Just the Facts, Ma'am: Fordham held Manhattan to 27.4% shooting from the field in a hard-fought 51-45 win. Bre Cavanaugh had 21 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Rams, with Kaitlyn Downey also notching a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Emily LaPointe had 13 points and Courtney Warley had 11 rebounds for the Jaspers in the loss.
For rivalry renewed, terrible shooting, precise announcements, strangers on a train, donuts, shiny things, and being en garde, join your intrepid and well-traveled blogger after the jump.
Basketball never stops, and neither do rivalries. Your intrepid blogger comes to you live, or at least on indeterminate tape delay, from the boogie down Bronx, where the Fordham Rams are paying a visit to the Manhattan Jaspers in the Battle of the Bronx.
Manhattan's band is getting into the spirit of both the holiday season and the basketball season, wearing festive hats (or antlers) and their “The 6th Borough” shirts.
Look, Mr. DJ, I get that no one cares about the lyrics, but maybe the refrain of “everything's better when I'm drinking” is not an appropriate choice on a college campus?
The Usual Suspects have arrived for Fordham. I'm flying solo today, though; the husband is off at Seton Hall for the UConn game. I expect this one to be more competitive.
15-4 Fordham end Q1. Manhattan is not shooting well and one of their players spiked the ball out of bounds off her teammate. The band is already razzing them. This is so far less competitive than the UConn game.
That is some glitter on the Manhattan cheerleaders' sweatshirts there. Wow.
24-18 Fordham at half. This has been all kinds of ugly. Bre Cavanaugh is already one rebound away from a double-double. No one with more than four points for Manhattan, but shoutout to Courtney Warley's eight rebounds. (Even if I would like her to maybe not roll-block people.)
On the other hand, Lynette Taitt probably wishes people would stop confusing this with dodgeball. She's already had two people spike the ball off her. And one was her own teammate. That is not how that play works, people.
I forgot how much I like Manhattan's band. The sound system s a little overcranked, because it has to be prepared for when Draddy is in use as a track facility, which is a much larger venue. But the band has a nice jazzy rhythm to them. I think one of those dudes is playing an electric clarinet, and I have no idea how that would even work, but it's fun.
The 6th Borough is arguably putting in a better night's work than the team they're rooting for.
There appear to be two different nets on the baskets. The one closer to Manhattan's bench has a traditional long one, while the one by the visiting bench appears shorter and thicker, making the rim look a little like one of those kiddy baskets.
Manhattan's intro video is interesting. I don't think I've ever seen one completely devoid of highlights.
38-36 Fordham end Q3. The refs are starting to call some of the physical play, but not all of it.
I don't know how accurate this claim is, but Manhattan claims to be the place where the seventh inning stretch was created, so we had a rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” between the third and fourth quarters.
It's final at Draddy, 51-45 Fordham. Game MVP coming up, and if it's not Bre Cavanaugh I will find a hat and eat it. No, I will willingly be seen in the vicinity of the “Make Christmas Great Again” sweatshirt. Fortunately, Bre is our winner.
I like everything about the experience of a game at Manhattan except the home team's playing style. The people are all really nice, the PA guy is on point (every sub properly announced with name and number), the concessions are reasonably priced even if they're minimal, the student section shows up, the band is really good... but watching that team is painful. I thought Vulin was developing something, but her players have regressed since her first couple of years.
Nyala Pendergrass made a cameo in the second half to shoot a little bit, but the bulk of the bench play went to the trio of Lizahya Morgan, Gabby Cajou, and Pamela Miceus. They entered in the first and third quarters as a unit, but were situationally subbed as necessary throughout the game. Cajou is still lightning fast on the break- she had a beauty of a steal that led to a lay-up for the Jaspers. She also had an amazing o-board where she soared over a forward who had a good eight inches on her. But when she was out of the fast break, her decision-making deteriorated. Morgan provided some outside shooting, though she suffered from the same lack of accuracy most of her teammates did. Miceus brought a midrange game, with mixed results. Her form is terrible, and she's a senior, so it's not likely to get better.
If you leave Julie Høier open for five-six seconds, yes, she's going to hit the shot. That's if you give her enough time to get the ball, consider the shot, double pump herself out of it, and then set back up. I try not to make blonde jokes in the blog, but she was doing her best to live up to them. I mean, I guess she sets okay screens? But I'm about 50% certain she's the one who spiked her own teammate. It was either her or the freshman Emily LaPointe, who does have a respectable shot. She needs a lot of work, being a freshman and all, and in a lot of places I'd say she has time to develop. But I haven't seen a lot of development at Manhattan, so I don't know why she would buck the trend. Courtney Warley has a somewhat more respectable midrange game than her bench counterpart, though today it did not extend out to the three-point line as it has done in the past. She was ferocious on the glass and was able to outrun our guards to pinballing rebounds.
Lynette Taitt will drag this team to at least one victory that they in no other way deserve simply because she's that stubborn, that tough, and that physical. She did her damnedest on Bre Cavanaugh, and the fact that I'm complimenting a defensive performance that allowed 21 points should say something about the night Bre was having. They went at each other all night. Game recognize game. I have no idea why Sydney Watkins is starting. I don't know, maybe Manhattan just had a historically bad shooting night and this isn't really them, but about all she was doing out there was shooting threes on offense and attempting to jiggle distractingly on defense.
Manhattan is unafraid to play physical basketball. They drive headfirst, or at least shoulder-first. There were an awful lot of plays where they went low and suddenly there was a Fordham player lying on the floor wondering where the foul was and maybe what the number of that truck was. I applaud their fight, but at some point, they need to learn a little bit of control. And again, I don't see that happening under Vulin.
Zara Jillings's incredible disappearing act continues. I don't know what's going on with her, but I don't think I like it. Katie McLoughlin was first off the bench to shore up the defense slightly and promptly committed a reach-in foul. She did have a nifty putback lay-up off an offensive rebound. Megan Jonassen looks like she's lost a step- she was having trouble keeping up with Manhattan's movement.
One of these days. I know I've said this before, and since this is the first half of only her junior season I'm sure I'll say it again, but one of these days Kendell Heremaia is going to cause me to facepalm myself right into the concussion protocol. I love her hustle, and I love her rebounding, and I love the heart she has to play above her height. But if she takes one more stupid dipsy-do lay-up when going straight up would be enough, or if she keeps missing easy shots right at the basket, I will not be responsible for my actions. I don't like being this harsh or this frustrated with her, but she just goes from extreme to extreme. Kaitlyn Downey did a nice job on the boards, picking up plays that ricocheted out to the elbows. She looked like the physicality of the game was taking a toll on her by the end- that was one of the highest levels I've ever seen her register on the Kraayeveld-Adubato Scale. We really need another post to help take the load off and maybe allow Kene to actually be a guard one of these days. I thought that player was going to be Vilisi Tavui, but she's had a rough start to the season.
In some ways, it's a bad sign that the freshmen guards looked out of sorts against a team as bad as Manhattan. Anna DeWolfe looked hesitant, and that cost us with turnovers on sloppy or telegraphed passes. Her ability to snipe threes from the corner countered LaPointe's shooting and kept Manhattan's runs from being anything more than brief jogs. Sarah Karpell brought the defense, or at least tried to; there was a sequence where she was on Julie Høier, who was doing everything but waving signal flags to tell her teammates she had a height advantage on the play. She was in over her head, but she did her best. Bre Cavanaugh got off to a little bit of a slow start, but once she got the first make, it was like a match to a pile of dry leaves- she lit up Manhattan beyond the arc, in the paint, and on the offensive glass. She pretty much had her way with Manhattan. I'm a little worried about the amount of contact she was taking (Manhattan's approach to defense can sometimes be categorized as "body slam") but she has parents for that and I need to stop fussing.
Officials let most of the contact go in the first half and tightened up on the hand-checking in the second (but still let the heavy contact keep going) If this rivalry weren't on the right side of the line between heated and competitive, we might have had more issues. But the closest thing we had to a problem was very late in the game, when Kaitlyn Downey accidentally nailed Julie Høier in the face with an elbow on a loose ball scrum. That was reviewed for a hostile act, but the review was very short and nothing came of it.
Manhattan hosted an autograph session after the game, and disorganized doesn't even begin to describe it. The poster is fantastic- a great design printed on thick glossy stock- and the squad even had the metallic Sharpies to sign it. But they needed at least one more table to fit everyone, and there was no sense of order. Imagine me hovering nervously and shyly around the fringes, trying to figure out where to start and where the line is, only to realize there is no line. (And of course, with my Fordham scarf shoved in my coat and my coat zipped all the way up.) It was awkward.
Fordham brought a small student section! Or possibly some of the guys from the band, I don't know. But they were seated in the other endcourt section, across from the 6th Borough, and two of them would fence with drumsticks while Manhattan was shooting free throws. I cannot personally condone disconcerting the home team on the line, but I can appreciate their efforts. Apparently security almost freaked out when one of them successfully got through the other one's guard and poked him in the chest. Lot of mutual respect between them and the Manhattan band after the game.
The trip was chaos and the execution was terrible, but I'm still glad I went. It's good to see Bre looking like Bre again.
Friday, December 13, 2019
December 5th, 2019: Fordham at Manhattan
December 8th, 2019: Seton Hall at Iona
Just the Facts, Ma'am: Seton Hall came out of the gate strong and never looked back in an 89-37 pounding of Iona. Desiree Elmore had 17 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Pirates. Shyan Mwai had 13 to lead the Gaels.
For redecorating, reorienting, reordering, revisiting, and wrecking, join your intrepid and alliterative blogger after the jump.
We're back in the saddle again, apparently determined to take every train in the Bronx at some point this year. Seton Hall visits Iona, and that's a game I wouldn't miss for the world. As the song lyric goes, "we have history, or don't you remember?" That's where we got entangled in this ever-more-complex network of friendships and loyalties, back when Tony Bozzella coached the Gaels and Lauren DeFalco and Marissa Flagg were among his point guards. And that's where we finally gave up one of our core teams, when Alexis Lewis and her classmate Treyanna Clay transferred out and loyalty no longer compelled us to follow a coach we didn't respect.
Rumor has it there will be a slew of alumnae in attendance. I'm looking forward to some high-quality people-watching.
"Oh, you've redecorated," the "I don't like it" edition: Iona has added fancy new modern academic buildings without considering the aesthetic of the existing campus, and it looks like someone with no imagination was playing with Legos in the middle of a Christmas village.
