Just the Facts, Ma'am: A 63-38 rebounding edge for George Washington overcame 27.5% shooting in the Colonials' 67-48 win at La Salle. Jonquel Jones led the way for George Washington with 12 points and 16 rebounds. Micahya Owens led La Salle with 12 points.
For ugly, definite articles, delayed reactions, buff and blue, stairs, questionable manners, and so very many missed shots, join your intrepid blogger after the jump.
Hey, y'all!
So we came down to Philadelphia to watch Seton Hall play Villanova yesterday, and to see St. John's play Villanova tomorrow. Today we needed a change of pace. Something different. Something new and fresh.
...so we went to a La Salle game instead.
Normally you would have gotten a lot more pregame blathering about the place and the pregame happenings. However, La Salle does not allow backpacks in their arena, and the security people they brought in were unusually strict about the matter. They were kinda rude about it, too. Fortunately, the ticket office was able to hold my backpack and its attendant computer. Unfortunately, that means my impressions will be a bit more vague than usual.
(Bonus points for that same security person being the ticket-taker and holding up the line a good five minutes because she went to the concession stand and bought herself nachos.)
Everything seemed a little bootleg for the non-game related portions of the program. The ticket office was really slow to react and was printing tickets on an individual basis. There was no band, and instead there were innumerable repetitions of the fight song, which has an unfortunate similarity to something you might hear on a Saturday morning cartoon. The side boards went wacky and showed distorted ad images, so they were eventually shut down, though I kind of want to know what Citizens Bane would be.
Beautiful video of Philly scenes during the playing of the anthem.
George Washington has a lot of very tall, very skinny players with questionable mechanics. The shooting was... it was awful, no two ways about it. This would probably have been a thirty-point margin if the Colonials could hit the broad side of a barn down low. Because the game was non-competitive for about 35 minutes, we got to see a lot of both teams' reserves, so these are going to be relatively long notes.
I'm not sure why Aaliyah Brown shoved the ballhandler out of bounds late in the second half, but it was pointless. Lauren Chase ignited the offense in the first half with jumpers and a nice and-1 in the lane. Alexis Chandler reminds me of a former Johnnie, Greeba Barlow, around the face. That's where the resemblance ends. Chandler took a lot of shots, some better than others, and always seemed to be looking for her shot, no matter what. Dalacy Anderson gave good minutes in the post. Mia Farmer- a Philly kid we'd heard about on the ride home last night- took corner threes, and the third time was the charm (though that first one should have gone down- it was halfway around). Jada Matthews brought some nice size, but not so much touch. Brianna Cummings had some really good minutes- always active, with some good plays on offense. Kelli Prange was the least awkward of GW's tall, awkward players, but not by much. She made some nice little plays in the middle.
I was looking forward to seeing Jonquel Jones- I'd heard a lot about her, and as a Johnnie I'm familiar with the talents of Clemson transfers. But I was very disappointed. Her shot was a hot mess. She rebounded well, but you've got to hit the chippies down low and you've got to hang on to the ball. GW ran a lot of alley-oops early for her and Caira Washington, and none of them were successful. Washington looked like she was still trying to find her feet. She needs to muscle up. She was getting moved around very easily, and La Salle didn't have that much more size. Hannah Schaible didn't look to score, though I think her teammates wanted her to score when they had stretched the lead out and it was time to distribute the points. Shannon Cranshaw was tough from three- she's got a pretty stroke, which is more than I can say for most Colonials today. Chakecia Miller ran the offense well and seemed just comfortable enough calling her own number to balance the duties of the offense well.
So many easy shots. So many missed shots. Ugh.
Oh, La Salle. The passing was horrible. The ball security was virtually non-existent. When the shots missed, they were ugly. They never gave up on plays, but that's the most I can say about them as a group.
Amy Griffin's skill set intrigues me. She has the build of a forward, but she handles like a guard. She's a little reckless, and a little careless, but she's only a freshman. If she gets coaching, she might be special for La Salle. They brought a lot of size off the bench with Indigo Dickens and Ashanti Freeland, neither of whom played a lot, but who both crashed the paint. Jordan Williams handled the ball near the end of the game. Ebony Wells was, I think, physical, but we're getting to the time of night when my memory for mid-rotation bench players starts to fail me.
