Just the Facts, Ma'am: It was a close game for nine minutes, then UConn outscored Kentucky 61-30 and won 83-53. Breanna Stewart led four Huskies in double figures with 21 points, and the Huskies forced 21 turnovers out of Kentucky. A'dia Mathies had 14 points for the Wildcats.
For blues, goosebumps, drives, fundamental flaws, and the shame of leaving early, join your intrepid and chilled blogger after the jump.
Don't worry, you've only got three more games of me after this, then you'll get a six-week break from long blocks of text, irrelevant parenthetical asides, and occasionally inaccurate analysis.
All things considered, there are a fair amount of people here so far, given that it's 6:19 and tip is around 7:30. The band and cheerleaders are getting ready to go- we're at UConn's end, which makes me a bit frustrated, but what can you do? Maybe we'll get enough elevation to see over the band pits.
This game was tied at 22. Heck, Kentucky had a 23-22 lead. And then UConn remembered that one of their other staples is stifling defense, and a UConn game broke out. Kentucky got scared, as if they'd suddenly forgotten how to play offense against stifling in-your-face defense, even though you'd think they practice against it every day. UConn broke loose down the lane. At least maybe I'll make the 9:38 train back to NY.
I decided I was making that 9:38 no matter what, so for the first time in close to five years, I left a game early. I don't enjoy doing that- I feel guilty, as if not getting my money's worth, but not getting my money's worth is not worth shivering my way through an hour on a Metro-North platform and getting home at 1 in the morning. It was the under-4 when I left, and I believe it was a 27-point game; the only frustrating part is that I don't have a personal complete box score.
Azia Bishop played briefly, but after a hard moving screen, she got sat down, and I don't think she went back. Mitchell didn't seem happy with her after that foul. Bria Goss got the same teaching moment treatment after a stupid foul. Though at least she was a little more effective in the first half. She got a lot of time because Kastine Evans was hesitating, Jennifer O'Neill was making some stupid mistakes, and A'dia Mathies was in foul trouble. Jelleah Sidney tried to get the defense on, but she got into foul trouble in the first half, and I don't think that helped Kentucky's cause. I know, understatement of the year, but I think that got into their heads a little too. I thought it was interesting she got more aggressive on offense- might be a good sign for them for the future. I don't remember Bernisha Pinkett doing anything of note other than committing a foul so egregious in the paint that even I could call it half-obscured by the stanchion. Janee Thompson gave decent minutes; they definitely could have been worse, all things considered.
The early fouls on A'dia Mathies could not have helped her confidence, but I think having to run around after Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis all night and having to be a key part of her team's offense didn't help. Kastine Evans wanted the ball, but as soon as she got it, she backed away from shots that she was taking against Delaware, even when she had space. You have to be aggressive against UConn. You can't let them get into your heads, or your shorts. You have to go at them like they're just another basketball team. They may not be, but you have to treat them as such. DeNesha Stallworth at least seemed interested in shooting the ball, though I do have to question some of her shot selection. I know she had decent luck with the midrange jumper, but I'm not sure if that was the best plan against UConn. They're pretty much okay with people shooting outside jumpers against them. Samarie Walker... I don't know if she wasn't looking for the ball or if she was defended too tightly to get the ball in her preferred spots, but 0-1 from the field and 2-2 from the line is not nearly sufficient when you want to knock out a team like UConn. She looked good on the boards, but she needed to be a bigger part of the game. Jennifer O'Neill's shot was on early, but she persisted in making stupid decisions with the ball- bad passes, over-dribbling, too much hesitation- and stagnated her team's offense.
Samarie... DeNesha... you are both fairly seasoned players starting at a top-notch SEC school. One of you came from UConn, the other from Cal, neither exactly what you would call bad or badly coached. Why am I seeing both of you have issues with taking and hitting lay-ups from the weak side?
Just in general, after Mathies hit the free throw that gave Kentucky the lead, and after UConn remembered that hey, they can play really good defense too, Kentucky seemed to forget how to play basketball, while UConn could smell blood in the water and brought everyone (well, except Heather Buck) to the feast.