"Oh, you've redecorated," the "I love it!" edition: the Hynes Athletic Center has gotten quite the makeover, with a change in orientation, new bleachers, fancy new seats, shiny new scoreboards, and a maroon paint job so fresh I can still smell it. Having but a single entrance for public use, and having that entrance lead directly behind the field of play (to the point where I was stepping around the mop) seems like a bad idea. It's a good thing we get in early. I can't imagine what that's going to look like ten minutes before game time.
There is a woman in the Seton Hall section with a purse made from a Spaulding basketball, and I mentally went full Gollum. We wants it, we wants the preciousssssss.
Iona's band is prepared for war. They have a piper. Yes. Someone just rolled up with a set of bagpipes. And they didn't even play the pipes.
Another member of the Iona-Seton Hall blended family, Aleesha Powell, is currently socializing behind the Pirates' bench.
Today I learned that platinum blonde dye jobs run in families! That is... wow, that's bright. If we stick her behind the basket, we might be able to distract Iona at the line. (I fully expect to be closer to the "Damika's Aunt Helen" end of the scale than the "polite visiting fan" end of the scale today.)
It's 39-17 Seton Hall at halftime, and I still demand more. Officials are letting a lot of contact go, and from the chirping, this is not a good plan, especially when they're calling cheap hand-check fouls. (Lauren Park-Lane is probably especially salty about her third, given that Iona traveled three steps with the ball before she made contact.) Shyan Mwai is the Iona offense, with 13 of their 17 points. Desiree Elmore has 12 for Seton Hall.
I know there are other alumnae here, but I don't recognize them. It's been a long time. And yet being in this building is enough to stir memories of "Let's go Gaels" and "I-O-N-A!" and "go, fight, win".
Not gonna lie, watching Selena Philoxy get her groove thang on to every piece of music she hears, even during timeouts, is a joy and a delight. Even if she probably should be focusing more on the content of the timeout meeting. And I'm also not sure what the protocols are around dancing to the other school's fight song.
That went about how I was expecting, except for our inability to hit free throws and maybe Iona's inability to shoot anything except their own feet. If you can't hit shots, hit the other team.
(New York subway justice: the dude blasting music from his speaker yelling at the dude with the cigarette.)
I shouldn't really be surprised that Jodi-Marie Ramil has fallen as far down the bench as she has. Her hands aren't great, and she missed multiple point-blank shots right at the rim. She slapped the taste out of a couple of weak shots right at the basket. But those shots came from players at the end of the bench, and something tells me most players are going to come at her stronger. De'jah Williams is a bruiser, and admittedly a good first impression is not attempting to put one of my players in a reverse chokehold. She has potential, or at least she would have potential if I thought she had a coach who would help her shore up her weaknesses. She's short for a post, but she's tough. Gabrielle Joseph's communication skills, especially for a sophomore, impressed me; she was out there relaying signals and calling out screens (I think it was her calling out a screen that got the refs to notice Selena Philoxy's screen was not as good as it should have been, resulting in an offensive foul). I'd like for her to pick on someone her own size, though; she put a couple of hits on Lauren Park-Lane that did not please me.
Lucia Becerra Perez popped off the bench and gave the Gaels good minutes at guard- she actually started the second half over Paulla Weekes. If she had better footwork, she'd be a good point guard. But she traveled, and she was careless with the ball. These are habits that can be broken, one presumes. Monica Barefield had a couple of good open looks from the left wing for three very late in the game, when Seton Hall was mostly just trying to avoid fouling. Again, I'm surprised she's slid as far down the rotation as she has, but then again, Billi Chambers's coaching decisions are best epitomized by the shrug emoji.
Juana Camilión has got to stop traveling. She got called for the extra step again and again, and there were at least as many times when she didn't get called for it. If she had a better grasp of the fundamentals, she'd be a star. But she doesn't, so she produces more turnovers than an average bakery instead. Shyan Mwai was the only bright spot for the Gaels in the first half, hitting threes and getting inside for lay-ups. We did a better job on her in the second half, but she also went the bad kind of wild when she had open looks and sent them everywhere but the bottom of the basket.
Tori Lesko is not the player she once was, and it's kind of sad to see. As one of the only players to make it through all four years with Billi Chambers, it seems like she deserves better But the knee injury has robbed her of whatever speed she once possessed, and she either couldn't or wouldn't shoot against our defense. I mean, we did match up well at her position, but still. You genuinely do hate to see it. Morgan Rachu did a good job on the boards, though some of it was as much hockey-style boarding as it was basketball-style boarding. She's not afraid to throw her body around. Her three-point shot was not going down, although her form is decent. Her choice in number pretty much forced that, I'd say. (Yes, I am still annoyed that anyone is wearing #14 for Iona. It's not like Damika Martinez finished among the top scorers in D-I history, after all. It's not like she owns pretty much every record in Iona history and MAAC history OH WAIT.) Paulla Weekes exists. She went out of the game pretty quickly, and I'm not sure she even played in the second half. If you want more than that, play more.
Today I learned that Jocelyn Jones is in fact playing this year for Seton Hall, as she checked in late in garbage time. My understanding is that she was injured, and she looked like a player trying to get herself back into playing shape. That's a whole lot of woman. Whitney Howell came in at the same time, and couldn't quite catch the high pass from McKenna Hofschild. Kailah Harris got some good boards down low. I like her and her stylish goggles. I don't know if the goggles do anything or not, but they look cool. Selena Philoxy brought her usual physicality and multiple moments of "WHAT ARE YOU DOING WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS". Alexia Allesch got a couple of good looks right at the basket and took advantage of them. I know she likes to take threes, but she really seems to have found a niche in the post, and I hope she becomes more willing to use it next year.
McKenna Hofschild ran a fair amount of point guard in the second half, and made it clear that she was looking to pass first and foremost. She showed off some fancy no-look stuff. Undersized with a penchant for showmanship? I can't imagine how she ended up at Seton Hall. Jasmine Smith shot a lot of threes. She shot a lot of them in the fourth quarter, which I don't think was Coach Bozzella's game plan. He did not look happy about the number of shots she took early in the shot clock, in any case. My Jackson got some good run early, which gave us the luxury of testing out the guards further back in the rotation in the second half. Victoria Keenan was the one everyone on the bench was rooting for, and when the first corner three went in, the regulars went a little nuts.
Lauren Park-Lane got into foul trouble in the second quarter on cheap reach-in fouls, and then the fourth foul in the third quarter got her extremely upset because it was a very cheap call that could have been a no-call or even an out-of-bounds on Iona. She didn't get a chance to prove much, but she doesn't have a lot to prove. Barbara Johnson was just about the only Pirate who had trouble shooting from the field- for whatever reason, even her open looks weren't going down.
Desiree Elmore started the game like a house on fire- in fact, looking back now, thanks to my color-coded score card, her eight points were more than Iona managed as a team for the first quarter. She got putbacks, she hit from the midrange, she drove and scored. Des is the queen of stealing the spotlight, and I mean that as a compliment. Put Shadeen Samuels on the watch lists? Des will put up the big numbers. Homecoming for the Iona exes? Des will steal the show. I don't know if she has a pro game, or if she's going to be stuck in tweener limbo. But she's been so much fun to watch for Seton Hall. Alexis Lewis was definitely too amped for this game in the early going- when she missed, she missed hard and she missed long. She made up for it on the offensive glass and with blocked shots. I recall one sequence where she got the block, the board, and a fantastic save, or something to that effect, and yelling, "Don't you wish you had someone like that? OH WAIT" at the Iona bench. Me? Petty? Whatever gave you that idea? Shadeen Samuels looks like she's still getting back into game shape- once or twice it looked like she wasn't getting as far up as she usually does- but you know, I don't think the kid from Ossining was going to miss the game in Westchester County. Pretty sure there's a bus you can take for that kind of thing. (My great Westchester bus adventure, which had a crucial transfer in Ossining, connected through White Plains, but I think there's an alternate route through New Rochelle.) She did an especially good job reading offensive rebounds.
Adventures with intros! Credit where credit is due, Iona gave a warm welcome back to the two alumnae and former coach on the Seton Hall bench, and gave Lexi Lewis pride of place at the end of intros... which no one seemed to realize, because they announced Des and Lexi came out. Mildly awkward, but I don't think it was intentional.
Iona seems to get frustrated easily, and when they get frustrated, the shoulders go out and the feet slip out a little bit. The discipline is lacking, and that starts at the top. It really seemed like Seton Hall's bench was pushing harder than they had to in the fourth quarter, and I'm reminded of something Geno Auriemma once wrote about the end of the bench in blowouts. I'm doing a lot of paraphrasing here, but basically, he intimated that in a game where the margin needs to be managed, it might be better to have your starters in, because the reserves are out there trying to prove themselves and thus aren't going to let up on the gas, even when they're up obscene amounts.
Officiating was so-so. I thought they let a lot of things go that could have gotten ugly, with the elbows and the shoulders. I suspect Lauren Park-Lane agrees with this assessment.
I'm disappointed in what Iona's become. There's potential there- Chambers does seem to be able to recruit. But she can't retain and she can't coach.
Sunday, November 10, 2019
November 9th, 2019: Fairfield at Seton Hall
Just the Facts, Ma'am: Seton Hall withstood a midgame run from Fairfield and reestablished control in the second half to run away with a 74-44 win. Desiree Elmore led the Pirates with 18 points and 14 rebounds, one of five Seton Hall players to score in double figures. Katie Armstrong and Rachel Hakes each had nine points to lead the Stags.
For all the trains, taking small ball to extremes, saying hello to old friends, fighting for the blue and white, and the hope of the future, join your intrepid and restless blogger after the jump.
Good morning! Okay, I'm lying, it's never a good morning when I have to set the alarm on a weekend. Okay, I'm also lying; it's always a good morning when there's basketball, even when it takes three hours to get out to Seton Hall for a morning tip. I am not a morning person. I'm not sure how the Hall is managing, although we suspect highly caffeinated drinks are involved somehow.
We come to you starting at the end of the first quarter, where Seton Hall leads Fairfield 24-9. Desiree Elmore has gotten off to a hot stat for the Pirates, with buckets and good passing. Katie Armstrong for the Stags seems to like the glass.
Fairfield seems to have traveled a decent amount of family.
Beautiful anthem to start the game.
(Part of) why Selena Philoxy is my favorite Pirate: her energy and enthusiasm in the pregame. Which is to say, she has better dance moves than some of the Saphs.
The importance of passing on traditions to the next generation: watching one of the assistants teach Mya Jackson the choreography to “Pirates of the Caribbean”.
