Just the Facts, Ma'am: Fordham dealt with Rhode Island in the first round of the A-10 tournament, 75-53. G'mrice Davis had 23 points and 16 rebounds to pace Fordham. Elemy Colome's 15 points off the bench led Rhode Island.
For many flocks of Rams, the sound of one hand slapping, holding your teammates accountable, messing with the kid, tripping, clipping, and slick passing, join your intrepid blogger after the jump.
The postseason is upon us! Your intrepid blogger is at Fordham for the first round of the A-10 tournament, as the Rams host... er, the Rams. The ones from Rhode Island, that is.
Protip: do not take buses in the Bronx anytime near rush hour. I didn't get to the game until quarter to seven. (On the plus side, I caught a shiny event Pikachu!)
I'm not used to seeing Bre Cavanaugh's hair this color- she's completely washed out the dye. I think she also freshened up the sides. She looks very sharp.
Fantastic choral anthem. I mean, I should expect Catholic schools to have good choirs, but they were especially good.
It is 41-14 Fordham at halftime. G'mrice Davis already has a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds, along with some of the best facial expressions of disbelief I have ever seen. (Jalissa Ross wanted to start something with her, and her reaction was truly something to behold. I missed what Ross said, but it earned her a technical.) The hot passing under the basket has been great for Fordham. We're playing at a speed they can't keep up with.
Well, we gave back more of the lead than I would have liked, but much of that was on the backs of the deep reserves, who are deep reserves for a reason. I think this Fordham team is ready for Richmond, and I don't know if Richmond is ready for them.
We saw Gabrielle Green very briefly in the first half, and she did not nothing of note. Kasey Gagan had a tendency to sneak into games after timeouts, which was very confusing. It's like, c'mon, I already don't know you people from a hole in the wall, don't confuse me like that. Ednaija Lassiter, who was going by a shorter form of her first name that I didn't fully catch from the PA guy, got extended run in the first half, but I don't think we saw her again in the second half. I wasn't impressed with what I saw of her. I'm trying to remember which terrible three-point miss was hers- Rhode Island missed a lot of three-pointers badly.
Laura Perez saw a good amount of time in the second half. I think she was running point, but I won't swear to it; if nothing else, observation has shown that point guards aren't even a thing anymore. Elemy Colome got the second half start in place of Jalissa Ross, possibly so Ross would have a little time to calm down after the shenanigans with G'mrice Davis. She's feisty. She drove hard to the basket. I don't think I like her on defense, though. She seemed awfully fond of playing way too low, going after knees and laying out trips. I realize some of the falls may have been exaggerated for dramatic effect, but there was a particularly blatant one that Lauren Holden suffered that she was trying to play off. Dina Motrechuk got most of her points in the fourth quarter, scoring on our subs. That's not to say anything against her turnaround, mind you. She was physical, and called on for perhaps more time than she was expecting with the foul trouble that Jorgensen got into.
Maia Moffitt's a New Yorker, and she had family at the game, so part of me is glad she got a couple of buckets to go down. She's scrappy on the boards- she chased down a couple of loose balls in impressive fashion. I think she did actually wrestle one away in the first half. Her freshman-ness shows a bit in her offensive positioning. Abby Streeter was the designated three-point shooter- there was one possession where she was wide open in the corner and her teammates managed to miss her. It ended up in a Rhode Island basket anyway, I believe, but I was astonished someone could be so open and be so ignored. Marta Vargas was a playmaker, but only in spurts. I think she was one of the many players from whom G'mrice drew charges.
I have absolutely no idea what got under Jalissa Ross's skin or why she fouled G'mrice so hard and then proceeded to try and stare her down. There may also have been words. I didn't hear them. As mentioned earlier, I was a wee bit distracted by G's facial expressions. I didn't think it was possible to pull off the "don't you make me take my earrings off" look without actually wearing earrings. Ross had a nice block, though I didn't correctly notate who she smooshed, and if this were football I think Moffitt would have gotten half-credit on it. I think we frustrated her by not letting her inside, and she lost her cool. Nicole Jorgensen is a load down low- if she can get the shot up, it's probably going in. She's got a little bit of outside touch, but she seemed to be at her best going to the basket. She had a big block on G'mrice in the third quarter. Foul trouble kept her off the floor a lot, and I don't think that exactly helped the other Rams.
I was impressed with Rhode Island's defensive intensity. They couldn't keep it up all game, and we were able to use some really crisp passing to get ahead of them and get open looks. If they had any ability to shoot from the outside, they might have given us more of a fight, but they just couldn't hit a jumper to save their lives for most of the night.
The deep bench for Fordham is not yet ready for prime time. Nice kids, good hustle, but definitely not ready a nice hustle play on the glass, though. Katie McLoughlin needs to get her to the weight room- she just doesn't have the strength to stop stronger guards from diving on her, and she gets knocked over way too easily. The foul on Kristen Ryan should in no way have been called excessive. Yes, she fell on the opponent, but it was not intentional and it was not unnecessary contact. It wasn't the kind of play that merited serious review with two minutes left in a 25-point game.
I was surpised to see Ralene Kwiatkowski playing alongside Lauren Holden for stretches in the third quarter- usually Ralene subs for Lauren. I don't think either of them was expecting it either, because the offense looked a little ragged with both of them out there. It was adorable to see everyone's reactions when Ralene hit the three, though- she's usually the one running up and down the bench to give out the high-fives. (That responsibility devolved to Kendell Heremaia while Ralene was on the court.) I do think she's got potential as a point guard, but I don't see her being able to play with Lauren Holden for long stretches, which could be a problem next year, unless Coach commits to Ralene as the backup point guard and Lauren and Bre as the starting backcourt. Zara Jillings continues to make heady plays on the floor, with the occasional unnecessary foul. She had a fantastic hot pass to G'mrice underneath, right near the end of the shot clock when we thought for sure she'd have to be the one to take the shot. I would still like to see her be a little more assertive offensively, but her passing has been fantastic, so there's only so much I can say about that. I'm not sure how I feel about Kendell Heremaia taking nothing but threes. She's strong enough that she might be able to get easy points on the inside, but I'd have to watch her drive to know for certain.
Mary Goulding makes so many plays happen by being in the right place at the right time. She looks incredibly awkward doing it, but somehow she always seemd to be able to come up with the loose ball or the steal. I don't know if I'd call the steal and lay-up a fast break, per se, but it was definitely a break. Johanna Klug picked up a couple of early fouls and never really seemed to be in the flow of the game- she stayed in with the deep bench at the end of the game, which was when she got most of her shots off. She'll be fine next year, IMO; sometimes the freshman wall just hits you that way. G'mrice Davis was on fire. Rhode Island was keying on her inside, very physically, and she still got buckets. She ripped down rebounds with her usual "this ball is mine, like it or not" ferocity and laid a block down on Lassiter that was resounding. Rhode Island knew she was the player to beat, proceeded to try to beat her up, and still couldn't stop her, because that's how G rolls.
Lauren Holden was launching from three, and while sometimes I questioned her shot selection (yes, it's possible to shoot too quickly in the Fordham offense) I can't deny that her three-pointers really broke Rhode Island's collective back. She's so quick, and she does a lot of smart things on the floor. Bre Cavanaugh is cold-blooded. She took over in the second quarter to really push the lead. This wasn't one of her superstar days, but it didn't need to be. She needed to be a threat, and she was, but this was G's night.
There were times when we were out of control on the speed, and I'll credit Rhode Island's defense for that. But there were more times when the interior passes worked, or when we were able to find the open player faster than they were able to react. I think we were on a mission after the loss to St. Joseph's- and now we get the rematch in Richmond. No, that's not going to have a tinge of revenge to it, not at all.
There was a stretch when I was convinced that Jeffrey Smith had the spread at under 30. That would, of course, be unethical, and I would never truly believe a game official would be betting on games. But there were some putrid game management calls in the fourth quarter that kept Rhode Island closer than they had any right to be. If the people in the stands can hear the slap of a hand against an arm, you should probably call the foul.
It's worth mentioning that this game was technically an A-10 tournament game, despite being hosted at Fordham, so certain tournament rules were in effect- introductions alternated between the teams, there was a generic A-10 video before introductions instead of Fordham's video, and all graphics were tournament-based instead of being Fordham's usual ones. However, Rhode Island brought neither band nor cheer, and I don't know if that was by choice, by lack of the appropriate spirit squads, or by tournament by-laws. It would be interesting to get reports from other sites.
Shoutout to the dude who won the timeout shooting contest, including the halfcourt shot. No shoutouts to the students who came, got their free food, played their contests, and fled as soon as they could. Support your school, man.
I miss the band's old arrangement of "Seven Nation Army" (which, given our international nature, should be our theme song of sorts) where one guitar picked out the lyric line while the rest of the band did the usual refrain. That's not to say that the dude whaling on the electric guitar wasn't good, but it was nice to have something different.
The Fordham cheerleaders actually led a cheer! Miracle of miracles! Seriously, I would be louder at Fordham games if I knew their specific cheers.
I think Fordham's on a mission, and I hope they do steal that A-10 title. It would be awesome.
Wednesday, February 28, 2018
February 27th, 2018: Rhode Island at Fordham
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
March 8th, 2016: Creighton at St. John's (Big East tournament)
Just the Facts, Ma'am: St. John's locked down on defense to take the Big East crown 50-37 over Creighton. Aaliyah Lewis led the way with 14 points and eight rebounds. Audrey Faber led Creighton with 12 points and seven rebounds.
For missed shots, sheer joy, relationships with trophies, plays for naught, missed shots, cutting down nets, and DOING THE DAMN THING, join your intrepid and euphoric blogger after the jump.
Here we are. Here it is. This is the big one. Win and you're in. This is for all the marbles. The Big East title game is here, red-hot Creighton and determined St. John's. The bubble's getting thinner with an upset in the WCC and trouble brewing in the Ivy. The Bluejays' backs are to the wall, and the Red Storm faces choppy waters. This isn't the SEC, the ACC, the Big Ten, the Big XII, the Pac-12. The only guarantee comes with a new t-shirt thrown over your jersey, with a cap rakishly tilted on your head, with a trophy raised to the rafters and a piece of net in your hand.