I left the game before Buck got in, but I sincerely doubt she did anything. Morgan Tuck continues to impress me for a freshman, though I think the spirit of Tiffany Hayes possessed her through her jersey on that three-point shot. I like her build, and if the knee heels up so that she doesn't need the brace, she'll be a force to be reckoned with. And of course, you've got to love a big who can hit her free throws. Bria Hartley played a lot of minutes off the bench when KML had foul issues and for Caroline Doty in general, and she looked more like the player she once was, quick with her hands and breaking loose for lay-ups in transition. Moriah Jefferson put on the afterburners, and her block on Thompson had the crowd roaring in approval. She's adorable, yet terrifying in her ability to sneak under the dribble. Kiah Stokes got some good minutes; her lay-up in the paint got the crowd going.
Stefanie Dolson grabbed ALL the rebounds. Now, the placement of my seat meant that I couldn't see most of the action under the basket at either end, because the stanchion was in the way. But I remember seeing that big ol' 31 a lot. And then she bicycled her way to New Orleans- no, seriously, she was working the daylights out of that bike. Caroline Doty did pretty much the one or two things she's still capable of doing at a UConn level, then got out of the way. I didn't think she was able to go that fast anymore after all the knee injuries, but she had one zoom-zoom drive. Kelly Faris... if I have to have her on a New York team, can I draft her to the Jets instead? They need someone who can make interceptions in the open field and hard tackles like she did. She's a hard-nosed player, and I respect that, but I feel like I'm complaining about her tackling someone every time I see her play, and that's not necessarily a good thing. And she did not display that tendency not to make mistakes that so many people laud in her. Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis continues to intrigue me with her increased willingness to be more than just a lethal three-point shooter- she's using that blocky build to get inside and body up on defenders. I'm starting to see a little Epiphanny Prince in her game- am I crazy in that regard? (I know better than to ask whether I'm crazy. I already know the answer to that one.) And then Breanna Stewart decided to be the player that everyone's been saying she could be, and it was kind of amazing. She made moves with both hands. She slapped the daylights out of shots. She went in. She went out. She did in fact shake it all about. She looked like she wanted to be the star.
UConn turned it up another gear. They made stupid mistakes (after one Faris pass, I thought Geno was going to flip out), but they didn't let those mistakes get to them. The difference between an Elite Eight team and a Final Four team, I guess.
Officiating could definitely have been worse, could definitely have been better, but though they let them play, it didn't go to the extremes we saw in Oklahoma City.
A rumor was going around the crowd that Kevin Ollie was in attendance, but I received no confirmation either way.
To the woman behind me, who complained twice that Kentucky wasn't letting UConn bring the ball up: that is, in fact, one of the core principles of their defense. You idiot.
I feel like I can't give a complete report, since I missed the last three minutes. On the other hand, we're on the third page of notes, so maybe I can.
See you in New Orleans, Huskies.
Monday, April 1, 2013
April 1st, 2013: Kentucky at Connecticut
Saturday, March 30, 2013
March 30th, 2013: Delaware at Kentucky
Just the Facts, Ma'am: 33 points from Elena Delle Donne and a fierce second-half comeback weren't enough for Delaware to come from behind, as Kentucky claimed the victory 69-62. Jennifer O'Neill led the Wildcats with 19 points, and A'dia Mathies added 16.
For honor, stuffed birds, inconvenient tubas, drives, and shades of blue, join your intrepid and mildly embarrassed blogger after the jump.
Your intrepid blogger was bound and determined to go to Bridgeport, whether or not her team made the trip, so here we are three rows back in the endcourt behind where the bands will be, watching as the arena starts to fill up in shades of blue. Unsurprisingly, the dominant groups are UConn and Delaware. Delaware brought at least three buses, and it pleases me that they're genuine Delaware...ites. Ians. Ers. Whatever one calls a person from Delaware. I'm pretty sure a couple of folks from the men's basketball team are here, and I saw someone in a jersey that wasn't 11.
There appears to be some sort of strategic alliance between some of the Delaware fans and the Maryland fans. I find that fascinating. I guess regional loyalty beats out the mutual tie of Delle Donne.
If someone behind me doesn't stop spreading pistachio shells around the section like an ill-mannered health-conscious baseball player, I'm going to have to go Noo Yawk on them. Really, people.
