October 26th, 2019: Rutgers at Fordham

Basketball sort of happens, '80s music is referenced, fans travel, and your intrepid blogger beats the buzzer, more or less.

Good afternoon, ladies, gentlemen, boys, girls, genderqueer peeps, non-binary folk, and everyone else I might have forgotten! It's a beautiful fall day in New York City, the kind that you take pictures of the campus for admission packets on. So of course, we're in Rose Hill, preparing for Fordham and Rutgers in a previously closed scrimmage. We gave our ten bucks for admission. Clearly the Rutgers folks were used to a more technological setup, because they had to have a sign out indicating that they didn't take credit cards and providing the location of the nearest ATM. Conversely, the young ladies manning the register seemed pleasantly surprised that we not only had cash, we had exact change.

A contingent of Cagers, about 20 strong, has made the trip to the Bronx. They, uh. They might outnumber the Fordham fans, but on the flip side, it's half an hour before tip. We're still ready to get as loud as we need to get.

Vilisi Tavui is in sweats next to Isis Young. We know from the open practice that Ice is hurt, so I'm assuming Vilisi is being held out for the same reason. I hope it's only precautionary. I would like to see her stop being hurt at some point.

Rutgers's practice jerseys are hideous. The font is terrible and the two-tone numbers are worse. I also feel like there should be more red, but this is an ongoing argument i have with teams that have colors in their names.

Really, Cagers? Before a scrimmage on the road, you're singing the fight song? Before a scrimmage? On the road?

18-10 Rutgers end Q1, although it looks like the scores are being reset at the end of each quarter. If the purpose has been to put a winning team on the floor, this ain't it. If the purpose is to figure out our strengths and weaknesses, and to accustom the team to obnoxious traveling fans in advance of the Notre Dame game, then this sort of makes sense.

15-13 Rutgers end Q2. The physicality has picked up. I don't like it. Also, we need to hit free throws. This is a thing that is independent of the quality of our opponent, and we're something like 2-6 for the day. My eye was on the ball, so I idn't see how Maori Davenport got hit in the stomach, but it was bad. I thought she was going to throw up on the court.

Oh, now the PA guy wants to get going.

16-12 Fordham end Q3. Although now the scoreboard reads 51-all, and that's not accurate. If they're picking up the running score, it's 46-39 Rutgers. Tekia Mack's protestations of innocence and horror that she hasn't gotten the call amuse me.

Rutgers won the fourth quarter 27-18. So the final score was either 78-69 or 73-57 in favor of Rutgers. Your mileage may vary.

I was not happy with Rutgers's physicality in the second and third quarters. I understand that part of the goal of a scrimmage like this is to prepare you for the regular season, and we're going to be facing some very tough competition very quickly. But some of it felt unnecessary, and some of it felt retaliatory for plays that were not intentional.

Danielle Migliore brought a little bit of attempted shooting touch, but it often did not go well. She still looks like she's trying to fit into the Rutgers system as a transfer. I don't know if she's anything but a zone-buster off the bench, but maybe that's all they need her to be. Maori Davenport looks... for some reason unfinished is the word that comes to mind. Maybe I'm just getting older, but I swear they look younger every year. Between the nonsense she had to go through with the high school federation and the two bad tumbles she took in this game, I have to wonder what she did or who she angered in her past life. I hope she's okay. They were the only two players who were consistent in coming off the bench in both "halves".

Tekia Mack is probably going to earn herself a lot of fans at Rutgers, not just because of her way to slither into small spaces and hit shots at impossible angles or draw contact, but because she has a very expressive on-court personality- her body language and demeanor remind me a little of Courtney Williams. She's probably also going to make herself fairly unpopular among Big Ten fans and possibly officials, because at least in this scrimmage she was demanding every call in her favor and complaining about every call that went against her (and at least one against Mael Gilles). She's an interesting player, and she's fun to watch. She gave us fits with her height. I just get the feeling that if I were still a Rutgers fan, I'd spend Mack's entire career yelling "TEKIA, YOU'RE NOT GETTING THAT CALL!" She and Khadaizha Sanders got the start in the first half, but not the second half. Sanders got off a couple of nice shots, but I don't think Stringer was happy with her fouls in the third quarter- they were mostly cheap reach-in fouls, and a grad transfer should know better than that. Conversely, Noga Pelag Pelc and Joiya Maddox got the second half start but not the first half start. Neither was particularly impressive, although Maddox might be good for them in a couple of years when she really internalizes the system.

Most times I look at college players' listed heights and think, There's no way she's that tall. I looked at Arella Guirantes and thought, There's no way she's only 5-11. Maybe her hair is throwing me off, or maybe it's her build- I could think of no other description for her but "she thick", possibly even "thicc". She plays like a guard but can bang like a forward. She's not as well conditioned as I'd expect a Stringer player to be, though. There was one sequence where she was pulling on her jersey. I'd need a box score to look at minute counts, but she did seem to spend a lot of time on the court. Jordan Wallace got into foul trouble early, but Stringer chose to let her play through the three first-quarter fouls. She seemed more effective in the early going, although I'm not sure if that was because of the fouls or because Guirantes and Mack were carrying the load for the Scarlet Knights. She did do a good job of setting screens for her teammates. Mael Gilles has very quick hands. She deflected a lot of balls, and she's absolutely lethal as part of the infamous press. Her deflection skills did not serve her as well on offense.

Rutgers has a lot more size in the backcourt than I was expecting. Their reserves are kind of small, but I don't know how much they're going to get used. The press is as terrifying as it ever was- they forced at least two 10-second violations out of us, and while I know Coach Gaitley likes to run the shot clock deep even on a good day, I think they had us struggling at the end of the clock more than I'd like.

I like Sarah Karpell's heart. She's very clearly a freshman, though. She needs to work on her defense, but I recognize that attempting to criticize a college freshman on her defense before her first real game of the season is just mean. I'm not a complete jerk, and I think she has the potential to develop the way we need her to develop. Catherine Polisano doesn't seem to have changed much from the spot player she was last year. I'll need to see her in actual game action to have a better idea of who she might be for us this year. I like the height that Eden Johnson brings off the bench, and I think with time she'll know where her teammates are going to be on the glass enough that they all don't get tangled up with each other.

I was, however, disappointed in our returning reserves, and that's a wee tiny bit of a problem when we're relying on them to play the bulk of the minutes off the bench. Zara Jillings, heady as she was calling plays and relaying signals, couldn't keep her hands on the ball. She got deflections on defense that should have been steals and deflections on offense that should have been clean catches. I know Rutgers's defense is a lot tougher than anything we would normally face on this level, but she's got to be better than that. Megan Jonassen really needed to step her game up. She was okay, but not great- there seemed to be stretches where she was missing rebounds and defensive stops she has made in the past. She needs to be more than she was, and she was less.

Speaking of which, oh, dear, Kaitlyn Downey. Of all the returning players we have, she's the one who arguably has the biggest leap to take in her role, and in that scrimmage, she not only did not step up, she took a step back. Her shot's always been a little streaky, but it was especially bad in this scrimmage. She was slow on defense and she was not in position to make the hustle plays she was doing so well last year. She basically has to be Mary Goulding now that Mary's graduated, and this scrimmage made me less certain that she's up to the task. Admittedly, her role in the starting lineup will probably change when we have Vilisi back at center. 6-4 in the middle helps with a lot of things. We ended up more or less running a four-guard set, and while Kendell Heremaia is adorable, I'm not sure the "point guard defending power forwards" thing is a good plan going forward. She's feisty, and of all our top guards she has the most size, but still. I know switching match-ups between offense and defense is a thing, but not quite to this extent. I was pleasantly surprised by how well she's adapted to running the offense; so much of it went through Lauren Holden last year that I wasn't expecting Kene to step into the signal-calling role so smoothly.

I like Katie McLoughlin's hustle on the offensive glass. I don't know what else she has to offer, but I do like that about her. We'll have to see if she develops, or if she stagnates (it's not like we haven't had players stagnate on this team). Bre Cavanaugh finds ways to make offense happen, and she had one or two really nifty drives in the lane, but she was the focus of Rutgers's defense, and I don't think I need to tell anyone what kind of not-fun that is. Against bigger teams, I think she has to rely more on her jumper than on her driving ability, and I don't know if she can make that flip back and forth on a regular basis. Anna DeWolfe had herself a heck of a game, with solid three-point shooting and good court vision. She's certainly picked the right number if she's that kind of player. Also, it looks like I'm going to have Duran Duran stuck in my head for the next four years, and that means you're going to have Duran Duran stuck in your head for the next four years. You're welcome, fam.

Fordham lost a lot with graduation. We've still got Bre Cavanaugh, and that's a very good weapon to have in your arsenal. But our depth took a hit, and I don't know how well it's going to recover. And something tells me that getting cheesed by Notre Dame is not going to answer this question.

Read More...

Summary only...

December 2nd, 2017: Michigan at LIU

Just the Facts, Ma’am: Michigan used a 25-0 run to put away LIU 86-49. Hallie Thome had 19 points to lead Michigan. Drew Winter’s 13 points, all in the second half, led the Blackbirds.

For unexpected ambiguity, onomatopoeia, autocorrect actually being useful, the clank of missed free throws, seeing old friends, Starbursts, and not getting a stiletto through the throat, join your intrepid and torn blogger after the jump.
It is inevitable, when one cheers for multiple teams, for loyalties to come into conflict. It’s usually more apparent in the Big East, with the twice-annual Awkward Bowl between St. John’s and Seton Hall. This is a different kind of awkward, though. Michigan doesn’t come to town very often, and when they do, it’s usually at Rutgers. I think I’ve chronicled the struggle to get to and from Rutgers before; it’s part of how I ended up aligning with St. John’s in the first place. So this visit to LIU is a godsend.

On the other hand, we’ve suffered with these Blackbirds. We know their struggles and their triumphs. I will fight anyone who talks trash about DeAngelique Waithe around me, up to and including Coach. I don’t really know these Wolverines.

On the other other hand, we’ve known Kim’s family for years. We’ve cheered with them from section 2, shared Starbursts with the kidlets, goggled at family photos. And the St. John’s jersey I wear to every Red Storm game? That’s Joy McCorvey’s #25. Literally, unless it was a blood jersey. (For the first ten years of that typeface, she was the only player who wore #25, that’s how I know.) These are our friends. How do you root against your friends?