Does... does that little girl have Sonic/Shadow fanart in her binder cover? You go, girl.
Ow. Danaejah, I know this is a thing, but punching the trainer still looks like it hurts.
Okay, Creighton, it is not cool of you to send your student section to the kids' group sitting behind OUR bench and have them try to cheer for Creighton. One of our managers noticed and went up there to straighten things out. Go get the ones on the other side of the arena. I don't care if your responsible adult is a Creighton booster. Go sit behind the Bluejays' bench if you want to cheer for Creighton; there will probably be plenty of room back there. They moved further up in the section, which is somewhat more tolerable, but it's still not cool. We need cheer to be ready to snipe the next group.
Danaejah's family is a few seats over from us; her mom came over to introduce herself, and there's a guy with the same eyes she has. The shirt's a pretty good giveaway too. (He is, in fact, her dad. Which makes sense.)
Creighton likes to put on a show. I'd rather get the job done.
Lovely anthem by the DePaul a cappella choir. We even got color guard for this.
At halftime, it's 21-20 St. John's in a game with scores of missed opportunities for both teams. Way too many missed shots. Creighton's on their fourth game in four days and St. John's has had the nightcap both days, so I can't say I'm surprised. Officiating has been lousy- light contact called at one end, heavy contact not called at the other, and St. John's is convinced they can get those calls. Stop it, Aaliyah.
OH MY MY OH HELL YES! WE'RE DANCING, BABY! 28 YEARS! 28 YEARS AND HERE WE ARE! It wasn't pretty. It was, in fact, pretty hideous. But a defensive game favors the Red Storm, and our upperclassmen stepped up in a big, big way. Creighton threatened, but we shut the door and we did the damn thing!
I have to give the Bluejays their props. They didn't have enough left, but that's because they gave so much for three games and three quarters. This Creighton squad will be back in the Big East final, and probably more than once in the next four years, and it won't be an upset when they do it.
Jim Flanery went deeper into his bench earlier than he had in the previous games. Ali Greene saw time in the first half in relief of the posts, and she wasn't bad. She moves well to the hoop. Brianna Rollerson had questionable shot selection and missed shots at the rim. I was surprised that Flanery had lost so much confidence in her that she didn't play in the second half- she might have been a more effective counter to Sandra Udobi and Jade Walker. Olivia Elger came in in relief of the DQ'd Jade Owens, and took a highly questionable shot on a closely guarded drive. She was pulled pretty quickly, and the senior Tessa Leytem replaced her to try to calm things down. Lauren Works brought it on defense, but her drives were going off the rim.
This game sealed it for me- MC McGrory shoots better through contact than she does when you give her space. She got open looks from her teammates, with Norby and Lamberty and Faber setting screens, and those shots were going all over the place. On the other hand, when she took it inside into the teeth of the defense, she either hit the shot or drew the foul. I have to admire her toughness. Jade Owens brought a lot of energy, but the backcourt defense swallowed her up, and she wasn't able to penetrate with the same ease she had all tournament. Combined with her foul trouble, she was rendered a non-factor.
Sydney Lamberty can board, but her shot was nowhere near accurate. She was putting it up a touch too fast, and I think it showed in the arc. She had a beautiful boxout on Danaejah Grant early on that allowed Creighton to take the board. Bailey Norby had a very quiet game- she did the little things her team tends to rely on her for, but she wasn't able to get to the basket. Audrey Faber was a bright spot for the Jays, with a couple of big blocks, some nice rebounding, and good shooting inside and out. She was a mismatch on both sides of the floor, and if I had been Creighton I might have attempted to push that a little bit further.
So nice to see the deep reserves get some time! Jordan Agustus, Tamesha Alexander, and Kimberly Spruill didn't play much, but Tamesha came hard on defense against McGrory. I love that kind of passion. Akina Wellere kept getting called for nonsense fouls, but the one basket she came up with was absolutely huge. I'm so happy for her winning this in her hometown, in front of her family. Crystal Simmons brought the defense, though I question her shot selection- she was terrified at all the wrong times and trigger-happy at all the wrong times. Jade Walker was taking logner shots than she should have, but she was big when we needed her. She had a huge stop on Rollerson.
I can't say enough about the hard work that Sandra Udobi did on the inside. She had one of her best games of the year, and what a time to have it. She cleared the boards and hit the shots she took. And Imani Littleton did her job too- she was almost always in position on defense. She was solid. I feel like I'm short-changing the two of them, but what they did to anchor the paint was huge. It's hard to quantify statistically, but they were fantastic.
I spent much of the game questioning Aaliyah Lewis's shot selection, but the little bitty guard came up huge in the fourth quarter. She sneaked inside for rebounds, and everyone overlooked her on the inside- she made the cuts to the basket that we usually see from Liyyah, and Creighton never rotated to her. Danaejah Grant had double teams flying at her all night, so she wasn't able to get a lot of shots up, but she was able to find the open player on the cross-court skip pass. Aliyyah Handford sliced through the defense and created space for herself, though she wasn't as accurate as we would have liked. She made some amazing defensive plays- a great flying steal, a hustle save that left her tangled with the press table- but the offense couldn't turn them into points.
Was it pretty? No. Not until the final buzzer. But sometimes it doesn't have to be. Sometimes all you have to do is hit one or two shots at the right time.
Officiating was less consistent and less accurate than I would have expected from a crew that has both Dee Kantner and Denise Brooks. Lots of travels missed early, lots of contact missed later. The bad calls went both ways, though, and the ones that Creighton would have liked to have were probably more critical (they probably would have gone into halftime with the lead if Crystal had been called for the reach-in late in the second quarter).
Jade Walker had an idea, but unfortunately, we weren't allowed to have the Gatorade bucket out on the floor, so everyone had to settle for squirting Joe and the rest of the staff with their water bottles.
All-tournament team: Allazia Blockton of Marquette, Shakena Richardson of Seton Hall, Megan Podkowa of DePaul, MC McGrory of Creighton, and Danaejah Grant of St. John's, with Aliyyah Handford as tournament MOP. All good picks. McGrory made a case for MOP even in the losing cause.
I think Jade might be trophysexual. She certainly seemed reluctant to let it go.
My team, you guys. My adorable team. This couldn't have happened to a nicer bunch of people. There aren't enough words to describe how thrilled I am- for Liyyah, who is as sweet as she is talented; for Danaejah, who came home to make this happen; for Akina, who got to win the 'ship in front of her family; for Sandy, who has fought back from injuries and pain; for all our girls who I love so much. More- for Joe, who came in with Kim and helped build all of this from the ruins; for Da'Shena, who made the riskier choice when she could have been a Husky; for Jonath, who left and came back; for all the support staff who make the miracles possible. It's been a pleasure and a privilege to be the tiniest part of this.
Let's go dancing, ladies.
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
March 7th, 2016: Creighton at Seton Hall (Big East tournament)
Just the Facts, Ma'am: Creighton finished strong in their 77-56 win over Seton Hall in the Big East semi-finals. MC McGrory had 23 points and eight rebounds to lead the Bluejays. Shakena Richardson had 20 points, 13 in the second half, to lead Seton Hall.
For frustration, questionable personnel choices, breaking the press, a recurring headache, trying too hard then not trying at all, and encouraging college players to gamble, join your intrepid and discombobulated blogger after the jump.
All right, here we go! Good afternoon from McGrath-Phillips Arena on the campus of DePaul University! We're coming to you from the semi-finals ofo the Big East tournament, where upset-minded seventh seed Creighton looks to extend their hot run, while the third-seeded Seton Hall Pirates look for their second straight trip to the Big East title game.
I'm glad Creighton is a Nike school, because our gear would be too similar otherwise. Our blues are already way too close.
This zone defense drill tht Creighton is running is pretty cool. (Also, in unrelated news, Marissa Janning is gorgeous up close.)
D'awwww. (No, you're not going to get more than that, I respect people's privacy.)
I kind of love the ceremony of Coach Bozzella getting the blazer and putting it on. Given that it has its own Twitter account...
The Creighton dance team and student cheer are getting hyped early. Well, one of their hashtags is #GetCreigh. And they're giving out swag to the kids' groups that are sitting near them, so this is going to be a bit of an uphill battle. That's all right. I can drink.
No sign of the borrowed high school band that was representing Seton Hall- ah, a band has arrived, and they appear to be a college of some variety. They're older. The big UIC on the drum kit and the flames on the drums should have been a hint of where they're from, huh? They're really loud and really jazzy.
The Sapphires and Seton Hall cheerleaders are now working on the kids in their section of the arena. We'll need all the help we can get.
There is no consistency to the way the teams are done on the scoreboard. Bluejays but SHU? Go either school name or team name, jeez.
At halftime, Creighton is up 29-21. MC McGrory seriously needs to hit Rivers Casino, because she's getting the most ridiculous rolls off the rim and deflections off the glass. Seton Hall's missing too many shots at the rim, and missing those shots at the rim has caused us to take too many shots from bad angles. We have to play smarter, not harder.
Apparently this was too much to ask for the Pirates. We took stupid shots. We tried to rely on our press, even when Creighton was breaking it easily. And I'm not sure about some of Coach Bozzella's decisions, either. We handled this game like the cakewalk we thought it was going to be because they got an upset and a #7 seed. You can't do that in the Big East.
Jim Flanery got to empty his bench near the end of the game, which I'm sure he was quite happy about. Myah Mellman seems to be a magnet for hard contact from opposing guards- she took a hard hit from LaTecia Smith near the end of the game. Ali Greene got herself to the line for a couple of free throws, even if she didn't hit the first. Olivia Elger committed a stupid foul in that fourth quarter that sent Smith to the line for an and-1. Once again, everyone for Creighton was hoping Tessa Leytem would score, and once again, they were disappointed. Brianna Rollerson played a lot less than I realized- she had a big impact in her limited minutes, owning her space on the inside. Lauren Works was great defensively.
