t necessarily have come as a surprise. Losing to a decent Marquette team stings but more than usual because we’ve clung to the absurd back to back losses. We just haven’t seen this happen in a long time.

We’ve been running on fumes with a tight rotation, coming out of a tough stretch of games. The team really performed so well through all the adversity, and I’m really proud to be a fan of theirs. True grit.

We had a really good showing against South Carolina, but we can’t undervalue how much energy was used to compete in that game. Add in the turnaround travel, and the team is tired.

Lastly, our first matchup against Marquette was by no means an easy one. Marquette played us nearly even for Q2-Q4, and we got 19 points from Ducharme. Consider the fatigue factor, playing a team who was confident they could compete based on our first matchup, and remove a player from the lineup that was integral to the initial win. The perfect storm for a loss.

No doubt they’ll regroup, and refocus. But looking ahead, the big east schedule is primarily against teams in the top half of the league. It’s going to continue to be a grind until we get healthy, or someone on the bench takes our lack of depth personally.