33-21 Seton Hall at halftime, so if you're doing the math at home, that means Fairfield won the second quarter. I can't imagine Coach Bozzella is happy with this. This game may well be decided by the reserves; Shadeen Samuels has three fouls for the Hall and both Lou Lopez-Senechal and Katie Armstrong have three fouls for the Stags. (The third came on an offensive foul where she acted very indignant about the audacity of the officials for calling her hitting Shadeen in the face. DO NOT HIT SHADEEN IN THE FACE.)
There was a teddy bear toss at halftime. It was exactly as cute as you imagined it. Kiabear has found a new home.
We're good at getting out of trouble- finding shots when the dribble has been picked up, scrambling for loose balls, recovering errant passes. The problem is that we're awfully good at getting into trouble in the first place. Fairfield is starting to exploit that, and using Molly Bauer's height to take advantage of our lack thereof. In that regard, the big guns' foul trouble might be a blessing in disguise for the Stags.
(Wait, shouldn't they be the Does? Because aren't Stags male? If you're going to use gendered names, go all the way.)
I forgot just how hard these bleachers are. Ow.
57-37 SHU at the end of the third quarter, which is somewhat of a relief. The quarter break shooting contest is actually pretty neat- instead of dress-and-dribble, this time it was “stand behind the prize and win it if you hit the shot”. So you still get the gear but you get to choose and have more chances.
I don't understand why we're throwing passes over Lauren Park-Lane's head. It's not like we're particularly used to having tall guards. For some reason- I can't quite put my finger on it- Tony has a thing for small guards.
Fairfield is not a particularly talented team, from what I saw of this game. But they're well coached and know how to exploit weaknesses. Team comes at them with small posts? Run screens with your big combo forwards to create brutal mismatches and use your taller reserves. Clog the paint to take away drives. That kind of thing.
Andrea Hernangomez has rather more confidence in her shot than I would in her shoes, based on today's game. I thought she might have done better getting closer to the basket than she did cranking threes. Mackenzie Martin saw time in the fourth quarter- her teammates were very excited when she got a layup near the end of the game. I wasn't sure why her face was so flushed, but it was startling, to say the least. Eden Nibbelink got the short end of the stick on at least one call, where it looked like she took a hit to the face and ended up having the foul called on her. She seemed inoffensive out there.
Molly Bauer was a game-changer, and I suspect that's why she started the second half in place of Callie Cavanaugh. She took a couple of possessions to find her footing, but once she did, she hit the glass and freed up Fairfield's offense. I know it doesn't show up in the stat sheet, but she had a major impact on the game when Fairfield made their run. Ciara Bracken's shot releases pretty quickly, but I'm not sure about her range. It seemed like she was taking shots she couldn't hit.
Callie Cavanaugh showed a propensity for taking perimeter shots and admiring them. They were not worth the admiration. She was more successful when she got closer to the basket, and when she was not committing push-off fouls against smaller defenders. (Seriously, guys. How did Lauren end up stuck on her?) She was the player who came off the bench in the second half when Bauer moved into the starting lineup. Katie Armstrong's fondness for the glass extended throughout the game and throughout her entire shooting range- she seemed to be trying to use it both on her drives and her jumpers. I did not like her tendency to extend the forearm, nor did I appreciate her protestations of innocence when the refs caught her. For a senior, she didn't demonstrate a good ability to play through foul trouble. Lou Lopez-Senechal got into foul trouble very early on, and I think it threw her off her rhythm. She never seemed to get going. She did face some defensive pressure, but I don't think that was as much of a factor.
Around the second elbow Rachel Hakes threw, I decided I didn't like her. Her driving ability is good, and she had good hands on defense, but either she's careless or she's dirty, and I don't have to like either of those things. Sam Kramer took threes and missed threes. She had some very nice steals, though. She played hard on the ball.
I don't think this is the best team Fairfield's ever had, but I'd say they'll beat at least two teams they have no right on paper to beat, just from execution and game-planning. The runs in the second and third quarter demonstrated that, when the Stags had the deficit down to single digits.
Everyone wearing blue in the building wanted Victoria Keenan to hit that three near the end of the game, and it was a good look. Alexia Allesch, to my surprise, came up with a resounding block in her brief time at the end of the game. If she's decided to use her height this year, I'm intrigued. (My impression of her from the scouting report was that she was one of those tall players who likes to park on the perimeter. They're more common these days, and I know it's an important change in the game, but like many things in this life, that doesn't mean I have to like it.) Kailah Harris's goggles are at least interesting, even if she doesn't seem to be ready for rotation minutes just yet.
Selena Philoxy brings a lot of energy to the floor. I know that's a cliché, but Selena has done the impossible and made Tony Bozzella no longer the most animated person on his own team. When that kind of energy is successful, she's grabbing or causing rebounds for her team and making defensive stops. When it isn't successful, she racks up fouls like they were on sale and ends up taking the ball out of bounds. She's frenetic, and sometimes she's frustrating, but she's still my current fave. Mya Jackson found her shooting touch in the second half, swishing threes with the greatest of ease. Freshman fouls were a theme in this game, and she was guilty of a couple of those. She'll learn, though. I think. Jasmine Smith, on the other hand, is a junior college transfer from a notable program. I expect her not to be committing blatant touch fouls. It seemed like she got going more in the second half too, but I'm not sure if that was a function of minute allocation, Fairfield's defense starting to suffer, or her making adjustments. More study will be required.
I have very much missed cheering Alexis Lewis's three-point shots and tough rebounding. I didn't miss watching her line up at the four against much more physical players. I certainly think having her line up at five on defense is an even terribler idea. It is, in fact, such a terrible idea that it breaks the laws of grammar. We'll get into the particulars of the undersized lineup later. Shadeen Samuels picked up three fouls in the first half, which was sort of a blessing because it reduced her minute load. (I'm still not sure about that charge.) Her shots were not going down in this game, and I don't know if it was a problem with her mechanics or Fairfield's defense or just dumb luck. Sometimes the ball be that way. Desiree Elmore started the game on fire and kept it up pretty much throughout. Her midrange game was a thing of beauty, and she brought a combination of force and finesse to the three that Fairfield really couldn't counter unless they were just throwing bodies at her.
I was not enthused with Barbara Johnson's shot selection, or the quantity thereof. It seemed like she was taking a lot of stupid threes, but the box score is telling me otherwise. I'm not sure what to make of that. Maybe she just had a bad game. I think I need to see more of her to get a better handle on who she is as a player. I love how Lauren Park-Lane handles herself on the floor. There are certain names you don't bandy about lightly as comparisons at Seton Hall, and she definitely has to be more of a scoring threat before we can really have this conversation, but yes, I'm going to say it: she does remind me of Didi Simmons. For a more down-to-earth but probably also more contentious comparison, she also reminds me of Aaliyah Lewis from St. John's. She doesn't quite have the full air of command yet, but she's also a freshman, and she's most of the way there. I need her to not commit stupid fouls on three-point shots that have already been released, and I'm going to need her shooting to be better. Those are things that can be fixed, and fortuitously, Didi herself is on our bench these days. If anyone can unlock that sort of potential in Lauren, it would be her.
So, the undersized lineup. We have height. It's just on the bench for various and sundry reasons. Femi Funeus is still recovering from her season-ending injury last year and was in sweats. Whitney Howell was inconsistent as all getout last year and was a DNP-CD in this game. Kailah Harris saw only garbage time and needs time to adjust to the college game. Selena Philoxy is way too foul-prone to be a starter. So we end up running a front line of 5-10/5-10/6-0, and anyone with size is going to take advantage of that. I don't have an issue with Shadeen taking the opening tip. I do have an issue with either her or Lexi guarding the other team's center. If we're gambling on Femi being ready to hit the ground running, that's a heck of a gamble. I'd rather see improvement come from our other posts. The bigs need to get their act together, or Coach Bozzella needs to trust them to play through their mistakes in non-conference games against lower-level opponents. If it means only beating Fairfield by 20 instead of 30, so be it.
Officiating was mostly inoffensive. They called most of the elbows and only really inserted themselves into the action in the third quarter with a flurry of touch fouls and the occasional strict travel. I thought we got away with some stuff; I thought Fairfield got away with slightly less stuff.
I don't know if Whitney Howell grabbed the "Morning Madness" shirt by accident or as commentary on the 11AM tip time, but I feel you, Whit. I feel you. So do the circles under my eyes.
It sounded like cheer was working in some new chants. I don't like them. If you want the crowd to get involved, you have to keep them simple and easy to follow. (On the other hand, don't be Fordham and just not bother.)
There are a couple of pieces missing to this Pirate puzzle. We'll have to see how it all comes together as the season progresses.
Friday, December 21, 2018
December 21st, 2018: Fordham at Iona
Just the Facts, Ma'am: A slow first quarter for both teams led into a second-quarter run for Fordham, and the Rams didn't look back in their 57-40 win over Iona. Bre Cavanaugh had 15 points and 12 rebounds to lead Fordham. Shyan Mwai and Morgan Rachu each had eight points to pace the Gaels.
For road tripping, avoided puns, procedural turnovers, discount Diet Coke, and being distracted by shiny objects, join your intrepid blogger after the jump.
I'd say good morning to y'all, but it's extremely not a good morning out there. There are no frozen cats, and nothing's been snapped off, but there are flash flood warnings all through southern New York, so I'd say it's still a wonderful day to play inside. It's up to Iona in enemy colors again, as the Gaels host a ridiculously early tip against Fordham. As you might expect, there are about two dozen people in the stands, and that's if I count gameday staff.
Ashley Martin, I admire and respect you, but what in the world have you done to your hair, and why are you trying to look like a cross between Sailor Moon and Betty Boop? (On the other hand, Halei Gillis's partial braids look really good on her. The 'do softens her face a bit.)
Ralene's out of the boot, at least, though she does not appear to be dressing out today.
The one thing I miss most about being on good terms with Iona is the wi-fi password, not gonna lie. At least I can tap into the Spectrum network from here.
This is your perennial reminder that #14 should be retired on the women's side at Iona, and Billi Chambers can go straight to sod off until such time as it happens.
I don't applaud recorded anthems, please don't side-eye me.
I should probably learn the name of the DOBO/PR lady for Fordham. She's lovely and she brought chocolate and pom-poms. What's not to like?
This is your perennial reminder that Monica Barefield, Ashley Martin, and any other player who chooses to kneel for the anthem has my unconditional support of their right to freedom of speech and expression.
At halftime, it's 29-18 Fordham, after a rough start for the Rams and a strong start for Iona. Bre Cavanaugh has put on her metaphorical cape, with nine points and six boards in the first half, most of that coming in the second quarter. Juana Camilión is the real deal for Iona, with seven points to lead the Gaels. She had a scary moment early in the first, when she slid hard on a wet patch on the floor and limped off. She came back in, but Iona's offense lost a lot of explosiveness when she was out, and didn't get it back when she returned. They're falling back on their volume shooters, Rachu and Mwai, and it's not going well. On the other hand, they're getting good penetration against our defense.