Micahya Owens was high usage, especially in the first half. She made a lot of defensive plays, disrupting the dribble and playing the passing lanes. Alicia Cropper came up with threes in the second half, as well as some tough plays. Jasmine Alston handled herself like a point guard who runs a good offense. I like her demeanor. Lisa Mintzer, the token local girl, blocked a lot of shots when GW thought they had a size advantage. They did not shoot very intelligently. Siobhan Beslow was the player of the day on the poster, but she seemed irrelevant today.
When La Salle was able to get a shot off, they got decent shots. But they really didn't have a lot of good ball movement and were sloppy with the ball.
Officiating was inconsistent, and it got to the point where you could tell the refs just wanted to get home. I am also not sure which ref she was, but there was referee who needed to visit my favorite corsetorium- by the end of the game, she had, er, lost some of her structural support.
GW has a really loud staff. Everyone seemed to be yelling. (They're also the only team I've heard use something other than the standard "DE-FENSE!" chant- they call and and respond "D UP!"
Worth the trip... but George Washington isn't quite back yet.
Saturday, January 24, 2015
January 24th, 2015: George Washington at La Salle
Saturday, November 26, 2011
November 25th, 2011: La Salle at Florida
Just the Facts, Ma'am: Florida withstood several La Salle runs to win 85-74 at Long Island's holiday tournament. The Gators' Jordan Jones had 28 points to lead all scorers, while Jennifer George had 18 points and 15 rebounds. Jada Payne had 17 for the Explorers, while Jordan Mosley and Alexis Scott each had 16 off the bench.
For ugly clothes, hard hands, a strange feeling of deja vu, and bored Blackbirds, join your intrepid and woefully belated blogger after the jump.
On to the second game. Florida is intimidatingly large. They may not necessarily be good, but they're big. La Salle is La Salle. I've probably written more words about La Salle women's basketball than anyone not affiliated with the university.
Charlotte has drifted back a bit. Cara Consuegra came past us looking like a thundercloud a little while ago, and LIU appears to have acquired pizza. Florida's shoes are very, very blue. So are their socks.
La Salle seems to have decided to play for a change. It's only 41-38 in Florida's favor at the half. Jordan Jones has been otherworldly for the Gators, but the Explorers are getting great shooting from Jada Payne and Alexis Scott. I rather enjoy this game experience without the band and dance team, with the iPod going.
La Salle doesn't have the talent, and they don't have the court awareness. They're low level players for a middling program in a mid-major conference. But they played today with more heart than I've ever seen from them, and I've seen far more of them than I'd have preferred. Maybe there's hope yet.
The Explorers got amazing offense from Alexis Scott off the bench. She came up big for them when they rallied to tie it and again when they rallied to try and get it under double digits. Jordan Moseley also had a nice game for La Salle. I was surprised not to see Jess Koci in the game; I'm going to assume that she was hurt, because a rebounder might have been useful against the gigantic post players for Florida.
Ruvanna Campbell is definitely a freshman. She had some nice defensive plays, but she made some dumb mistakes that didn't help La Salle's case. Brittany Wilson came up with big shots when her team needed them, and did so with acrobatic athleticism. Jada Payne had a big first half, though she was quieter in the second. Nadia Duncan got into the middle of a lot of plays. The guards set each other up well in general.
The clock management in the last four minutes could have used a little work. Okay, a lot of work. They spent way too much time trying to get their shots.
I think Amanda Butler thinks Lily Svete can be the next Steffi Sorenson. Blonde who thinks she can shoot a little? But I wasn't impressed. Florida in general didn't get a lot off their bench, which could be trouble for them against a frenetic and relentless Charlotte team. Deana Allen shot a lot, but she didn't necessarily take good shots. I think Butler saw an opportunity to use her bench in the first half, when it was a big lead, and put in some players who I would guess don't play a lot.
