Just the Facts, Ma'am: Fordham started strong and never looked back in their 84-63 win over Pacific. Erin Rooney's 23 points and 10 rebounds paced five Rams in double figures. KiKi Moore had 20 points and four steals to lead the Tigers.
For rain, buses, terror, weight class failures, bricks, and bright colors, join your intrepid and orange blogger after the jump.
The perils of a West Coast home and home is that those West Coast teams have to come back across the country at some point. Unfortunately for Fordham, their swing against San Francisco and Pacific brought them two teams that I don't need an excuse to cheer for. One of my closest basketball buddies has been a longtime Pacific supporter, and for years I've been hearing about his team in all kinds of detail. It's actually kind of strange to see a team in real life that I've been hearing about for so long. I've been cheering for them to do well and I have no idea what any of them look like. It's weird. Kind of creepy if you think about it too hard, but weird and fun all at the same time.
Instead of a student section today, there's a kids zone, with a bouncy cage and what appear to be slides and basketball hoops all tied up into one. I guess that says a lot about the crowd Fordham expects to get on a weekend versus on a weekday.
I don't know if I like the Nike striping on Pacific's shorts. It worked for Arizona, and it didn't work for Gonzaga when I saw them on TV, but I'm not sure if it works for Pacific- tiger stripes versus the sudden intrusion of white. I guess maybe they felt that black and orange would be biting Princeton's style too much?
Oooh, there's also an air hockey table! Maybe we can play at halftime. Yes, I'm a giant kid, shut up.
Pacific does a lot of shooting, running their drills extra long each time they're out there.
Nice touch playing "California Love", DJ.
Glee Club anthem, a cappella. Not necessarily the best I've ever heard, but there's something about an a cappella anthem at Rose Hill that creates a feeling of serenity. This really should be a church of basketball.
It's halftime as I type this, and Fordham is up 45-26. Erin Rooney is playing well, and Emily Tapio is contributing on offense for the first time that I've seen all season. Pacific is putting up stupid shots, (actually, to use Coach Roberts's phrasing, crappy shots) and they're not getting anything out of their stalwarts. (Of course, it doesn't help that Kendall Kenyon is about the size of Samantha Clark's thigh.) There is a particularly bad official running the crew today, and even though her biggest blooper has been in Pacific's favor, that kind of blatant incompetence really grinds my gears.
I was not expecting Pacific to be this discombobulated, and I was not expecting their stalwarts to be as underwhelming as they were today. This is a team that needs to get its act together if it even thinks it's going to think about being competitive in the West Coast Conference.
I was pleasantly surprised by Shanice Butler, who came off the bench fairly late in the first half. She attacked the rim well and kept a lot of rebounds alive. I think I'd like to see her be more comfortable on the weak side- a couple of her shots were made unnecessarily more difficult because she had to cross underneath the basket to put them up. Kristina Johnson is perhaps overly fond of the drive and dish- not that driving and dishing isn't a perfectly valid basketball play, but it's made much less effective when the defense realizes that you're not going to take the shot. They don't have to worry as much about covering you. I like the fearlessness of her driving- I'd just like to see her shoot a little more. Unique Coleman looked very freshman-y out there. Kind of lost and out of position. Marjorie Heard has some of the best "what do you mean I committed a foul/what do you mean I don't get free throws" expressions I've ever seen, and I've seen some good ones. She did a lot of falling down- mixed it up well enough on the inside, but always seemed to be expecting a call and annoyed that she wasn't getting one. I cannot remember anything that Hailie Eckles did other than get caught out of position a lot.
It actually worries me for Pacific's sake that the best player they had today was KiKi Moore, because she's only going to be there for this season. She plays beautiful defense. I was impressed with the constant movement of her hands on defense. She floated up a couple of shots that she could have taken a little more care with, but if they go down, they go down. Sam Pettinger's head was not in the game. For a senior point guard, she was making a lot of stupid plays, to the point where Moore was bringing the ball up more often than not. Erin Butler threw up bad shots, to the point where Coach Roberts actually blurted out "Erin, what was that?!" after a shot that fell particularly short into triple coverage. The three in the second half got her back on the right track, but only a little bit. She spent much of the game making bad decisions. (You will notice that as a bit of a trend here.) Madison Parrish was actually pretty solid, though she seemed a little bit gun-shy. I was very disappointed in Kendall Kenyon, who was a stalwart for my fantasy team last year (yes, some of us basketball obsessives run a college basketball fantasy league, no money and very little pride). She seemed utterly terrified of going up against Samantha Clark on either end of the floor. Rationally, I can't say that I blame her- there's a reason they call her Sticks and Samantha Clark puts me in mind of Cathrine Kraayeveld- but she made no effort until deep into the second half. When she did go to the basket, there was a sort of gawky grace to her movement. I'm not sure if the three is supposed to be a part of her game, because she didn't look comfortable taking the one that she did hit.