My husband and I are the only people wearing St. John's gear, and yes, we've gotten some peculiar looks, but I don't actually care. I'm going to represent my team even if they're not here.
Delaware band is in front of us. Love the guy with the YouDee on his trumpet. Will have to acquire a foam YouDee at some point to add to the souvenir collection. They did a good anthem with a very colonial feel to it (which makes sense, since they have the Revolutionary-era name history).
It's 41-27 Kentucky at halftime, and so far only Elena Delle Donne and Danielle Parker have looked capable of playing at Kentucky's level. I'm impressed at Delle Donne's speed and ability to absorb contact, something which she seems to have improved upon. Parker is rebounding like crazy. These may be the worst officials I have ever seen- at the beginning, everything was a jump ball, then everything was against Kentucky, then everything was against Delaware- and by everything I mean leg whips and forearms to the face. We're lucky no one got seriously hurt.
Kelsey Buchanan really mixed it up on the inside with the Kentucky posts, and then acted surprised when she got called for a foul. Aww, that's cute. Jaquetta May came off the bench first in the first half, and from what I can glean from the box score and my obstructed view from around the stanchion, she worked loose a lot of offensive boards (I think two or three of the were on a play near the end of the game, when Delaware had four chances at the basket and couldn’t come away with a basket). Trumae Lucas was an offensive catalyst in the second half, and had some great defensive plays too. Stephanie Leon's minutes were near the end of the first half- I think she was just there to fill time.
I loved watching Danielle Parker rebound. Loved it. She was tough. Couldn't shoot (though the rim in front of the Kentucky/Maryland bench wasn't kind to anyone), but I loved her rebounding. Lauren Carra got in foul trouble early, and though her three at the end of the first half was cold-blooded and key to keeping the Blue Hens in it, she didn't wake up until the second half. I think I remember Kayla Miller bringing up the ball every so often, but also that she didn't seem to be bringing it up as often as one would expect from a point guard- the responsibility for that seemed to fall to everyone else on the floor (Parker, Delle Donne, Carra, etc.). I think Delaware would have needed her to be more of a factor to survive. Same for Akeema Richards. I think she was in for her defense, but I'm not sure.
Elena Delle Donne took over the game for Delaware, for both good and ill. She was spectacular, and she's been working on the parts of her game that were weaknesses when she was younger. She'll always be a step slow on defense, but she's been improving on the offensive end, and when she decides she's going to get aggressive, no power on this earth is going to get in her way. She deserved every moment of the standing ovation she received, and I wish her all the best. She seems like a really sweet kid.
Azia Bishop gave some good minutes in the lane. Brittany Henderson got on the boards, and even if she didn't pull the rebounds down, she made room for her teammates to get them. Bria Goss was solid, especially on defense. For me, the real defensive star was Jelleah Sidney, who drew the unenviable task of having to guard Elena Delle Donne when Plan A didn't work. She was also a constant presence on the boards, especially on the offensive end. I remember seeing her under the basket a lot. They also got good if unremarkable minutes from Janee Thompson.
A'dia Mathies seems to have decided that she needs to take over for her team. This is both good and bad- good because they need her not to have a game like she had against Navy, bad because her judgment is not necessarily the greatest. Jennifer O'Neill missed her first three shots badly, I started swearing, and then she started hitting everything in sight, so I shut up. She was a little careless with the ball, but she was the offensive catalyst they needed her to be. It was great to see Kastine Evans starting to look more like herself. Her three at the end of the first half was cold-blooded, and she hit a second big one in the second half as well. Love it when a player's moments are choice. DeNesha Stallworth spent most of the game on the bench because of early foul trouble. When she was in the game, she mostly stuck to turnaround moves with limited success. But the foul trouble really got to her. Samarie Walker was fierce on the boards. She really went after it, though she came up oddly short on some of her shots.
The referees were... oh, let's just call them interesting and decide that they hope to stay home for Monday's game. The Delaware fans were complaining that they were biased towards Kentucky, the Kentucky bench was screaming at the differential, and I was screaming that maybe they should figure out how to call something other than a jump ball.
Really liked YouDee's performance. So far, he's the best mascot I've seen in the
tournament and the redheaded guy who plays him is, like, way hot omg. Also seriously impressed by the biceps on the male cheerleaders for Delaware. Those three guys could probably in combination bench-press the team bus.