I feel like this is a recording, but this is not a recording. MC McGrory is so tough. I think she likes contact more than she dislikes it. She hit one shot off the glass, and I'm pretty sure it was at the shot clock buzzer, that was a heartbreaker. Jade Owens is fantastic- she can be a little over-aggressive sometimes, but that fuels her team. She did a great job of finding her teammates to break the press. Sydney Lamberty was solid, and her three at the end of the third quarter was pretty much the backbreaker- we'd cut it back down, we were on a little bit of a run, and BAM. Right near the end of the clock.
Bailey Norby slipped around ahead of the defense and was available either for the lay-up ahead of the press or for the extra pass to the cutter. They use her so well. She's not called upon to be the star, but they don't need her to be the star. Audrey Faber had a monster block on Aleesha Powell (which I'll admit is a bit of a size mismatch) and was a match-up problem all day. She cuts well and has good range.
Creighton did a phenomenal job of breaking the Seton Hall press, and when that happened, the game was over. That's what the Pirates go to when they need to save a game, so when that doesn't work, there is no recourse- that was the recourse.
LaTecia Smith hit the paint well and was energetic on defense. Martha Kuderer is still not ready for the big stage, and I don't know why she got such extensive minutes (I would kill for +/-, because I think that would give a better picture and confirmation of my impression). Claire Lundberg was ineffective, but at least neutrally so. Jordan Mosley hustled on defense. I'm kinda sorry she didn't get the big send-off like the other four seniors did; on the other hand, that would have meant putting a starter back in the game, and Flanery might have taken that the wrong way. Jordan Molyneaux was a desperation move that was of limited effect.
And the reason Coach Bozzella had to make desperation moves and play forwards out of position and go as deep into his bench in the first half as he did was because he was getting pretty much nothing out of his frontcourt. Lubirdia Gordon's offensive rebounding numbers look good, but don't get fooled- most of those were off her own close-in misses. She's got to go up stronger. She can't bring the ball back down. And she has got to hit the bunnies at the rim. Tiffany Jones started off well, and smacked a Faber shot for great justice, but had double teams coming at her most of the day and never really found the moxie to work through them. Tabatha Richardson-Smith never found her groove, and as the game wore on, she started pressing more and more, taking shots earlier in the clock and further behind the line.
Shakena Richardson had herself a third quarter, pretty much single-handedly trying to drag the Hall back into the game, and one of the turning points was when Coach took her out. Kena never wants to come out, but I think I agree with her on this one- if she thought she could go, you have to ride with the hot hand until it cools off. You can't blast chill the hot hand and expect to win. My favorite play of hers was actually the jump ball she forced on Rollerson, if only because I love when tiny feisty guards tangle with big ol' posts. Aleesha Powell brought the speed, but her ballhandling was not up to par. I've never seen her dribble the ball off the back of her own foot before.
This was one of the flattest performances I've ever seen from the Pirates. They didn't go into this game like a chance to play for the title was on the line. By the fourth quarter, you could see from the body language that they'd given up. There was no comeback left. There wasn't going to be a hot minute like the Butler game. There was no fight left. Who's that on? Coaches? Team captains? I don't know.
Officiating didn't really help, but it didn't hurt much either. It certainly didn't make a difference in the outcome.
I think Seton Hall took this game too lightly. I think we thought it was going to be a cakewalk because we'd beaten them twice, including coming back once. I think we were looking ahead to the 'ship and either the top seed or the local rival. You can't do that in the Big East.
Monday, March 7, 2016
March 7th, 2016: St. John's at DePaul (Big East tournament)
Just the Facts, Ma'am: A 34-point quarter powered St. John's to a comeback upset win over top seed DePaul, 75-66. Aliyyah Handford had a game-high 23 points, 18 in the second half. Danaejah Grant had a double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Ashton Millender's 15 off the bench led DePaul.
For thrills, chills, senior leadership, freshman game, rocking out, and Aliyyah rising, join your intrepid and squeeful blogger after the jump.
Time to shake it off. Shake it all off. St. John's has the toughest task of the tournament ahead of them, taking on the top-seeded Blue Demons in DePaul's home building.
Band is here in full force, albeit with a substitute director, and in full throat. Dance and cheer are at half speed. Our band is better than theirs.
At halftime, DePaul is up 34-28, in a game that's fit DePaul's style more than St. John's. Megan Podkowa has 9 for DePaul; Akina Wellere and Danaejah Grant each have 7 for the Red Storm.
They actually went out and got halftime entertainment for this session. This game has a tumbling team that has done some amazing runs.
We have to play our game, not theirs. We have to get to the basket and make the hot pass.
WE GOIN TO THE SHIP WE GOIN TO THE SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIP YOU FUCKIN BEAUTIES
Ahem. Sorry. Lost a little bit of control there. I'm still a bit excited. And also on a bit of a sugar high from my Blizzard and finishing my husband's. And then there's the caffeine kick too. We needed this win.
Akina Wellere chose the best possible day to have the best game of her Red Storm career. She came up with huge threes. She had a monster block on Brooke Schulte on a break, and scooped up a steal from a defensive play by Crystal Simmons. She did everything we asked of her, and then some. Crystal Simmons brought the defense. That's all we asked of her- she and Akina were swapping in and out at almost every stoppage, depending on possession. Jade Walker had a couple of moments where I was shaking my head, and I really need her to lay off shooting those threes and loooong twos until she proves she can add them consistently to her outside arsenal. She brought some toughness when we needed it, though.
Imani Littleton brought the defense today- sometimes a little too much. She crashed the boards well too. She needs to be more careful with her hands and positioning, but I love what she can give us. Sandra Udobi battled through discomfort to hold down the fort down low. She needed to be in position, but I know she's giving everything she has, even when it's not enough.
Aaliyah Lewis is so tough and so fearless and so feisty. There's a reason she's my mom's favorite (and I'm starting to get the sense that everyone's mom has her as their favorite). She runs the show. She has such incredible ups that her vertical can counter her lack of size. She doesn't always take a lot of shots, but today we needed her to be more of an offensive threat, and we got it from her in the clutch. She provided part of the outside threat we were missing. Danaejah Grant was beasting defensively, deflecting shots and getting a huuuuuuge block on Megan Podkowa. She hit big threes, because that's how she rolls. She's the rock-solid foundation of what we do. Aliyyah Handford is a superstar. This game said volumes about her mental makeup. She's had foul trouble in most of her games down the stretch- well, tonight she stayed out of foul trouble. She broke loose on the fast break and fired up the offense. She decided that she wasn't losing to DePaul again and took over the fourth quarter. She imposed her will on the game.
Tanita Allen played very briefly- she was mostly in when Chanise Jenkins fouled out. She hit a lay-up very late, when St. John's was conceding the lane to avoid the foul. Mart'e Grays was phenomenal on the boards, sliding into space. Ashton Millender has a very nice knack for taking broken plays and making something of them. And as a defensive specialist, of course, her best offensive weapon is the corner three. It's what defensive-minded players do. I just really like her.
Please, tell me more about Chanise Jenkins as Big East player of the year. I know you can't judge on one or two games, but the jack of all trades is the master of none. She shot better than I thought looking at her, but a couple of those came late, again, when the lane was being conceded to prevent the foul. At least she gave up on the pigtails, because they don't work for her. Jessica January was wild, even on shots right at the rim. Her drives were contested, but I've seen her hit those contested drives in the past. Brooke Schulte was unremarkable- she had a lot of defense on her, so I'm not surprised.
Megan Podkowa created mismatches and got buckets. She drew a lot of contact because she was too quick for our posts (who either lumber or don't react well) and she converted at the line. She had a strong defensive play in the first quarter. Jacqui Grant is a fantastic rebounder, and in this one she showed her offensive prowess as well. She doesn't seem like she has an outside jumper until she takes it. She smashed Danaejah on a monster block in the third quarter. I have to check her remaining eligibility, but it seems like she's the perfect fit for DePaul, with their emphasis on rebounding and outside shooting.
DePaul had mixed successs with a smaller lineup, but it's a move that I agreed with- they wanted to go faster, and the best way to go about it was to put in the guards.
We always question the officiating, but I do side-eye a game where the team that depends most heavily on the dribble-drive draws fewer free throws until the foul derby starts. I was pleasantly surprised that things didn't go too crazy with Aaliyah Lewis and Chanise Jenkins, who were going at each other most of the night.
I was very surprised that Doug Bruno called for the foul derby as quickly as he did. 1:45 with a six-point deficit to overcome is pretty reasonable for a team that shoots as well as DePaul usually does.
We may have been outnumbered, but we weren't always outyelled (as the soreness in my throat can tell you). The bleachers got stomped and then some.
Let's see what we've got left for the 'ship. But win or lose against Creighton, this game was worth the trip.
March 6th, 2016: Butler at DePaul (Big East tournament)
Just the Facts, Ma'am: DePaul led from start to finish in a 76-49 dismantling of Butler. Megan Podkowa led the Blue Demons with 14 points. Tori Schickel had 14 points off the bench for Butler.
For ennui, uninspiring play, distant memories, bad hair decisions, and mismatches, join your intrepid blogger after the jump.
Big East basketball never stops. We're into the second session of the day now, as DePaul takes on a frankly overmatched Butler squad. We came back from dinner a bit late, so we missed any and all pregame festivities, and we're at the half, with DePaul leading 39-19. DePaul got hot from three in the first quarter, and while they cooled down from deep in the second, they kept the defensive and interior pressure up. Butler is in over their heads, and I think they even know it. Langlois is playing to extend her career, and Tori Schickel came on strong in the second quarter, but no one else is really following suit.
Don't tap DIBS in his bald spot. That's not cool, kiddies.
Stay classy, DePaul band. You're yelling "Eight more points!" when DePaul's at 61. I can do arithmetic. If that's the only way you're going to get it, then I pity you.
Why are there three campus police at the Butler band? This is probably not good. We're near the end of the third quarter, and now I'm curious. This game has been lopsided enough that I'm typing and watching at the same time. It's not great.