I continue to be amused at Mary Nwachukwu's slide down the Fordham rotation, but I willingly own my taste for schadenfreude pie. She's now behind two freshmen named Danielle. Danielle Padovano did the dirty work inside, and got called for the fouls for it. Danielle Burns seemed a little out of sorts on her shot, but kept up well with the Pacific ballhandlers. Khadijah Gibson played very briefly at the end of the game and showed why she was only playing at the end of the game- questionable court awareness.
Hannah Missry got her shot back. You know what happens when you don't stick to Hannah Missry and what happens when you give her even a moment of space? She fires up a three. She has one of the fastest releases I've seen in a long time. Maybe not Crystal Robinson fast, but right up there. Emily Tapio had an offensive explosion the likes of which I haven't seen from her this season, making moves under the basket and getting herself to the line. Abigail Corning was a little shaky on defense, or at least on sensible defense, but solid on offense, a steady hand for her team. Samantha Clark really needs more touches, which I'm going to keep saying whenever I see a Fordham game, because she has something closer to a miniature Big XII body than an A-10 body, and she can back down most players in the metro area. She showed off a little outside touch today, too. Erin Rooney sliced through the lane like a hot knife through butter, weaving around defenders and going to the basket without fear. I'm really starting to take a dislike to that Kiwi. Not because she can't play, but because she's good for a team that I don't like this year.
Questionable officiating, to put it mildly. As discussed in the halftime notes, the biggest blooper was in Pacific's favor, allowing a bucket that came well after the shot clock buzzer. One official seemed particularly zealous about the points of emphasis, while another appeared to have a distaste for tie-ups, blowing the whistle as soon as the second player dove in, giving them no opportunity to get possession. They were not popular with either coach. (Granted, Coach Roberts was probably too busy despairing at her team's inability to hit free throws to worry about earning the attempts. Doesn't matter if you get them when you can't hit them.)
Cheerleaders only got involved in the game when Fordham was up 20. That's cute. Not.
We never did get to the air hockey table.
Sunday, November 17, 2013
November 17th, 2013: Pacific at Fordham
Sunday, November 10, 2013
November 10th, 2013: San Francisco at Columbia
Just the Facts, Ma'am: USF held Columbia without a field goal for four minutes deep in the second half to pull away in an 83-69 win on the road. Rachel Howard led the Dons with 18 points, while Taj Winston added 17. Miwa Tachibana led the Lions with 13 points.
For fouls, missed shots, fouls, reusable paint, fouls, back support, and fouls, join your intrepid blogger after the whistle. I mean jump.
The epic tour of basketball continues at Columbia today, as the Game Notes of Doom hook up with San Francisco once more.
I think they replaced the seats at Levien. The place looks very shiny. Extremely well organized.
We have a band today! Yesssssssssssssss. Here's hoping they do Korobeiniki. However, the DJ's music selection could use some work. You can't be an academic school and play "Started From the Bottom" when a) you are still at the bottom, b) Cal did it way better than you will ever dream of doing it.
San Francisco fans, I appreciate your passion, but those plastic cowbells are technically against NCAA regulations, but then again, the Columbia fanatics brought them as well, so it all comes out in the wash. Yes, there are fans with face paint and painted shirts for Columbia. Mostly older gentlemen, so I'm glad they stuck to the shirts instead of the painted chests.
Beautiful anthem. I wonder if she sings opera as an extracurricular.
At halftime of a game that started as a slopfest, San Francisco is up three on Columbia. Rachel Howard had eight early, with Taj Winston adding six late from the line. Tori Oliver looks pretty tough for the Lions, but it's been Miwa Tachibana who's carried the load for Columbia, with 10.