Lots of Delaware fans there, and I think most of them were actual-facts Delaware fans, not UConn fans flying false colors because OMG ELENAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA. And they got loud. And I hope to God they stay loud without Delle Donne.
I think every man in the SEC is required to slick back his hair with industrial-grade gel unless physically impossible. Search your feelings, you know it to be true.
Very surprised that Kentucky's defense wasn't more frenetic. They seem to have been sitting back more. They're going to need to ratchet it up against UConn.
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
March 26th, 2013: Dayton at Kentucky
Just the Facts, Ma'am: A'dia Mathies had 34 points, and Kentucky used a small first half run to take control of their second round NCAA tournament game, beating Dayton 84-70.
For MOAR hats, free drinks, bendy cheerleaders, redemption, and grabby hands, join your intrepid and clock-racing blogger after the jump.
Good evening, everyone! We're coming to you for the last time this season on the usual tape delay from Carnesecca Arena on the grounds of St. John's University, in some-yet-to-be-identified neighborhood of Queens, New York. Second-seeded Kentucky and seventh-seeded Dayton will be squaring off for the dubious pleasure of going to Bridgeport; on one hand, woo-hoo, it's the Sweet Sixteen, but on the other hand, it's Bridgeport. Hard to get excited about that city. (Sorry, Nutmeggers.)
The bands have officially opened battle. Dayton's band did "Crazy Train". Kentucky's band immediately followed up with "Crazy Train". The Dayton band did not look amused. Their version was better, anyway.
A fair amount of St. John's fans stuck around for this one. I'm impressed and pleased.
I also really want Ukari Figgs's shirt, but that's because I really like royal blue, though that is not why I am leaning towards Kentucky in this one.
At halftime, it's Kentucky, 40-31, and A'dia Mathies lives, with 15 points. They keep leaving her open in the corner, and she keeps hitting threes. Kentucky went on a huge run to bust open a14-all game, but Dayton's hanging tough. Andrea Hoover has 13 for the Flyers. Dayton is having a lot more trouble finding the open man than they did against us.
I think Kentucky missed the game tape from Dayton-St. John's on Sunday. They seemed inclined to let Dayton get back into it for a while, but then A'dia Mathies happened, as she did quite a bit that night.
Brittany Wilson played a little bit in the first half, but not again in the second, which surprised me; I would have thought Jabir would use her to bang with Stallworth and Walker a little bit and try to wear them out. Kelley Austria committed an exceptionally stupid foul and somehow missed the scouting report that getting trapped in the corner against Kentucky is a recipe for disaster. I did like the offensive rebound she sneaked out of the pack with on a Hoover miss, though. Olivia Applewhite at least brought good physical defense, even if she couldn't get her shots to fall. I like the way she plays, though she does have to work on her shooting.
Samantha MacKay, what are you even doing fouling a three-point shooter? This was not the greatest game she's ever played, to be polite about it. She was careless with the ball (which is never a good plan against Kentucky) and just threw up some very bad shots. Amber Deane looked like she was in a little over her head (which, since she's a freshman and Kentucky is kind of vicious, doesn't surprise me). She had one brilliant save on the baseline- she pulled off the "throw it off the opponent" move perfectly. Andrea Hoover did pretty much the same thing to Kentucky as she did to St. John's, only more inside the arc. Cassie Sant started off hot for Dayton, with midrange jumpers and moves on the baseline, but she got into a little bit of first half foul trouble, and I think that might have affected her confidence in the second half. Ally Malott was solid, but Dayton needed her to be more than solid if they wanted to spring the upset.
In general, Dayton looked rattled by the Kentucky defense, and hopeful when Kentucky overreached or slipped an assignment. Jabir was getting frustrated, too. "STOP FOULING!" he yelled at one point in the second half, when they went into the penalty.