If there is one thing I cannot stand in basketball, it's post players who play tentatively, softly, and stupidly. I devoutly hope, for Florida's sake, for Great Britain's sake, and for her sake, that Azania Stewart isn't always this soft, doesn't always drop these passes, doesn't always have rebounds bounce off her hands, and isn't generally one of the least effective 6'4” players I've ever seen. Jennifer George needs to not bring the ball back down to where small people can reach it. She's a big strong player; she should be able to put that back up without hesitation. When she realized that in the second half, Florida took off and put the game out of reach. If she can be more assertive for a whole game, she's going to be amazing. Jordan Jones's outside shooting was unworldly in the first half. She cooled down in the second, but I like the classic look of her shot and her release. You'd think the 33 she wears would be a pretty good hint of what she does well, but hey, I'm not the one who let her hit six three-pointers. Jaterra Bonds looked good, except for the turnovers. Lanita Bartley read long rebounds well.
I've been rough on Florida the last couple of years. I'm not impressed with Amanda Butler's coaching since the Achilles (nor am I impressed with her fashion sense; that yellow blouse should be taken out and burned), but it looks like she's putting it together to make a run in the SEC this year. It might not be much of a run, but I think they'll be a little better than they were the last couple of years. On the other hand, the lack of killer instinct that kept La Salle in the game until the equivalent of the fourth quarter might come back and bite them, given the viciousness of the SEC.
Officiating was inconsistent. Again. And for a long time I wondered if the officials were trying to protect the BCS when La Salle was keeping it close and being called for fouls almost every time that they breathed on a Florida player. La Salle does tend to commit a lot of stupid fouls, but this was a little hard to believe. I think La Salle's coach agreed with my assessment (but he's obviously going to be a wee bit biased); he pointed at the foul count on the scoreboard to back up his complaints a couple of times.
It was a much better game than I had expected it to be, and a much closer game than the final score indicates. Maybe there's hope for La Salle yet. But please, please, dear sweet deities of sport, don't let me have to write about them again.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
November 17th, 2011: La Salle at St. John's
Just the Facts, Ma'am: 26 points, seven steals, and seven rebounds from Nadirah McKenith carried the St. John's Red Storm to a 66-45 win over the La Salle Explorers. Alexis Scott had 17 off the bench for La Salle.
For unhinged jaws, squeaky brass, floor burns, and pressure, join your intrepid and amazed blogger after the jump.
The problem with a performance as incandescent as Nadirah McKenith's is that it makes the rest of the Game Notes of Doom even harder to write. How am I supposed to remember the acts of minor bench players when I've got a pass in my head that would make Ticha Penicheiro weep for its beauty?
Jeff Williams worked in a lot of his players, especially late in the game after the Red Storm extended the lead. We had brief cameos from a couple of seniors, Nikki Ortiz and Michele McCaughern. Nadia Duncan was first off the bench, but she became a non-factor. Indigo Dickens brought size, and a couple of nice picks, but not much else. Ruvanna Campbell is a prototypical mid-major post- tall, fast, and a good shot-blocker, but can't hold on to the ball and can't shoot. She's just a freshman, though. There might be potential there. Alexis Scott did a nice job of getting to the line, and she was really the only offense La Salle could find, especially in the second half. Advice in advance, A-10 fans- she's very easily disconcerted at the line. We nailed her twice.
Jess Koci rebounded well in the first half, and started establishing herself in the paint in the second, but by then there was no force on this earth that could save the Explorers. Brittany Wilson committed stupid fouls from behind. No, Miss Wilson, you cannot have a piggyback ride from our players. Omaah Tayong brought a decent defensive presence, and I like her hustle. I really can't remember a damn thing Jordan Mosley did, and Jada Payne, who came in as La Salle's leading scorer, didn't impress me either.
Jennifer Blanding was demoted to the bench, and after the debacle that was her last game, I can't say I'm surprised. She was better on the defensive end, and the one shot she took was a nice hit, but if you're the tallest player on the team, you should be getting at least one rebound, not being the one player on the team who played without getting a rebound. SHAME, Jennifer. SHAME. Shenneika Smith also didn't start, though that appeared to be disciplinary- she didn't look injured, and she did play. She got hot in the second half when she was able to get into the lane, and demonstrated a little hook shot that I hope she doesn't think she can use against real competition yet. Zakiyyah Shahid-Martin showed hustle going for loose balls, and she and her classmates have good chemistry. Briana Brown, you cannot shoot three-pointers. If you're going to keep trying, do it in practice, not in games. It's embarrassing when they fall shorter than the shooting contest's latest sucker. Keylantra Langley led the team in floor burns, going after loose balls and rebounds. She looks like she's growing into her role and finding herself. I like.