Quite a few folks have made their way here to support the Rams, but it seems to be a social occasion more than a sporting occasion. There's a dude a couple of rows behind me who's giving good commentary on the game, though; I think he's a youth coach. Katie McLoughlin has an especially big contingent on hand, one that got very excited when she got some first half run.
And now the wi-fi is acting up. Stop that, Iona.
So that turned out rather more satisfying than I expected, which is good, since it is raining and I am not the world's biggest fan of slogging around in the rain. Live by the three, die by the three, and some of our dubious three-point shots could have killed us against better teams. But we survived to tell the tale.
With about two minutes left in the game, Coach Chambers blinked first and sent in her deep reserves, at which point Coach Gaitley arranged a line change. I am not happy with how long it took her to sub out Bre and Lauren Holden. She's going to run those two into the ground if she's not careful. Waiting for the other coach to capitulate may be emotionally satisfying, but if you're up 15 with three or four minutes to go, it's probably okay to take out your workhorses, especially against bad teams or teams that tend to lash out in losses. I realize this is never going to change, but I'm going to rail against it anyway on the off chance that it does.
Anyway. I can't remember the last time I saw a bench this hyped for free throws, but the squad was loving Vilisi Tavui getting to the line (shame the shot didn't go in- that was a really nice pass from Halei). Some good hustle plays from Halei and from Catherine Polisano, even if Catherine got called for a foul on it. Lauren Murphy's free throw motion is not good, and she probably needs to work on that if she's going to move up in the rotation at any point.
Katie McLoughlin needs to extend her range just a hair- that long two could have been a three with another step or two back. I like her hustle, and she's got potential, but there are a lot of things she needs to work on. I'm glad Coach Gaitley is showing a little confidence in her, though. We could use a little more depth on the bench. Zara Jillings continues to bring the hustle- there was one play where Iona was loosey-goosey with the ball, and she was on it like a hawk. I wish she could have hit the looks she got, because they were good looks, if a little too quick. Megan Jonassen continues to develop. I really like how she's coming along. She's physical inside, and she had one little baby hook in the second half that got a few whoops from the crowd.
I also like how Kaitlyn Downey is coming along. She's finishing better on the inside, while still retaining the ability to step outside and hit the three. I think she was missing that balance early in the season. She's boxing out well, too. Mary Goulding is unreal sometimes. How she went from hands and knees crying with pain to back in the game and hitting in the paint, I don't know. She's ridiculously tough. She wasn't afraid to get into the scrum for rebounds, and there were times, especially in the second half, that scrum was the only applicable word.
I love how Kendell Heremaia's passing game has developed. I'm sorry it's coming at the expense of her once-sharp defensive game, but all things in life require sacrifices. She spent a lot of the game in foul trouble (the possession after she picked up her fourth, I was on pins and needles because we hadn't gotten the sub up in time, but then we forced the turnover and Lesko fouled to stop play) that hampered her effectiveness. Lauren Holden spent a good chunk of the game looking frustrated at foul calls both made and not made, or possibly at threes that weren't going down. I can understand some of her frustration, though; there should never be a sequence where Lauren is attempting to box out a player close to a foot taller than she is, and she got stuck with Gabrielle Joseph on a couple of sequences. This is not a good plan. Bre Cavanaugh continues to do Bre things. Her timing on the glass was exceptional, though, really, those are boards her posts should be getting instead of getting out of the way for her. (I don't necessarily mind Bre the double-double machine, but I am equally okay with Bre getting seven or eight boards if the balance of them go to Mary or Kaitlyn.) She killed Iona with her hesitation moves and quick hands. I just wish she didn't have to carry so much of the load.
I'm bummed for Amelia Motz. I don't think she's been recruited over, though I admit my bias here, but she seems to have been relegated to the end of the bench, only coming in at the end of each half for mop-up duty. She seems like a nice kid. She deserves better. I don’t know if Ashley Martin deserves better in basketball terms, but IMO she does in personal terms. Run! You can almost certainly do better!
I don't know if Monica Barefield has more than one speed or not, but the one speed she does have is fast. Very fast. She's got good, if inconsistent, shooting range. But her size is a liability, and it gets her in trouble as much as it keeps her out of trouble. She's the closest thing to a point guard that Iona has right now, and that's part of their problem. Shayla Middlebrooks drove hard into the lane. She got a little too fancy with her finishes and probably could have added another bucket to her tally if not for the flourish. She's physical, and I don't know if she's always on the right side of that line, but she does better than some of her teammates at trying to be. Jodi-Marie Ramil, on the other hand, is not so good at staying on the right side of the line, and admittedly, some of my thoughts about her play are ill-suited to a G-rated (or possibly PG?) blog such as this. Granted, Bre's teammates should have called out the screen, but it was an awfully hard screen. I don't know if Iona just wasn't going to her, or if we were able to shut her down when we weren't shutting down their guard penetration, but she could have been much more of a factor for them than she was, and I'm happy about that, believe me.
There are two different ways that Morgan Rachu's last name is pronounced in an alternate universe, both leading to the Pokémon Go joke that electric types are boosted in rainy weather. Unfortunately, in this universe, it's pronounced like a threat you make to a pile of leaves (rake-you) and I look like even more of a giant dork than I already am. She's got size, but her shot is just a mess. She's way too streaky, and when she's not on from beyond the arc, she doesn't seem to be able to contribute in other ways. Shyan Mwai penetrated well but couldn't always finish at the rim. Juana Camilión shows a lot of potential that I don't think she'll be able to fulfill at Iona. She's got a really nice crossover that she used to make space for herself, but she didn't always take advantage of that space. She'll have to be more aggressive in that regard going forward.
Gabrielle Joseph is another player with potential, but she's too tentative at times. Granted, she was being sealed off pretty well for stretches, but on the other hand, any post player worth her salt should be able to take advantage of a mismatch against Lauren Holden. She's also got to do a better job of getting out of the paint- she was getting for three-second calls, though she certainly wasn't the only Gael who lost track of time in the lane. There's potential there, but I don't know if she's ready for the starting position she so far has. Tori Lesko spent a lot of time playing out of position as the closest thing to a point guard in the Gaels' starting lineup. No one really seemed comfortable with the responsibility of bringing the ball up the floor, so it fell to her, and she took the bullet, for lack of a better word. She took charges, or at least attempted to, although sometimes I thought she crossed the line into flopping. She does that; she's done that for as long as I can remember. She took a couple of hard tumbles, including one near the end of the game that Coach Gaitley had to help her up from.
(As an aside: dear fellow Fordham backers, if you're talking about stepping on someone's fingers, you better either be talking about something I didn't see. That's not something you joke about a coach doing to a player. Seriously. Dudes. No. Miss me with that nonsense.)
Iona needs to shore up a lot of their fundamentals. They committed a lot of unforced turnovers like travels and three-second violations. Either they've got to react faster or they need drills on clock and spatial awareness.
Refs were letting a lot of physical contact go, but I can't fault their attention to detail on procedural calls. (Losing track of the foul count, on the other hand...)
Everyone's flaws were on display in this game, and something's going to have to give for Fordham, or it's going to be a very long A-10 season, at the end of which Bre will fall over.
Wednesday, December 5, 2018
December 2nd, 2018: Manhattan at Fordham
Just the Facts, Ma'am: Fordham came out on top of a hotly contested Battle of the Bronx, 65-61. Bre Cavanaugh was game MVP with 27 points and 11 rebounds. Lynette Taitt came off the bench to lead Manhattan with 15 points.
For overwork, rivalries, an inability to can or even, and a slow pace, join your intrepid blogger after the jump.
No thanks to the MTA, we have arrived at Fordham for the 50th Battle of the Bronx, as the Rams play host to the Jaspers of Manhattan College. (No, seriously, guys, sitting in Flushing for ten minutes is not my idea of a good time.)
Misspelling my last name on the pass list, I can understand. My handwriting is awful, and it can be misinterpreted. Misspelling Manhattan as "Manhatten" is either some kind of historical shoutout, a potshot at their in-borough rival, or a sign that someone in the ticket office really loves St. John's.
The band is elsewhere, whether previously engaged or on vacation, so there's a local high school (?) drum corps with associated steppers in their place. Curiously, they're performing on the other side of the basket from where the drum platform is set up, though I can easily imagine Coach Gaitley not wanting a wall of noise directly next to her bench during timeouts.
No band, so recorded anthem. I don't applaud recordings.
It's tied at halftime, 35-all. Fordham's interior defense has been a hot mess, with Manhattan taking full advantage of their forwards' height and Gabby Cajou's fearlessness. Bre Cavanaugh has briefly gone into "I have had it with this nonsense" mode, but it faded out.
That awkward moment when the dance group performing at halftime forget that they're doing two numbers.
I'd say we're a little shorthanded today, with Ralene Kwiatkowski in a walking boot, but she seems to have fallen down the rotation.
Don't get me wrong, I'm very glad we won. Winning rivalry games is important. And we showed some grit at the end. But Bre Cavanaugh can't do it alone, and she shouldn't have to, and she shouldn't try to, and she shouldn't expect to.
Coach Vulin used Pamela Miceus very situationally, to use her height. Her teammates seemed really hyped when she drove the lane for her bucket. Kania Pollack provided a little relief at the point to end the first quarter and start the second, while Lizahya Morgan got that assignment in the second half.
There are people I do not want to mess with in the course of a basketball game, and one of them is Lynette Taitt. It's not that I'm intimidated by her, it's that she has an indomitable will to win and can put the team on her back as necessary. She had both the driving game and the midrange game working. Sini Mäkelä came in for her offense and hit her jumpers. Julie Høier threw some screens, some of them a little more physical than I would have liked, and slipped back door for easy lay-ups. She had a height advantage and pressed it relentlessly. I can't be mad. Well, I can be, but it would be counterproductive.
D'yona Davis was not ready for this game, and she got pulled in the first half so quickly that I thought the previously announced starting lineup was incorrect. This happens sometimes with freshmen. Gabby Cajou brought good speed to the floor- she played a big part in neutralizing Lauren Holden. She did play out of control sometimes, and her footwork cost Manhattan at least one turnover.
Courtney Warley is a physical presence underneath, and I think Manhattan needs her do stick to that role for them to be successful. I know she has an outside shot, because I've seen it in effect, but she's not consistent enough with it for that to be a big part of her game. She's still got time to develop consistency in her stroke. Candela Abejón was strong and determined defensively. She positioned herself well on the inside. Tuuli Menna finished well inside and took advantage of mismatches.