Azia Bishop played very briefly, but I think she might have either gotten hurt during the game or been injured beforehand; she was holding her left arm tight against her body during the handshake line. Janee Thompson got minutes as part of the hockey-style line changes, but didn't make much of an impact. Jelleah Sidney mixed it up in the lane and got into a little bit of shoving with Dayton players. Brittany Henderson gave them some very good minutes off the bench as a tough, physical guard who boxed out well- if Pinkett had hit the three off that pretty pass she threw, the place would have gone off even more than it already was during that run. Bria Goss gave Kentucky the bulk of their bench minutes and was a spark on both ends of the floor.
We saw more frequent substitutions from Kentucky tonight, both in quantity and frequency. And Matt Insell is probably going to be gone in no more than two years. He did a lot of the yelling on the sideline, to the point where I thought the officials were going to remind him of his role and tell him to sit down.
Another questionable game from Kastine Evans, though she was better on the defensive end than she was against Navy. She still seemed to be the target of most of Matthew Mitchell's criticism, though we caught a couple of other Wildcats being hollered at. Samarie Walker drove the lane well- except that any top-10-team level starter should be able to hit a lay-up from the left side. She blew one shot by forcing herself to go right and take the shot with her right hand. But she's a tough rebounder, and I guess I can give her a little bit of a pass, given what I later heard was the reason she had to switch into a throwback #22. (We didn't see her barfing, which I'm okay with, since seeing players barf at two games is more than enough for my history.) Jennifer O'Neill's passing was not particularly crisp, and she did seem to enjoy taking shots from somewhere in the vicinity of the Whitestone Bridge, but I still like how she runs her team. I'm sort of a sucker for floor generals who run their team with unmistakable authority, I don't know if you've noticed. And she did come up with a couple of big plays in the second half. DeNesha Stallworth was a stalwart in the post, plus she brought her jumper to this game.
And then there was A'dia Mathies, who seemed to have taken the lousy game from Sunday to heart and roared back to life with a vengeance, going down the lane for lay-ups and hitting three after three from the corner. She looked like the first round pick she has been touted to be. (Oh, and Bill Laimbeer was in the audience...)
The people around me who were cheering for Kentucky- both the Kentucky fan base and the St. John's fans who returned for the second round- were extremely upset at the officials for what they perceived to be unfair calls. The fact of the matter is that, yeah, Kentucky holds and reaches a lot as part of their defense, and if they get the wrong crew, they're going to be in a lot of trouble. The refs let everyone play in the first half, then tightened up in the second. (Not that there weren't bad calls against Kentucky; O'Neill has a case.)
Dayton added another hat to the band collection, a flight cap. Also, the band director's jacket was red and blue striped, with sequins and flashing lights. Seriously, Kim Mulkey would have thought it was over the top and a touch ostentatious.
Great fan support for Kentucky and from the Dayton band. I am all in favor of stomping on the bleachers.
Thank you for the free Diet Coke, person who got busted at the gate. I took it home with me afterwards.
On to Bridgeport!
Monday, March 25, 2013
March 24th, 2013: Navy at Kentucky
Just the Facts, Ma'am: DeNesha Stallworth had 18 points and 11 rebounds to help Kentucky win their first round game over Navy, 61-41. Jennifer O'Neill added 12 points, 9 in the second half, and five steals. Jade Geif and Alix Membreno each had 9 points for Navy.
For dancing, gyrations, dress uniforms, souvenirs, sloppiness, and many cerulean hues, join your intrepid and apologetic blogger after the jump.
Good morning, everyone! We're coming to you on tape delay from Carnesecca Arena on the campus of St. John's University in Queens, New York, for first-round NCAA tournament action between the Patriot League champion Navy Midshipmen and SEC powerhouse Kentucky.
I'm in a chair-back seat. It's kind of disconcerting. I'm usually in the bleachers across from the home bench- I like being across from the bench so I can see a team's interaction. But here I am four rows from center court, facing everything except the logo. I'm so confused. All the advertising is covered up, since the NCAA has all the ad rights, so there are black squares where the bright ad lights used to be, and ribbons on the court where the sponsor logo once was.
Kentucky is very, very blue. It's intensely colored. Navy has a strong base here already, though we're not sure who the guy in the Army cap is cheering for. Kentucky has names on their jackets. I like them already. I have some idea of who they are!
Not buying the swag. $25 for a hat? $10 for a program? Forget it. If I'm buying anything it's going to be in Ne Orleans.