Columbia has a fairly impressive souvenir stand, but I can't find the concession stand and I'm hungry. :( I'm also amused by the fact that they're blowing out the Adidas gear; the switch to Nike must have been very recent. No tiny souvenirs I could put on Moooose, though.
I was not expecting USF to have the moxie to make a defensive stand like they did in the fourth quarter of that game to hold off Columbia. I'd have to look at the final play-by-play to double-check it, but they went on a fairly substantial run to finish off the game, fueled both by offense and defense.
Aundrea Gordon seems to have shaken off whatever was bothering her shot at Fordham, because she brought the offense today. She was critical to regaining control of the game in the second half. Claudia Price needed to assert herself more- the coaches were yelling at her to shoot most of the time that she was in the game. She did well when she shot, so she needs to build on that. Hashima Carothers looked lost out there- fumbled a pass into her face, couldn't keep control of the ball, and generally seemed content to let the Columbia forwards muscle her out of position. My scorecard says that Alexa Hardick played, but I can't put my finger on anything that she did. Jamie Katuna committed stupid fouls- don't foul a three-point shooter! But she got the three back at the other end, so that worked out. Brief minutes for Bryn Stark, nothing to write home about.
Paige Spietz had a monster block in the first half, but her overreaching hands would be her downfall- she fouled out on a reach-in (more precisely, a reach-over) that any referee worth his salt is going to call as a foul, even if you manage to get all ball. She did all right on the boards, but was content to let loose balls go by her. Taylor Proctor got herself into foul trouble fairly early in both halves, which limited her effectiveness. She was also one of the Dons (Donnas? Doñas?) who had issues with getting easy looks to go down. Zhané Dikes didn't have much luck with the rim in the first half, but changing baskets seemed to change her luck a little bit. She drove without fear and took a couple of hard hits on both ends of the floor- at one point she all but did a somersault. Taj Winston came up big during the run at the end of the game, with a huge three and some critical shots, including a gorgeous breakaway lay-up on a deft steal. Rachel Howard brought the offense again, including a beautiful floater in the lane.
The ball movement was better this time around, but they're entirely too passive when it comes to loose balls. Fordham knocked away rebounds left and right, and so did Columbia. They've got to learn to move without the ball, as well. Can't just stand around and wait for the pass, especially when the passing is extremely sloppy.
Carolyn Gallagher and Ara Talkov both threw me off because they were wearing numbers that were not their number on the website, and then Columbia's announcer announced Gallagher as Carolyn Binder (which got really confusing when she committed a foul and Binder was sitting on four). Talkov looked lost in her minutes. Gallagher was able to provide some decent minutes in the post. Amara Mbionwu was brilliant in her few minutes, banging down low and getting good putbacks. She mostly played in the second half, which makes me wonder if she's recovering from an injury or if Stephanie Glance likes to use her as a secret weapon of sorts. Devon Roeper has an interesting release to her free throws, and still needs to work on her screens. Carolyn Binder gave decent minutes, and I'm not sure if some of those fouls were legit. I really can't remember anything that Kayla Patton did.
Miwa Tachibana is a woman who knows no fear. She's tiny, but she drives full on into the lane like no one's business. Courtney Bradford is a load down low, but her finishing could use a little work. I like the potential of Tori Oliver- there's something about her that reminds me of Le'Coe Willingham, though that might just be her build and her hair. Taylor Ward missed a lot of very makeable shots. It wasn't pretty. Sara Mead was not as memorable these hours later as I think she was during the game. I must remember not to schedule social engagements immediately after games.
I realize that there are new points of emphasis this year in the NCAA, and they're really trying to clamp down on incidental contact, but it got ridiculous in this game, on both sides. One of the guys in the front row called out, "So you've decided that everything that happens on the basketball court is a foul?" There was no real flow to the game- how could there be, with all the stoppages?
Quote of the game, after Miwa Tachibana's fourth or fifth foul, which came down low, from Stephanie Glance: "Are you serious? She's four-foot-two, how could she foul in there?"
Columbia just could not finish at the rim. San Francisco was not pressuring much, and they still couldn't convert on all the chances they got. Glance has a ways to go with her team on the basics, but I think she can get them back up to snuff.
So tomorrow (today?) I get a day off, and then it's back to the basketball!