Can we not with the elbows, please?
I like Halei Gillis's defense off the bench, but she's still suspect on offense. Kaitlyn Downey hit a three and I thought she had finally found her stride, but then her next shot missed badly and I remembered why she drives me nuts. Megan Jonasson seemed to find her groove as the game went on, and her putback late in the game was the deciding bucket. She still needs to work on getting into defensive position and staying there, but I have faith in that happening.
I really need Mary Goulding to finish more consistently at the rim. That would be great. I like what she gives us on defense, but because of our lack of size, she can't afford to get into foul trouble. She's got to be aware of that. Also, I cannot even with the Zara Jillings-at-the-four lineup. I can't even. I don't have the capacity for even. She's got great hustle and great defensive tenacity, but she doesn't have the height, she doesn't have the size, she doesn't have the reach, and she doesn't have the ups to handle taller players. She's a three at best. And in turn, Kendell Heremaia is a two at best. Both of them are being forced to play out of position, and it's hurting their game, and it's hurting Fordham's game.
I like how Lauren Holden is running the offense, for the most part, though I could do with fewer of the long threes. Still, I keep feeling like I should be seeing more from her, somehow. I understand that Coach Gaitley's system encourages a very slow pace of play, but I'm also inclined to believe that she's bought a little too much into it. She and Bre can be a high-octane offense if they're allowed to be, but I don't think they're currently being allowed to be, and for the most part, I don't think they're allowing themselves to take advantage of speed opportunities. And we're asking way too much of Bre Cavanaugh. She seems to be the only person on the team who's' able, or willing, to at least try to create offense for herself. It's wearing her down; in the fourth quarter, she was visibly exhausted, and I think she might have pulled her jersey once. We shouldn't have had to ask this much of Bre, or of Lauren, against Manhattan, rivalries be damned. If this is what a mediocre MAAC team does to us, what are we going to look like in A-10 season? I don' tthink I like the answer, and the only reason I might is because the A-10 has been a mess in the non-conference season.
This team can be very fun, but very frustrating. If we don't get our defense together in a hurry, it's going to be a lot more frustrating than fun.
Sunday, November 18, 2018
November 17th, 2018: LIU at Saint Peter's
Just the Facts, Ma'am: Saint Peter's started off strong and stayed well out in front of LIU in their 86-59 win. Zoe Pero had 19 points and 10 rebounds, leading five Peacocks in double digits. Kiara Bell had a team-high 16 points off the bench for LIU, with Brandy Thomas adding 13 points and 14 rebounds.
For freshmen, getting turned around, insistent terminology, epic fails, dodgeball, and a lack of experience, join your intrepid and perturbed blogger after the jump.
Road trip! It's not a very exotic road trip, but it's a road trip nevertheless, to the wilds, or at least the unfamiliars, of Jersey City, to cheer on LIU at Saint Peter's.
It's astonishing what better lighting and better bleacher placement can do to make a multi-use gym actually look like a place where basketball should be happening. Saint Peter's doesn't look like they have a terrible facility anymore. It looks bare-bones and minimalist, to be sure, but it doesn't look like unmitigated crap like St. Francis's gym does.
Just for the record, I still maintain that Saint Peter's should have kept Peahens for their women's teams, and I will continue to maintain this throughout any game notes that feature Saint Peter's. Also just for the record, the school seems to eschew the St. abbreviation for Saint, so I'll be doing my best to use their preferred style.
If this dude uses "ladies and gentlemen" to preface one more segment of the pregame announcements, I may blow a gasket.
There are a lot of people here in LIU gear. I know we have a few kids from Jersey, but on the other hand, almost everyone for Saint Peter's is from Jersey, so...?
I do like the pattern adidas is using for the background of the shooting shirts. Can't tell from here if it's tribal or feathers or camo or random, but it's cool. The shirts and the shorts don't quite match, though.
Tia Montagne is in a walking boot. I'm sad.
It should be taken for granted that I love the royal purple of Coach Del Preore's dress. Or maybe it shouldn't. I was about to say, "have you people met me?" but then I remembered most of you probably haven't, and given that my teams wear various shades of red, blue, maroon, black, and maize, you would have no idea that I gravitate towards purple like fouls gravitate towards post players.
Well. This is going about as well as I could have expected. It's 42-17 Saint Peter's at halftime, and frankly, it could even be worse. We are not good at basketball. Maybe this is a thing that will change at some point? It doesn't help that we have very, very little experience coming back, and a good part of it is already injured. I'm convinced Autumn Ashe is a figment of our collective imagination. Coach has already undone and redone her ponytail multiple times. For Saint Peter's, Briyanah Richardson has been a revelation, and she and D'Aviyon Magazine will be a heck of a one-two punch for the Peacocks for quite some time.
There are hairdos I have come to expect from cheerleaders, and lavender buzzcut is not one of them. I don't object, mind you. I'm a little amused that they just completely gave up on the giant white bow for her, though.
Free throws win ballgames. In the absence of an ability to win the ballgame, they do at least make you look like a D-I team, not a train wreck masquerading as one.
Well, that could have gone worse, I guess. I mean, I'm sure it could have gone better, but I can see ways where it could have gone worse. Saint Peter's has brought in a lot of talent, and while it might take some time for them all to mesh, they're not going to get beat up in the MAAC like last year. They have a lot of firepower. LIU's got a lot of freshmen, and they all look like they're scared of their own shadows, and anyone with experience is either injured, AWOL, or has regressed. It's going to be a long season in Fort Greene. Still my team, but doesn't mean I don't find them frustrating.
Kiara Bell was the one bright spot off the bench. She brings size that we sorely needed. She needs to work on her conditioning and extending her game ever so slightly, but she did an admirable job of finishing at the rim, especially with putbacks. I wish we'd been able to get more from Seneca Richards. And just to make it clear, by "more", I mean "anything other than an inexplicable refusal to either play her height or play the skill set she showed last year".
Ryan Weise got run later in each half and spent it either taking long threes or committing fouls. I don't think she's ready for prime time, but I think she was forced up in the rotation due to a lack of personnel. Shyla Sanford did a good job of getting in position to make defensive plays on the break, but I'm not sure about her on offense.
Ella Vaatanen shouldn't have to be taking the opening tip-off. She has a little bit of the height, but that's it. She's in over her head here, and I think it shows. Defensively, she had a world of trouble getting into position. Offensively, I don't know that she knew what she was supposed to be doing, posting up or launching jumpers. She got tasked with trying to guard Zoe Pero, who's a pure post, and it did not go well. At all. Brandy Thomas doesn't have the stamina she needs for the college game yet, but she's hard-nosed and gets the job done inside. I love her toughness. But she needs someone to complement her, and Ella is not that player.
Jeydah Johnson's shot was off. Way off. Side of the backboard off. Short of the rim off. She left the bench sometime in the second half with the trainer, holding her back, so maybe she's hurt- if I recall correctly, she's had back trouble before. But it's a problem when the person who's most willing to shoot- for much of the game, apparently the only person willing to shoot- is unable to hit the broad side of a barn. Camille Gray has quick hands on defense, when she's in position. But I'm honestly not sure who's more terrified on the floor, her or Tiya Misir. Tiya seemed paralyzed whenever she was running the offense, constantly looking back for the call. She's got to show some initiative at some point. I realize it's early. I'm sure she'll get better at this sort of thing, especially if Tia comes back to relieve some of the pressure. (Also, Tia and Tiya are homophones, so this could be a confusing few years.)
I honestly thought Jordyn Hawthorne got more time than she did. Maybe it was just time elapsed; she tended to finish quarters, and her minutes bridged the quarter break. Big body, but she didn't see a lot of use. Phylina Holmes got into the game late and made her biggest impression crashing out of bounds going for a loose ball. She's another big body Coach Mitchell needs to get refined, but she'll be good for them by the time Pero graduates.
Anna Maguire has a ridiculously quick shot. The word "snap" comes to mind. Instant offense, though I can see her going cold for stretches and shooting her team out of games just as easily as she shoots them in. Sammy Lochner also provided solid offense off the bench. Tyara McQueen had quick hands, which served her well when she got the steals, but not so well when she got called for the hand-check. She'll have to learn to restrain herself in that regard. But she's good.
I love Cinnamon Dockery's hustle. She made a lot of plays happen on the offensive glass and on defense. Her ball-hawking is on point. Briyanah Richardson puton a show, and I'm really excited about what she'll be able to do for the Peacocks in the next few years. She's already very well-rounded and poised for a freshman. She brings the driving game, and D'Aviyon Magazine brings the outside shooting. It's a deadly combination.
Zoe Pero killed us inside, and would have done a lot more if she'd been able to hold on to the ball consistently. She did a fantastic job of getting to the line and converting. Wil'lisha Jackson set screens and did the little things for the Peacocks.
I don't think we saw either coach at their best in this game- lots of sloppy mistakes from the plethora of freshmen for both teams. Officiating left something to be desired as well- at one point it looked like they were really going to go "no blood, no foul" rules- which is not going to work with two very passionate coaches.
(Speaking of which, Stephanie, you do know other people can hear you swearing, right?)
Long season up ahead. They're my team and I love them. It's just going to be a long year.
Sunday, November 11, 2018
November 10th, 2018: Manhattan at St. Francis
Just the Facts, Ma'am: St. Francis surged in the fourth quarter to win 73-65 over Manhattan. Jade Johnson had 20 points to lead four Terriers in double figures. D'Yona Davis had a team-high 13 points for the Jaspers in the loss.
For unexpected wrestling terminology, facility shortcomings, NOT GETTING DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS DAMNIT, coaching the kids up, unexpected hugs, undesired selfies, and easing into a new team, join your intrepid and adventurous blogger after the jump.
We go from Iona's heel turn yesterday to a face turn today. Since John Thurston- he with the astonishing talent for finding dishwater blondes across the world yet overlooking most of the talent in his own city- has departed St. Francis College, it's a lot easier to root for them. It's even easier when we know the new coach. So we're on our way to Remsen Street to cheer on, instead of cheer against, the Terriers for the first time in I don't know how many years, as they take on Manhattan.
The in-game notes may be a little spotty. It's Pokémon Go's monthly Community Day, which is why we're in Brooklyn Heights instead of South Orange, so I have shinies to chase and stardust to collect. But you'll get your postgame notes, hopefully with the coherency and snark you've come to expect.