Navy appears to have brought foam goats. I'm going to go make a trade if I can. (I had to lie and say I wanted my husband's bracket to bust to get one.)
Kentucky band is coming in. Bands have been moved to what's normally the student section instead of the angled corner next to it where they usually are.
Mystics coaching staff is in attendance- Marianne Stanley and both Thibaults.
At halftime, Navy is up one on Kentucky, 26-25, but I don't think it's sustainable. Navy's been letting themselves get rattled by Kentucky's pressure, making bad passes and completely losing clock awareness in the last ten seconds- first not calling time to avert the five-second call, then not getting off a shot when they got the ball back after a really bad shot by Kastine Evans. Alix Membreno is playing really well for the Mids, with seven points and some great hustle. Jade Geif is rebounding all the things and bringing the body. For Kentucky, DeNesha Stallworth has started to get hot with her jumper, and they're killing the offensive boards.
There is a... gentleman... in a UConn shirt objecting to our discussion of our brackets. Sir, you are in a UConn shirt. You are lost. Be thou silent or GTFO.
Kentucky band did the anthem. They did a great job of it, but I do wonder why they didn't let the Naval band do it.)
Kentucky and Jennifer O'Neill opened up a can at the start of the second half, and it was pretty much downhill from there for Navy.
M.L. Morrison brought a little bit of offense off the bench in the first half, along with a body on the Kentucky posts, especially DeNesha Stallworth. Erin Meador committed some really stupid fouls, especially her third and fourth ones. The rest of the bench mostly played spot minutes, not really much of a factor in the game.
Audrey Bauer, I am not sure why you persisted in shooting threes from somewhere in the vicinity of Annapolis, but after the third or so miss, you should have realized that this was not a good plan and gone away from it. It's okay to take another step towards the line, not a step back. Chloe Stapleton picked up two quick fouls and then a third one near the end of the first half, so whatever it is she usually does for Navy, she didn't have much of a chance to do it. Jade Geif killed the boards in the first half, and I love how she was able to body up on the Kentucky posts, but she has got to hit her chippies. She had a lot of shots right at the rim that rolled off. She has to go up with more authority, though she did a better job of that in the second half. Alix Membreno played out of her mind in the first half- hitting shots, going for steals- but I think she ran out of gas. Kara Pollinger wasn't much of a factor. I remember her hitting a three, but that's about it.
Kentucky brought in a wave of reserves all at once very early in the first half, but went back to a more traditional substitution pattern for most of the game. Jelleah Sidney got away with quite a bit of shoving that I felt was quite uncouth; I don't care if your sister was a Johnny- she was epic fail, anyway- you don't get to do that at Carnesecca. Azia Bishop is one heck of a big body in the middle- surprised they didn't use her more. She got more time in the second half, because Stallworth was starting to wear down, and I think she helped wear at Navy's confidence by wearing them out in turn. Bernisha Pinkett gave them good defensive minutes off the bench. I remember seeing a lot of the back of her jersey on traps. Same for Bria Goss.
A'dia Mathies had one of the most awful games I've ever seen from her. She kept leaving her shots either short or off the side of the rim, she couldn't get on the boards- I think Navy's gameplan hinged on doubling and tripling her because they could, and in that regard, they were victorious. Granted, it was the only regard in which they were victorious, and there are no moral advances in the NCAA tournament. DeNesha Stallworth showed off a surprisingly pretty jumper from all over the floor, but she slowed up in the second half. I think stamina was getting to her. Samarie Walker attacked the rim in the second half with verve and vigor, cutting through the lane and the defense. Jennifer O'Neill was fairly quiet in the first half, and then the second half started and she was a firecracker- her points came in a fast spurt, along with a couple of nifty steals. She propelled Kentucky on to get their act together. Kastine Evans didn't play well- Mitchell was not happy with her.
Kentucky fans turned out in force; it truly was a sea of blue. I salute the cheerleader who carried blue and white streamers in his megaphone to hand out to fans- love the ingenuity. And I knew gymnastics was serious business in the SEC, but wow, the Kentucky male cheerleaders were spectacular with their flips and the fast spelling out of C-A-T-S.