So here we are at LIU with Michigan shirts and St. John’s accessories, because you have to remember your roots. And I’m not saying I like cheering against LIU. But you have to make choices sometimes, and sometimes they suck as choices.

We’re at half an hour before gametime, and the stands are mostly Michigan fans, or possibly Michigan family. I think I recognize Jillian Dunston’s folks. We’re also not the only St. John’s folks here.

“Respect Above All” would be a winning t-shirt motto if it weren’t still tied to to the Jeter retirement (with the 2 replacing the S). I know he’s from Michigan and all that, but c’mon.

You can lock the doors, but you still can’t keep us out, LIU. (To be fair, I think the keymistress forgot which way the lock was supposed to turn.)

Cecelia got tall! Who told her she could do that? I know it wasn’t me, and I didn’t think it was her mom. (KBA is not exactly tall herself.)

There are a couple of stray TBT stickers on the steps leading to the student section and band area.

We can hear the band practicing from the enclosed room one level up and catty-corner from our section. They might be loud. The soundproofing might be on the wrong side of the wall.

Come to think of it, it’s been years since I sat on this side of the arena. I think the last time I was a true visiting fan at LIU, Sky was still playing. And I’ve always preferred to sit across from the bench instead of behind it. But when you’re supporting the road team, you get behind the visiting bench. Then again, the family/friends/alumni contingent is sitting dead center across from the benches, so I might just be an old-fashioned girl (but I’m not in an old-fashioned hat).

This is about what I expected from a Michigan team that miiiiiight have had some frustrations to work out and an LIU team that I love but isn’t that good. It’s 45-11 Michigan at halftime, including a quarter-length stretch of scoreless play from the Blackbirds. Katelynn Flaherty has 14 points, including four threes; Hallie Thome has 10 points

In the great “what might have been” folder, let’s file the idea of Joy McCorvey- an undersized, defensive-minded, high-rebounding, never-give-up post- coaching DeAngelique Waithe- an undersized, defensive-minded, high-rebounding, never-give-up post. Okay, so Joy’s offense was a bit more polished, but that could have been coached up.

A good chunk of Kim’s family drifted back here, so we’ve got company.

Didn’t Katelynn Flaherty used to be blonde? Or am I just assuming?

Highlight of the game, or at least most impressive moment, might have been Cece Arico utterly destroying the shooting contest, hitting all three of the shots on the first try.

Michigan got to get deep into the bench in the fourth quarter, and even a little bit in the second quarter. LIU’s PA guy was trying so hard to make sure he didn’t say Smeenge wrong that he managed to get his tongue tied around Priscilla. (This is not giving the proper mental image, and I apologize for that.) Definitely not ready for prime time. Samantha Trammel came into the game and almost immediately committed a three-second violation (though in her defense, the officials were being especially persnickety about that in the latter stages of the game). KeAsja Peace had a nice shot in the lane, but still seems to be learning the schemes, which might be a problem for a sophomore.

I like the potential of Akienreh Johnson. She had a nifty putback in the lane off a missed shot from one of her teammates, as well as a nice steal (of course, DeAngelique Waithe promptly smacked the taste out of the ball when she went up at the other end, but that’s life, that’s what they say). She’s got a good nose for the ball. Deja Church made a couple of great defensive plays, but she’s got to be more careful with her fouls. I don’t know if she’s ready to be a starting point guard, but she’s going to have to be after this year. Kayla Robbins has good positioning on the boards but needs to work on her shot.

I like that Hallie Thome’s last name can be an onomatopoeia for the sound of her making a monster block. “THOOOOME!” If she keeps the ball above all the shorter people, she’s in good shape. It’s when she brings it down to where everyone else can get it that the problems start. Her ballhandling isn’t great, and her hands could be better. She could use some work on her free throw shooting, as well, though that’s the story of the average post player’s life. Hailey Brown is still very raw, and I don’t know how I feel about her taking three-pointers. There’s promise, like the resounding block on Drew Winter, but there’s a lot of work to be done with her. We’ll see if she’s up to the task next year, when the big senior class graduates. Jillian Dunston was born a few years too late; if she’d been in the class of 2003 or 2004, she might have gotten a look at the next level. She’s very strong- I’ve never seen a guard with such broad shoulders and upper body strength- but she’s not all that tall, and her game is as stuck between as her size is. She rebounds well, and her passing game was on point, but putting her on the perimeter defensively is a disaster waiting to happen, and her offense is inconsistent.

Katelynn Flaherty put on a show in the first half. I was glad she started sharing the ball more and slowing down the offense in the second half, because I was starting to run out of space to mark down her baskets. Her stroke is just so pretty and so fast. I’d like to see her offense be more diversified, but I think that’s part of why KBA wants her running point. I just don’t see it working. (Also, the deep three attempt up 36 with just over two minutes left? Really?) Nicole Munger was firing off corner threes in the third quarter like they were worth money (but of course they’re not, she’s an NCAA student-athlete and that would be wrong). She had a bit of a shaky start because of the two fouls in the first five minutes, but she came alive in the third quarter.

Senior power will push Michigan through this year, but next year’s going to be rough until this year’s freshmen and sophomores get it together.

I don’t know if I’d call Daisha Davis a center, or if everyone on the floor just looks short after Thome’s been out there. I also don’t know the context of the goggles, only that she’s rocking them. I would appreciate if Destoni Willock would stop doing whatever it is she’s doing to her shorts, whether it’s tucking them or rolling them or whatever. It’s not a good look for her. She’s got good size, and she had a nice block, but I’m not sure what to think of her.

Tia Montagne has flair and style, and made a great defensive play deflecting a would-be fast break. She still has work to do, but I see promise. Ella Vaatanen attempted, and failed, to defend Hallie Thome, and put up dubious threes. One drew no iron and barely drew net. Seneca Richards attempted, and failed, to guard Hallie Thome, but at least showed some midrange offense that I didn’t think she had. I’m used to her just setting up beyond the arc.

It’s a Christmas miracle, come early: DeAngelique Waithe hit a jumper. Granted, she missed a boatload of other shots too, but I think this is the most offense I’ve seen from her in a long time. She brought the best defense against Thome, arms up and giving her as little space as possible. I love her defense, in general. Quiet game for Stylz Sanders, and mostly a defensive one. She was bouncing all over the place on defense.

Drew Winter shone in the second half, whether it was from beyond the arc, driving the lane, or on the fast break. Her ballhandling needs work (she got called for a lot of travels) but she showed out against major competition. Jeydah Johnson had a rough day beyond the arc, and I think it was mostly in the second half, mostly because I don’t clearly remember seeing her take the shots, so that would have been at the other end of the floor. From what I’ve seen of her, I don’t know that that’s her strength. Denisha Petty-Evans had a solid game, though now I’m wondering who the point guard is in that lineup, her or Drew. Denisha tends to bring the ball up more, but Drew seems to be more of the playmaker. I guess it depends on who has the hot hand. If Denisha’s threes had been falling, the game might have been more respectable. (And even on the one she did hit, the announcer credited it to DeAngelique, which is about as likely as being struck by lightning while holding a winning Mega Millions ticket. My dude, these are your own players, you should know who’s who.)

I think we knew going into this game that this was not going to end well for LIU. They’re not tall enough, they’re not fast enough, they don’t shoot well enough. You can go down the list. But I’d like to think they used this game as an opportunity to see where their worst weaknesses are and to work on them.

(For both teams that’s free throw shooting, because holy carp on a stick, 50% should not be the higher free throw percentage on the day.)

For whatever reason, things were unusually restrained at LIU. The spirit squad didn’t make an appearance, the dance team mostly didn’t get involved in the game, and even the band was slow to react when the Blackbirds were shooting free throws. I like the dance team’s new uniforms, though.

Michigan really needs to do this more often, but if they could do it against, I dunno, Columbia or St. Francis, that would be great. I don’t like being stuck between two teams! At least I can come back to LIU next week for the Barclays doubleheader.

Read More...

Summary only...

December 7th, 2016: Rutgers at St. John's

Just the Facts, Ma'am: Rutgers scored the first basket of the game, but St. John's answered with a 20-0 run and never looked back in their 65-39 win. Akina Wellere had 19 points, 12 in the first quarter, to lead St. John's. Kandiss Barber had 11 points to lead Rutgers.

For fail fonts, defensive pressure, seeing all the players, indifference from the top, Cagers, and keeping the pressure on, join your intrepid and slightly confused blogger after the jump.
Once upon a time this was my Awkward Bowl, back in the days of Essence Carson and Joy McCorvey, of Kia Vaughn and Kia Wright. Rutgers was my first college team, for my dad and for Suuuuuuue, and every so often I get a little sentimental about them.

This usually wears off around the first time I spot Coach Stringer and the absolute lack of give-a-damn she's been evincing lately.

Moment of silence before the anthem in memoriam of Pearl Harbor. It still lives in infamy.

At halftime, St. John's is up 42-17, and we were 54 seconds from holding the Scarlet Knights without a field goal in the second quarter. Akina Wellere got the party started with four threes in the first quarter, and the Red Storm have kept the pressure on. Rutgers does not look like a Big Ten team right now. To be honest, they don't look like a Big East team, either.

The Cagers brought a group; about two dozen RU boosters are in the section behind the visiting bench. One may hope that their bus ride was without incident. They are... displeased with the state of Rutgers women's basketball, and well they should be. I think there were points in that game where we as St. John's fans cared more about the success of RU than the woman who's paid seven figures to work with them.

Victoria Harris was physical, and reckless, and that's why she managed to foul out before the end of the third quarter. Jordan Wallace was also very physical- there was a point in the fourth quarter where Maya Singleton was talking to the ref about something, and it might have been Wallace's relentless use of wild forearms. She mixed it up down low but couldn't hit the bunnies in the lane. Jazlynd Rollins was called upon to sub for Aliyah Jeune whenever Jeune was in foul trouble, and gave off the impression of great speed. She had a nice steal that led to a fast break lay-up. It looked like they were trying to set up Alex Alfano for shots, and she wasn't taking them.

