Just the Facts, Ma'am: Bre Cavanaugh scored 19 of her 26 points in the second half to power Fordham to a 65-47 comeback win over Harvard in the first round of the WNIT. G'mrice Davis added 12 points and 12 rebounds. Taylor Rooks had 18 to lead the Crimson, but she was the only Harvard player to break double figures.
For traveling in the Bronx at rush hour, traveling in the Bronx after rush hour, hotshot freshmen, loud fans, free food, and the important questions in life, join your intrepid and hoops-satiated blogger after the jump.
All right, now the Big Dance is upon us. But no one's playing nearby, so I don't care. Instead, it's off to Fordham for their first-round WNIT match-up with Harvard. If yesterday's example is anything to judge by, we should be in for some fun from the Harvard band.
Fortunately, the police action at Tremont Road didn't hold us up for too long. Still made it around quarter past six.
Bre Cavanaugh's hair is still normal. I'm sort of disappointed. She must be planning something spectacular for deep into the postseason. The longer she keeps color out of it, the more epic I expect it to be when she does go for it.
Harvard seems to have traveled some fans, but I don't even see Fordham's band, much less Harvard's. I guess the husband and I will have to provide all the noise. We're used to that sort of thing.
At halftime it's 33-24 Harvard, and that's honestly an improvement. Harvard's passing has been phenomenal, faster and more accurate than our defense has been able to hang with. We're not fast and we're not deep, and without Zara Jillings in the first half we have as much depth as a tabloid headline. Taylor Rooks put up 10 in the first quarter and 12 overall to lead Harvard. Fordham seems unwilling to shoot the ball- we already have two shot clock violations and another couple of possessions that have been dangerously close. Bre Cavanaugh's seven points is the team high.
Well, Bre Cavanaugh looked at that halftime deficit and basically went, "Nope. Nope, nope, nope." Cold-blooded assassin that she is, she took over the game in the third quarter and turned the tide in Fordham's favor. More people need to be talking about her nationally. She does not get the love or respect that she deserves.
Nota bene: no matter how much time pressure you're under, no matter how good of an idea it seems at the time, attempting to type on a laptop while racing along the Bruckner on the Q44 bus will result mostly in friction burns, motion sickness, and putting the A's in Cavanaugh in all the wrong places. It is not a good plan.
So, Harvard. When they took jump shots, their offense did not look terrible. Their passing was crisp and quick, outpacing the defense. But anything that wasn't a jump shot seemed to be a risky floater in the lane or a wild heave that hit anything and everything except the bottom of the net. Glass, rim, side of the backboard- that ball was going all over the place. Late in the game, they broke out a chaotic backcourt defense that might have rewarded them with turnovers at a different point of the game, instead of the cheap foul calls they got under the assumption that they were trying to foul.
Jadyn Bush got the unenviable job of defending the interior against G'mrice Davis (and to a lesser extent, Johanna Klug and Mary Goulding, plus whoever was inclined to drive). She ended up fouling out, and I'm not terribly surprised. I wasn't impressed with her positioning on the floor. I wouldn't have believed Nani Redford played 10 minutes if I didn't see it in the box score, so you can tell how impressed with her I was. Sydney Skinner played most of the game- it looked almost like senior privilege was invoked on this starting lineup, but that would be a fatalistic approach to take in a single-elimination tournament. Skinner's sort of a tweener- big body and isn't afraid to knock people over, but also likes to shoot from the outside. If I remember her year correctly, she's not a senior, so she's going to be big for them next season.
Someone else at the game compared Katie Benzan to Leilani Mitchell, and I can sort of see where they were going with this. She's very tiny (I'm not used to people being shorter than Lauren Holden) and very fast. Her jumper's pretty nice and she pulls up in the lane. But I don't see the same kind of passing eye from her on the break that I did from Mitchell. Benzan seems more ball dominant than Mitchell. I wouldn't be surprised if she considered Becky Hammon a role model. Taylor Rooks did a great job of getting open and staying open- we switched an awful lot to try and keep up with their passing. She's another odd-sized tweener, but she's got a nice jumper.
Kirby Porter didn't play much, and since she was inserted back into the game at the end when Fordham made the line change, I'm going to assume she started out of courtesy. Senior privilege is a thing. I think she was part of the frenetic end-game defense Harvard threw up as in desperation. I will save you all the bad graphic design/printing industry puns about rastering versus vector artwork, and merely say that Madeline Raster shoots well and had a solid all-around game. Jeannie Boehm was big on the inside, but had trouble handling passes.