Friday, November 8, 2013
November 8th, 2013: San Francisco at Fordham
Just the Facts, Ma'am: A barrage of threes led Fordham to a season-opening 80-66 win over San Francisco in the Bronx. Abigail Corning led all scorers with 22 points, including five threes; Erin Rooney added 19 points and 10 rebounds. Taj Winston had 19 points for the Dons.
For questions of title, being on the 4, raised eyebrows, yellow mohawks, slow feet, and long-range sniping, join your intrepid and chilled blogger after the jump.
Good evening, loyal readers! We're coming to you on our usual tape delay, this time from historic Rose Hill Gym on the campus of Fordham University in the Bronx. (Well, technically, as my fingers stroke the keys, we're coming to you from a surprising seat on a Bronx-bound 4 train somewhere under Harlem.) The Rams host the Dons of the University of San Francisco, and you know me, I can't resist a West Coast team.
You may see more acid than usual in these notes, and here's a digression as to why. Normally, I have no beef with transfers. The BEast is not for everyone. Nine times out of ten, I'll wish you well, track your stats at Texas Southern or Grambling or Hawai'I or wherever, maybe even catch your games when you're in town, and there's no bad blood. However, if you decide to renounce your eligibility in the middle of the season, thus causing a coach with respect for his seniors to shoehorn you into the starting lineup, then invoke the graduate transfer rule to play elsewhere in the same city, that's a different story. So Mary Nwachukwu, who was never my favorite Johnnie anyway, is not exactly one of my favorite people in the world right now. I recognize that my distaste for her is not exactly rational and beg the indulgence of GNoD readers.
Arrived around 6:40, after getting only a little lost. The MTA and I need to have a long talk as to the appropriate speed for express trains. The operative word here is "express", kids.
The game is on teevee, I think. Very cool. Arrived late, but have the strong sense that Fordham is being physical and San Francisco is not demonstrating great shot selection.
Jennifer Azzi needs to tell Alex Maseko and the Seton Hall staff where she got that blouse, because it is perfect Pirate blue.
Taylor Proctor's family is here in full regalia- team colored Mohawk, plastic cowbells, streamers, the whole nine yards. It is awesome.
It's a bit awkward wearing my SJU scarf when the USF men are playing St. John's, but I think I finessed it well enough.
Sorry, cute kids in front of me, I didn't mean to scare you. I liked cheering with you!
T-this b-b-bus is r-really bump-bumpy. Someone wanna put in some work on the Cross Bronx, guys?
Bryn Stark not only has an awesome name, she looked pretty fierce in her brief time. Not direwolf fierce, but she'll do. Aundrea Gordon couldn't buy a bucket, but I have to like a player who can take the "AIRBALL!" chant with the kind of aplomb she did. Hashima Carothers intrigues me as someone who looks like she can be a very good player, but who right now is very, very raw. She has the look of a player- the build, the grace, the tools- but she doesn't have defensive acumen and her footwork was even worse than her teammates' (which is an overarching complaint that will be addressed later). Claudia Price played 14 minutes and I can't remember her doing anything particularly good or particularly bad, ditto for the four minutes of Alexa Hardick.
Rachel Howard turned up the offense in the second half, and I think that if USF were my team, she'd be making me tear my hair out with her ability to score at one end and give up the points just as quickly at the other end. I do love the offense, though. Taylor Proctor has nice handles for a woman of her height, but her ball control on the boards left much to be desired. I admit, I kept mixing up her and Paige Spietz, because of unfamiliarity and similar profiles. Spietz was better on the boards, and probably got the best rebounding position of her team, but that's not saying a lot. Strictly on looks, Taj Winston reminded me of Brittney Griner, with similar cheekbones and the twisted short dreads. She really turned it up in the second half, driving to the lane (though she needs to hit more of those free throws) and working hard on defense. So did Zhané Dikes, who got most of the points I saw from her off hard work- steals, rebounds, free throws off contact in the lane.
I know they're young, and this is the first game of the season, and Fordham is not exactly an easy opponent to start off against, but I was surprised how soft San Francisco was. For the most part, they weren't absorbing a lot of contact (and the players who were were smaller guards, not the taller forwards). They backed off a lot on defense too; the defense was disorganized to the point where I couldn't tell whether it was a badly executed zone or a man-to-man where players didn't know their assignments. It's a bad sign when players are giving each other the "WTF are you doing here look". There seemed to be a lot of freelancing on offense, not a lot of concerted ball movement, and a surprising amount of bad footwork from a team coached by a legendary point guard. (That, at least, I expect to be corrected over months and years.)