Aliyah Jeune seemed to be on the shortest leash of all the sstarters, and not just because of foul trouble. I don't know if Coach Stringer just doesn't have faith in her, or if she's the less talented half of a package deal (no, seriously, I know nothing about her, this is what happens when RU goes to the Big Ten), or if this wasn't her night, but she never really found her groove. Shrita Parker seems to have regressed since the last time I saw Rutgers- she had a nice defensie play in the second quarter, but any semblance of fundamentals had long since left the building. No handle, no head for the game, no judgment. Khadaizha Sanders was okay defensively- my goodness, but Coach Stringer seems to have gone in for the tiny guards. (Part of me is also grateful I didn't have to hunt down RU's pronunciation guide for her first name- she goes by KK.) (I feel like I've been harping on pronunciation guides lately, but if I'm presented with unfamiliar names, and I'm not 100% sure of what vowel sound I should be applying, I would like further information. It's only polite to get someone's name right.)

Desiree Keeling is powerful at the basket, but dear Lord, the woman cannot shoot. 1-11 from the field is completely unacceptable from a center. She had multiple chances on multiple occasions, and came away empty. Given a little bit of time, she can turn into a big solid pivot in the middle for RU the way Ariel Butts or Kia Vaughn was- the person who brought the pain so everyone else could score around her. But someone has to work with her. Kandiss Barber was unafraid to shoot, and I liked that about her. Something about her sinewy build reminds me of Kahleah Copper, but she has no speed- she was getting beaten consistently on defense, not able to move around with the rotations.

I don't normally call out opposing coaches with this level of vigor, and I think it's because Rutgers was my entrée into WCBB. But if you had told a complete stranger that a Hall of Famer was coaching one of these teams, that complete stranger would have probably asked you where to procure the unquestionably excellent illicit substances you had been ingesting. Rutgers was sloppy. They were careless. They were technically and fundamentally unsound. My impression was that Coach Stringer prided herself on being a teacher- if that's the case, then why does it seem like she's given up on teaching this group? She looked like she had fallen asleep on the bench at one point. I'm not even a Rutgers fan anymore and I'm embarrassed by their performance.

So on to the Johnnies, who all got to play, yay! I'm glad Jordan Agustus is back with the team- she was AWOL last game, or at least hiding. She's got the power dribble down to an art, but she's got to work on ball security. I'm surprised she only got tagged with two turnovers, but I think there were a couple of possessions where she got down on the ground and she or one of her teammates saved the ball for St. John's. Shamachya Duncan brought hustle and defensive pressure. I get the feeling she's going to step right into Aaliyah's shoes in the "awwww, adorable small guard!" role that warms mothers' hearts. Kendyl Nunn looked like she was out there to have fun, and she definitely did that with the little behind the back flip to Sox. She's got a good head for the game; I'm sorry we only get her for one year. Tamesha Alexander was scrappy, and got herself a little bucket in the lane, which is always nice.

Quietly, Sandra Udobi had herself a nice little game. She doesn't have ups, or her rebounding numbers would probably have doubled, if not more. She was very active inside, deflecting rebounds and finishing on the other end, but she couldn't get up to finish plays and pull down those boards. I'm still thrilled to see her looking like her old self, and I hope that's a sign for the future. In some hypothetical alternate universe, somewhere nearby, Maya Singleton is on a collegiate wrestling team and succeeding admirably at it. She got down for loose balls and she fought hard. She did not commit the smartest fouls, and there comes a point when you have to realize that you committed a stupid foul and accept it. Andrayah Adams still needs work, but I'm starting to see that it's a matter of time with her- she seems like the kind of player who can break out her junior year, once she's gotten all the rough edges smoothed out and worked on her shot a little bit more. And now I understand the deal with the devil that Crystal Simmons made for that three-pointer to be so sweet- her free throws are atrocious. I'm kind of tempted to ask if she trained at a Pop-a-Shot machine at an arcade. She was great defensively and ran offense on the fast break well.

(Tangential thought: are there free throw drills out there that more accurately reflect game action? Are there coaches who have their players practice FTs with visual and audio distraction? If not, why?)

I don't know if someone on RU said something about Akina Wellere's mother, or if someone from the staff blew her off during recruiting, or if RU's defense wasn't prepared for the three pointer, or she just found their uniforms personally offensive, but she went off like a firecracker in the first quarter, dropping threes like she'd been OD'ing on Golden State game tape. She finished the first and the third in style. She put in a lot of work. Aaliyah Lewis broke out the ankle-breakers, getting her trick dribbling on in style. I think she might even have been talking trash. It was nice to see her get some rest- Joe has a tendency to run her into the ground. It looked like she had free rein to get things going and rack up the score in the first quarter, then ratchet it down in the second quarter.

Alisha Kebbe read the boards really well. She went hard to the basket, but her shot selection when she got into the paint was questionable. Just because you're getting the calls, that's no reason to chuck random crap at the basket. Jade Walker saw vulnerability inside the defense and attacked it- she took a lot of contact, but they weren't the worst shots in the world. That being said, I may lose my temper if she continues to jack straight-away threes. Those are not good shots for her; if she's working on them in practice, I commend her, but she's got to know when it's game-ready and when it's not. Imani Littleton continues to impress me with her movement on defense. She needs a little more vertical to pull down those rebounds she and Sandy were tipping around, but she was really assertive inside. I love it. I feel like she's starting to come into her own, both as a player and as a person, and the second part is just as important as the first.

The best thing: Imani and Crystal trapping in the backcourt, with Aaliyah in coverage downfield and whoever else is on the floor denying as appropriate by their position on the floor. Rutgers looked like they never saw a defense before.

We turned down the volume slightly at a 30-point margin, but never really let up where we were. Whether RU takes it seriously or not, we take this rivalry seriously, for local bragging rights. I broke a pen in the first quarter, before we broke out the 20-0 run.

But at the same time, I have to be realistic about one thing: we got the benefit of the doubt from the officials. We got away with travels and push-offs, and Akina committed an over-and-back that was missed. If Rutgers was upset about the officiating, they had a right to be- but I don't think it exactly made a difference.

I love that our reserves all got a healthy share of minutes, and I love that we were able to execute on defense. I'm almost sad for Rutgers, because I know what they were and what they can be.

Read More...

Summary only...

March 19th, 2016: Iona at Maryland (NCAA tournament)

Just the Facts, Ma'am: Maryland held off a feisty Iona squad, 74-58. Shatori Walker-Kimbrough led five Terps in double figures with 19, while Brionna Jones added a double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds. Philecia Gilmore of Iona led all scorers with 21 points on seven triples.

For hustle, Latin, bouncing, maroon and gold, pride, defense from offensive-minded players, and fighting the good fight, join your intrepid and proud blogger after the jump.
Hello, fellow Dancers! Your intrepid blogger comes to you from the road, where the debutantes of Iona take on the veteran belles of Maryland.

Getting there has already been an adventure. Have you ever taken a bus with worn out shocks? Yes? Have you spent four hours on said bus? I refuse to admit or deny yelling, "Ride 'em, cowboy!" after one spectacular bump.

Everyone in Maryland is so very nice! We stayed at the Marriott on campus, and it's really nice. The cozy room is fairly efficient, and the people are really sweet. The folks at the Xfinity Center (I still have the urge to call it the Comcast Center) are super friendly, without the perverse in-your-face-ness that we were getting from Marylanders the last time we came to town. Thanks for letting the backpack in- we really had nowhere to put it.

Sometimes the school size difference is really obvious. Iona has five people in the band. Maryland has… a lot more than five.

Pretty good Iona turnout. I mean, it is our big debut, and it's not that far. I'm still proud, though.

At halftime, Maryland is up 42-27. Philecia Gilmore has four threes to lead Iona in scoring. Maryland has spread the wealth, with Shatori Walker-Kimbrough's nine as the team-high. Marina Lizarazu is making me want to tear my hair out.

Bonum certamen certa. Fight the good fight. That's Iona's motto. And I think it's safe to say that the 15th seeded Gaels fought the good fight against a bigger, stronger, better Maryland team. I hate the "chuck everything from beyond the arc" game plan, but with Maryland's size inside and ability to go deep themselves, it wasn't the worst idea in the world, though my opinion of that might be colored by the fact that it sort of worked.

Iida Ahvenainen came in at the end so Joy Adams could get her well deserved curtain call. Treyanna Clay had one of her better games, hustling on the boards and finishing at the rim. She really showed the potential she has. Alexis Lewis was solid on the boards, but Lex has always been a streaky shooter, and today she came up snake eyes. I still love what she brings on both ends of the floor, and she's going to be huge for us in the next three years.

Karynda DuPree really just makes me want to scream sometimes. I'm very glad she's no longer chucking the stupid threes she used to, but I'd like to see her be more assertive near the basket. She has moves. I've seen them. She just doesn't do enough to put herself in position to score. I like what she brings on defense, but she has to step up offensively next year. Joy Adams missed way too many bunnies at the rim- she had at least two clear looks that she left short. She can't do that. I realize, of course, that she's played her final collegiate game, so she can do whatever the hell she wants now, but if she wants to continue playing basketball as a career, she can't miss easy shots at the basket. She showed flashes of the athleticism and power that made her the terror of the MAAC, and of that I am very proud.

I love Marina Lizarazu's tenacity on defense, and her willingness to dive for loose balls. The problem was that today half those loose balls were her fault. You can't sneak dribbles behind your back if you're a MAAC point guard facing a Big Ten defense. You have to be careful with your passes, but half of Marina's passes went to Maryland players. She found her offensive groove in the second half, when the drives started falling and she got the jumper working a little bit. Aaliyah Robinson was quiet today- tenacious on defense and scored a little, but she wasn't the senior leader we needed her to be. Thank all the gods for Philecia Gilmore. Fee had herself a day from outside- scored the first six of the game for the Gaels from beyond the arc, and by the end of the day, I was trying to figure out how to squeeze a seventh trey into six spaces, something I've never had to do before. I love her so much. She's only a sophomore, and that's awesome and terrifying at the same time. If anything, she should have taken more threes- her twos mostly missed long or strong. (They were not, however, bound to get the friction on.)

I could have sworn Kiah Gillespie played in the first half for more than the paltry seconds the box score gives her- ESPN claimed she didn't even play, but I remember hearing her name. (I also thought it was pronounced Key-ah, like pretty much every Kia/Kiah I've ever seen, not Kye-ah, but you learn something new every day.) Brianna Fraser was a load down low, but her hands were hard- she let passes slip by her down low. Brene Moseley took over in the fourth quarter, hitting on jumpers and wild drives. I was surprised that she didn't start, given how much I've heard about her. I like her poise late. Tierney Pfirman seemed to pick up her scoring later as well.