Well, St. Francis has a nice new floor, and the mural is still pretty boss, but every time I come here, I am reminded just how subpar a facility the Terriers have. The more I think about it, the more I think it's not a good look to have the half-closed bleachers be the side behind the bench (where cameras, such as they are, usually face).
St. Francis has gone heavily to the Brooklyn branding, especially on the warm-up shirts.
There were small children dancing at halftime and having their pictures taken. One of them seemed really freaked out by the mascot, but ended up hugging him in the end, so that all worked out.
I remembered Manhattan as a second-half team, so I was pleasantly surprised that St. Francis was able to pull off the comeback in the fourth quarter. But our defensive rebounding was atrocious. Between the freshmen and the returners, there are a lot of bad habits to be unlearned, but I think Coach Cimino is on the case in that regard.
Manhattan went pretty deep into their bench, though some players only got a couple of minutes. Nyala Pendergrass came in very late, very briefly. Kania Pollard got off some corner threes, but couldn't get them to go down. Pamela Miceus showed some moves in the post and had a nice block, though they don't seem to have credited her for it.
Lizahya Morgan was unafraid to launch from deep, and some of them came at critical moments. She's a quick little guard. Sini Mäkelä did some work on the glass. Tuuli Menna picked up a lot of minutes in the second half and did a lot of good stuff inside. (Good stuff. This is the kind of incisive commentary all nine of you come to the Game Notes of Doom for.)
I still very much enjoy watching Gabby Cajou play, even if it's usually in frustration because her team is never my team, and even if she wasn’t quite as show-stopping as she was the last time I saw her. She was one of the few players for either team who was willing to shoot at the end of the shot clock. D'Yona Davis was also putting up some big shots. She looks good for a freshman. Candela Abejón didn't play that much, and I don't remember her very clearly.
Their inside players did a really good job of getting offensive rebounds. Julie Høier and Courtney Warley both used their height to full advantage, both in getting position and in getting reboudns even when they were out of position. There were multiple possessions with multiple Jasper offensive rebounds. Warley was throwing some elbows on her screens. She's a tough player. I think I could respect her more if she set better screens. Høier was very efficient. I was quietly impressed with her.
Manhattan fell apart in the fourth quarter, in ways I wasn't expecting. We were coming up with the 50/50 balls that they were getting in the first half. I'm glad we were able to buckle down at the end.
Coach Cimino was pretty quick with the hook whenever her players were making stupid mistakes, and there were plenty of stupid mistakes to go around. So she was doing a lot of subbing. Kate Bauhof is definitely still working out her way into college shape, both physically and in terms of fitting into the system. Alex Tudor got a couple of minutes in the first half, but I think they may have been to give someone else a Teaching Moment. Abby Anderson got her run in the second half and did a nice job of being a sparkplug on the boards (which we sorely needed).
Ebony Horton made a fantastic first impression. I can see where she needs work, how she can sharpen her passing and work on her shot selection. Coach was especially not pleased with her getting trapped on the sideline on one occasion, since is forced a timeout. But I love her driving ability, and when she can get the passes off, they're great. Ally Lassen hit free throws down the stretch and came away with offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter, when we hadn't been getting them all game. Appreciate the hustle.
Good Lord, Amy O'Neill. She wasn't the star of the game, but she certainly had some of the flashiest plays, with dipsy-do lay-ups and long passes to get the fast break going. She goes hard for the ball, even if she doesn't get it. Mia Ehling hit the free throws when it counted to seal the game. Jade Johnson was hitting threes early, but she spent an awful lot of time flat-footed on the glass. I don't want to blame her for all of our rebounding woes, but it sure seemed like she could have been doing a lot more than she did in that regard.
Dominique Ward brings good size, but I was expecting somewhat better ball thought from her on the floor, given that she's a grad transfer. Maybe today was just an off game for her. Maria Palarino did well getting fouled on the glass. I'd have to do a closer reading of the play-by-play to determine this, and I'm too tired and I have two more games to write up today, but I think she did the best job of taking advantage of those times when Manhattan was in the penalty.
I know we were outsized, but we still gave up way too many rebounds. Too many times, we had a player in position and Manhattan just reached over her. Too many times, we stood and watched the ball as Manhattan charged for it. This is not okay. This is never okay. We have to be more assertive.
There was an enthusiastic rookie ref making a lot of calls on the floor. At one point Coach was pointing that out and telling her team that the official was calling every handcheck, that if someone fell down there'd be a foul called. It wasn't completely accurate, but it was a good benchmark. Not nearly as bad as the crew at the Iona game, but there were definitely some dubious calls. At least these ladies could count.
I'm interested in the development of St. Francis. I think, though I am biased, that they got in a great coach for a rebuild. Pointing out strengths and weaknesses seems to be a strength of hers, and I have faith in her ability to teach the game.
Friday, November 9, 2018
November 9th, 2018: St. John's at Iona
Just the Facts, Ma'am: Kadaja Bailey's double-double in her first game powered the Red Storm to a 61-35 win over Iona. Bailey had 14 points and 13 rebounds off the bench for St. John's. Morgan Rachu had 16 points in her debut to lead the Gaels.
For admittedly biased remarks, a new eatery, pressing defense, road trips, and thinking ahead, join your intrepid and pensive blogger after the jump.
Good evening, fellow basketball fans! We're coming to you live and in every possible cliché from Hynes Gymnasium on the campus of Iona College, as the Gaels host the Red Storm of St. John's.
So, yeah. This is our first Iona game since dropping Iona from our stable of teams. (We decided we were going to stick around through Alexis Lewis and Treyanna Clay's senior year. Then both of them transferred. So yeah. That happened.) It's an unpleasant experience, coming into an arena that used to be home, that part of me feels should still be home, and coming in road colors. But my first team will be St. John's until I move or until they do something truly unforgiveable. And as far as I'm concerned, Billi Chambers can take a very long walk off a very short pier.
Ran into some of Kadaja Bailey's family at the ticket line. Technical difficulties.
Sure, Iona, start off the season with a poster of #14. Damika or GTFO in that regard. The fact that that number still hasn't been retired for the incredible career Damika had galls me. Okay, I'm going to get off this train of thought or else I'm going to start swearing, and we're still forty minutes out from gametime.
Kathy, don't get me wrong, that's a very nice outfit. I'm just saying that one of the highest ranking athletic administrators at St. John's shouldn't be wearing something very close to Iona maroon to a game against Iona. Clearly the squad agrees, because she had to grab a spare warm-up jacket.
At halftime, St. John's is up 30-17, but I can understand if Coach is doing a whole lot of yelling in the locker room. Both teams came out very amped up, shooting and missing long. St. John's has brought an intense press in the backcourt for stretches, but I don't know if it's one we can keep up when we're only carrying nine eligible players. We've forced three shot clock violations from the Gaels, but they've drawn four charges on us.
Am I the only one uncomfortable with the "Iona dance team" versus the "Iona black student union dance team" branding?
Pretty good turnout for the Johnnies. Q and Machi's family showed up, as did Kadaja's. From the cheering behind me, we may also have folks here for Tiana England. Imani Littleton is in the row in front of us, sitting with someone I feel like I should recognize and will probably punch myself in the face for not knowing.
Iona is performing a lot of embarrassing flops, and that makes me sad. It's not that I'm still rooting for them, but I want things to be better. I don't know these kids, but it doesn't mean that they don't deserve better.
I'll give Chambers credit for one thing: she doesn't bar her players from kneeling for the anthem. Ashley Martin still does, and she's been joined by a teammate. Watching their teammates navigate the logistics of keeping the line linked was somehow very amusing. I think the teammate is Monica Barefield, but I don't know the Gaels well enough to recognize anyone other than the few returners from last season.
I realize that it's early and I shouldn't be judging a team that's almost completely turned over on one game against a higher-caliber opponent, but good grief, Iona looks like a hot mess. No discipline. No ball thought. Minimal court awareness. Terrible clock awareness. They look like a team of leftovers and afterthoughts coached by someone who doesn't actually know how to coach people. Okay, the zone defense is actually pretty good, so props to whoever's in charge of that.
Gabrielle Joseph played just about long enough for me to wonder about the pronunciation of her name, though that was an ongoing issue with the PA guy. The only sub that got extended minutes was Shyan Mwai, and if I had faith in this coaching staff, I'd be interested to see how she develops. She reminds me a little bit of a very young Damika, but much less disciplined and much less sure of her handle. I'd also appreciate it if she would not throw forearms into her defender. That would be great.
If Monica Barefield can get her handle under control, she'd be fantastic as a point guard. She's got speed, and she's got some moves, but she's all speed and no sense so far. Shayla Middlebrooks can miss me with all the unnecessary shoulder blocks and forearm shivers. She's got a decent shot, and she can muscle her way around in the paint as a guard with her big body. But there's a difference between being physical and being dirty, and if she didn't cross the line, she sidled right up to it. Morgan Rachu is never going to be my favorite, for reasons that are completely not her fault. She's got a nice shot and she hustles well. If I had any faith in the coaching staff, I could see her developing into a nice little shooting guard by her senior year. But I have no faith in this staff.
Tori Lesko looks like she's lost a fair bit of confidence after her injury. From everything I've heard about Iona, I can't say I'm surprised. Maybe it's seeing her as an opposing player for the first time, but she hits people a lot more than I remember her doing last year. It's almost like she's trying to substitute physicality for skill, and I know Tori's better than that. She's still hustling after every loose ball, going to the floor and sacrificing her body, but there's a dramatic element to her charge-taking now that wasn't there before. Jodi-Marie Ramil gave the Gaels some okay physical play inside, though I'm not thrilled about her taunting on an and-1. She'll be useful for them.
Iona Faels Moment of the night: Kadaja Bailey is called for a dubious foul on a Middlebrooks three-point attempt. Middlebrooks goes to the line for three. She bricks all three. Lesko pulls down the offensive board and is fouled on the putback. She misses both. St. John's pulls down the defensive rebound. Second place is probably the play where Jasmine Sina- all 5-5 of her- leaped clear over Lesko to tap the ball to Kadaja.
No one on this team seems willing to shoot with the clock running down. No one seems aware of the concept that the clock can run down. There's no sense of urgency. Well done, Billi.
We got our first look at Jasmine Sina in Storm red. She had an unremarkable game- her three-point shot was off, but at least she held down the fort. While she got a good bit of run in the first half, she didn't come back until very late in the fourth quarter. Same for Shamachya Duncan. I'm a little bit worried about this, but I have faith in Machi and Mooch to step up when needed, and for the rest of the guards to do so if not.