I'm starting to think Harvard is used to getting the foul calls when they throw up those wild shots at the rim. There's no other reason for players as smart as Harvard students should be to do such stupid things on the floor.
Fordham got the chance to clear the bench in the final twenty seconds, to the point where one of the subs got delayed because you can't sub for the free throw shooter. The deep bench didn't get much of a chance to shine in those twenty seconds or so, so no, you're not getting individualized analyses, guys. Sorry. I don't know what Zara Jillings did to get benched in the first half, during a stretch when we could have used her defense, but I trust Coach Gaitley's judgment. She had a gorgeous pass to G'mrice on the inside, just when we thought she needed to shoot the damn ball. Kendell Heremaia made a nifty defensive play to recover a loose ball, then really started feeling her oats and launched a three. (Poor Kenny. Had to clean up all the balls from shootaround, and G kept firing them at her.)
Why, yes, I am worried about the fact that our starters played such heavy minutes that I can sum up the contributions of our bench in one not-huge paragraph.
I love the hustle Mary Goulding brings to the floor. She had one putback that I can only describe as utterly ridiculous, but if I did attempt to describe it, might sound something like "so the ball bounced off the rim, and Mary and another player were going up for it, and I think there were three hands on the ball and two of them were Mary's, and it sort of ended up being set into the basket". She brought a lot of grit on the glass, so I can forgive some of the moments I can only describe as derpy. I've never heard G'mrice Davis be so loud demanding the ball before- she was letting out the kind of whoops I usually make when the other team is at the free throw line. She went hard to the rack and met with heavy opposition, so she was putting up a lot of contested shots. She was bound and determined to get those rebounds, though. Johanna Klug looked slow all night. I think she ran into the freshman wall and never did figure out how to climb over it- when the offseason hits, she needs to get her act together.
I'm not used to Lauren Holden being taller than anyone on the floor, but she was bigger and taller than Benzan. She does tend to argue fouls, even when it's obvious she's pushing. There were a couple of moments when I thought she was starting to indulge her propensity to start chucking deep threes for the fun of it, but she restrained herself and ran more clock. I still have no idea how she managed to set an illegal screen, though. Not used to itty bitty guards setting screens. And then there was Bre Cavanaugh, who showed once again that the blood in her veins is as cold as ice. She took the game over in the third quarter, driving the lane and draining threes, and she was the one who put the game away at the end of the fourth. She saw that everyone was terrified to shoot and decided that she was going to take over. I just love what she already brings to the floor- and she's only a freshman, folks. Redshirt, but a freshman nevertheless.
I know Fordham likes to run a very deliberate offense, but there comes a point when you do have to shoot, and we lost sight of that in the second quarter. G'mrice getting caught with the ball to draw a shot clock violation right after she had a putback disallowed on not beating the buzzer was... yes, well, that summed up much of our offense at that point. And just when we got some momentum near the end of the second quarter, Harvard clamped down on defense and we started losing the ball. I really thought we were goners. But then Bre.
I think Fordham definitely got the benefit of the doubt from the officials, who were not good at procedural calls and let an awful lot of contact go.
Shoutout to the family in front of us, who led cheers with glorious enthusiasm (and later totally tried to pin the yelling on their kids). We needed them, and they answered the bell.
There was free pizza and apple pie, but the apple pie was from McDonalds, so I'm glad I passed. (Also, the new wraps at Subway are delicious.)
If Robert Morris had beaten Drexel, I'd have had an impetus to get these notes done sooner, because Fordham would have hosted the Colonials. But Drexel gets the homecourt advantage against the Rams, and I just don't have it in me to head to Philadelphia this weekend.
If this was the last time I ever got to see G'mrice Davis, then it was worth it. I hope it isn't, of course; I hope we beat the scales off Drexel and get homecourt advantage in the next round. But I love what we showed in this game, and I think it'll be important to carry forward both through the WNIT and into next year.
Saturday, March 17, 2018
March 16th, 2018: Harvard at Fordham (WNIT)
Monday, March 20, 2017
March 19th, 2017: Harvard at St. John's
Just the Facts, Ma’am: Clutch free throws and critical stops helped St. John’s hold off Harvard, 62-57. Aaliyah Lewis of St. John’s posted game-highs of 16 points and eight assists, with Maya Singleton adding 13 points and nine rebounds. Katie Benzan led the Crimson with 13 points and seven rebounds; classmate Jeannie Boehm notched 11 points and seven boards before fouling out.