Mary Nwachukwu, get it together. She had a better game on the boards than I realized, but she still needs to be going hard on defense. I don't mind so much if she wants to shoot the midrange jumper at this point- we need someone who can extend the defense slightly, and if we need to have that someone be a four, fine. On the other hand, Kim Barnes Arico is not Don Nelson and Mary is not a point forward- why, in the nine classical circles of Dante's Inferno, is she bringing the ball up with a guard next to her? Tesia Harris looked more inclined to shoot than she was the last game, but she still looks a little rusty. There's enough there that I think she'll be fine if she gets more used to the system. Eugeneia McPherson, if I have said this once, I have said this sixteen times: you are not Angel McCoughtry, you are not Lindsay Whalen, you are not getting those calls when you drive wildly into the lane and throw the ball in the general direction of the backboard. Go for the shot, not the foul, and stop bitching about not getting the foul. She couldn't hit the broad side of a barn in the first half, and wasn't much better in the second- at least she hit some shots eventually. I'd like to see her get back on defense the way she was as a freshman, with less focus on throwing up prayers. I know we need her to step up her offensive game with the graduation of two starters and Da'Shena's injury, but that's not necessarily her strength. Amber Thompson continues to impress me more in early going than any Red Storm player has in her freshman year since my very favorite, Joy McCorvey. I love her nose for the ball, I love her rebounding, I love the way she learns, I love the way she gets into seams in the paint, I love that she can finish underneath.
And then there was Nadirah McKenith- or, in message board parlance, Nadirah Effing McKenith. I think my jaw is still unhinged from the show she put on. Through a fair stretch of the game, she was single-handedly outscoring La Salle- and this coming from a distributing point! She got into a zone where everything she touched turned to gold, whether it was lay-ups, jumpers, passes, crossovers, rebounds, or steals. She got the crowd, such as it was, going, and she didn't stop. If her teammates had hit the easy shots she gave them, she would have threatened a quadruple-double- not gotten it, but made it look close.
I'm not sure which one was the play of the game. It might have been the Ticha-esque no-look pass to Jennifer Blanding for the lay-up. Or it might have been the reverse with the and-1. And that's just Nadirah. Briana's imitations of Darrelle Revis were also pretty cool. (She's from Norwalk, and I think Norwalk is west of New Haven, so I think it's okay to make a Jets comparison there, not a New England one.)
How many times will you ever see double-dribble called twice in a game? This crew decided to go for it. I'd like to see fewer procedural calls and more contact calls.
The brass section in the band needs work. They're off their game.
The guy in the shooting contest needed to back off sooner. When he got right up on the line, he was missing long. When he moved back, bam, free burritos.
I think I saw the previous owner of my jersey in the stands. If that was her, she can have it back at any time.
We still miss Da'Shena, I think. But the newcomers made progress, and progress is good. The Hofstra game will be interesting, and I may even have notes from it!
Friday, December 31, 2010
December 29th, 2010: Liberty at LaSalle (Terrapin Classic)
Just the Facts, Ma'am: The Lady Flames of Liberty rode 19 points from Devon Brown and a double-double for Avery Warley to a 73-53 win over the LaSalle Explorers in the consolation game of the Terrapin Classic. Ebonee Jones of LaSalle led all scorers with 20 points, and got 19 from Ashley Gale, but no other Explorer cracked double digits.
For disappearing fans, lots of threes, and disappointingly light observations, join your intrepid and grungy blogger after the jump.
This might be the most pointless game of the day. Most of the Maryland fans left for various reasons, the championship trophy was awarded with about as much fanfare as one lonely kazoo in a forest, and as of 19 minutes before tip-off, LaSalle has not been seen. But we're still here. Somehow. For some reason. I think I might love this game a little too much.