Kadaja Bailey certainly made a splash in her first game, didn't she? She was ferocious on the glass and deadly on the drive. I'm not necessarily thrilled about the three-point attempts, but I recognize that it's an important part of a small forward's game and she needs to be able to stretch the defense. She reminds me so much of Shenneika Smith that it's crazy, and I'm so glad that the actual Shenneika is on the staff right now to mentor her. She has the potential to be something truly special. Kayla Charles didn't play in the first half, but then soaked up most of the third quarter minutes until she hurt her foot at the end of the quarter. She came back, but she was hurting for a while. (FYI, assistant coach, when a player is grimacing in pain as the trainer tapes her foot back into some semblance of shape, she is probably not terribly receptive to your advice on how to box out.) She had a very solid outing. She looked like the player I thought she could be for stretches last year, and I hope she's building on this.
Tiana England threw up some dubious shots in the paint (it is probably not a good sign when a guard is tossing up a sky hook). Even her own family was questioning her shot selection. She did have a gorgeous pass to Kadaja for a big finish that got our part of the crowd going. Alisha Kebbe was going hard after every loose ball- she hit the deck quite a few times, and I'm pretty sure she and Lesko were about ready to spontaneously sponsor NCAA women's wrestling. (The grappling kind. Not the WWE kind.) Like most of the squad, her jumper was AWOL, which is going to be a problem going forward, but her defense was on point. Sometimes I get the feeling she would be extremely happy pressing all the time. Qadashah Hoppie bombed threes at the right time, but seemed rather eager to go for them, even at moments we didn't need them, such as when Middlebrooks cut the lead under single digits. She knows how to light up the scoreboard, I'll say that.
Akina Wellere had good open looks from deep, and they just wouldn't go down. Live by the three, survive a lousy team by the three, I guess. We're not going to be able to get away with some of this stuff against Big East competition; I'm not even sure we can get away with it against Yale or Delaware State. I am definitely not a fan of her at the four. Or the five. This is a bad plan, Joe. Curteeona Brelove still has some work to do before I stop grumbling about her choice of number. She gives us a big body in the middle, but I need her to be more assertive. And I'm not thrilled with her rebounding, either. Maybe she just had an off game, but I was not impressed, and I was expecting to be impressed.
I realize you're looking at a 26-point margin and wondering why I sound so down on so much of the team. But let's be honest, we played a team that could best be described as a traveling trainwreck, one that only managed to win two games last year and promptly either graduated or caused to flee screaming pretty much the entire rotation. There were things we did really well- our press was great and our fast break offense looks really good. We held Iona to one field goal each in the first and fourth quarters. The chemistry is good. And it helps to see our flaws laid bare this early in the year, when they can't hurt us and can be corrected before the big guns come calling. But if we can't put a body on Ramil in the post, what's going to happen against Kiah Gillespie or Kimi Evans? And any long-term injury or illness is a disaster- we have to have a starter in the game at all times, literally, because otherwise we don't put enough players on the floor.
Officiating was a disaster. I honestly think the refs weren't sure which circle they should be using, and thus called everything a charge in the first half and a block in the second half. It also helps when you can count to ten- Iona got away with a blatant ten-second violation, on a possession that ended with a St. John's foul followed by Joe Tartamella letting the officials know exactly how he felt about the whole situation. He wasn't wrong, either. This is going to be a long year, isn't it? (Also, either Neika played against Stephanie Barksdale, Barksdale reffed a lot of her games, or Neika needs to not flirt with the ref before the game.)
I don't know how I feel about being able to order concessions from your seat at Hynes, but I also don't know if the feature was active for this game.
Nice of you to show up after the game was done, Killian. It was a men's-women's doubleheader, but still. That means there are two games. Two games, Killian.
The pocket schedules are weaksauce. I get the feeling they were run off on an office printer.
We did find a really good barbeque joint a ways down North Avenue that had amazingly cooked ribs
It was good to see the squad, since we don't get them at home for another three weeks or so. It's going to be an interesting year, it's going to be a tough year, but I don't know if it's going to be a long year. (Except I think Seton Hall will sweep the Awkward Bowl, which is going to suck for me personally.)
On to the next one. See you next time, patient and loyal readers!
Friday, March 16, 2018
March 15th, 2018: Marist at St. John's (WNIT)
Just the Facts, Ma'am: St. John's started strong and never looked back in their 68-47 win over Marist in the first round of the WNIT. Andrayah Adams had 14 points off the bench to lead five Johnnies in double figures, with both Imani Littleton (12 points, 10 rebounds) and Maya Singleton (12 points, 11 rebounds) notching double-doubles. Maura Fitzpatrick of Marist led all scorers with 20 points.
For color coordination, a jump to the left, calling glass, offensive rebounding, and the little details on the floor, join your intrepid and soon to be freshly laundered blogger after the jump.
Good evening! The Big Dance has yet to begin, but the WNIT is upon us. St. John's has first-round hosting rights, and tonight we have Marist in the house.
Then again, Marist brought two busloads of fans and then some, so I'm really not sure we're using our host-rights to full advantage here. We've enticed students with ice cream, but they've been fairly quiet. Fortunately, band and a handful of students have stepped up.
Marist's band does an excellent rendition of the Time Warp. Of course, because I am petty and Iona is still one of my teams, I may have asked something along the lines of, "What, to when you were good and Quinnipiac wasn't eating your lunch?"
It's 37-22 St. John's at halftime. Imani Littleton started the game like her hair was on fire and she was taking the presence of every single Marist fan as a personal affront. Our offensive rebounding inside has been fantastic. Other than not being able to keep track of Alana Gilmer, and Maura Fitzpatrick's uncanny communion with the glass, we've been great on defense. Marist is doing a lot of little things well, in regards to floor positioning.
That awkward moment when one of your teams is coached by a fan/alumna of the opponent one of your other teams is playing. Hi, Stephanie, but go Red Storm, not Red Foxes.
That got a little dicey for a moment when Akina Wellere committed her fourth foul and had to come out of the game, but we hit a couple of big shots and put the Red Foxes away. My throat still hurts. You have to go hard when you're outnumbered in your own house. (You also get salty as Lot's wife, because, c'mon, people.)
I'm not used to Marist being this disorganized. Their passing game was... not good. Their shooting was ridiculously streaky- either the shot went in or it was a bad miss, no real in-between. There are a lot of little things they still do very well- no one draws charges better than Marist, no one tests the boundaries better than Marist. But the youth and inexperience of these players shines through, and I don't know if they know who their leader is, at least from what I saw in this game.
Kendall Baab came in at the end of the game, which was the best indicator to us that the game was over- give the senior one last hurrah before her career ends. She was marked pretty closely in her brief minutes, and she had trouble handling the passes her teammates sent her. We were almost hoping she would get a basket, but Imani Littleton was bound and determined that that wasn't going to happen. Gabi Redden saw a few minutes at the end of the game, and in the first half in relief of Alana Gilmer after Gilmer picked up the third foul. Big body, but way too tentative. Hasn't quite figured out that "play with your head" does not mean "deflect the pass meant for your teammate with your face".
Lovisa Henningsdóttir brings a different dimension off the Marist bench, and I think once she's fully settled into the Marist offense they'll be a lot better off. She gives them good height on the inside and on the glass while still providing the three-point offense they rely on. Allie Best played the bulk of the minutes off the bench at guard- smaller than most of the other players they put out on the floor, she ball-hawked more than the rest of her teammates.
I don't know what unholy spells Maura Fitzpatrick worked on the glass, but she had some of the best puck luck I've ever seen- two shots off the glass and one that danced all over the rim before dropping in. Granted, she also had some of the worst puck luck I've ever seen, with shots popping up out of the cylinder. She's a strange one. She did do a good job of driving the lane and drawing contact, usually off Akina Wellere, who didn't quite have the foot speed to keep up with her when she slipped screens. Rebekah Hand shoots pretty well, not surprisingly, but she also had some terrible shots that hit nothing. After her first airball, I was tempted to tell her she was embarrassing our shared, albeit differently spelled, name. I think she was the one who completely blew a gorgeous screen from one of her teammates and bricked the jumper.
Alana Gilmer started off red hot, even with her unconventional over-the-head jumper. She showed impressive evasiveness for a woman of her frame, getting Maya Singleton (one of our better defenders) turned around in the early going. We switched defenses on her a couple of times, and got better results both from the length of Imani Littleton and the speed of our guards. Three fouls in the first half didn't help her either, and I think she tightened up in the second half. Willow Duffell brings them height, but right now I don't know what else she's giving them. Most of what I remember of her on the floor were mistakes- fouls, bad passes, airballs, and such. I get the sense that she was pressed into service before she was fully ready. Grace Vander Weide swung between positions a lot, and swung from extremes of shooting multiple terrible airballs to making big steals in the passing lanes. Hers was the screen referred to earlier.
There are things Marist still does very well. They rebounded off their missed free throws like they planned it all along. They still set up position outside the circle like someone built a tiny wall along its curve. They adapt their defense well. But I don't know if they planned to fiddle around in the backcourt for seven seconds almost every possession, or if they let our defense pressure them into that. Their shooting was unusually inconsistent, and their communication was off. They got looks, and either they went down or they most emphatically did not.
I'm glad Tamesha Alexander and Shamachya Duncan got to close the game out. I'm less glad neither of them got a shot off, though Sox did have a chance and promptly passed it off, because that's who Sox is and that's how she rolls. They're good kids. I'm passing fond of them. Kayla Charles has got to hang on to rebounds instead of tapping them around. Unless we have some tall people coming in next year's class that I don't know about, she's pretty much going to be the only post on the floor. She doesn't necessarily have anyone to tap the ball to.
Andrayah Adams did a lot of scoring in the fourth quarter, but I don't know if she was calling her own number or if there was some other perverse reason she was taking all the shots even when the deep bench was in the game. She spent way too much time driving one-on-everybody. She had better luck with her jumper, but even then it looked like she was just firing it off without thinking about the play sometimes. I feel like I'm being unreasonably hard on her, since we did win and she did lead us in scoring, but this was an unusually selfish game for her, and that's not necessarily a habit I want her to develop. Qadashah Hoppie hit a big three and did a good job of getting to the line, but I was most impressed with her defensive work. She stayed in front of the Marist guards and for the most part was successful in cutting off their drives.