Brionna Jones had a huuuuuuge block on Joy that got the crowd going, and picked off Philecia to open up Shatori Walker-Kimbrough for a shot. That's a lot of woman to try to contend with. She dominated on the boards- there was a play where Treyanna had the rebound all but secured and Jones took it away. She also had trouble keeping her hands on the ball on offense, though. The post players for Maryland in general were having trouble receiving passes, whether it was being out of position for them or letting them bounce off their hands. Malina Howard came on strong in the fourth quarter, partially because I think Iona was just flat worn out. She got what she wanted at the basket when she wanted it.

I had no idea who Kristen Confroy was when I came into the game, and to be honest, I still have very little idea of who she is, other than the person who opened the scoring for the Terps. She read the long bounces really well on missed jumpers, because there were a lot of shots that took odd bounces. I genuinely have no recollection of Chloe Pavlech, though I suspect she was one of the people who didn't react well to Philecia and Marina on the trap. I think she was the one who got stripped a couple of times. I came into the game hearing a lot about Shatori Walker-Kimbrough as a shooter, but I was more impressed with her hustle and savvy on defense. She has a pretty shot, but I think Iona's game plan was to deny her the shot as much as possible- which is how she ended up at the line so many times. She's a great piece to build on, and criminally underappreciated.

Officiating got a little out of control in the third quarter- I always find it a bit sketchy when the foul differential is penalty-zero, and you should have heard the Bronx cheer that went up when Maryland finally got called for one. There were weak calls on both sides. Obviously nothing ultimately affected the game, but I hate to see officiating that seems slanted. Maryland didn't need the help.

Terrapin fans turned out. I love it. They were pretty quiet until Iona made the runs in the third and early fourth, and then the defense chants started up. The Iona contingent was pretty loud, but that might just have been us. I love when fans get loud. Be proud! Support your team! Especially when your team is as good as Maryland!

We lost, but I'm glad I came. We put up a fight. We never quit. When you're an overmatched 15 facing a 2 that plays to your weaknesses and can counter your strengths, there's only so much you can ask. The Gaels went above and beyond that. It was a fitting sendoff for Aaliyah and Joy, and I can't thank them enough for leading us to this pinnacle.

We'll be back. And next time maybe we won't be a 15.

Read More...

Summary only...

December 6th, 2015: Michigan at Princeton

Just the Facts, Ma'am: Michigan rallied for brief stretches, but Princeton controlled the game in their 74-57 win. Michelle Miller led the Tigers with 21 points and eight rebounds. Katelynn Flaherty led Michigan with 33 points, but no other Wolverine had more than 8.

For t-shirts, broken promises, hard bleachers, plaid, free things, a lack of hustle, matching grays, sore quads, and let-downs, join your intrepid and sore blogger after the jump.

Greetings, readers both loyal and disloyal! Your intrepid blogger is on the road again with her favorite allies, headed down to Princeton for the Tigers' game against Michigan. As always when an Ivy League institution takes the court, I will attempt to elevate the level of my discourse, to better suit the academic reputation of both Princeton and Michigan.

I'm currently writing from the back of a Suburban Trailways bus on the approach to the Lincoln Tunnel. It's a more fiscally sensible alternative to taking the train, costing less than sixty dollars, as compared to approximately seventy-five dollars in train fare. The bus was very slightly late, but well within normal parameters. Given that the Giants and the Jets kicked off at 1, this may prove to be a poor choice, but we'll see how the traffic flows.

Even if we didn't already have a source for tickets, we'd be able to get in free anyway; Princeton's holding a food drive today. We're bringing non-perishable food items anyway, because we can. It's what we do. (Today is also the post-game autograph session! Wee, another poster for the fancave! In other news, we're going to need a bigger fancave.)

We have arrived! We have a t-shirt! There are a lot of Michigan people here so far. We might very well end up filling the allocated seating, and there are additional Michigan supporters across from the benches.

Coach Joy coming through with the swag! Did not expect more t-shirts, but will totally take them.

My Sharpie and my spare pen are on loan to a family who's making a sign. I don't normally approve of signs on the road, but you know what? It's totally worth it.

I see the Guru is in the house.

All right, this is serious business. One of the Michigan staffers is going around with 3 cards and rolly-signs. We're going to make some noise up in here. (And apparently there will not, in fact, be noise. Everyone is ridiculously quiet. What's the point of showing up to support your team if you don't cheer for them?)

At halftime, Princeton is up 33-24, and it hasn't been pretty. I think they might have gussied the place up too much for ESPN- the floor is extremely shiny, and we've seen a lot of slipping and sliding, especially in front of the Princeton bench. I would greatly appreciate if someone other than Katelynn Flaherty could score, though.

There's a lot of work to be done for both of these teams. Michigan's overall youth showed up in this one, while Princeton still has work to do on their fundamentals. I really expected far better decision-making from two schools as academically inclined as Princeton and Michigan, though.

I think I have a new favorite Wolverine to replace the graduated Cyesha Goree, and her name is Danielle Williams. She needs to be a little more offensive-minded, but I love her work on defense, and I love how vocal she is on the floor. Michigan is looking for a leader, and she seems like someone who can at least lead by example. Boogie Brozoski did not make a good first impression, missing her first two shots very badly, but I like her spirit. She doesn't always know where she needs to be yet, but I think she can learn. Nicole Munger did not always make smart decisions with the ball.

Kelsey Mitchell, who I'm sure has considered the possibility of trolling that school in Ohio, had a solid few minutes, cleaning up on the glass from ill-advisd Michigan shots. Maria Backman showed a little spark on the offensive end, but definitely didn't look like she knew her place in the schemes yet. There was one play where the ball bounced off her hands because she wasn't ready for the pass. Sam Trammel gave a few good minutes on the board, and finished the half with a sweet putback.

I'm sure Madison Ristovski is a lovely person, but I have the strong feeling that if I were a regular attendee of Michigan games, she would drive me up the wall. She's timid with the ball, and every time I see her make a move, I fully expect it to be a turnover, whether on a bad pass, a careless dribble, a slip, a fumble- something will go wrong. Siera Thompson's attitude on the court disturbed me. Maybe it was just this game, but she didn't seem involved with the game or with her teammates, and like she was perpetually smelling something sour (which, granted, might have been Michigan's shooting). Near the end of the game, she was dominating the ball, which I can understand since she and Katelynn were the only ones making any reasonable attempt to score, but I don't have to like it, and I don't have to think that it's a good idea, and I don't have to think that she's not going to do it in situations where it's uncalled for. Katelynn Flaherty was the Michigan offense today. She has a beautiful stroke and some sweet handles, and she knows how to make space for herself. There were times when she tried to get her teammates involved, and that was when Princeton's defense was best able to strike. It was starting to wear on her by the end- she was tired, she was making mistakes on defense, she was getting sloppy.

Somebody needs to train Hallie Thome out of bringing the ball down. She's 6-5- there's no reason for her to equalize the playing field by bringing the ball back down to where the guards can get at it. She's very tentative right now, and that needs to get smacked out of her in practice right quick. (So much for my plans to elevate my diction.) Jillian Dunston doesn't seem to have a position, or if she does, she's not fully sure of what it is. She's got a very solid, thick build that seems to indicate she should be hitting people with it, but she spent too much time for my liking floating around on the perimeter. When she did shoot close to the basket, the results were ugly.

I think Michigan is in dire need of some ballhandling drills- too many fumbles.

Courtney Banghart really didn't go into her bench for long stretches- it was almost as if she were trying on different looks with most of her guards (although, to be fair, the way Michelle Miller was playing, I wouldn't have wanted to take her out). We saw Tia Weledji first in the first half and last in the second half, just to give you some idea of the shift in rotations. Taylor Brown gave the impression of small quickness. I really didn't get a strong sense of Qalea Ismail's play in her brief minutes.

Leslie Robinson came off the bench for the first time in the second half, and she lit a fire under Princeton. She had a nifty steal for a fast break lay-up, she had a sweet pass for a basket- in a short burst of time, she got a lot done. And her teammates were loving it- they gave her the kind of cheers you usually only see when the last player off the bench scores her first basket in a meaningless fourth quarter shift. Taylor Williams saw the bulk of the bench minutes and produced some strong rebounds and stifling interior defense, using her length to ruin people's shots.

Amanda Berntsen has some slick, sneaky moves. She knows how to get to the ball, and how to get the ball to the basket. She's a little reckless, and her gambling started to get her in trouble in the fourth quarter, when she started racking up the fouls. I like her flair, though. Vanessa Smith started off well, and she was all up on the ball like white on rice. Princeton's defense was tough, and she was a big part of it. Michelle Miller was feeling it, both from deep and down low. It felt like she couldn't miss, though I know she did. She had the shot of the game for Princeton, an absolute back-breaker at the shot clock buzzer that was so ridiculous that it'll get its own little bitty paragraph.

Alex Wheatley has one of the most unusual free throw wind-ups I've ever seen- it's like she studied part of Rick Barry's routine at the line, but not the whole thing. She has some nice left-handed moves near the basket, including one nice reverse that I still don't know how she got into the basket. Annie Tarakchian looked more out of place than I've ever seen her in a Princeton offense. Her shots were off, and badly off- way too strong. She hustled on the boards, as did all of the Tigers, but it was strange to see her so out of place. I guess that's one thing we can at least partially credit the Michigan defense for.

Princeton stayed on loose balls. They were aggressive on both ends of the floor. They were the ones who never gave up on plays.

Play of the game: beyond the shadow of a doubt, Michelle Miller throwing up a three-pointer over her shoulder as the shot clock expired and hitting nothing but net. The Michiganders around me made a reasonable argument that Boogie had played stifling enough defense that five-seconds-closely-guarded would have been the right call, but that shot was so awesome I can't take it away.

Officiating was the usual round of inconsistency. Film at eleven.

The post-game autograph session was fun. They had little bitty autograph books for the kids- I almost snagged one for the collection, but they'd been in the box too long and the covers were starting to wear off. So we got a poster instead. Unlike most teams, almost every Tiger signed with her first name only, or even a nickname (apparently Alex Wheatley is "Wheaties", which is apropos and funny at the same time). Tarakchian recognized us from the trip to Seton Hall last year, which was a bit awkward, but you shouldn't give clues to an Ivy League brain. The aforementioned poster was for all Princeton winter sports; Taylor Williams (I think) made a point of checking off which event this was. Tarakchian was the first to sign, and she signed on the little sliver that was devoted to WBB. So periodically, as the poster went down the line, there was a laugh and an exclamation of "Annie signed on Meesh!" (I, uh. It was funnier in real time. I swear.)