Emmy Schabel came on late for the Bulldogs and showed a little bit of touch- there's good form to her shot. Michelle Weaver didn't look quite as tiny in this one. She still needs to work on her court awareness. Taylor Buford was a little over-aggressive on defense, but I think she was just happy to be on the court after not playing against Xavier. Tori Schickel really showed some moves in the paint. She's tough inside, a physical player who can finish through contact. I like her. Nicole Orr's minutes were unremarkable.
I was surprised to see Brittany Ward bring the ball up the floor- that didn't seem to be part of her game. She was solid on the boards. Belle Obert had a big block on Megan Podkowa and held down the fort on the inside, but DePaul has a lot of size in unexpected positions, and tht really interfered with a lot of what Butler wanted to do.
Blaire Langlois played like a woman who didn't want her career to end. That led to her pressing a lot and taking a lot of shots. Her team relies on her for direction, and I'm not sure what they're going to do next season. Alexa Bailey had a stronger game than she did in the preliminary round, including a nifty block that led to a hustle save by Obert. Sydney Buck seemed to have more of an effect in the fourth quarter than the statistics would indicate. I have to look at the class years again- that might be something they can build on for next year, along with Schickel down low.
DePaul played pretty much everyone, so this might take a while. I didn't even realize Brandi Harvey-Carr was still active this year- I thought she was injured or something, since I remembered her being fairly high in their rotation and a big presence down low. She filled space well. Meri Bennett-Swanson showed a little bit of soft touch. Lauren Prochaska is slim and small and very confusing. Tanita Allen really didn't need to take that last three. Mart'e Grays has very fluid movements- she's not quite Matrix level, but she changes direction very quickly. Amarah Coleman looked too much like she was trying to get in position for playing time next year, taking a lot of quick shots. I really like Ashton Millender on defense- she does all the little things I like to see out of a player.
Tell me more about how Chanise Jenkins earned Big East Player of the Year. Please. Because I was against it before and I'm still against it. And I'm against her pigtails. I know. I'm petty like Tom. I will go to the wall for Tabatha Richardson-Smith as BEast POY. Jessica January had the better game for the Blue Demons, making neat passes to the wing. Brooke Schulte was very quietly efficient. She's another of those players who doesn't necessarily do one thing brilliantly, but does everything well. She's just solid.
Megan Podkowa's range is a game-changer for DePaul. She's very versatile, powerful inside and out. She's useful defensively, too, able to deflect passes. Jacqui Grant is a phenomenal rebounder- my notes from that game have a whole bunch of little 'r's next to her name, indicating that she did a particularly nice job pulling down, sealing off, stealing away, and generally claiming rebounds. She got caught reaching a few too many times and eventually fouled out. DePaul's pretty lucky to have her.
I'm finishing these up well after the fact, so if there were any egregious officiating calls, I don't remember them. But let's face it, it was 76-49, the refs weren't what I would call a factor.
Of all the quarterfinals, this was easily the least dramatic and the least interesting. Seton Hall and St. John's, of course, held my interest because they're my teams and I love them. Creighton and Villanova were interesting because of the upset and because Creighton is fun to watch. This was a game with a clear underdog and a clear over-dog, and Butler really never stood a chance- and they played like they knew they never stood a chance.
March 6th, 2016: Creighton at Villanova (Big East tournament)
Just the Facts, Ma'am: Cold three-point shooting doomed Villanova in Creighton's 57-48 quarterfinal upset. MC McGrory scored 20 points to lead the Bluejays, 14 after halftime, and Sydney Lamberty put up a double-double (10 points, 13 rebounds). Samantha Wilkes had 18 points and seven rebounds to lead the Wildcats, but no one else cracked double figures for Nova.
For being out of order, unnecessary threes, setting screens, celebratory Jays, face paint, nifty hats, and riding the horse into the ground, join your intrepid and travel-wearied blogger after the jump.
Good morning, loyal readers! It's going to be a long day, but a fun one, as the Big East heads into its second day of tournament play with four games. Second seed Villanova and seventh-seeded Creighton will start things off.
Creighton's student section is rocking out to the music.
Fair number of Villanova fans have already arrived, including Papa Coyer in his custom jersey.
We're showing color solidarity with Creighton for this game. That, and they're fun to watch. That, and I like the part where Villanova loses.
If it holds throughout the day, the scoreboard operator is acknowledging high seeds and "home court advantage"- Creighton is the Bluejays, but Villanova is Nova. We'll see if it's an aberration or a habit.
We swiped a "Go Bluejays" sign from the Creighton ticket table, because, well, I like the part where Villanova loses.
There was a video tribute to Harry Perretta's 700th win before the game. That was very nice.
At halftime, Creighton is up 27-21. Pretty balanced scoring for both teams, with Jade Owens's 8 leading Creighton, and Adrianna Hahn and Samantha Wilkes each with 6 for Villanova. One thing worries me- it feels like Villanova is controlling the pace of the game, despite the Creighton lead. The Jays are running the clock down way too much and way too far.
The halftime game is amusing.
We're sitting behind the Creighton fans with the awesome (home-made, hand-knit) bluejay hats. There will be pictures.
Seton Hall is starting to trickle in. We're greeting them appropriately. Fans are trickling in for the second game too. I think Claire Lundberg brought family.
That was one heck of a finish. Villanova was ice-cold from outside today, but if you live by it, you have to die by it. Some days the system doesn't work, and this Villanova roster doesn't have the flexibility to work outside the system. Did Creighton get lucky? A little. They had good puck luck, but you don't get good puck luck without being in position to take a good shot. They came on strong late.
Lauren Works probably doesn't appreciate puns off her last name, but she really did put in work on the defensive end. She was amazing down the stretch, tough on both sides of the floor. I think I would want to smack her in the face repeatedly if she were playing my team, but when I can root for her, I will. She has that Taurasi-McCoughtry over-exuberance to her. Brianna Rollerson played less than I would have expected, but she didn't really earn more minutes. You can't be passive if you're the biggest player on the floor. You can't pass up shots in perfect lay-up position. You can't give up space to more slender players. You have to be assertive, especially when Villanova isn't an interior team. You can't pull down just 1 rebound in seven minutes.
Bailey Norby had a quiet game, though once again I call attention to her unsung work- she had a nifty pick to break Audrey Faber free for an early three. She didn't play a lot, as Creighton went small, but she was there when it counted. Sydney Lamberty owned the boards. Her shots went in odd directions, like many a Bluejay's shot, but she was fearless. Audrey Faber had foul trouble for most of the fourth quarter, and eventually Flanery rolled snake eyes and she got her fifth foul. She was tough when she was in, and she gives the Jays such versatility.
Jade Owens's shot wasn't falling quite as well as it was yesterday. She's so fun to watch, but I can see some of the flaws in her game now- she relies too heavily on that wild floater in the lane, and she gambles too much on defense. She seems to rely on luck, and as we've seen, that can go against you. Or one of your teammates can bogart all of it the way MC McGrory did. I think only one of her shots that bounced on the rim more than once bounced out. She got glass. She got the rolls. She fought through contact to score big and-1s in the second half. I wonder if she shoots better when she's got contact than when she's got space. She is so damn tough. I admire that.
Kavunaa Edwards has a very weird looking shot. It looks like it has all the mechanical flaws you tell shooters not to have, but it goes in rather more often than you think it would. She was blocking shots in the second half, too, using her length to make life difficult when Creighton penetrated. I really don't remember much about Kendall Burton's play or Jordan Dillard's play. There may have been a dumb foul or two sprinkled in there somewhere- I think Burton's third was unnecessary.
When the system works, it works. When the system doesn't work, Adrianna Hahn gets the urge to throw it up from wherever she is on the floor, whether that's somewhere in the general vicinity of Gary or into the hands of a double-team. Perretta's been hard on her whenever I've seen them- I'm not sure if that means he's giving her the keys to the car or if she's going to flee screaming to St. Francis Katherine Coyer makes a lot of good hustle plays- she rebounds well, she works the baselines well, and she has a nose for the ball. Alex Louin got open early on and made a nifty defensive play, but Creighton didn't leave her open for long after that.
Megan Quinn is another one with a really awkward looking shot, but hers wasn't going in as often as it did the last time I saw Villanova. She's one of the few players on Nova who I don't think should have the three-point green light that most Wildcats have. Samantha Wilkes had herself a day. Something tells me she wasn't on the scouting report for the Bluejays, and it showed. But here's another example of "you live by the three, you die by the three": all of Wilkes's makes came either on midrange jumpers or in the lane. All of her misses came beyond the arc, and most of them weren't all that close. She's got good height, and when she uses it, she's very effective. But when you get sucked into the system, then sometimes the system has its effects.
Right now I couldn't tell you a thing about the officiating. I vaguely recall Villanova being extremely upset about a call, but I can't remember who or when or why.
Creighton's band won pretty hard, in my opinion, but Villanova didn't have their full band. At least Villanova didn't have the audacity to perform "Mars".
The more I watch Creighton, the more I enjoy watching them play. Of course, this will have to end in the semis.
Sunday, March 6, 2016
March 6th, 2016: Georgetown at St. John's (Big East Tournament)
Just the Facts, Ma'am: St. John's clamped down on defense in the fourth quarter to pull away from Georgetown, 65-52. Aliyyah Handford had game highs of 22 points, including her 2000th, and five steals to lead St. John's, with Danaejah Grant adding 18. Dorothy Adomako led Georgetown with 15 points and five rebounds.
For defensive teams, flags blowing in the wind, dangerous collisions, going behind the charge circle, hard bleachers, stomping the floor, and #Liyyah2K, join your intrepid and perturbed blogger after the jump.
One more set of game notes, and then I can fall over. This one's the most important, though. It's St. John's playing Georgetown for the right to take on this DePaul squad that just walloped Butler.
Team Jersey is showing out, and I think Chicagoan Akina Wellere has family here too.
We seem to have struck a chord with an Under Armour guy. Cool beans.
Ashton Millender and her family are all over in the next section, and I think that explains the woman in Sky gear who's been wandering around.
Small world after all- one of the tournament organizers used to play in and work for the MAAC. Always fun to meet people from your neck of the woods in less familiar areas.