Really liked what I saw out of Danielle Burns, especially in the second half. She exploited the gaps in USF's defense beautifully down low. Mary Nwachukwu was who she has always been: she wanders around in the high post, she takes elbow jumpers when she gets the opportunity, she boxes out, and she can't rebound for love nor money. Danielle Padovano made so much of an impression early in the game that when she came back near the end I thought it was her first stretch of run. Gaitley seemed to make a point of bringing her end-of-the-bench players in at the end of the game, and though I'm usually all in favor of it, her insistence smacked of mockery. Either that, or the refs really weren't paying attention to her requests.
I don't remember Emily Tapio doing anything until the end of the game, but I missed the first twelve minutes or so of game time, so I acknowledge that there is the distinct possibility that she was solid in the beginning of the game. Samantha Clark was tough in the paint, but seemed to lack stamina. That is a big, solid woman, but she might have to trade in some of that bulk for longevity- they need a rock in the middle, and she could definitely be it if they can rely on her for long stretches. Abigail Corning didn't seem capable of missing threes, especially from the corner. Neither was Hannah Missry, though she got in foul trouble in the second half and wasn't as effective after that. Erin Rooney seemed to choose her shots very carefully, and I thought it was interesting that her sweet spot seemed to be straight away, or very close to it. She also displayed quite a knack for the dramatic; when she was fouled, she made sure everyone in the building knew that she was going down.
I was not thrilled with the officiating. For all that there's an emphasis on not allowing as much contact, they let a lot of banging go in the paint, more concerned with the footwork. It looked like Fordham was getting away with more of it early, but the refs definitely slacked off a bit as the game went on. I'm pretty sure tackling should not allow you to acquire the ball in basketball.
There was a student tee giveaway. Plain, but serviceable.
I love Rose Hill. I tried to take exterior establishing shots, but I can't guarantee they came out properly. Well, there's always next week.
Sunday, December 16, 2012
December 16th, 2012: St. Mary's at Tennessee Tech
Just the Facts, Ma'am: St. Mary's went up by as much as 24 in the first half and held on to beat Tennessee Tech 73-58. Jackie Nared led St. Mary's with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Danielle Mauldin added 10 of her 15 in the second half. Tennessee Tech cut the lead to 1 in the second half, but couldn't get over the hump, even behind 22 points from Jala Harris and 17 second-half points from Diamond Henderson.
For impressive freshmen, grit, loooooong shots, better fashion choices, and AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE OI OI OI, join your intrepid and tardy blogger after the jump.
Good morning once more from beautiful Carnesecca Arena! I’m taking in warmups with about twenty of my closest friends (plus my husband), as we get ready for the consolation game between Tennessee Tech and St. Mary’s. Blowing my theory out of the water, Tennessee Tech is wearing their home white and designated as the home team, while St. Mary’s is in a much more flattering road red with very old fashioned shirts.
I like a player who does a little extra shooting, and Jackie Nared is out on the floor alone for St. Mary’s, getting in a few lay-ups and shots. It was only a minute, but sometimes that means a lot. Now it’s just a half dozen Tennessee Tech fans, a handful of St. Mary’s fans, some arena staff, our ESPN3 posse, and the two of us.
At halftime, St. Mary’s is up 37-23, and we’re being treated to an excellent biddy game. Tennessee Tech went missing for a while, down as much as 24 and unable to hit pretty much anything. Then Jala Harris happened. There’s a New York Life logo on the St. John’s court, between the coach’s box and the halfcourt line. She hit a three from that logo. I was wondering when they would give her the ball. Then they did. Then they pulled closer. Maybe you should give Jala Harris the ball more. St. Mary’s had their chances to pull it out further, but they’ve missed a lot of shots close inside. Both teams are defending the offensive boards well, better than the defensive boards.
That turned out to be a better game than I was expecting in the second half. Tennessee Tech cut it to 1 with the ball, but they couldn’t help but shoot themselves in the foot over and over again, and it got away from them in the last six or so minutes. St. Mary’s and Kate Gaze made the big plays when they needed them.