Then, of course, the bus broke down in New Brunswick. My life, loyal readers. To be fair, it was a pretty quick turnaround to get a new bus out, but stiiiiiiiiill.

Read More...

Summary only...

March 21st, 2015: Seton Hall at Rutgers (NCAA tournament)

Just the Facts, Ma'am: Kahleah Copper and Tyler Scaife each had 21 points to power 8th-seeded Rutgers past 9th-seeded Seton Hall. Betnijah Laney added 17 points (including 4-6 3-point shooting) and 12 rebounds to seal the deal. Tabatha Richardson-Smith had 18 to lead Seton Hall, getting 17 points and seven rebounds in support from Tiffany Jones off the bench.

For a sea of blue (but not that sea of blue), road tripping, bad calls, well-aimed kicks, an uncharacteristic lack of poise, and Moooose, join your intrepid and peripatetic blogger after the jump.


Hello, loyal readers! Your intrepid blogger is currently coming to you live and in stereophonic sound from the lobby of Walsh Gymnasium, where the Seton Hall faithful are starting to gather for the bus that will take us to Gampel Pavilion, on a collision course with the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers.

You won't be getting in-game notes from me, as Gampel frowns upon both backpacks and laptops. (Moose, however, are strongly encouraged, so Moooose is in the bag with our Seton Hall gear.) At most, if Gampel has wi-fi, you'll get tweets.

I'm rather enjoying the evisceration of C. Vivian Stringer that our boosters are engaging in. Apparently she tried to bar the SHU band from the WNIT game last year, and the WNIT was all, uh, no, you can't do that.

This was not how the story was supposed to end for Daisha and JJ and Chiz and Didi. This is not how it was supposed to go. This wasn't what was supposed to happen, and all I can bring myself to do at the moment is rail at the heavens, because this is not fair and it's not right, and yes, we partially brought it upon ourselves, but not entirely. And as hard as these seniors have fought to be in this place at this time, to have it taken away not entirely by their own hand is heartbreaking.

Gampel Pavilion's security is ridiculously strict. I brought a totebag to carry my clipboard, Moooose, and a few small things. They told me no. It's maybe 14" x 12" x 4". In front of them, we took everything out of the bag, stowed the small things in our pockets, picked up Moooose and the clipboard, and rolled the bag into a tube the size of a tossed t-shirt. Seriously, guys, you need a hobby.

(Also, I don't want to say that the "no flag" policy was strict, but the SHU cheerleader who normally does the flag run had to use an imaginary flag.)

Kathleen Egan gave a few spot minutes at the 4. Jordan Mosley was the sub for Ka-Deidre Simmons when Didi got in foul trouble, and showed guts going after a Rachel Hollivay shot. (She got her hand on it and it still went in.) Lubirdia Gordon brought size down low, primarily in the first half, but seemed a little tentative. Then again, so were most of the Pirates. Tiffany Jones was one of the few people not afraid to attack the basket. I think early on she thought she was going to be more effective from beyond the arc, but someone knocked sense into her, and she went more towards the basket as the game went on. Tara Inman showed spunk, but not always common sense.

Chizoba Ekedigwe was stiff in the middle, and not in the stalwart kind of way. I think she actually played a minority of the critical minutes. She's normally a defensive stopper, but she just couldn't seem to get moving. Daisha Simmons was solid, though she did a lot of unnecessary passing. Janee Johnson was hot from outside. I think she knew what this game meant and wanted it worse than anyone else in a blue jersey. Tabatha Richardson-Smith was solid offensively and made a couple of great, aggressive defensive plays. I could do without the shots from somewhere in the vicinity of Metuchen, though. I've said before that as goes Ka-Deidre Simmons, so goes Seton Hall. And tonight Didi didn't have it. I don't know what was wrong with her. Maybe we'll never know. Maybe it was simply the doubles and triples Rutgers was constantly throwing at her, grinding her down. But she showed only flashes of the fearlessness that has been her trademark, constantly passing when she had interior looks, throwing up bad shots out of desperation, losing the vision that marked her as a point guard to be feared. This was not the Didi who led us to the top of the table.

Accidental funny but shouldn't be funny but funny anyway: Tab chased a loose ball into the Rutgers bench and landed hard on Coach Stringer, and may have gotten a foot to her gut. Later, she would fall into referee Tiara Cruse with the aid of momentum. I am positive Tab meant no harm, but it was a bit cathartic.

Rachel Hollivay came off the bench, though I think she might have started the second half. The PA guy wasn't really clear on announcing subs. She was strong, but her motion seemed limited. Cynthia Hernandez fired off two quick makes in the first half, and thereafter we were forced to devote somewhat more defensive attention to her. She doesn't look like your prototypical three-point specialist, but she's got a nice shot. Christa Evans played brief minutes when both Butts and Hollivay had picked up quick fouls. Shrita Parker has a lot of speed. I'm not sure how much common sense she has on the floor, but she has speed and she has guts.

Betnijah Laney has clearly heard the aspersions cast on her professional prospects due to her lack of a perimeter game at her size. She'll never be asked to participate in a WNBA three-point contest, but she was stroking them today. I'm not completely certain how many of them were fully behind the line, and she needs to get that extra foot or so in the next couple of years. She cleaned up the boards that extra step away from the basket- not necessarily the ones directly at the rim, but a little ways off. Tyler Scaife brought the pretty, pretty offense in the second half, hitting jumpers and getting looks. I can tell from the box score that Briyona Canty did things, but I don't remember her doing things. Kahleah Copper was a matchup nightmare- she ate our backcourt alive. She was too big for either of the Simmonae to handle and too fast for Tab. She's so athletic. Ariel Butts boxed out well, but didn't really make an impact.

I am not a trained official, but my impression has always been that if a player is touching the ball while her feet are in contact with the floor out of bounds, then she and the ball are out of bounds and it's a turnover. This crew managed to mess that up twice in the first half. Unless there is some new rule I have not been made aware of, and the painted area on the far side of the baseline is now part of the floor, this is a load of hooey. The officiating seemed to deteriorate further in the second half, though honesty compels me to question whether the officiating changed, Seton Hall changed, or my perception changed.

Seton Hall brought about two busloads, more or less. Rutgers may have brought more. There were even a few brave St. Francis fans there to bear witness to the carnage to come. The UConn fans seemed friendly enough.

The ice cream stall was extremely popular. What is wrong with you, Connecticut, there's still snow on the ground!

Damika Martinez of Iona decided, 'you know what, I'm going to the tournament, even if my teammates don't come with me'. We saw her walking the concourse at halftime.

We played our hearts out. It wasn't enough. And I grieve for our seniors, that they had only this night on the big stage. I wanted so much for them. I wanted them to exact satisfaction on Rutgers for last year and for the slights this year, and then who knows? The sky would have been the limit. Why not Seton Hall?

But that's the question for next year now. Why not Seton Hall? Why not Tab and the Pirates?

For this year, though, I'm left saying words I thought I'd never say. Go UConn. Destroy Rutgers. I'm petty, what can I say?

Read More...

Summary only...

January 7th, 2015: Michigan at Rutgers

Just the Facts, Ma'am: Rutgers withstood a big second half surge from Michigan to put away a 81-68 win. Betnijah Laney had 20 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, and five steals to lead the Scarlet Knights; Tyler Scaife also scored 20. Cyesha Goree of Michigan led all scorers with 23 points, while Shannon Smith added 15 points and nine assists.

For bitter cold, detours, loving your team with a two by four, a lack of legroom, the building of a ref feud, and coaches confused by fun, join your intrepid and frozen blogger after the jump.


Good evening, fellow travelers! We're coming to you on tape-delay and via circuitous methods from the RAC in New Jersey, as the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers (the State University of New Jersey) host the Wolverines of Michigan.

Your intrepid blogger is here via North Brooklyn, industrial Maspeth, and Highland Park. There have been many detours. And yet I'm here.

I don't know if I entirely like the revamped RAC. I don't like the compression of the banners. (Instead of separate banners for each NCAA appearance/S16/E8/conference title, each type of appearance has a banner. At least the Final Four banners, AIAW title, and WNIT championship banner each have their own space. They also compressed the WBHOF banners into one, and Eddie Jordan has a banner with a list of accomplishments as long as, but not as storied as, C. Vivian Stringer's.) It looks too much like they're trying not to look like a historical powerhouse in WBB.

The new scoreboards and stat boards are nice, though. The sound system's improved, too. So strange to look up at those Big Ten teams in the rafters, though. SO WRONG.

I like Kevin's arrangement of the anthem at St. John's better than the RU arrangement. They rock "Zoot Suit Riot".

At halftime, Rutgers is all over Michigan, 42-25. Betnijah Laney has 13 points and what feels like more than 4 rebounds. Michigan is rattled, and badly. Rutgers is playing the passing lanes really well, and they're making all the plays on the glass.

I'm pretty sure the refs are actually watching Tulsa-UConn. Lots of missed calls on both ends of the floor, and the calls that have been made have been weaksauce.

Whatever else RU has, they have the most talented ball kids. One of the older girls has range clear out to the three-point line.

Might not agree with Rutgers on much anymore, but the band booed Penn State during the Big Ten ad, and I am all in favor booing Penn State in all the things, except maybe sometimes when they play Ohio State, because me and Ohio State, we got history even before I went blue.

Lots of Michigan people here, and not just families and friends. There's a smattering of maize and blue throughout the RAC. They were depressingly quiet through most of the game, though.

All the work they did on the RAC and they couldn't adjust the leg room?

Much like the flow of Rutgers-North Carolina, there were big runs- but Michigan does not have the talent of North Carolina, and Rutgers was able to push the lead out late with some key baskets and stifling defense.

There's a fair amount of potential in the freshmen on that Michigan bench. I like the hustle, and the size, on Jillian Dunston- needs to work on her positioning, but she's solid on the boards. Katelynn Flaherty has a lightning-quick release, but a quick release doesn't mean much if you can't hit the shot, and her shots did not look good tonight. She looked like a lost little freshman on defense, tentative on both ends of the floor. Terra Stapleton brought size and a reckless touch. She got burned badly on defense, though it wasn't completely her fault- the entire play seemed to freeze. Madison Ristovski provided a somewhat surer hand on offense off the bench.