At halftime, St. John's is up 35-32, and it's uncomfortable. It's been a very physical game, with a lot of contact going uncalled. Aliyyah Handford scored the first 11 for the Red Storm, including her 2000th point, and Danaejah Grant picked up the slack in the second quarter with six of her 10. Faith Woodard is playing well for the Hoyas with 11, and Dorothy Adomako has 9.
That's it, Pirates, wander around the other side of the arena, don't notice me, don't comment on my red, don't tease me, don't come at me, just stay over there. Damn it, Tabatha.
St. John's pulled away at the end, much to my relief. Talent wins out; when you combine one of the best backcourts in the nation with a steady point guard and some key contributions from the bench, you get a win.
Georgetown actually went pretty deep into their bench, though I'm not sure if that's by design or if Natasha Adair was just looking for ways around the foul trouble and combinations of players that would strike a spark. Jasmine Jackson came in to run the point and rotate in for DiDi Burton when Burton was in foul trouble. She's definitely a change of pace, a bigger guard than the small, quick starters. Katie McCormick got her shot off, but couldn't get it down; at least she hustled for the ball on defense. Tyshell King's impact on the game is harder to see from four rows up than it is from eight or nine rows up. Logan Battle brought height and a bit of defensive presence. She saw more time in the second half than the first. Yazmine Belk came in n the first half down low and threw her weight around.
If the Big East had an All-Defensive team, Dionna White would be on it. When she's not playing against my team, I love to watch her work on defense, reading the passing lanes and making ballhandlers pay. DiDI Burton is the more aggressive on-ball defender- she almost forced a five-seconds-closely-guarded call on (I think) Danaejah Grant. The two of them together are impossibly pesky. And then Dorothy Adomako goes to work in the lane with the high shot. She's got so many dimensions to her game that it's ridiculous. She's tough on the inside and can step out to the midrange.
Faith Woodard gave the Hoyas a big boost up front- she was able to get to the basket with a fair amount of ease and put up shots at the rim. She's tough. Dominique Vitalis brought senior leadership to the floor- things just seemed to go better when they had her on the floor to direct traffic and look to. She's a steadying presence, and I'm using the present tense because it would be pretty cool if Georgetown made the WNIT.
The defense is on point for the Hoyas. They just need some offensive help around Adomako and to replace the depth they lose with the seniors. I think Adair can do it.
Jordan Agustus saw some time in the first half and was ineffective. Akina Wellere hit a big three to end the first quarter and give the Johnnies some momentum going into the second. She got called for a couple of questionable fouls, and that was the end of her run in her hometown. Crystal Simmons brought so much defense that I may have to make Google Translate work overtime for nicknames. She elicited a five-seconds-closely-guarded call out of (I think) Dionna White. The three-pointer at the end was just the cherry on top, but it had to have done wonders for her confidence. She's another one who should be all-defense, if we had an All-Defensive team. Jade Walker is probably not 100%- she missed a couple of rolls to the basket that she normally makes, but she got stronger as the game went on, stealing rebounds and hitting jumpers. We're going to need her tomorrow. Today. Against DePaul.
Sandra Udobi played sparingly, but came up with defensive stops down the stretch. Imani Littleton was hit and miss- she committed stupid fouls, but she drew a lot of contact and got to the line. She's starting to mature, which is good- we're going to need her to step up in a big way next year. She's really shining on defense.
Aaliyah Lewis is going to be an amazing coach one of these days. She has such command of her team on the floor- it's not as obvious when the ball is in play, but she gives direction to her teammates when there's a stoppage or they're off the ball on defense. And they listen to her, even the seniors. She knows the game so well. She didn't score a lot, but the points came when we needed them. Her passes were picked, but she made answering plays on defense. For a while it looked like Aliyyah Handford was going to have to be the entire show- she scored the first 11 for the Johnnies before she got slowed up a little bit. She's a terror on the break, and she stole a lot of balls to lead breaks. She's just so fun to watch. Danaejah Grant is as not flashy as Aliyyah is flashy- she hits jumpers, she uses her strength in the lane, she defends and passes the ball, and yet I can never find words for her. She's just there, like a universal constant, and it's going to be so confusing when she's not there.
The officiating got tighter as the game went on, much to everyone's annoyance. Both sides were questioning calls- there was one play where Adair wanted a foul on Handford, Tartamella wanted a foul on White, and play went on. Mid-air collisions aren't good for the game, guys.
Jack won the dance-off, although I disapprove of his audacity in putting his hat on Johnny's head. We have the far superior band and dance, though. Their band is awfully tinny, and I can't imagine what it sounds like in that aircraft hangar they're forced to call a home court.
The host is a very nice woman, but she's still annoying when she's working. And I do wish people would stop being surprised that we support two teams, but, well, that's a bit of a sore spot at the moment. Their heads might explode if they knew how many teams we really go hard for.
So yay! We're on to the semifinals! And our reward is DePaul in their own arena at primetime! Yay?
March 6th, 2016: Marquette at Seton Hall (Big East tournament)
Just the Facts, Ma'am: Marquette started strong and always threatened, but Seton Hall had the final push to win 93-86. Tiffany Jones put up 29 points and 18 rebounds to power the Pirates, with Aleesha Powell adding 25 and Shakena Richardson 20. Allazia Blockton of Marquette led all scorers, putting up 31 before fouling out.
For freshmen, seniors, cheering one's self hoarse, missed lay-ups, big buckets, huge fan support, trophies, and pictures, join your intrepid and out of order blogger after the jump.
On to the second game, and much closer seats. Since our all-session passes are behind the opposing bench, we reached out to Tony Bozzella for Seton Hall and Veronica Mullen for St. John's to get behind the appropriate bench for our games today. Honestly, I'd prefer to be a little higher up, but beggars can't be choosers.
The Seton Hall band didn't make the trip, so we're borrowing someone else's band. I don't know whose.
There's a family of Marquette fans standing in front of our section, and it's kind of annoying.
There's also an Oregon fan here. I'm not quite sure where he came from. (Ah. He's an Owens.)
Marquette appears to have brought full band. It's pretty impressive. They win the shirt match-up pretty much by default, since the loaner band for SHU is wearing fairly generic shirts.
Shoutout to the Xavier people who stayed.
Scoreboard reads "SHU" and "MU". So much for that theory.
Marquette's band does know they're playing "Tequila", right? You're not technically supposed to know about that, college kiddies.
Is Creighton just following us? They're over in our section now.
The Golden Eagle has an interesting feather-do. Looks like he's doing the blonde faux-hawk thing Clarendon did and Natisha Hiedeman does.
The offset on the shot clock by the road bench is really weird. It's way off to the side. I think it's throwing off Tabatha Richardson-Smith's shot.
At halftime, we've definitely got more offense than we did last game. Seton Hall is up 43-41 on Marquette.
It's annoying, but Marquette's band has prepared an entire list of pirate-themed horrible puns to distract the free throw shooter, and some of them are so bad they're hilarious. ("And what is a pirate's favorite robot? Arrrrrrrrr2-D2!")
Marquette fans showed up! I mean, Milwaukee's close, but that doesn't mean fans will travel. I love the support the Golden Eagles are getting.
Our loaner band went to the trouble of getting pirate hats. I approve.
We can't afford to come out flat in the second half. Marquette's too good for that.
What a game! What a finish! What a performance by Tiffany Jones! What a performance by Allazia Blockton too! Players stepping up for both sides- that's what a tournament is all about!
Amani Wilborn had a good, solid, all-around game. I think she can be taken out of her game a little, get a little distracted, but she's a solid sixth woman who can fill in at multiple positions. Shantelle Valentine's impact was very limited- she's a big girl, but she seems a little tentative inside. She did have one big screen that picked off Martha Kuderer and gave Natisha Hiedeman space for a three. It wasn't quite a Screen of Death, but it will do.
McKayla Yentz spent a lot of time lying on her back on the ground, either getting a call or complaining about not getting a call. I like the hustle, but defense is played with the feet, not the butt. Erika Davenport kept getting lay-ups right at the basket with the extra pass from her guards. She didn't always hit them, but she had plenty of good looks. She did a nice job of following her own shot on a couple of occasions, including on a Gordon block.
Natisha Hiedeman's shot is so quick- as soon as she has space, that shot is going up. Her hands are really quick too- she was disruptive on defense. She's going to be fun to watch as she develops. Danielle King has a soft touch from beyond the arc- she needs to watch her footwork, but once she's in position to shoot, that is one pretty shot. And what can I say about Allazia Blockton that hasn't already been said? She's brilliant. Her offensive game is already so complete, inside and out, and she's only a freshman. She has the potential to develop amazingly. I want her to be awesome. Marquette deserves it. She almost single-handedly willed Marquette back into the game.
Claire Lundberg gave good minutes in relief of the forwards. Martha Kuderer isn't ready for the big time. Jordan Mosley had a huge block on Blockton early on. Say that three times fast. Jordan Molyneaux was Cottonelle soft on the inside, all but running way from rebounds and ducking the ball. And she almost managed to get a foul called on her on the bench, because the announcer couldn't count fingers. LaTecia Smith had a couple of really nice defensive plays, but she wasn't ready for the pressure on offense- Marquette pressed hard and she stumbled.
If we'd lost this one, it would have been dumped on Lubirdia Gordon's head. She missed way too many easy shots at the rim. She had a couple of big blocks protecting the rim on the other side, though. Tiffany Jones had herself the game of her life. She was hitting lay-ups, working the boards like a boss, hitting threes- she took command of the game. She wanted it and she took it, like a true Pirate does. Tabatha Richardson-Smith didn't have as luminescent an offensive game as she's capable of, but she contributed in other ways- on the boards, on defense, distributing the ball for the extra hot pass down low.
Shakena Richardson was out of rhythm early, trying too hard to be an outside threat, but as the game went on, she found seams in the lane and drove, either getting the lay-up, taking the midrange shot, or distributing to the open shooter. Aleesha Powell used her speed to her advantage, cutting to the basket and elevating for the lay-up, or hitting that soft three she loves. She had a great block on a low Davenport shot.
The only thing that really disturbed me for Seton Hall was the loss of simpatico between Bozzella and his point guards. Usually they're on the same page, but today, not so much. Hoping that gets fixed before tomorrow.