For tortured puns, alumna assistance, promising underclassmen, an unfortunate silence, going for broke in senior year, and teams not wearing colors they’re named after, join your intrepid and mildly confused blogger after the jump.
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls! We’re coming to you on the usual delay, though hopefully not as protracted a one as last game. It’s the second round of the WNIT, and this time the Red Storm play host to the Crimson of Harvard.
It’s a nice touch that Harvard has their school’s academic motto on the back of their warm-up shirts. Something about the material or the printing is rubbing me the wrong way, though that might just be a Nike thing. Nike’s equipment doesn’t usually match up to Adidas or Under Armour.
Harvard gives off this air of going through the motions, like they don’t want to be in the WNIT but feel honor-bound to represent the Ivy League and their institution.
Hi, Sky! Oooh, that’s a faux pas, you are not supposed to wear team colors if you’re broadcasting the game, and that sleeveless top is perfect Johnny red. Don’t get me wrong, Sky’s making it look good, but I don’t think this is supposed to be a home team broadcast.
So far it appears that Harvard has not brought any spirit groups. Given the propensity for Ivy League bands to gravely offend opponents, I’m not completely sure that this was willingly.
At halftime St. John’s is up 32-26, after Harvard went on a second quarter run. Scoring is fairly balanced on both sides. Lots of people have five points each. Early foul trouble on Maya Singleton and Jade Walker led to a lot of small ball.
I don’t think I like Kendyl Nunn as a first option on offense for four straight possessions. It’s not even like you’re planning for next year doing that. She was channeling Amber Thompson for a while on the inside, though.
Joe. Do not ever wear blue plaid pants again. Burn them or sell them to a vintage store.
Shoutout to Shenneika Smith still helping the squad by trying to sweet-talk the ref into reversing an out-of-bounds call.
I think we’ve got some of Jade’s family behind us. They’ve been on the refs, especially when the First Rule of STJWBB comes into play.
I’m not feeling this remix/cover/mash-up of “It Takes Two”.
That was closer than I felt it needed to be. Every time we made a run, Harvard was ready with a long-range jumper or a good find in the paint. They never gave up. I’d like to appreciate that about them, but I don’t think I like them enough to do that. I think they’ve got a lot of potential for the next couple of years, though; they have some very good freshmen.
Somewhere, there is a joke buried about Taylor Rooks transferring from Stanford to Harvard- wanted to be on the winning side? not challenged enough by the academics?- but I am too tired to find it properly. She gave them some good minutes off the bench. I didn’t even realize Mackenzie Barta played, and now I’m curious if she’s related to the Barta at Gonzaga. Nani Redford was an offensive spark in the first half. I really liked the sophomore guard Sydney Skinner. She might need to trim down a little bit (though she does know how to throw her weight around) but she’s got a really good head for the game, and spent a lot of time being in the right place at the right time. She’s going to be big for them, if this game is anything like her regular play. She put together a nice defensive takeback after Akina Wellere got a rebound, one that led to a trey for the Crimson.
I work in print production, which means I do a lot of work with graphics. Somewhere, there is a convoluted joke involving raster art versus vector art that I could cleverly apply to Madeline Raster. But I can’t quite get there. She set up outside quite a bit. Kirby Porter got on the board early, but she did most of her work in the first quarter. I think she was the player shuffled out to get Skinner and Rooks more minutes, especially in the second half. Katie Benzan is fearless, and tiny. These are not necessarily well combined when a a 5-6 guard attempts to go against post players. She has incredible speed- she was driving our players nuts most of the day. Her release is really fast too, and she showed good range. If this game wasn’t the outlier, she’s going to be something special for them.
Destiny Nunley had a nifty deflection late in the game, and set a good pick to open up Redford for a three. I’m not okay with her taunting after a bad out-of-bounds call went Harvard’s way, though. The petty part of me wants to tell her to pull her shorts down, and the really petty part of me wants to say, “well, she just played her last game, so her shorts don’t matter”, but I recognize that this is exceptionally petty. She’s good, and she was pretty solid for them. Jeannie Boehm has a lot of potential. They posted her up well, and she took advantage of her height. She has better body control than I would expect from a long freshman forward- she contorted her way around the defense multiple times. She was very physical, to the point where our players were getting frustrated at the non-calls.