I'm pretty sure Kim Barnes Arico spent most of the game alternately thinking good things and thinking terrible things of Shannon Smith. I know I alternated between cheering for her sharp drives and all-out hustle, and swearing inside my head at her questionable passes, stupid fouls, and bad shots. She and Cyesha Goree had a fantastic connection going on all night. She was careless with the ball, which is not of the good when you're playing lead guard. Danielle Williams made some nifty defensive plays. Siera Thompson got hot quick in the first half to get Michigan into thinking they could get back into the game, and I side-eyed her second foul in the first half (the always tricksy block/charge). Nicole Elmblad was very quiet. Go up strong with the ball, Nicole! I think she was a marked woman by the Rutgers defense, and she played like it. Cyesha Goree got burned a few times on defense- as fast as she was, Rutgers was faster, and a lot of posts are bigger than she is- but she put in work around the basket on the offense, going strong to the hoop and finishing, or picking off boards when she or her teammates couldn't finish.

Michigan was horribly, horribly sloppy. Too many lazy passes. Too many lazy turnovers. Granted, that tends to happen when you run into the teeth of a Stringer defense, but Rutgers didn't even have to break out the press for most of the game. The turnovers were coming in the halfcourt and coming at the basket.

Brief minutes in both halves for Christa Evans, spelling Rachel Hollivay when she was done spelling Ariel Butts. She didn't do much, but she made her big body useful. Cynthia Hernandez got a little run in the first half. I think she shot a three. Shrita Parker made some bad plays on defense, but beat the shot clock buzzer twice. I developed a bit of a distaste for her after the second one, but I tend not to like players who hit buzzer-beaters on me. Respect, yes. Like, not necessarily. Rachel Hollivay played less than I expected- I'm not sure if the whole bench thing is an ongoing thing, or a thing wherein Coach Stringer does not approve of a thing, or if she has a thing about posts. She's a bruiser down there, but deceptively fast on her feet for her size, and you do not want to be in her way.

Kahleah Copper spends a lot of time looking at her shot. Her shot is not that pretty that she should stand there admiring it. I thought she would have had more rebounds than she ended up with. Tyler Scaife is absolutely remarkable. She's got all the tools- the jumper, the drive, the wicked crossover, the vision, the maturity (she was quick to give Parker a pep talk after a defensive play that didn't go as the Scarlet Knights planned). She's got grit, and she's got flash. I don't love watching Betnijah Laney rebound the way I love watching Amber Thompson or Bra'Shey Ali rebound, but she's interesting to watch, especially when she's preparing to rebound a free throw- she gets down real low like a runner, and then bursts upward. She's got a bit of a mean streak- I don't think the elbow to Shannon Smith's face was intentional, but it was blatant- and nice touch around the basket and from the midrange. Her build reminds me a little of Monique Currie. Syessence Davis was a catalyst on both ends of the floor. Getting her in foul trouble helped for Michigan (and she dodged a major bullet after her fourth foul- Stringer didn't have the sub up in time, so she was still in with four; Michigan tried to draw the foul from her, but she read the play and made the defensive switch, which eventually gave Rutgers time to bring in Parker). Ariel Butts played briefly but hard in the post. That's a lot of woman down low, and she's not afraid to bump players out of her way.

Rutgers jumped the passing lanes beautifully, and they were all over every loose ball. Michigan made plenty of mistakes by themselves, but Rutgers forced them to think, and to hesitate, and to then act without thinking.

The refereeing was... interesting. It was at least consistent, which is the bare minimum expectation I have trained myself for, but it was flat out bad. And it was bad on both sides. Shannon Smith should have fouled out even before the fourth that was called on her. Lots and lots of contact with no calls, but ticky-tack hand-checks were called. It took a full review and KBA about to flip her lid at the ref for the elbow by Betnijah Laney that laid out Shannon Smith to be called.

It was good to see the gang again, and good to see what KBA's doing at Michigan. They still need some polishing, but I'm pretty sure they'll take lessons from this game into the next one.

Read More...

Summary only...

November 30th, 2013: Michigan at LSU (Barclays Invitational)

Just the Facts, Ma'am: Danielle Ballard's lay-up in the lane gave LSU the lead in the final minute, and Siera Thompson's halfcourt heave came late and short as LSU withstood a valiant Michigan comeback and claimed a 64-62 win. Shanece McKinney and Raigyne Moncrief each had 13 to pace the Tigers, with McKinney adding eight rebounds and Moncrief tallying four steals. Siera Thompson and Madison Ristovski each had 13 for the Wolverines, who came back from down ten to go up eight before LSU surged back.

For hustle, threes, steals, doing things backwards, pride, and a little more cowbell, join your intrepid and utterly drained blogger after the jump.


There's no such thing as too much basketball, though I'm starting to hit my limit. It's 9:30 and we're 12 minutes away from the tip of Michigan and LSU. The benches are switched from yesterday, which caused a bit of confusion among a pocket of LSU fans in the corner. They figured it out, though.

I feel vaguely insulted that wristbands for the seats directly behind the bench only seem to have been given out for the Rutgers game, so even if you're VIP for Michigan-LSU, they won't let you sit there. Though they seem to have chased off Michelle Edwards too, so maybe that's just them asserting their authority.

The free throw shooting contest tonight seems to be along team lines this time. Yesterday, it was more random- now they're actively looking for people in team gear.

At halftime, LSU is up 29-22, and frankly, it could be more. They've forced a lot of turnovers and controlled the pace of both offenses. But Michigan has come up with a couple of big threes- a three-pointer by Madison Ristovski, a three-point play from Nicole Elmblad- to keep it close. Shanece McKinney has eight for the Lady Tigers, Madison Ristovski 10 for the Wolverines.

Nicole's family is possibly crazier than we are, and I mean that as a compliment. Michigan's lucky to have them. A New York-based alumna with a cowbell came up and joined us in the second half, and then things got really loud. My hands and legs still hurt from that last stand in the final two minutes, but we had to stand our ground and show the late-shouting LSU fans that we weren't going to let them take over.

Rebecca Lyttle gave decent minutes at forward. Kendra Seto played briefly, only as a breather. Danielle Williams also made a brief appearance, when Siera Thompson got in foul trouble in the first half. Paige Rakers rocked the three-point line in the second half, pulling Michigan back into the game almost single-handedly. She needs to be a bit more consistent about following her shot, though. We needed her to come up huge, and she did, and yes, I'm aware that I just used the first-person for Michigan, I like these kids.

Siera Thompson's shot was non-existent in the first half, and it looked like she had lost confidence in her game, both as a shooter and as a point guard, as she had to do a lot of the ballhandling with Shannon Smith sidelined after suffering a shoulder injury. (Can you sprain a shoulder? Can I fit any more S's into this sentence?) She found more space, and her rhythm, in the second half, coming up with the game-tying three before the final basket. Nicole Elmblad seemed curiously hesitant to shoot, though I might have been hesitant in her place, given the way Coach was reacting to her attempt at a long two. Then again, that's pretty much how I react to a player taking shots from just in front of the line- you might as well take the extra step and try to add the extra point. I think she let the speed of the game and the physicality of LSU's forwards get to her. Cyesha Goree went strong to the basket, especially in the second half. She got a little overexcited late in the game- at least two of her shots were a bit too strong. Val Driscoll got the start in Smith's place, and though her offense was nothing to write home about, she was a rock defensively, coming up with big boards and massive blocks- she had a gorgeous one in the second half that got spiked to Thompson to start an attempt at a Michigan break. I think that was one we got tentative on, though- I think that was the one where the player under the basket irrationally decided to pass the ball back and it all ended in turnovers. She misjudged a few rebounds, but I'm willing to give her the willingness to go for them. Madison Ristovski was the big offensive threat in the first half, but she cooled down in the second- I think part of it was having to take over more of the ballhandling duties when Thompson got in foul trouble, because there was no other option.

I'll admit it- with everything I'd seen from Kim Barnes Arico in the past, I was expecting a lot more deep bench freshmen in the second half and a lot less comeback. They held it together much better than I thought they would, and when they weren't passing the ball to Raigyne Moncrief, the ball movement was crisp- a little hurried because of LSU's constant trapping, but when they were able to keep their heads, they played well.

Derreyal Youngblood played a little in the first half, but most of her minutes were taken up by Nikki Caldwell's smaller lineup and the hot play of Shanece McKinney. DaShawn Harden fired up the defense, ball-hawking and being a huge part of the traps. Danielle Ballard came up with the game-winner and was great cutting to the lane. She kept getting tangled up with Elmblad; unsurprisingly, the Elmblads sitting behind us did not approve of this. Jasmine Rhodes was quick getting to the paint- she came up with a fairly big shot late in the game. I don't know what Anne Pedersen was supposed to bring to the game, unless it was a matchup problem, but whatever it was, she didn't seem to be providing it. Shanece McKinney did a spectacular job of cleaning up on the boards- I think three of her makes were putbacks on offensive rebounds, and a couple of her misses were too. Her bulk inside turned the tide in LSU's favor.

I'm assuming that Theresa Plaisance was injured in some way, shape, or form, because she came out of the game very quickly early on and was not the same. She looked very soft, unwilling to take contact or to make the extra move to get her shots to go down. One of the Michigan folks thought they saw her crying on the bench, but I'm not certain of this. Still, it lends credence to the "injured but playing" theory. Jeanne Kenney is a gamer. She wasn't looking for her shot in the first half. In the second half, we left her open and she hit three after three. She also took a big dive into some rather flimsy chairs in the first row (the same ones that Minta Spears wiped out in the first game) and there was a bit of a delay as she dealt with soda on her shoes and on the court. Raigyne Moncrief looked more interested in getting her teammates involved, and sacrificing some of her shots to do it. She jumped the passing lanes beautifully. Sheila Boykin barely did anything worth remembering. I think that was part of why Caldwell went to a smaller, faster, more guard-oriented lineup. Rina Hill looked a little less in over her head than she was in the first game, but she was mostly the second body in the roving traps set by Moncrief, Harden, and Ballard. Those were merciless.

LSU seemed to rely too heavily on their defense. I mean, it worked for them in this game, and if they can convert their opponents' turnovers to points on a regular basis, they'll be dangerous. And Caldwell seemed to adapt her personnel well to the style of play and who was the hot hand. But they're going to need Plaisance to be more consistent and healthy. Those big posts don't have the stamina to go a full 40.