Officiating was wildly inconsistent, going from loose in the first quarter to tighter than a girdle in the second quarter to seeming one-sided in the second half. It seemed like calls weren't going both ways. I know I'm biased, but it was pretty awkward. There were a couple of bad calls against Marquette in that quarter too, as if to keep Coach Bozzella from going off on the refs.
That game was a shining example of what the Big East can be, and what it is. Seton Hall, with their seniors and graduate students, is the present. Marquette, laden with freshmen, is the future. We're in good hands.
March 5th, 2016: Providence at Creighton (Big East tournament)
Just the Facts, Ma'am: Creighton started strong and finished strong, staving off a Providence run in the middle, to win their first-round Big East tournament game 70-53. Audrey Faber had 16 points, 12 in the second half, and eight rebounds to lead the Jays. Clara Che's 14 points off the bench led Providence.
For bending the rules, traveling, band battles, signs on heads, hats on heads, moves in the lane, and a lot of potential, join your intrepid and dilatory blogger after the jump.
Hello, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls! The Game Notes of Doom are on the road for the next few days, dancing in Chicago with the Big East. We're coming to you from section B of McGrath-Phillips Arena, watching as Providence and Creighton prepare for their first-round game.
It looks like Providence brought their band, or someone's band. That's good. Drum kits were setting up so far ahead we thought that was all they had, but there's the rest of the instruments. I don't see Creighton, though.
McGrath-Phillips is a nice enough arena. I like the way the banners are mixed on the walls. I do feel kind of awkward with the Latasha Byears banner staring at me. Worse, there are two softball banners over to the right of it...
Technically, backpacks and totes are not allowed in the arena. No one said anything today, though. We'll see how long that lasts. It might just be because of attendance or lack thereof for neutral games.
Great. They're packing the place with kids' groups. Fantastic. And of course the ones in front of us are among the first ones to show up.
We have Bluejays! Not sure if they're band or cheering students, but they have the blue tees and the blue-and-white striped pants. One guy has his face painted. I approve. Creighton cheer has arrived as well.
On band uniforms, I give Providence's gray bowling-style shirts the edge over Creighton's shirts.
The group in front of us is doing an appearance thing with some of the DePaul players. Lots of picutres are being taken. If I cared about seeing the Creighton dance team in action, I might be more annoyed than I am.
Harry Perretta and Doug Bruno are sitting together in the next section over, and my God do I want to be a fly on the wall over there. Such knowledge. Very basketball.
At halftime, Creighton is up 33-28. That's after opening the game on a 15-0 run. Providence actually had a chance to cut it even closer, but Aliyah Miller missed two free throws after a post-trey foul by Audrey Faber. Creighton is doing a nice job of getting inside. Providence is living and dying by the outside jumper- not necessarily the three, but long jumpers.
Oh dear gods that woman is wearing an emoji purse. I can't.
I tell you, Creighton is going to be scary next year, with all these players back plus Marissa Janning. Jade Owens is just fun to watch.
Providence made it very interesting in the third quarter, getting it down to 40-38 at one point, but they couldn't sustain it. The defense started to fall apart and lose steps, and once that happens, Audrey Faber starts doing things.
I like the Providence band better than the Creighton band as a band, but I like Creighton's band better as a supporters' section. Edge in cheer goes to Creighton- they had fewer people, but their routine was better and I like their dresses better. Billy the Bluejay wins the mascot contest by default, as Providence didn't bring their mascot. Creighton obviously brought more fans, since a) Omaha is closer than Providence, and b) Creighton has more of a chance to advance than Providence did.
Very nice touch by the announcer when Evi Iiskola was subbed out near the end of the blowout- he indicated her class, giving us a hint that it might be time to applaud her as she left her final collegiate game.
T-shirt toss fail: one of the t-shirts landed on top of the cage that protects the emergency lighting/camera. One woman tried to boost her kid up so he could grab it. Security told her that was a bad idea. They ended up fetching a broom to bring it down. People. Seriously. It's only a t-shirt.
I'm working on the theory that as Sarah Beal goes, so go the Friars. It's not necessarily a statistical thing, but she got hit with a cramp in her right leg that brought her to the ground and forced her out of the game. Second time I've seen that happen to her in the third quarter- happened against St. John's too. They wrapped her up and hydrated her, and she was eventually good to go back in.
Physically, Clara Che reminds me of Ticha Penicheiro. There's very little similarity in terms of style of play, since Che actually shoots, but I can't get past the resemblance. I think she's still trying to grow into her body, but I like her potential. Jovana Nogic spearheaded the big run in the second quarter to get the game to within five. I thought the matchup of Aliyah Miller and Brianna Rollerson was going to be interesting, but it turned out to be Miller versus Audrey Faber that was a more even match. Miller's a bruiser, but she was wild shooting, pressured by the Creighton defense. Erica Meyer isn't ready for the big stage yet. She had a couple of moments, including a big block on Jade Owens to set up a break opportunity, but she showed some freshman jitters. Another year and some time in the weight room will help her.
Brianna Frias took the tip for both halves, but Coach Fruchtl was quick to take her out when she could see who the hot hand was. She really didn't make much of an impact. Evi Iiskola had some moves in the lane. Allegra Botteghi lists as a guard, but she plays more like a forward, so she's going to go in the frontline paragraph. She's very tough on the glass and has a good nose for getting to the basket.
Sarah Beal never seemed to find a good shot to get off. She scored a little on jumpers, and had a nice steal, but I felt like she was trying to do more than the defense was allowing her to do, and at the same time was trying to do too much for her team. Sometimes it's better to lead by an example of omission, not commission, if that makes sense. Maddie Jolin has decent defensive instincts, and you always want to see a player try on defense, but she needs to do more to get into position so that she reaches left. But stop me if you've heard this one before: she's a freshman, she'll learn.
Providence showed a lot of heart and a lot of hustle, but they don't have the talent to compete. Fruchtl's done a lot to get talented internationals to Providence, and we'll see how well they blossom in the next couple of years.
Jim Flanery emptied his bench in the last couple of minutes, so we got to see a lot of the deep reserves. Honestly, I didn't even realize that Aimee Rischard was eligible this year, but there she was with the rest of the bench. Everyone was trying to get a shot for Tessa Leytem, and they were super disappointed when she wasn't able to score. Myah Mellman showed some hustle, and her reward for it was to get scratched in the eye by Sarah Beal for no good reason. Ali Greene looked a little scared to be out there. Kylie Brown showed a little bit on defense. Brianna Rollerson was a presence down low, but seemed a little slow to react on both sides of the floor. She looked like a woman coming back from injury and trying to get back in the saddle. Lauren Works brought the defensive hustle (and a student with a "WORK IT!" sign, which seems appropriate).
(There were a few other signs, including a shaped "FEAR THE FRO" for Rollerson that one girl wore on her head.)
Bailey Norby really didn't see a lot of time- Flanery had her on a short leash, and went small for much of the game as well. But I like the work she does on the floor, rebounding and setting screens- she had one fantastic play on the boards that set up MC McGrory for the rebound. She's so good at the little things. Audrey Faber got loose in the second half to get buckets inside. She set a really nice pick to get Lauren Works open for a three to help Creighton pull away.
I just really like watching Jade Owens play basketball. She brings energy at both ends of the floor. She has a beautiful finger roll and a shot that's sort of just a "throw it up, oh hey, nothing but net, that's cool" thing. She had a steal to get a fast-break bucket. And she passes well, too. Sydney Lamberty had a block so monster I didn't even see who it was on. She's tall for a guard, but she plays like a guard, and it gives Creighton much more flexibility with their lineups. MC McGrory came on strong in the second half when Providence was threatening. She made a key defensive play on a Providence break in the fourth quarter and shut them down. She brings a lot of toughness to the floor (and cleans up surprisingly well- I almost didn't recognize her when Creighton came to sit by us).
I don't always like Flanery's attitude on the sideline, but he coaches his team well. There's a nifty little change of direction move that a lot of their players use that demonstrates good body control and court awareness- I saw it first from Owens, but Faber and McGrory showed it as well. I'm also not used to a Creighton team shooting so few threes with Rollerson off the floor, but they adapted well to Providence hustling on the perimeter.
I thought the hit by Beal on Mellman should have been reviewed for a flagrant, but it may have been inadvertent. Officiating was otherwise unremarkable, which is always a relief.
I really liked the bluejay hats two Creighton fans were wearing. I'm going to try and get a picture during the quarterfinals. Creighton-Villanova will be very interesting.
Saturday, March 5, 2016
March 5th, 2016: Butler at Xavier (Big East tournament)
Just the Facts, Ma'am: Tori Schickel's lay-up with 1:32 to go gave Butler their final edge in the first round of the Big East tournament, as the Bulldogs defeated Xavier 48-47. Blaire Langlois had 20 points and eight rebounds to lead Butler. Jenna Crittendon had 14 points for Xavier before fouling out.
For blue blobs, tied dance-offs, hustle on the baseline, guarding three-point shooters, turning up the intensity, and rocking out with your tuba out, join your intrepid and caffeinated blogger after the jump.
Good afternoon once more, gentle readers. The preparations for game 2 are underway, as the Musketeers of Xavier and the Bulldogs of Butler take the floor. Their colors are depressingly similar. The Big East really has a bad case of the blues.
What even is this remix of "Rolling in the Deep"? No. I do not approve.
The group around us seems to be leaving, which annoys me as much as their showing up in the first place. It's a double-header, for Pete's sake. I'm never happy, what can I say?
One of the Creighton players came by- I think she has family here. Either that, or she really liked that cup of whatever she was holding.
That awkward moment when you realize you've accidentally sat with the team whose butts you just whooped. Janning, Lamberty, and another Jay just moved up into our row.
Xavier's band is super fresh- they're currently doing an arrangement of "Shut Up and Dance". Both bands have been great.
At halftime, Butler is up 24-15 with a late push. Jenna Crittendon has 11 of the 15 for Xavier. Butler's scoring is a wee tiny bit more balanced, with Blaire Langlois's 11 leading the way.