Already Terrapins have slipped out of the tunnel. Natasha Cloud and Alyssa Thomas have been circulating, along with the alumnae. Our fellow Johnnies have pretty much all packed up and headed home. I guess not everyone's into getting their money's worth.
At half, Liberty is up 10 after fending off a small LaSalle run. I'm starting to think that there's some weird cultural quirk in Maryland, some perverse combination of DC gossip-mongering and Southern aggressive friendliness, that causes everyone around you to take the slightest sign of friendliness as an excuse to talk at you incessantly about things that are not necessarily related to the game, even during game play, even when your goddamn point guard is lying on the floor clutching her leg, no, I really don't care about your experiences as a St. John's men's fan in the Lapchick days, my starting point guard is in the ACL position, SHUT UP OKAY?
Emily Frazier got things started for the Lady Flames, hitting their first five points. Devon Brown had the game I was finally expecting her to have, but most of her drives and shots were in the second half, when Liberty had a big lead. I still love her mohawk. Why does such awesome hair have to represent such a reprehensible school? WHY? Jalena Antic was active on the boards, though she didn't bring a lot of offense. Off the bench, Dymond Morgan worked her way down the lane for some nice baskets. Avery Warley had some nice moves in the paint, and a couple of emphatic blocks.
Play of the game had to be Nikki Ortiz's block on Avery Warley. I don't care that she had brought it down low, when a 5-5 player gets a block on a 6-3 player, it's the play of the game. I don't care that that's the only really good thing she did that game, it's the play of the game. She and Michele McCaughern were the only two players to come off the bench for the short-handed Explorers.
Ebonee Jones still needed a lot of shots and free throws to get her points, so her numbers don't impress me as much as they should. Ashley Gale found her shot in this game. She was just putting in three after three after three. It was crazy. That was really the only offense they could get going for much of the game. Jess Koci let her drive get the better of her, and she fouled out of the game without being able to get going. Chelsea Conner got a lot of encouragement from her teammates and coach, but her shot was really heinously off line.
The guy in front of us was hilariously not impressed with some of the referees' calls, usually on travels and out-of-bounds calls.
Since these notes are a bit light, I'll take the opportunity to thank the Maryland fans and staff for being gracious hosts. People were a little too friendly to the point of cloying sometimes, but we appreciated the well wishes for next year, and extended them back to the Terps.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
December 28th, 2010: LaSalle at Maryland (Terrapin Classic)
Just the Facts, Ma'am: A strong, balanced post attack led the Maryland Terrapins over the LaSalle Explorers, 83-45. Lynetta Kizer led Maryland with 15 points and 9 rebounds. Ebonee Jones of LaSalle led all scorers with 18 points, but on 21 shots.
For team colors, nifty cups, Starbursts, big bands, and bigger hair, join your intrepid and well-traveled blogger after the jump.
For pictures, watch this space in the next week or so.
I think this might be my first time in an arena with a big-time men's team that actually treats their home arena as, well, their home arena. For most of the places I've been, either they're so low on the totem pole that they don't have to worry about the amenities of a big arena, or they're so high on the totem pole that the men play at public arenas and we're back to square one. But the Comcast Center is absolutely gorgeous. Everything is in team colors, and everything is Terrapin. The cups are really cool. We're taking two of them home as tumblers to add to our collection of stadium cups. There's an entire section in the endcourts for the press. The other endcourt is completely devoted to the band. Completely, except for a couple of sections off to the side. But the band takes up three sections. I'm fairly certain I saw Megan Duffy looking at them and making a note to ask for more band funding from St. John's.
The fans, at least so far in this undramatic game, have all the trappings of passion and all the off-court involvement in the world. Pretty much everyone who isn't here for one of the opposing teams is wearing Maryland colors. And there are a few people behind us who yell the way we do. (I was actually a bit worried about that, because we're front row center, to the point where we may move up during intermission because we can't see any of the lines.) But there really hasn't been any chanting yet. Of course, Maryland is up 22 at the half and LaSalle looks like they'd rather be shoveling the Snowpocalypse than being here, so there's that to consider. We don't exactly get involved when we're up that much either.
The anthem was very good. It would have been excellent if the singer wasn't trying to sing through her nose. Execution will be the death of me yet.