Kate Gaze hitting back-to-back threes when the Golden Eagles were threatening broke Tennessee Tech’s collective back. Seriously, who leaves an Aussie open beyond the arc? Lauren Nicholson did not endear herself to me when she jabbed Jala Harris in the, er, chest with an elbow. I was happy for Amanda Arter that she got to score a basket after the defensive battles she had to cope with yesterday. The rest of the bench really didn’t do much.
Danielle Mauldin came alive in the second half. Someone must have yelled at her at halftime, because she was mixing it up on the boards more and getting points off offensive rebounds. Carli Rosenthal showed a bit of wear in this one- she was unpleasantly sweaty at a couple of points, and I’m surprised that Tennessee Tech didn’t go at her more when she was so obviously exhausted. She bodied up early and often on Tennessee Tech, which I think threw them out of their game plan. Jackie Nared seemed more focused on pulling down boards and trying to hit her teammates with quick, sharp passes. She really does seem to play the game at a different speed than most of her teammates. Morgan Hatten didn’t get a lot of good shots, but she seemed to make a lot of smart plays that you would expect out of a senior. Little things on defense and on loose balls that don’t go into the box score. I would like to see a +/- for both Hatten and Mia Greco, because either Greco is having a really bad tournament or she’s a defensive specialist.
Quira Demery got into this game, unlike yesterday, but didn’t impress me- three first-half fouls and a noticeable fumble will do that to a reserve. Tia Nicholson’s time was only at the end of the game, because Mariah Dean had an issue with her ankle brace and had to come out of the game to get it fixed, and since it was 15 points with less than two minutes to go, it wasn’t worth bringing her back in. Both Kellie and Kylie Cook came off the bench in this one, and neither of them impressed me. Candace Parson should have known better than to argue that travel. If I can see your feet shift from section 2, it’s a travel. Mariah Dean continues to impress me. She’s got a lot of potential- she makes a lot of freshman mistakes and has to have those mistakes and tendencies sandpapered off of her, but she’s got good instincts. By senior year, she’ll be All-OVC if she sticks around.
I like Lashay Davis on defense, playing the passing lanes and getting loose balls. I don’t like her shooting and shooting a lot. Diamond Henderson was MIA for most of the first half, her shots refusing to fall. She had 16 of her 18 points in the second half as the drives down the lane started to roll the other way and the three-ball started working for her. Molly Heady was nice on the boards- right at the start of the game, she got two offensive rebounds in a sea of three red jerseys. There’s something I like about her. It may just be her stubbornness, and maybe it was just this game, but I like her. T’Keyah Williams played sparingly (I suspect Coach Davis may share my opinion of Dean). Jala Harris wasn’t getting a lot of touches in the first half, and then she did things. She did lots of things. They went away from her more as Henderson got hot, and maybe that was a bad plan, but she was also in foul trouble in the second half. She didn’t make some smart decisions on defense.
The officials in this game weren’t necessarily the best refs I’ve ever seen, but the communication among the crew in making sure that they got the calls right was fantastic. They weren’t afraid to consult with each other or to change their calls. There’s a block/charge I remember with Jala Harris going into Danielle Mauldin; it was originally called a charge that would have been Harris’s third foul at a very bad juncture, then was reversed to a block when the refs noticed that Mauldin was in the circle. We like to think we helped point that out from where we were sitting, but maybe the refs were just on the ball. You know the place is quiet when the players start to get weirded out by you yelling at the refs.
I thought Jim Davis was going to get himself thrown out. I also thought Paul Thomas might get himself thrown out. Those are two very passionate coaches.
After Tennessee Tech made that huge run, I was reminded how much I want to see the match-up between them and UT-Martin. Even with the performance today, I’m not as sold on St. Mary’s.
Saturday, December 15, 2012
December 15th, 2012: St. Mary's at UCLA
Just the Facts, Ma'am: Behind the double-doubles of Markel Walker and Alyssia Brewer, as well as the second-half offense of Jasmine Dixon, UCLA fought off St. Mary's 76-62. Walker had 15 points and 12 rebounds; Brewer added 12 points and 10 boards. For St. Mary's, Danielle Mauldin led the way with 26 points and 9 rebounds.
For bad first impressions, rough halftimes, laundry mishaps, and raw tools, join your intrepid and less-than-coherent blogger after the jump.