We were not pleased with the refs, but the people we were sitting with took it to levels usually only seen in Rutgers-land. It's not a delay of game if the court really does need to be cleaned, guys.

Devotion to duty: Paige Rakers took a cut to the forehead, held the pad in place, and scooted over to rejoin the huddle as the trainer continued to tend to her.

I'm proud of the Wolverines, and proud of the fans who answered the (cow)bell to support them. We out-yelled the LSU fans until the last two minutes, when the LSU fans decided to join the party. It was an almost-perfect ending to a day full of basketball.

Read More...

Summary only...

November 29th, 2013: Texas Tech at Michigan (Barclays Invitational)

Just The Facts, Ma'am: Michigan withstood an early challenge and a second-half run from the Lady Raiders of Texas Tech to come away the victors, 82-71. Siera Thompson led all scorers with 24 points, adding five assists. Amber Battle led Texas Tech with 23 points and seven rebounds.

For crankiness, free shirts, a lack of respect, mild confusion, and lots of family, join your intrepid and blue blogger after the jump.


Good morning, Internet! We're coming to you on our usual tape delay, this time bright and early from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn for the Barclays Women's Invitational.

We are not, however, coming to you quite as early as we would like, as the Barclays Center was not ready for us until 10 AM. Well, we're still not sure about that, given that we were told three different opening times before they finally let us in at 10. One security guard decided to take pity on us and try to let us in, but another one turned around and made us go out again. My legs are still cramped. Then they tried to tell me I couldn't use my laptop in the seating area, but a guest services person named Candice and I negotiated it down to not using it during game play (which, duh, my favorite Michigan women did not hook me up with tickets to stare at a computer during play). Still. Barclays does not seem thrilled at having to deal with fans this early in the morning. Fine, I'm not thrilled with dealing with power-tripping security staff this early in the morning. We're even, and you're not getting money from me.

Anne Donovan is here (so ha, my laptop wouldn't be the most view-obstructive object in the seating bowl anyway).

Excellent anthem. Was amused that the color guard was facing the completely empty side of the arena across from the benches.

Michigan is up 12 at the half, on a solid team effort. Siera Thompson has 13, Shannon Smith 11. Amber Battle has been very impressive for Texas Tech.

Funniest moment of the day so far: they played the Michigan fight song, your dashing reporter led a sing-along… and the security guard posted behind Michigan's bench said, "What the [firetruck] was that?" Poor Guest Services Candice... maybe that's why she rotated to another section. Note that the Texas Tech fans didn't reciprocate at the next timeout.

Something smells really good, but I'm still not giving these people money. Even if they do have the hardwood equivalent of a Zamboni. That gives my heart glee, but I'm still not giving them money.

The game got a little too interesting in the middle of the second half, but one good run helped Michigan regain control, and when it got close again it was because Michigan had gone to their reserves. Saw a couple of young players this time around that I didn't see at the Iona tournament.

The Schneiders (who I'm assuming are sisters) are awfully skinny. Everything might be bigger in Texas, but not necessarily thicker. Haley Schneider had a couple of nice defensive tips. Jasmine Caston got the second half start, coming off the bench in the first half, and provided a little boost of offense with both long-range shooting and moves in the lane. She's got pretty good speed. Audrisa Harrison played more in the second half, mostly committing fouls on defense- very handsy overall. Ivonne Cook-Taylor came in when the game was already decided and took a quick three.

Minta Spears started the game shooting well from beyond the arc, but she seemed to press her shot more in the second half- her followthrough was much more exaggerated, and I think it threw off her shot. The one time she attempted to slash to the basket was epic fail, compounded by a bad foul call. Tiny Diamond Lockhart showed a lot of fire and ran her team well. I think they were trying to run the offense through Marina Lizarazu early on, but she was in over her head- bad passes, unnecessary turnovers, poor judgement. Shauntal Nobles was a decent presence on the inside, but she didn't get a lot of shots up. I liked her rebounding. But the one Lady Raider who impressed me on both ends of the floor and drew almost all of my attention was Amber Battle. She went hard after rebounds, hit shots from all over the floor, and displayed impressive foot speed on defense. She pretty much kept Texas Tech in the game single-handedly. In build and playing style, she reminded me a little of a miniature DeWanna Bonner, but with somewhat more awareness of her shot.

Rebecca Lyttle got called for two quick fouls when she finally got in in the second half, the second of which I felt was completely uncalled for. There's something I like about her, and not just her name. Danielle Williams showed good hustle in her second half minutes, but again, got dinged for a foul that seemed to come out of the blue. Don’t break the underclassmen, officials, we're going to need them for tomorrow. Val Driscoll really needs to work on her footwork, but was solid defensively- she had a beautiful block/deflection that led to a Nicole Elmblad steal that I'm pretty sure led to a Michigan fast break. Kendra Seto played late, and was not memorable other than an ill-advised attempt at a trap on the sideline. Paige Rakers had her shot going off the bench, and mixed it up inside on the boards- a lot of the time, only the headband made it possible for us to tell her apart from Nicole Elmblad, who is at least nominally a forward. But Michigan can't rely on Rakers to be their entire bench, especially not wih the injury to Shannon Smith.

I'm starting to wonder if Madison Ristovski hit a late growth spurt and she's still trying to adjust to it. She dribbles like she expects to be about three inches shorter, and it sort of makes her look like a young horse, all arms and legs and falling over. She shot well in the second half, though. Shannon Smith shot really well, both from outside and in the lane. She left in the second half with an apparent shoulder injury after a collision landed her hard into Elmblad's leg. She was holding her right arm absolutely motionless when we saw her after the game, and that's going to be a problem for tomorrow, because she seesm to be the only player with the confidence to bring the ball up the court. Siera Thompson shot lights out, especially in the first half, and always seemed to come up with the big shot whenever Texas Tech made a run in the second half. Cyesha Goree had to deal with some very tough fouls (I'm really not sure what that fourth foul was, other than inaccurate) but seemed to take the right message from the refs getting into her head and took the ball strong to the basket once she got back into the game after the fourth foul. (It also amuses me that she seems to be in charge of carrying young Aricos; that job used to belong to Joy McCorvey at St. John's. I assume Joy gave her pointers on how not to drop Coach's kids.) Nicole Elmblad was solid all around- didn’t necessarily stand out, but didn't screw up.

There were a distressing number of times when Michigan seemed to ignore the play that had been called, ignoring open players and going one-on-one to the basket. Repeatedly ignoring the coach's play calling is not a good plan when that coach is Kim Barnes Arico. She tends to shriek. Use your teammates, guys. Good things happen when you use your teammates.

We were not impressed with the officiating crew. It got really tiresome whenever Whittaker started complaining about the officiating, given that Michigan usually started out in a deep hole, foul-wise. I'm pretty sure one of them was an Enterline, and it was funny when he photo-bombed someone in the front row, but referees aren't supposed to be funny, they're supposed to be ignorable.

Minimal timeout entertainment, so no real commentary on that.

Depth worries me for Michigan tomorrow. For Texas Tech against Rutgers, I'd be concerned about their shakiness at the point and how one-dimensional their offense seemed to be.

Read More...

Summary only...

November 9th, 2013: Michigan at Arizona (at Iona)

Just the Facts, Ma'am: Arizona came on strong, but Cyesha Goree came up with the equalizer at the buzzer and the Michigan Wolverines came away with the win against the Wildcats in overtime, 73-71. Shannon Smith had 21 points, seven rebounds, and six assists for Michigan, while Nicole Elmblad posted a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds. Candice Warthen led Arizona with 21 points and nine assists.

For reuniting, layers, an autumn chill, directions, stomping, rainbows, and the victors valiant, join your intrepid and color-confused blogger after the jump, because that yellow IS NOT MAIZE.

Good afternoon! This time we're coming to you from the Hynes Athletic Center for the finale of Iona's tip-off tournament. Our first game features the Michigan Wolverines and the Arizona Wildcats.

It's good to have friends. Thanks for the assist, Joy.

Iona switched up which side of the court had the benches- the chairbacks are now across from the benches, which is mildly inconvenient. One of these years I'll remember to bring a seat cushion to bleacher seating. But they've done the place up a bit; the paint job is so fresh that I can still smell it, and it still has the new paint gleam.

Arizona seems to be focusing on finer control- footwork, low dribbling, ball control. Michigan's drill is pretty standard.

We're not the only ones here who came via the St. John's connection. There's folks in red who aren't with Arizona.

The Arizona crowd took time to get involved, but they did. I think they felt they were challenged. Well, bring it. I ain't shutting up any time soon.

Halftime, it's 32-26 Michigan, and so far Arizona's defense has kept them in the game. They've pressured out-of-bounds plays very well, inducing a five-second call early in the game. Michigan's offense was solid early, but it seems to have broken down more as the half progressed. Arizona shut down a lot of the ball movement, but on the other end of the floor, they have serious issues with their shooting.

So far no really awkward moments. I expect them, though. I have an Iona shirt under a Michigan shirt under a St. John's scarf, someone's going to question my loyalties to someone eventually.

I'd be more involved in the game on the offensive end if I knew the Michigan chants. The folks around us don't seem to be inclined to that kind of noise, though, so I'm still kind of lost. Ah, well, more voice for the Iona game. Though not as much as I was expecting... that game got a little too exciting for comfort. Both teams still have a long way to go.

Michigan relied heavily on their starters in this one, which is a very KBA thing to do, but not necessarily one that I would do in the second game of a back-to-back. They got some key baskets from Paige Rakers (which is pronounced Rockers and is thus an extremely awesome surname). I think they were expecting better shooting from Madison Ristovski, judging from the times when they were using her. Kendra Seto got some brief minutes in relief of the posts, but nothing to write home about.

All things considered, Shannon Smith and Eugeneia McPherson would probably hit it off like a house on fire, at least in terms of playing style. Smith is somewhat more of a distributor when things are going smoothly, but as soon as there was the slightest hint of pressure, she was driving the lane and putting up highly questionable shots in the faint hope of securing a whistle, then committing stupid fouls when a bad decision led to Arizona having the ball. Her three-point stroke was pretty enough that I joked that perhaps she should be wearing 30, though perhaps making a reference to that school in Ohio was a bad plan. I honestly don't know if I would put that much faith in her decision-making ability. Val Driscoll provided a solid body in the middle, and I think I would have liked to have seen her get more touches. Siera Thompson was hot and cold on offense, but she came up with a couple of big shots late in the game. I was expecting a little more from Nicole Elmblad. Consistency isn't the word I'm looking for, but she had one or two easy finishes that should have gone down. She scrambled well for rebounds, as well. Cyesha Goree came up with the board and the sweet soft shot to send the game into overtime. She was solid throughout the game, though I wasn't happy with most of her fouls- they seemed either to be bad calls or bad decisions, no real in between.