So far no one has looked too oddly at us in our St. John's jerseys, though it's pretty obvious we're not on the team. (For one thing, one of us is, um, not eligible to play women's basketball without some major changes I'd rather he not go through.)
I'm working on a new computer, and because I'm writing five sets of game notes in two days (possibly seven in three, if true insanity overtakes me and I head to Fordham on Thursday), much of this will be coming from on-site, so these notes might read slightly differently from their usual. I ask your patience.
LaSalle appeared to be playing short-handed. They only listed ten on their roster, and their starters played heavy minutes even when they were down thirty and close to forty. I think they only played one sub in the first half. That sub was Michele McCaughern, who registered a foul and some defense. The second half brought Nikki Ortiz as the first sub, who contributed a whole bunch of fouls. (Hmm. I'm wondering if that might be why LaSalle didn't substitute often.)
Ebonee Jones looks to be a pure gunner with a propensity for foul trouble. Sure, she scored a lot of points, but from here, it looked like she needed a lot of shots to do it. Ashley Gale came on in the second half. I like the freshman Jess Koci, or at least I would if she could figure out how not to flop on half her defensive plays. She seemed to be the only on that team with some spark, with a nice block and some hard work on the boards near the endline. Chelsea Conner's shot was very schitzophrenic. When it was on, it was a sweet swish. When it wasn't... I think LaSalle had something like four or five airballs, and at least three of them were hers. Not pretty. Not pretty at all.
The beautiful thing about a blowout is that you get to see the deep bench of the leading team. You get to see players you might not ordinarily see. Sequoia Austin reminds me of a few undersized guards I've seen in the past, who make up for their lack of height with an endless drive and the inability to stop. The crowd was rooting for her to score, but though her shots looked good, she wasn't able to get them to go down. Essence Townsend has the height to be successful, but absolutely none of the other aspects. She doesn't look comfortable on the floor, she doesn't take contact well, and she can't hang on to the ball. Honestly, I think she missed her calling- she looks and plays much more like a volleyball player. Yemi Oyefuwa got huge cheers from the crowd when she did just about anything, and when she went on her scoring run, the people around us went nuts. She looks like a player who was very good at one point, but the Creature from the Black Lagoon attached to her knee appears to have done her in. Kim Rodgers also looked like a player recovering from a knee injury, who used to be a very good shooter and still has a little bit of that stroke. Natasha Cloud got good rotation minutes and showed a knack for getting to the line. Dara Taylor's got some speed on her, and she set up a couple of nice plays- my favorite was the steal that led to her missed lay-up, which Laurin Mincy rebounded and put back. Mincy had herself a nice game. Hey, why do they have so many kids from our neck of the woods? Shouldn't we have been doing a little more about that? Alicia DeVaughn scared the hell out of me- not just because she's a pure defensive stopper who I wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley, but because it's very disconcerting to see someone with identical body language to anyone else. Yes, I know she's Yo Griffith's daughter, but she moves in exactly the same way. It's very, very strange, especially when you see around the face that they look nothing alike. Her hands were up everywhere.
Alyssa Thomas had herself one heck of a game, getting nice passes from her teammates and converting them. I think she missed a couple of chippies that she could have had, but with the game she had, I'm not arguing. Diandra Tchatchouang, in addition to being extremely hard to spell, showed some nice moves both inside and out. Anjale Barrett did a nice job running the team, but methinks they might have some trouble moving the ball if she can be stopped. It would take a team with very good defensive guards... Tianna Hawkins has insanely tall hair. I'm not sure if that 6'3” listed height includes the hair or not. I know she had a pretty solid game, but I keep being distracted by the hair. It's not quite Troy Polamalu, but you get the idea. Lynetta Kizer did a number on the Explorers inside, and early in the game she reared back and swished a three, and I think I spent the next minute of game time with my jaw hanging slack in shock.
Some odd calls in this game, but more judgment calls than questions about what exactly the referee was looking at and what universe it was in.
I was surprised the Maryland fans weren't more into the game. Maybe they'll be louder in more traditional ways tomorrow. They have a little competition to deal with, after all.