On to game 2, which is pretty much everyone's cue to leave for some reason. Come on, guys, there's another game, you paid for it, you might as well stick around for it.
Johnnies, or at least Jennifer Blanding, are starting to circulate, though I think it'll take longer for people who actually played to come into the bleachers. There'll be plenty of room for them when they get here.
St. Mary's has very depressing gray/off-white home jerseys. Like someone accidentally put them in the same wash with Raiders gear or something. Iona definitely have my favorite Gaels.
Spotted between games: former St. John's star Da'Shena Stevens. I think they're giving her the grand tour of the redecorated areas. She's kind of a big deal.
At halftime, UCLA is up 35-28, and I can't figure out why it's not more. St. Mary's has rarely been able to buy a bucket. When you have a possession with five offensive rebounds followed by a deflection and side-out, you should be able to score on it. I also keep thinking St. Mary's needs to hit a weight room or something. Maybe that's just the type of player their coach recruits because they slip through the cracks, but it's sort of amusing to see all these blocky, solid players- and then Jackie Nared looking like a willow tree.
This didn't turn into anything vaguely like a rout until about the six-minute mark. I think the Gaels just ran out of gas and UCLA got inspired. Somehow.
Please note: St. Mary's wore whiteish and UCLA wore blue, but UCLA sat on the home bench and was announced as the home team. Assuming this was to allow each team to only carry one set of jerseys. Ordering is assuming UCLA as the road team.
Kari Korver took both her shots from somewhere in the vicinity of Suffolk County which really seemed to be unnecessary. Mariah Williams needs to hang out with Shakena Richardson from Rutgers, because seeing the two of them on back to back weekends was like instant replay. Williams has a knack for the flashy pass and the quick play, but needs to get some of her fundamentals down pat. Jasmine Dixon was in and out so often that I was starting to get seasickness. The physiotape on and around her knee is interesting, but I don't know if having enough tape on to build your own basketball net (and even criss-crossing it to look like a net) is a good sign for one's future. She was solid in the second half; she looked like she had gained confidence at halftime and was more willing to go into the paint. I'd just like for her to be healthy.
Thea Lemberger looked good early with her jumper. As UCLA went more to their forwards, she became less of a factor. Nirra Fields made some pretty plays. Atonye Nyingifa started to get it going in the second half close to the basket. Alyssia Brewer was a physical presence in the post, but a very slow one. They found her a little more in the second half, though not as much as I think they will tomorrow. Markel Walker started out the game with a rather dumb turnover, but righted the ship and made a nice showing. I like the way she uses her long arms on defense and the way she cuts into the lane. I don't know if she's a guard or a forward yet, though I think she needs to lean more forward if she wants to make it at the same level. I'm looking forward to getting a better look at her tomorrow.
Regrettably, Kate Gaze did not hit a three, so I had no excuse to break out the "AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE OI OI OI", and that makes me sad. It's St. Mary's, after all. Amanda Arter had the unenviable task of guarding Walker and Brewer at different points in the game. Fouls ensued. Shannon Mauldin got in at the end of the game and did not look comfortable. I don't have any clear recollection of the other St. Mary's reserves, which makes me sad.
For most of the first half, the plan seemed to be to run the old Southwest Missouri State offense- give the ball to Jackie and get out of the way. The fact that it was Jackie Nared instead of Jackie Stiles didn't seem relevant. She was arguably the only St. Mary's player to pass the eye test, which just goes to show what kind of bullhockey the eye test can be. She had a nice outside shots and fired off passes quite rapidly. Then Danielle Mauldin happened, reminding me very much of a young Le'Coe Willingham with her build and willingness to take the ball into the paint, coupled with a nice little midrange shot, adding some rebounding to boot. I like her. Morgan Hatten didn't have a lot of great plays, but I like that she always had a hand up when UCLA went on the fast break. Mia Greco- huh, I wonder if she's related to Michelle Greco- got tangled up in a couple of stupid plays. Carli Rosenthal cleaned up the glass fairly well.
Some screwball officiating in this one, but I've learned not to be surprised by that anymore. At least one of the guys reversed a blatantly bad out of bounds call.
St. Mary's fans were very enthusiastic. It was a pleasant surprise to hear that kind of support for a team on the other side of the country from home.