I'm not sure about Michigan's composure under pressure. They didn't cope well with Arizona's defense, and when the going got tough in the second half, they lost a lot of the crisp ball movement that staked them to the early lead. There's a difference between not being able to make the pass and not looking to make the pass. They made stronger defensive stands in the OT, and that was the key difference, not an improvement on offense.

Arizona got such good minutes off the bench out of Breanna Workman that I thought she was the starter, which shows how much I know about Arizona women's basketball. She was really good defensively. Dejza James put in hard work on the offensive boards- I think most of her baskets came off offensive rebounds. She was very impressive for a freshman. Keyahndra Cannon scored her two buckets back to back and also demonstrated a perfect foul to stop the break on a Michigan fast break. It might be a small thing to notice, but too many players either back off the break or don't foul hard enough to stop the basket. She fouled hard and clean, making sure that there was no way the shot was getting off.

I really thought Kama Griffits was going to scrape the pipes on the ceiling with the insanely high arc of her shot. She's got a rainmaker shot, and it was pouring buckets in the first half. That shot was virtually unblockable (not that Michigan seemed to be making an effort to block it). LaBrittney Jones showed promise, but Butts had her on a short leash, relying more on Workman. Ashley Merrill didn't do anything memorable. Carissa Crutchfield relied a bit too much on a senior's flair for the dramatic when trying to get a call, but was a solid running mate for Candice Warthen. Is it weird to say that Warthen looks like a Candice? Because I'm starting to think that there's a certain essential Cand*ceness that Cand*ces share; Parker has it, Dupree has it, Warthen has it. Yes, I know I'm strange, moving along to actual analysis right now. Warthen ran amok against the Michigan defense. She's very quick, and she made good decisions with the ball. I was very impressed with her.

Actually, I was very impressed with Arizona, period. I was not expecting much from them, given the program's ill-fortune after Polk, but they were very pesky on defense. What intrigued me most was that the drills they were working on before the game were the keys to keeping the game as competitive as it was. I mean, yes, working on skills is supposed to make those skills useful in game action, but it's rare to see it in such a clear and present fashion. I also thought Butts made good adjustments throughout the game, both offensively and defensively. I think they can definitely annoy some of those top teams in the Pac-12 and snag an unexpected win or two over teams expected to finish higher.

I'm pretty sure one of the officials- the not completely bald gentleman- was originally from the state of Arizona. All the bad calls against Michigan seemed to be coming from his whistle. The loose ball calls all seemed to be coming against Michigan. Every out of bounds was going to Arizona. We were not amused.

I married a man who goes to the effort of looking up the words to "Hail to the Victors" so that he can sing the fight song for a team that is, at best, our fourth priority. That is love and basketball.

Seriously, the Arizona crowd got into it once they got into it. They practically had choreography. There were a couple of folks in fraternity gear; I wonder if they had experience with step teams.

It was a thriller, and I think both teams took a lot away from it. I took away a mild headache, but the day was only starting…

Read More...

Summary only...

November 20th, 2011: Michigan at Seton Hall

Just the Facts, Ma'am: A 28-11 free throw differential helped the Michigan Wolverines survive 26.5% shooting from the field to take one on the road from the Pirates of Seton Hall, 51-47. Rachel Sheffer led all scorers with 18 points, while Courtney Boylan was one rebound short of a double-double with 11 points and nine boards. Alexandra Maseko was the only Pirate in double figures, putting up 12 points to go with seven rebounds and three blocks.

For an awful lot of walking, stupid fouls, travels about New Jersey, and pathetic attempts at a halfcourt shot, join your intrepid and gainfully employed blogger after the jump.
Good. Grief. This is definitely Michigan basketball. It is as definitely Seton Hall basketball. Anne Donovan doesn't seem to have trained her team out of the habit Mangina established in them to chuck and pray. The bench priest can't do that much, guys.

I forgot just how acutely I dislike going to Seton Hall. It's a long hike or an infrequent bus from the NJ Transit station, and on weekends, every gate but the main one is closed, so you end up looping around. Your choices for seating once you get there are uncomfortable bleachers or uncomfortable chairback seats in the upper deck that obscure your view. The sound system is way the hell too loud. The crowd is depressing.

And that's not even including the basketball. Because Christ on a pogo stick, was this a bad first half of basketball.

I do like the Allen and Ginter cards the Hall has of Anne Donovan. Allen and Ginter's pretty ace, and I knew they were doing women's cards (I had the Leslie mini-card before trading it to someone who would appreciate it more), but that's still cool.

Band uniforms are lazy, but I like their variety in music. It takes a lot to do the Doors on marching band. Clean up the brasses, though.

Kevin Borseth's a year away, I think. Something isn't clicking with this team. The only thing that worries me is that it might be the screaming and the towel-throwing. We'll see if the chemistry improves with him recruiting players that are more comfortable with this style, or if it's going to explode in his face. I think players who play that style of swarming man and tight zone are going to be okay with being screamed at, though.

Nya Jordan, I don't care that your last name is Jordan, you don't get to stand there and admire your shots. Strangely enough, she followed everyone else's shots- I have no idea how she ended up with eight rebounds. Kate Thompson may be the tallest woman I've ever seen listed as a guard. She's 6-4- there's no reason she should be taking that many threes, especially when she proved she could finish inside. Kendra Seto provided a nice spark for them in the first half, cooling off with some stupid fouls in the second. Sam Arnold played briefly and showed me nothing.

What in the world is up with Carmen Reynolds? She didn't hit a shot and looked pretty wretched out there. Same with Jennie Ryan, though she at least seemed to be more involved in the flow of play. I was expecting more out of them. Courtney Boylan came up big in the second half, but I'm not sold on her as a point guard. She's a Minnesota kid, and I think she thinks she's Lindsay Whalen, but she's... more Jennifer Derevjanik. I liked her pass fakes during practice, but she was mostly not all that great during games. She tried to make too many plays and complained too much about calls she wasn't getting. Nicole Elmblad got the start, but barely played, which makes me wonder if she's a regular starter, or if Thompson or Jordan had received a disciplinary benching. Rachel Sheffer's ability to take contact and get to the line impressed me. She got popped in the mouth late in the game- didn't look like she lost any teeth or anything, but she still kept her composure and her mind on the game surprisingly well for having a hand over her mouth.

Chizoba Ekedigwe looks like a freshman, and looks like an Anne Donovan post. She has promising physicality, but she makes stupid freshman mistakes. It happens. Terry Green's shot has gotten streakier, and she committed a lot of stupid fouls from behind- and then tried to act innocent each time. I abhor that kind of acting and whining. Elaine Swaby was credited with three steals, which I call shenanigans on- she had one nice one, but that's the only decent play I can remember her making. Things seemed to go horribly wrong whenever she went into the game. Every team has one of those players, it seems. Breanna Jones played briefly, looking like a very big Tari Phillips fan with the ankles, knees, and elbows wrapped, and with the headband; if all her accessories were black, the resemblance would have been a lot stronger. That was all I remember about her.

I was hard on Alexandra Maseko last year- she didn't usually have her head in the game, which led to a lot of stupid mistakes, but she showed out today. Nothing spectacular, but nothing too awful, either. Tajay Ashmeade does not impress me as a starting center- not a great shooter and doesn't know how not to foul, which meant that she fouled out on a play that a more sensible post would have known not to make (a blatant bump and hack; she knew it was a foul as soon as Aliberti blew the whistle). I can't put my finger on what I liked about Nicosia Henry, but she always seemed to be making the right play at the right time. Every team has one of those players too, it would seem. I was exceedingly disappointed in Jasmine Crew. I was told to expect her to be a one-woman show, and I think she agreed with that assessment- the only problem was that Michigan hassled her into throwing up some of the dumbest shots that I've ever seen thrown up- and please bear in mind I'm a Liberty fan who saw Sherill Baker for the better part of two seasons. I think she hit the underside of the backboard twice. They're going to need her to show much better judgment if they want this to work. Brittany Morris did a good job of looking like she kept her composure, even if the stat line wouldn't indicate it. Against less swarming defenses, I think she'll be fine.

I wouldn't have gone for the intentional foul quite as quickly as Donovan did; then again, Donovan knows her players better than I do and probably knew that Crew was going to waste too much time at the other end of the court with fancy dribbling.

Seton Hall probably did a lot of bitching about the refs after the game, but most of those calls were merited, and there were a couple that they missed. I'm sure Michigan got away with stuff too, but the foul differential accurately reflected the style of play. I'm not thrilled about having a team in my conference that likes to bump from behind. There were also some strange non-calls that had me scratching my head. It was a crew I expected better from, too: DeMayo, Aliberti, and Rachelle Jones.

Part of me likes that the Hall has... less traditional... body types on their dance team. The shallow part of me thinks that they shouldn't wear such tight uniforms if that's the route they're going to go.

I don't want to say the male cheerleaders for Seton Hall have slippery pants, but the flag runner almost lost his during the running of the flag; fortunately, he took the opportunity to pull them up when the giant huge flag collapsed on him after two of his buddies relieved him of it.

Too much fluff in the SHUbars, too much pepper on the SHUpuds.

I would have let loose a little more on the refs in the first half, but sitting next to the bench priest does put the kibosh on that. The most I got away with “THE THINGS I WOULD SCREAM AT YOU IF THE PRIEST WASN'T RIGHT THERE!” He moved across the way to sit with the cheerleaders for the second half. Judging from the strange bounces, he's slacking. (Strange bounces off the rim. Of the ball.)

There was a post-game autograph session, and our Seton Hall poster signed by half the team fell off its perch above the linen closet, so it seemed prudent to get a new one signed by the entire team. Friendly enough bunch to people they knew, and a couple were friendlier towards strangers, Maseko especially.

The crowd was loud and into the game, which is an unusual experience at Seton Hall, and I like that. They're going to need that kind of support if they want to get anywhere; this team isn't talented enough to win without wringing every last ounce of homecourt advantage out of South Orange.

Read More...

Summary only...