We get performances from both dance teams at halftime of this one! I give Xavier the edge, but they're both pretty decent.
Best band moment: band collaborations! So far we've had Xavier doing the instrumentals on "Hey Baby" and "Sweet Caroline", with Butler contributing vocals (though "Sweet Caroline" got interrupted by the arrival of the teams).
The shooting in this one has been so bad that the Butler band got tired of doing the "airrrrrrr-baaaaaaalllllll" chant at Xavier. We're up to four, plus one by Butler.
I think it's awfully confident of Georgetown to come watch this game instead of preparing for the 4-5 game tomorrow.
If Xavier's band had pulled out the Shinedown earlier, we would have been rooting for them. That's some seriously hard rock to arrange for marching band. As it was, Butler dodged a couple of bullets on the missed free throws by Ward.
Michelle Weaver played briefly in the second half, but her lack of size was painfully obvious, and she didn't look ready for the postseason. Tori Schickel made plays at the basket and made space for her teammates to work. Nicole Orr showed some intriguing flashes of athleticism around the arc.
Blaire Langlois was the star of the show for the Bulldogs. She scored from all over the floor. More importantly, her team had faith in her to get the job done. Everyone looked to her- at least that was the sense I got from the way they all interacted on the court. Alexa Bailey was very quiet in the first half, but came up with a really nifty steal late in the game (which, granted, was promptly stolen back by Maddison Blackwell, but it was a nice play). Sydney Buck left no real impression, though I think she was involved in some of the Butler defensive pressure in the backcourt.
Belle Obert had some good plays boxing out and getting on the glass. She ensured that her teammates would have room to rebound. Brittany Ward has a lot of athletic moves right at the basket, but she just couldn't finish. If Butler had lost this game, she would have been the goat for missing four straight free throws at the end of the game. I feel like I'm saying this a lot today, but she's a freshman. I think the pressure got to her. She's tough, and she'll get there in the end, but right now she's still clearly a freshman.
Jada Byrd came in for defensive purposes. Anniina Äijänen played briefly in the first half and did nothing of import, which is good, because there are only so many times I can attempt to type an umlaut before I start swearing at the character map. Leah Schafer did a bit of rebounding and screening, which is something I like to see out of posts. Marquia Turner showed some offense in the third quarter, when Xavier started trying to take the game back over. The big girl, Imani Partlow, got a stretch of minutes in the first quarter, but while she was able to get position in the paint, she wasn't able to finish at the rim, and I think Brian Neal got tired of it eventually.
Jenna Crittendon hits threes. She's really good at them. She was able to use her height to her advantage when Butler sent smaller guards at her. They got smart and started doubling her in the second half, and while she was able to get some space, it wasn't enough for her to be effective. That did, however, free up Briana Glover inside- she had a couple of very quick baskets to start the third quarter, and that seemed to give her more confidence down low. Raeshaun Gaffney also seemed to find her feet in the second half, playing with more confidence. She had a fantastic save on the baseline, throwing the ball over her head to get it in to a teammate.
I'm always simultaneously disappointed and self-righteous when players named A*li*yah have bad games- disappointed because they're not living up to the name, and self-righteously satisfied because that just means Aliyyah's better. Aliyah Zantt had a very disappointing game- she had two big baskets back-to-back in the fourth quarter, but that was it. Maddison Blackwell had a nice game defensively, and did a lot of the little things, but went AWOL on defense.
I thought the officiating at the end of the game was a little suspect, but it's probably more damaging to go ahead and make the call that conceivably gives Xavier the game than it is to not make the call and let the game play out.
For most of the night, it seemed like each team was graciously offering the other one the opportunity to get curb-stomped by DePaul in the second round, at DePaul's home arena. The game picked up in the second half, but it was not pretty. The band and the cheering fans more than made up for the lack of execution on the floor.
Saturday, March 16, 2013
March 16th, 2013: St. Joseph's at Fordham
Just the Facts, Ma'am: St. Joseph's overcame an eight-point halftime deficit, turning up the defense and heating up the offense to take the Atlantic-10 title over Fordham, 47-45. Natasha Cloud had 15 points and six assists for the Hawks, and Chatilla van Grinsven had eight points and 10 rebounds. Marah Strickland had 16 to pace the Rams.
For tight squeezes, forgotten souvenirs, horned helmets, hard picks, and pivotal moments, join your intrepid and congested blogger after the jump.
Good evening, everyone! We're coming to you on tape delay from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, host of the A-10 tournament final between Fordham and St. Joseph's.
The A-10 did a pretty good job turning around as fast as they did between the men's semis and the women's final- the men's semis ended about forty minutes before the scheduled tip of the women's game. I think they're encouraging people to stay to make the crowd look bigger- we've already been asked once if we wanted to move down. No, thank you, I like being able to see the big screen and to see the plays as they develop.
So far Fordham's showing great support, which doesn't surprise me, since all you have to do to get here is get on the D and keep going. And I like the arena. There's an abruptness to it that's very New York- once you're through the lines, BANG, the court's right there, so you can get caught up as soon as you walk in the building (though I'm sure that security is a touch more thorough at Nets games).
Great anthem to open things up. The crowd has been loud for both teams. Great atmosphere. Fordham got a 12-0 hole shot on the Hawks, and they're up 24-16 at the half, but I'm worried about the way they ended the half, and the way they've been running the clock down over and over again- Griffin is a good enough coach that I can see her team taking advantage of that in the second half.
Ilze Gotfrida got physical in the post. Surprising from a Euro. I don't remember much of Mireia Vila did other than the one foul.. Cindy Griffin really relied on her starters.
Ashley Robinson started the second half; I don't remember if she started the first half. She was a long-armed defensive presence who flicked away rebounds and affected shots. I wasn't terribly surprised when the one foul she committed was a stupid one; it does sort of come with the territory of the name. Erin Shields's shots looked good coming off her hands all the time, but she didn’t always get the roll, though sometimes she did. She reminds me a lot of her sister around the face. I think Ashley Prim let the one bad foul call early in the game get into her head a little bit. She still stayed active on defense, though. Chatilla van Grinsven got stopped up by Fordham switches, but on the other end she was a defensive mis-match for pretty much anyone she was up against- they had her on Erin Rooney or Arielle Collins, and you could tell that the extra height was affecting the Rams' view of the court. She's good. She's probably kicking herself about the missed free throws, though. Natasha Cloud ran the offense well, finding her teammates and going for loose balls.
St. Joe's adapted very well in the second half. I think in the first half they remembered they were no longer playing on their home floor and were in fact playing in New York. In the second half, they held it together and made the big plays that their team needed.
Charlotte Stoddart was great on the boards. I like her hustle. I don't know if she was the player on the bench who was getting the defense chant started, but if she was, then I like her even more, because the Fordham bench was really loud. The Rams leaned heavily on their starters- I think Christina Gaskin and Emily Tapio only came in when Arielle Collins and Samantha Clark fouled out.
Erin Rooney had some very good drives that didn't end the way they should have- one rolled off the rim, one got blocked- either of those could have been the difference. I like her instincts but I'm not sure if she's an A-10 player. I really like Samantha Clark, though; she's only a freshman, but there's something in her build and her style of play that reminds me of Erin Buescher. She needs to hit her chippies and stop thinking so much about the three-point line, but it's rare to see a mid-major player be as physical as she is; usually a big player like her ends up at a mid-major because she won't bang. Arielle Collins and Abigail Corning were both very active on defense, with Collins also drawing the duty of pounding the ball for fifteen seconds until Fordham started their offense. Marah Strickland started the game off hot, then drew a lot more defensive attention and started taking some bad shots.
I really don't know what to think about Fordham's offense. It reminds me unpleasantly of Villanova's offense, except that they don't have the three-point shooters that Villanova has. It reminds me just as unpleasantly of Rutgers's offense, but they don't have players who can create their own shots like Rutgers once did. Time of possession does matter in basketball, but not if you don't do anything with the ball after you control it.
The officiating in this game was decidedly interesting. When it starts out with the kind of arm hooking that would make Plenette Pierson blush and ends with an offensive foul called off the ball from across the court, that's the only word I can think of. Both coaches yelled at the refs a bit, and I don't blame them.
People around us kept running away for some reason. Look, I know I'm not in Fordham gear, and I know I'm loud, but I'm going to go hard for my city. Ne York has to represent, especially when dealing with Philadelphia.
A-10 legends honored at halftime, which was cool, followed by Drums of Thunder, which was very cool. I miss those kids.
Got to meet some Butler fans and welcome them to the Big East; should have done the same to the guy in the Xavier cap.
I still don't know what the offensive foul call was on Samantha Clark, but it essentially decided the game, especially when Fordham hesitated on the intentional foul. How you make the call from the other side of the floor, I will never know.
We're watching the awards ceremony now. St. Joe's is running around with their hats and shirts. All-championship team includes a kid from Temple, Rooney and Strickland from Fordham, and van Grinsven and Cloud from St. Joe's. Rooney looks like she wants no part whatsoever of her little trophy. Cloud is MOP of the A-10 tournament. That is a really shiny championship trophy. They announce each member of the winning team, then get their rings. Huh, I didn't think rings were that soon.
Okay, that's the one classy thing the St. Joe's band and students have done all day- they're chanting Cindy Griffin's name as she gets her ring.
And there goes the net, to a chant of "The Hawk Will Never Die!" I think the students are going to chant each player's name as she gets her cut. But we didn't stay for the whole thing, because the first person to go up didn't quite know how to cut the net- she started from the bottom and tried to cut vertically as her team shrieked directions at her.
The rolls in this game were truly bizarre for both teams. I guess you can expect that when two Jesuit schools play shortly after the selection of the first Jesuit pope. Shots were halfway down and went out, shots were all over the rim and in- it was crazy. And it was for both teams evenly, as if God wanted to prove that He didn't play favorites.
It wasn't the prettiest of games, but it was a solid game and worthy of a championship.
