March 1st, 2008: Syracuse at Rutgers

The Game Notes bid a fond, if temporary, farewell to Essence Carson and Matee Ajavon, and look forward to the Big East's future in Vionca Murray and Erica Morrow.


You know what the really nice thing is about having the WNBA around? Senior Day/Night isn't nearly as much of a goodbye as it could be. At least when it comes to Matee Ajavon and Essence Carson, I know they'll be back in town at the Garden at least once this summer. It was emotional to know that this would be their last game at the RAC- the last game at the RAC for the season- but it wasn't "adios" so much as it was "hasta luego". Probably also helps that Rutgers has another road game and a couple of dances to attend.

The pregame ceremony was beautiful- did Stringer write that opening speech and just have the PA guy read it? It sounded a lot like her phrasing. It's nice to see folks with their families, and just to hear the incredible stats that Matee and Essence have put together in their four years as Scarlet Knights… it made me realize how lucky we've been. Yeah, I got misty-eyed, and I won't deny it.

So really, I'm not surprised that Syracuse eventually succumbed. They just had too much to go up against. That being said, I really like the job Hillsman is doing with his team. He's done a great job mining the New York City talent, a skill that I ardently wish the Big East school in New York City would actually look for. He needs an assistant who can work with that team on fundamentals such as ballhandling, but I like how he handles his players and how he reads the flow of the game, not to mention that he's absconded with the zone that the Syracuse men use, a defense that I've always found incredibly sexy. It definitely threw Rutgers off (of course, then the Rutgers offense adjusted in strange and unexpected ways). I was really impressed with Erica Morrow (yeah, yeah, I know, late to the party on that one, but I haven't watched high school basketball since I graduated high school)- she's got the cojones necessary to survive in the BEast, and to make Syracuse a serious contender in said BEast. She and Murray make a good combo, and I don't think the Orange lose anything with Murray stepping into the lineup next year. Michael seems to have regressed a bit; she looks like she needs to be picked up by the collar of her jersey and shaken a little bit, because I think she thinks she's still the first option on this team, and she's not anymore because she doesn't need to be. I like the way Tasha Harris runs her team- as a freshman, no less. Wow, she and Morrow are gonna be an awesome tandem in a couple of years. I felt that Syracuse played as well as could be expected, going into the teeth of the Rutgers defense, and the balance that they showed bodes well for them in the future.

Appropriate that Essence and Matee both played well on Senior Day, although Matee needs to stop doing stupid show-the-ball tricks. Essence did it somewhat quietly; I looked up after one of her field goals and asked, "Hey, when did Carson get into double figures?" Katie Adams seemed scared to shoot; didn't she know the fans were waiting to blow the roof off when she got the ball while open? Ah, well. Can't change the past and all of that, and it's not like she needs any pointers on basketball anymore. I've rarely had the chance to see her play- she's a lot faster than I thought she was. Epiphanny was quiet- I think she knew this needed to be the seniors' show. Otherwise, that probably would have been how Rutgers attacked the Orange zone- have Prince penetrate and kick out. Instead, they force-fed the post a lot- no, passing in to a quadruple-covered Kia Vaughn is not necessarily going to end well. Then they went to shooting threes, and lo! the threes were good. The threes were *very* good, actually. We got some great, great bench play- Heather led all rebounders with seven and provided a boatload of hustle, while Brittany was bombing threes like there was no tomorrow. I didn't think Rashidat played that well, though; both she and Kia spent too much time staring at loose balls instead of rebounding them. And we will not speak of the free throw shooting again. Epiphanny hit the first of the game, and then the rest of the first half until Essence went to the line was a disaster upon a nightmare. For all I know, they're shooting free throws right now. This game was much more on fluky outside shooting and the seniors' determination not to fuck this up beyond all redemption for the last time at the RAC. If this is what they bring to Connecticut tomorrow, it's gonna be brutal.

I'm never reassured by seeing June Courteau as one of the refs, but I thought the two gentlemen with her did a solid job. Yes, Kia, it is a foul if your elbow lands in someone else's face. No, Matee, you cannot fling yourself into an offensive player and get the foul called on her. Yes, Piph, you were out of control. I love my fellow Rutgers fans, but sometimes the ragging on the ref gets to be a little too much.

Hi, Megan! Yes, the Liberty had a table set up before the game. They left before halftime, though. :( Still nice to see them there. Only two months until the preseason- OMG, I think I can make it through.

It's sad to realize the ride's almost over- oh, there's the Little Dance at Hartford and the Big Dance, to be sure, but for those of us who have no intentions of visiting the Nutmeg State any time soon, the ride's pretty much over. It's been fun. Frustrating- hey, you can't spell frustrating without RU- but fun.