February 5th, 2008: UConn at Rutgers

Renee Montgomery doesn't want the Huskies to lose- but damned if Epiphanny Prince is losing to Christ the King. Also, the Game Notes suck at figuring out people's classes.


Nothing is perfect, baby. Doesn't matter what sport you're playing. Nothing is perfect.

When it comes to college sports, I firmly believe there is nothing like a crowd at the RAC. You combine loud, passionate fans with an arena that's designed to collect noise from all sides and drop it down onto the court, then stir in an exciting game in one of the sport's biggest rivalries, and it's enough to make you want to sit back and soak it in… except, of course, if you're a real fan, you're probably up on your feet shouting and hollering with the rest of them, so you're not exactly concerned with the way the arena sounds inasmuch as you're concerned about helping the arena sound that way. My throat's still slightly sore.

For a while, though, I was sure this was going to be another heartbreak, thanks in no small part to the unreal shooting of Renee Montgomery. Y'know, between the state's products and its university, I could get a serious dislike on for West Virginia. Then again, Montgomery's panic fouls and fumble on the pass pretty much sealed the win for Rutgers. Somehow, I get the feeling she just took a bit of a slide down the draft board. And then there was Tina Charles, who had Kia Vaughn for dinner. Damn, but she can move for a big girl. I'm not fond of the elbows out on her screens, though. She and Hunter both had a knack for being in places that they needed to be and/or ensuring that even if Vaughn happened to be in a place where a rebound might go, that they got it from her. Moore got hot late, and I'm not sure how much of that to credit to any clutchness she might have and how much to credit to the defense forgetting that she existed, because she either didn't or couldn't get her shots in the first three quarters. Dixon annoys me, and I don't know why. You'd think a Debbie Black fan would like the undersized players, but Dixon doesn't seem to have yet realized that she *is* smaller than most of her colleagues in the conference, or that she's not going to get any advantages from that lack of size. She's a little overdramatic, to say the least. Off the bench… now I can see why UConn fans are ticked at Geno for not playing Houston, because she's got good size and good aggressiveness, and early in the game, when they were getting nothing out of Moore, she stepped up and picked up the slack. I don't know if going away from her was one of the keys to Rutgers coming back in the second half, but it's not a move I would have made. I like Swanier running the team better than whoever they're using as point guard (Dixon?); I think she's got a better handle on her teammates' strengths and weaknesses. Was not impressed with McLaren; I realize she's a freshman, but she brought nothing to the court except size. Has UConn always been playing this aggressive, in your face defense? Seemed surprising that Geno was going to go after Rutgers with, essentially, Rutgers basketball.

On the ride home, we concluded that sometime in the second half, Epiphanny Prince decided, "You know what? Hell if I'm losing to those CTK girls." She took over so dominantly- if I read the box right, 27 of her 33 points were in the second half; to put that in perspective, 27 of RU's 49 points in the second half were hers. It was crazy. She was everywhere. It was beautiful. I wasn't thrilled with Ajavon's performance on offense, but she was after every loose ball, and watching her make those plays was beautiful. Carson didn't look right at all. Vaughn may have been quite impressive on offense, but on defense and on the boards, she was utter shit. I'm sure some of that can be credited to the UConn posts, but she looked like she was doing her best Tammy Sutton-Brown impression for most of the night. There were points I turned to the boy and said, "I never thought I'd be grateful for Tiina Sten; at least she has an excuse." Junaid seemed to be on a strict minute count, because I would have liked to see more of her, especially when they were doing the press; the way Vaughn was playing defense, she wasn't ready for when UConn did manage to break the press, and the Huskies got buckets that were all too easy. Stringer seemed to be going with her starters even more than one would expect for a team with only three bench players; why Zurich was exiled for so much of the game I will never understand, and why the sub so often seemed to be a switch between the two bench players was a source of agita, angst, frustration, and the occasional primal scream from section 203. Have I mentioned lately that I love both McCurdy and Zurich on the inbounds defense? Because I do. Myia more than Heather, but both of them know how to make an inbounder's life hell.

I had the horrible feeling I recognized at least one of those ponytailed refs, but they stayed out of the game, more or less. For the first time in I can't remember when, RU had more free throws than an opponent… but this is the kind of thing that happens when you drive the lane and go for the shot. Wild concept, I know. Ajavon got whammed a couple of times, no call- I mind me of one play where she was pretty much checked into the boards with no call either way. Think my favorite comment on the refs was after a bad out of bounds call, when one of the guys above me said, "I thought I knew all the blonde jokes, but I found a new one: this ref." This was in the first half, so Prince had yet to force an absolutely ridiculous number of fouls against UConn.

It was nice to see representatives from almost all of the women's teams at halftime, though I wonder why the tennis team couldn't send a representative, even if they weren't there. Ah, well. Personally, I'm inclined to believe that, given the number of black warmup jackets and accents on uniforms, RU needs to give up this red and white thing and stick to the red and black; it'll make wardrobe choices so much easier for me.

Nice suit, Coach Stringer. Nice suit, Coach Auriemma. Black never goes out of style.

I wouldn't have missed this for the world. I really wouldn't. I've never been prouder of my team than I was last night. But don't think this means they can let down their guard. It doesn't get any easier after this. Does it ever? ;)