Monday, March 5, 2012
March 4th, 2012: DePaul at Notre Dame
Just the Facts, Ma'am: The Blue Demons of DePaul made a few runs, but Notre Dame held them off every time to win 69-54. Devereaux Peters led the way for the Irish with 16 points, 12 rebounds, six blocks, and three steals; Natalie Novosel also had 16 points. Katherine Harry had 14 to lead DePaul.
For footwork, cockiness, devils in blue dresses, and all of the lights, join your intrepid and drained blogger after the jump.
On to DePaul and Notre Dame, with sound issues and a cheer-off about logos. DIBS is dancing with devils in blue dresses, and only at Notre Dame does the cheer squad have to learn Irish step dancing. We're starting to see a few more Johnnies, too.
38-26 Notre Dame at the half- we have achieved offense, and it is a beautiful thing. It's sort of clear that DePaul is short-handed and getting worn down by Notre Dame's talent. McBride has 11 for the Irish, while Diggins has 10; Harry has 10 for the Blue Demons.
Of course the DePaul band performs Chicago. Of course. They seem to keep a general Chicago theme to their music- their version of Kanye West's "All of the Lights" makes me want a recording. I don't say that about bands often. They really got into their cheers, having special ones for each player. Good volume from the cheerleaders, though they need to work on their projection and pitch. Trust me, I know what it sounds like to be very loud and very shrill.
After some of the tripping by Notre Dame, I was expecting Doug Bruno to abuse a chair. I know, you do it once, you're branded for life.
The Blue Demons got good minutes off the bench from Megan Rogowski and Kelsey Reynolds, both of whom were able to put up points, though their impact was more in the second half, when Notre Dame had backed off the pedal slightly. But that gave DePaul a chance to rest their starters and try for one last run.
Katherine Harry was doing work inside. She had some pretty shots off the glass, though I don't know how many friends she was making with tough screens. She's one of those players who turns interesting colors when she's tired. Jasmine Penny was a disaster in the early going- bad passes, bad shots, stupid fouls. She got better in the second half and made a difference in the paint and the midrange. Deanna Ortiz's threes got the pro-DePaul portion of the crowd going, and her flying save on the baseline was impressive. Anna Martin was rendered into a non-factor, except that maybe Notre Dame's defense was forced to leave the post players open due to doubling and switching. Brittany Hrynko looked like she was trying to force the matter, though that might be because someone had to try and make something happen from the perimeter to give DePaul even the ghost of a chance.
Notre Dame didn't get much from their bench, but they didn't need much from their bench. Ariel Braker scored the last basket, and while from the margin at the time, it might have looked like the Irish were rubbing it in, it was a clear putback for a player who hadn't been on the board. You can't tell a player not to take that shot; it'll ruin her instincts. Natalie Achonwa came off the bench later than I was expecting, but made a little noise in the first half with a pretty bank shot. Don't remember much else about the Notre Dame bench.
Skylar Diggins tried to showboat a little in the first half, and wrenched her back doing it. In the second half, when they had a little bit more of a margin, she was more successful in her fancy passes to Peters and Novosel. She kept busy on defense, playing the lanes well. Brittany Mallory did not endear herself to us with constant tripping of her opponents. Watch your feet, Mallory, because West Virginia's better at that game than you'll ever be. Kayla McBride was red hot in the first half, but receded in the second. Natalie Novosel was solid all the way through. But the star of the show and the best player on the floor beyond a doubt was Devereaux Peters, who imposed her will on the game on both ends of the floor with powerful blocks and forceful shots. She showed a few moves, and an ability to use both hands and both sides of the basket. Honestly, the only reason I have any skepticism about her ability to play in the WNBA is her knees- she's got the skills on both ends of the floor. I like her a lot.
It's one thing to leave a blowout early if you're a neutral fan, or if your team is losing. I don't blame the UConn fans who were only there because they had all-session passes or were curious or wanted to prove that they weren't just cultists. But Notre Dame fans were leaving a game that they were winning. How spoiled is that?
I can't go much further on this without being inappropriately biased, because I like and respect Doug Bruno, and I don't necessarily like Muffet McGraw. My memory is faulty, my notes insufficient; I don't want to risk giving the wrong impression of the game because of my distaste for the top dog.
March 4th, 2012: Louisville at St. John's
Just the Facts, Ma'am: Louisville forced overtime with an Antonita Slaughter 3, but the Red Storm outscored the Cardinals 12-5 in the overtime to claim a 68-61 win. Shenneika Smith led St. John's with 24 points and eight rebounds, while Nadirah McKenith added 15 points, six rebounds, and five assists. For Louisville, Shoni Schimmel and Antonita Slaughter each had 16, with 11 of Schimmel's in the first half and 13 of Slaughter's in the second.
For rebounding, free throws, levitation, amazing shots, and why you need to guard shooters, join your intrepid and exhausted blogger after the jump.
Then there was an intermission, and much to my horror, I discovered that my battery had died, and because it took so long to find affordable food around the XL Center (what kind of arena neighborhood can't support a McDonald's?) I didn't have a chance to work on notes during the intermission like I thought I would, and I deeply apologize.
I do recommend Burger Baby, but not if you're in a hurry. Good, gourmet burgers. The meatloaf burger is amazing.
For the night session, also known as the entire damn reason we went to Hartford instead of Philadelphia in the first place, we got tickets through St. John's. Since St. John's was the higher seed, their allocation was right behind the home bench. I believe the applicable phrase in this situation is "Oh. Hell. Yeah." The seats were almost too close- it was hard to see plays at the other end of the floor, and you can't exactly tell Bonita Spence "DOWN IN FRONT!". Well, you can, but I wouldn't want to try.
I miss the hockey jerseys Louisville's band used to wear. They were stylish and awesome. These new band uniforms are too generic. The St. John's band brought out more wigs than usual, though I didn't see the gnome. That's a shame. I like the gnome. I guess he's not a traveling gnome. :P
So many shinies! Da'Shena Stevens cleaned up. I took lots of pictures. I don't think I've ever claimed not to have a horse in this race.
I did not get to see the comedic stylings of Jeff Walz, since my angle was wrong, but he had some good reasons to be annoyed and confused at the officiating.
Antonita Slaughter saved the day for Louisville. Shoni Schimmel will get all the attention, and she deserves attention, but she showed more detailed range with mid-range shots in addition to the long ball, and she hit the boards well. I was not expecting that out of her, and I was duly impressed. She was the one who stepped up in the second half, while Schimmel was making noise in the first half. This is my second time seeing Jude Schimmel, and so far I'm not impressed with her. Maybe she'll blossom later, but right now she seems like a small guard who isn't sure about her position and has no outstanding qualities. Sara Hammond got fairly physical in her time in the game, but wasn't statistically relevant. Shelby Harper only came in at the end of the game, when Bria Smith fouled out and someone needed to take her place; I think Walz was thinking threes, but for all I know he just wanted a fresh set of fouls. Shawnta' Dyer committed some rough fouls. I thinks he was the one who was undercutting a lot.
Normally, I don't object to letting Shoni Schimmel go bombs away. She's a volume shooter and not a high-percentage one. Of course, in the first half, she was hot, with 11 points, and we were screaming at our team to guard her. (Defining "we" as your intrepid blogger, her dashing husband, and Kim's son Trevor, who should be a coach someday.) She cooled off in the second half as Shenneika Smith kicked up the D, but her teammates stepped up. Bria Smith scored all her points in the second; Becky Burke hit two big threes to give Louisville the momentum they needed to force the overtime. I've already mentioned Slaughter. Sheronne Vails got the start to provide some size in the middle, but Walz played her very little once it was clear who had the hot hand.
Keylantra Langley usually has a knack for making the big shot at the right time, and her field goal to end the first half was a prime example of that. She had one really awful turnover in a similar situation with the shot clock running down, but was otherwise solid. Tesia Harris was off her game- you can't stand there and watch shots when everyone in the building has been shooting like intramural kids, you have to crash the boards, especially when Louisville is absolutely slaughtering you on the boards. (Intentional pun is in fact intentional.) Briana Brown parlayed her big game against Georgetown into being the first player off the bench, but while she showed amazing hustle going after loose balls, she was not as effective as she had been against the Hoyas.
Amber Thompson, stop dribbling. You're six-two with surprisingly broad shoulders for your build. When you rip that rebound out of the air, go up strong with it, because when you do that, no one will be able to stop you except yourself. If she stops doing that, and if she can become more accurate with her chip shots, she'll be a force to be reckoned with not just in the Big East, but in all of college basketball. She's only a freshman. I believe she can learn- she's got the right person on the bench to learn from in Joy McCorvey. Eugeneia McPherson had a solid game with no egregious mistakes that I can recall. Da'Shena Stevens had to contend with the Louisville rebounders, but was able to draw fouls on them, and her game picked up in the second half. She can be sneaky like that sometimes. Nadirah McKenith, sporting a nifty new ponytail look, ran the offense well, though not as well as we've become used to. She wore down a little near the end of the game. Kim, please don't kill our point guard, we don't have any spares right now. Shenneika Smith was the hero of the day. She produced and produced hard on both ends of the floor, slashing to the rim, hitting threes, defending Schimmel- her steal and fast-break lay-up was the prettiest play of the game for me. All she needed was a cape.
Apparently there was an issue with the arrow and the refs gave the ball to the wrong team at the start of the second half. I hadn't noticed, but that was because my brain was starting to glaze over. I did think it was odd that the foul was on Briana when she was the one holding her shoulder in pain, and Nadirah didn't step out of bounds by herself. Also, it is not a good idea to get fancy with your footwork in front of Bonita Spence. That doesn't end well. Overall, the officiating was sketchy, and both coaches were ready to kill someone by the end of regulation.
We did our part to represent, and I'd like to think we played a role in Louisville's abysmal free throw shooting in the first half with our disconcerting of the shooter. The towels were whirling, and my throat still hurts from cheering.
Huge shoutout to the RedZone member who won the American Eagle shootout, nailing not just the $50 free throw, not just the $100 three-pointer, but a halfcourt shot for free jeans for a year. We really are taking the Big East by storm, aren't we?
We out-toughed Louisville, especially in the overtime. But those Cards can be a dangerously good team. I give them credit and more for not folding under pressure.