Tiana England's hesitancy drove us a little bit crazy, but in a game like this where controlling the pace allowed us to milk the lead, it wasn't terrible. I wish her drives had gone down more often- she had a fantastic fast break off an interception that she just couldn't finish. But that inside pass to Imani Littleton was sweet- reminded me of some of the Liberty's interior passing under Laimbeer. Moments like those make me think she'll turn out all right at the point after all. Alisha Kebbe's so tough. I think her Philly is showing. She goes hard after loose balls, and the shots she comes up with seem to be at all the right times. She's got to work on her overall accuracy, but I'll take her toughness any day of the week. Akina Wellere had the three-ball working, and did some good work inside, but lost her mind on defense in the fourth quarter, committing three straight fouls, two of which were utterly unnecessary. We don't roll deep, 'Kina, we can't afford blatant reach-in fouls at the midcourt line. (I did enjoy her defense of her fourth foul, though; I think she was either arguing that the offensive player performed an illegal spin move or earnestly explaining to the ref that she needs a new dryer.)
I don't know how I feel about Maya Singleton's face-up game, but watching her own the shot clock like a boss on the one jump shot was pretty sweet. She was beasting on the glass. It was also very satisfying to watch her hit all of her free throws with the Marist band disconcerting her. But the player of the game was Imani Littleton, and what a time for her to shine. She took over on the inside, getting offensive rebounds and converting more of her opportunities than usual. She was assertive defensively, to the point of running herself out of plays. In every way she could, she made it abundantly clear that this was her game, her house, and her night, and she wasn't letting her career end here and now. I'm inordinately proud of how she played, and I hope we can keep seeing this through the WNIT.
Officiating was a bit ticky-tack for stretches, with stricter construction of the traveling rule than I've seen in a while (which made Akina's claim that the refs missed one even funnier).
I don't know who resents our spirit squads, but both cheer and dance had people knocked in the head with flying basketballs- cheer while in play, dance because someone's kid was messing around in the third deck without supervision. I am not okay with unsupervised children, by the way.
Perhaps we should minimize the use of our red-and-white chants when playing a team that shares our colors.
Too many Marist fans and not enough St. John's fans, but that's to be expected. Marist travels well and stays loyal. I remember some of those fans from my visits to McCann. And St. John's is not very good at expanding the fan base. Survive and advance. That's all that matters.
Thursday, February 8, 2018
February 8th, 2018: Fairfield at Iona
Just the Facts, Ma'am: Despite a strong fourth-quarter push, the Iona Gaels fell 78-68 to the Fairfield Stags. Khadidiatou Diouf started off strong for Fairfield, with 12 of her 20 points in the first half, but it was Samantha Cooper who led the way and shut the door, leading the Stags with 29 points and 12 rebounds. Alexis Lewis led Iona with 21 points.
For three-point shooting, running low on gas, starting to dislike the county, late arrivals, early departures, the travails of youth, and running out of words, join your intrepid and shell-shocked blogger after the jump.
It's entirely too early for this, but I'm doing it anyway, because despite all their efforts, I still do love Iona. So I'm currently on an uptown 6 train in the Bronx. It's 8:42 AM. I've been up since 6:30 and traveling since 7. This probably means I shouldn't be dealing with small humans, but it's Kids' Day against Fairfield, so dealing with small humans is inevitable. I brought protein bars, though, so I probably won't eat them.
Taking the 6 to Pelham Bay Park to catch the 45 is a constant exercise in counting, balancing the number of stops left with when the bus leaves. Eleven stops in thirty-three minutes seems doable, but those are famous last words.
If they're holding a Kids' Day and only half a dozen schools are coming, I reserve the right to laugh, and laugh, and laugh some more. I mean, I don't mind having the elbow room, and I can't do weeknight games, but still. It's just silly.
Welp, not only do I not see Tori Lesko, I don't see Jayden Eggleston. Maybe it's not time to panic yet; Iona can be cagey about injured players sometimes. But it would fit the pattern of this season for Jayden to break out and then either get injured or disappear in a puff of smoke. Okay, there's Tori, but that makes the lack of Jayden even more disturbing.
Things I miss about being in with the in crowd (aka the ops people who get things done): not fighting with the wi-fi because I had the password. But that was a long time ago and probably two computers in the past.
There are not nearly enough Gaels here. At least Jayden is present and accounted for.
At halftime, it's 35-27 Fairfield. It could have been worse, but Jayden had the presence of mind to throw up a three at the buzzer; even though she missed the shot, she drew the foul on Khadidiatou Diouf and got two of the three free throws. Diouf has 12 points for the Stags, 10 in the first quarter; she was pretty much going bucket for bucket with Iona by herself for stretches. Toyosi Abiola has 11 to lead the Gaels. Things might get better when we actually get more than three minutes out of Trey Clay.
We have a dance performance from one of the campus dance groups. It seems like fun. It finally occurred to me sometime in the third quarter that BSU probably stands for Black Student Union and the performance was vaguely related to Black History Month.
Trumpet solo anthem. Started strong, but lost breath in the middle. He got through it, but I think it would have been better with the whole band.
And now one of the school groups is doing a step performance. I don't know how I feel about middle school step teams; good stepping takes a lot of synchronization and a lot of time to learn, but these kids aren't bad.
Okay, putting up with several hundred kids screaming the lyrics to "Let It Go" was worth it for watching Olivia Owens (our freshman with dangerously good taste in numbers) join the singalong, complete with dramatic arm gestures.
Well, I can't say we didn’t have our chances. We had a chance to tie the game in the third quarter and we blew it. We had momentum behind Alexis Lewis and her ridiculous three-point shots, and we couldn't cash in. We ran out of gas. Happens when you don't have a lot of players and a lot of the players you do have are in foul trouble.
For some reason, our PA guy kept pronouncing Kendra Landy's last name like there was an R in it. I understand that Landry is a more common last name, but either that is one funky pronunciation, or our dude didn't get Fairfield's pronunciation guide. She made an impact pretty quickly, laying a block on Toyosi Abiola as one of her first moves. She always seemed to be in the right place at the right time. Kristen McLaughlin lists as a guard, but more often than not she was subbing for one of the forwards. She brings a lot of length off the bench. I don't honestly remember much of what Sam Lewis did.
(I'm sorry. I'm not in a good mental place right now, especially in terms of women's basketball and Westchester County. I have a semi-professional obligation, but these are not going to be my finest game notes.)
Macey Hollenshead seemed to get the benefit of the doubt an awful lot of the time from the ref, especially when she hit the floor. That should not have been a charge on Toyosi. Casey Foley argued with a lot of the calls on her. Yes, Casey, sometimes you commit fouls. It happens. Sam Kramer was efficient from the elbow, though full disclosure forces me to admit that I kept getting their Sams and Samanthas mixed up, at least the short ones.
But this game was about the bigs for Fairfield. Khadidiatou Diouf took over in the first half with nice moves in the paint, including a beautiful baby hook that took my breath away. Long-time readers know of my infatuation with Elena Baranova and her hook shot, and that I am always a sucker for hook shots. But the one who stepped up every single time the Gaels got momentum going, the one who shut down every "DE-FENSE!" chant that the crowd tried to start, the one who killed us in the paint and even stepped outside for shots, was Samantha Cooper. She's got touch, she's got toughness, and she's got good size. We couldn't stay on her, even when we had a roving double keying on her. She's a gamer. Not much you can do about that.
You know what happens when you're in the intentional foul derby and four of your top six players have four fouls? Absurdity happens. The final couple of minutes of play-by-play are undoubtedly filled with subs. I think Coach may have waited too long to press the panic button and bring in Tilasha Okey-Williams; T's only job was to make sure that Jayden wasn't on the floor to pick up her fifth foul. We could have used some of her offense. Kristin Mahoney looked tentative on offense, almost like she wanted to call her own number but couldn't quite do it. And then at the end of the game, when it was intentional foul time, she thought it was a good plan to just give a good hard tug on the back of her opponent's jersey. That earned a video review and an unsportsmanlike conduct foul. Admittedly, it was weak, but you have to at least be pretending to go for the ball on that play. If you yank the jersey in front of two refs and a savvy veteran coach like Frager, you're not gonna get the benefit of the doubt.
Amelia Motz showed a whole lot of moxie on the offensive glass, charging in after missed shots like there was no tomorrow. Someone's got to do something with her shooting motion, though, especially on free throws; she puts way too much spin and not enough follow-through on the shot, and it goes wherever it wants, which may or may not be where Amelia wants it to go. She had better luck driving the lane and putting up lay-ups. Alexis Lewis started bombing threes in the second half, including one from the A in the giant Iona logo at center court, so a fair 27 or so feet out. I love to watch her shoot. I think she started running out of gas in the fourth quarter, though- she looked like she wanted a chance to get out of the game and Coach Chambers didn't think she could afford to give it to her.
Rebekah Justice couldn't get going, both in the sense of momentum and in the sense of actual literal motion. We needed her size to counter Diouf and Cooper, but she simply couldn't keep up with them, and they went around her like a stream going around a rock. I don't blame Coach Chambers for not starting her in the second half. She's got nice touch around the basket if she wants to use it, but she's too enamored with her outside shot for my liking. Treyanna Clay doesn't go up as high as her teammates think she does, but she's a fighter in the paint. She was swarmed by the Fairfield defense in the second half, getting doubled and tripled. I think it wore her down in the end. Jayden Eggleston brought rebounding, but a bit of timidity on the offensive end. I'm not thrilled with her taking shots just over the three-point line, either- either step back and take the three, or step forward and take a better-percentage shot. But she's a freshman. She'll learn.
Toyosi Abiola was on fire in the first half, but ran out of gas in the second. You could tell she was leaving shots short and not getting enough elevation. She had a crossover move that backed her opponent up so far that the kids were oohing and aahing. She hasn't put all the pieces together at once yet, but she's a freshman. That's been one of the only things getting me through this season, to be honest. They're so young, and yet next year they'll get Tori back (I'm almost certain she's going to redshirt this year, there's no reason to bring her back and I'm pretty sure she's missed enough games). I think they'll win more than one game next year. Well, if we bring in a point guard. We don't really have anyone on the roster who fits that role well. Adrienne DiGioia's still struggling to find where she fits, and I think Coach Chambers is losing patience with her.
We gave it everything we had to make it a game again. I know I've overplayed the "fight the good fight" line, but that's Iona's motto and it sure seems to be this team's philosophy. Even when they're down big they never give up.
I swear the oldest of the three refs thought the kids were there to see him, the way he was blowing his whistle on even the slightest contact. Dude. Staaaaaaaahp.
I do like how Iona organizes the group exodus, by bringing up one bus at a time.
Admittedly, I'm a little disappointed that this wasn't an autograph day, the way so many Kids' Days are at Iona, but it is what it is. I guess I'll have to wait until next year to ask Rebekah Justice where she stands on the Becky nickname. (It's a Rebecca thing, no matter how we spell it. We all seem to either embrace it or hate it.)