I’m not sure why Joe has suddenly started trusting Kendyl Nunn in the last few games of the season. Is he making up for lost time or something? I’m happy to see her getting time, I’m just surprised and a little confused. It worked the first two times, and then she started taking jumpers. This did not go well. Jordan Agustus got early runin the first quarter. It was a little awkward, but she looked a lot better going to the basket than she had earlier in the season. She actually passed up a bad shot and fired off a good pass to Aaliyah (who promptly missed the shot). Crystal Simmons brought the defense, and I feel like maybe she’s starting to feel more confident in her offense? That would be cool. I’m worried about Andrayah Adams, though. She looks like she’s taken a step back.
After Jade Walker picked up the second foul in the first quarter, Joe sat her for the rest of the first half. Harvard sent the defense at her and never really let her get comfortable. She had a couple of strong post moves, but this wasn’t her day. It didn’t really need to be, though. Maya Singleton was efficient, though it was painfully clear that she doesn’t have a jump shot. That rather limits her offensive effectiveness if she can’t get at the basket. She makes so many great plays with her strength, though. Do not mess with Miss Maya.
I think I said this on Friday, and I’m going to say it again: Alisha Kebbe’s not going to take your breath away. She’s not going to be the star of the show. But she does everything, and she does it well. I especially love her nose for loose balls. The only thing I really worry about for her is durability- she’s been injured, and she seems to cramp up easily. (Da’Shena Stevens had similar problems, if I recall correctly- maybe now that Day is Coach Stevens, she can provide advice?) Aaliyah Lewis got a little jumper-happy, and I’m not sure how I feel about her becoming a primary offensive option this late in the game. You take what the defense gives you and all that, but I get the sense that she’s trying to go out with a bang. The season is finite; its absolute end is determined, and it can be cut even shorter at a moment’s notice. Akina Wellere has to work on her inside game, and on her handle, but she was great on help defense. That’s good to see out of her; much of her game has been, or at least has seemed to be, focused on the offensive side of the ball. I love when offensive catalysts find that second gear on defense. (See: Crystal Robinson.)
We were just stalwart enough against Harvard. The decision to go small for stretches was interesting. I think it gave Harvard too much momentum at the end of the first half. But Harvard in turn committed a grave error late in the game by having someone with four fouls marking Aaliyah; they lost about twenty seconds because they didn’t dare have Benzan foul and foul out.
Officiating was a pile of hot garbage, though I think Jade’s family might have influenced my perceptions slightly. On the other hand, I’m fairly certain booty-bouncing one’s opponent is supposed to be frowned upon. I was uncomfortable with the type of physicality that was being allowed- trips and elbows are not cool. And I don’t know what Destiny Nunley did that had Aaliyah riled up, but when Aaliyah looks like she’s about to slap the taste out of someone’s mouth, something has gone wrong.
Survive and advance. That’s the name of the game. Survive and advance. On the road we go now, to see familiar faces in unfamiliar places, and thank the sweet hypothetical baby Jesus I don’t have to choose in person between the team I love and the friends I’ve made. (No, I’m not going to Ann Arbor. Not at this point.)
Thursday, March 20, 2014
March 20th, 2014: Harvard at Iona
Just the Facts, Ma'am: An offensive explosion in the second half powered Iona to a 12-point comeback- but Christine Clark went coast to coast and gave Harvard the first-round win with 00.8 seconds left, 90-89. Damika Martinez led the Gaels with 29 points, while Aleesha Powell added 21 points and six assists off the bench. Temi Fagbenle had 26 points and eight rebounds to pace Harvard; Erin McDonnell had 24 points and seven assists.
For offensive outbursts, a sudden stylistic shift, so many shots, the potential misuse of endowments, a moment of inattention, gritting it out, and fond farewells, join your intrepid and exhausted blogger after the jump.
Good evening, fellow travelers! As it turns out, your intrepid blogger isn't as done with college basketball this season as we all thought. Knoxville is a little rich for my blood, but when both Seton Hall and Iona are hosting first round games, well, what's an intrepid blogger to do but go say hi to some friends in New Rochelle? I hit my connections like the fist of a vengeful god, and made it from southwestern Queens to Grand Central in 40 minutes flat. I even bought maroon pants for the occasion. (The fact that they and others of their ilk were on clearance played into it too, I admit.)
$6. Much better, Iona.