I forget what the Navy band was playing- something aquatic-themed ("Sea Cruise", maybe?)- but the Kentucky band proceeded to do The Swim to it. I think the Johnnies in the corner were ROBL (rolling on the bleachers laughing).
I love that the first half was competitive; I wish the second half had been just as fierce by Navy.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
November 29th, 2008: Kentucky at LIU (Turkey Classic at LIU)
Kentucky Wildcats 46, Long Island Blackbirds 43
Kentucky does not impress and Ashley Palmer kicks ass in the best and most exciting 46-43 game you'll ever see.
Wow. Just. Wow. If that last three had gone down, I'm pretty sure every dead Beatle would be spinning in his grave as I belted out "You were only waiting for this moment to arise". We were supposed to leave this game early, but how do you leave a tie game- or one where the underdog home team is leading the big bad SEC team?
I couldn't help but wonder, as the Kentucky coaching staff took the floor,, just how often that building had ever had an actual WNBA player in it- yes, Wendy Palmer's retired, but she's a former WNBA All-Star. Is Matt Insell any relation to the coach at Middle Tennessee? Just curious.
I'm not sure if I know what Mitchell's doing with this roster. I'm really not sure if split-shifting Bett and Sanders as posts of the bench is the right idea. I do understand why Bett's not starting, though- she's one of the most passive 6'5" players I've ever seen, and she'll be eaten alive in the SEC. Sanders at least had some aggressiveness, and more range- she stepped out and canned a three. Amber Smith struck me as a very savvy guard- she made a couple of smart plays, including one near the end, when she was able to call a timeout to retain possession. But they didn't lose much with Amani Franklin, either. Brittany Edelen was a non-factor, as far as I recall. Eleia Roddy was clutch for them. She's got some nice moves in the paint. Morrow's an absolutely frightening ball hawk. I know I'd be nervous if I had the ball and she was in my face, waving those hands and yelling at the top of her lungs. Ormerod shot like a shooter, but didn't hit like a shooter. I'd have to look at a box score and her career numbers, but I'd guess that this was an exceptionally bad game for her. I'd also need a box score to know what I liked about Lydia Watkins and Victoria Dunlap (well, other than a wicked block by Dunlap) (okay, now that I have a box score, it might have been the seven boards by Watkins and the five steals by Dunlap).
Ashley Palmer. Good Lord, Ashley Palmer. If the last three, which went every which way but down, had gone in, I'd have asked her to hitch a ride with me to Connecticut and marry me right then and there. I like her. I like her a lot. She's got a nose for the ball, the common sense to not try and force a shot up through a triple-team, nice range, and a pretty shot- high-arcing, starts behind her head, reminds me a little of Kristin Moore at St. John's. And did I mention she's only a (redshirt) freshman? Chelsi Johnson looks a little like Barbara Farris, in terms of appearance- she had a nice layup off an amazing pass from Jade Brown, but she and Connie James both had trouble finishing. I like their instincts, but you've gotta finish those shots. If they'd done that, it'd have been a runaway for the Blackbirds. Li'Esha Garcia started for LIU, but I got the sense that it was only because she was a senior. Jade Brown is a hell of a rebounder for 5'7"- now, if she could only hit those threes she kept taking. They played a really short rotation- seven players, and Justine Stevenson's foul trouble kept her to seven minutes. No one went the full 40, but the four key starters went 38, 37, 37, and 36 minutes.
Again with the deep questioning of the officiating, because there were a couple of dicey calls against LIU- yes, there were a couple that had the Wildcats up in arms, but I think the ones against LIU and the ones that weren't called against Kentucky (Jade Brown took hits on three different possessions before the foul was finally called) affected the flow of the game more.
I don't want to take too much away from Kentucky, because they did step up in that last minute and get the steals to take the game. But even the worst team in the SEC shouldn't allow even the best team in the NEC to be that close that late in the game, and I doubt that either Kentucky is the worst team in the SEC or that LIU is the best team in the NEC. And LIU had more than their share of chances to take that game away. If they learn to capitalize, they could be very, very dangerous.
Of course, it'd be nice if their crowd had reacted as such. I've never been in such a dead crowd without there being some other excuse (like the Army-St. John's game). When the random strangers are more vocally involved in the game than the fans are, you might have a problem. That arena, and that team, deserved better.