We've got a bench priest tonight. Father, put in a couple of good words with your Boss for us?
The –insert-team-name-here- Way shirts are pretty boss by adidas. I kind of need all of them in my life.
Spencer Gray really does bear an eerie resemblance to Kia Wright. I keep doing a double-take when I see her.
I think Haley's family is across from the bench tonight. I'm not expecting Damika's or Aleesha's, though. Stupid weeknight game. There's maybe 50 people here. Maybe. I haz a sad. Of course, one of those 50 people is a creepy old dude who does not take me moving away as a hint that I do not wish to continue conversation with him. (All right, we got us some reinforcements. Either Haley or Christina's family has arrived.) (And Damika's family arrived too! Right after she committed a dumb turnover, of course.)
At halftime, Harvard is up 36-33 behind hot shooting from Erin McDonnell (10 points) and excellent rebounding on both ends of the floor. We have had a lot of trouble boxing out. The dude ref is not particularly competent. Down by contact is not a WCBB rule, dude, no matter how Christine Clark sells that touch on Sabrina Jeridore. We need to stop standing there watching shots. We don't have pretty enough shots to do that. Damika Martinez has 13 for the Gaels, who have seven triples at halftime. Live by the three, die by the three. It's a dangerous high, and not one that this team is made to sustain.
Why are you jacking my style, Iona? You're not Storm. You're the wrong kind of Gaels for "Thunderstruck".
It's hard to gauge whether I would have missed it for the world, knowing what I know now, feeling my heart lying shattered in my chest and my fingers freezing because the 9:03 was early and the 9:33 is late. We did things I've never seen a team do, we found seven minutes of fire and blood and rained down threes like a judgment from heaven, we held our own and held down our homecourt... and we wrecked it in the 5.3 seconds it took Christine Clark to race coast-to-coast untouched, undefended, unchallenged, uncontested, and toss in the game-winning lay-up. And something in our bleachers died, something in our hearts turned to ash, and one of the greatest seasons in Iona history ended with a late Damika Martinez heave that went under the backboard and nailed a student worker.
I'm a bit embittered by Harvard- someone from their team, possibly even the coach (they were calling her Kathy) was talking about how many players they were missing due to injury or illness, this starter and that starter, and I'm standing in the cold waiting for my cab and thinking, You won the game. Christine Clark pulled that game out of her... hat... for you, and you're making excuses. Take the win, shut up, and move on.
Kit Metoyer gave good minutes, especially in the second half- she had a couple of big threes to keep Harvard in it. Elise Gordon was one of the first players off the bench in the first half, but I don't think she played much, and I don't think she came back in in the second half. As you can see, she didn't make much of an impression. Anne Marie Healy brought a little bit of size in the middle, making the baseline uncomfortable for Iona's players and shutting down drives- she had a vicious block of (I think) Aleesha Powell that spurred a Harvard break.
Erin McDonnell, where were you hiding at the St. John's game? I think I would have remembered a big blonde dead-eye shooter. I don't remember the passing that the assists indicate, but she was superb at finding or making space. Ali Curtis didn’t play a lot- I think Harvard realized the advantage they had with McDonnell and Healy in the game, and went big while Iona went small. It was an interesting combination of schemes. Jasmine Evans didn't get the rolls, but wow, did she have a fast first step, especially on defense. She cut a lot of lanes off. The better part of me is glad that Christine Clark is back for the Crimson after the injury she suffered at St. John's. Most of me did not appreciate the sheer number of calls she got in her favor (how different would this game have been if her tackle on Sabrina was called, and thence the foul on Aleesha's and-1 was her fifth?). She's a gamer and a fighter, no doubt about it, but I don't know that the best of her was on display this evening. Temi Fagbenle, on the other hand, showed off all her skills- going to the rack, the free throw line jumper, defense down low and up high, rebounding in the lane, even the occasional bit of ball-handling. I like the way she moves and the way she uses her length. About the only thing she didn't do well was hit her free throws, which I was totally okay with.
Harvard killed on the boards (no SAT/ACT jokes, please). They swarmed the glass and boxed out hard.
Aaliyah Robinson was the microwave tonight, firing off threes like they were nothing from the corner, especially in the second half. That comeback doesn't happen without Aaliyah. It also doesn't happen without Aleesha Powell. Unlike most of her teammates- most of whom are taller and bigger than she is- she drove inside fearlessly and went to the basket. That's how she got the team's only free throws, and why she almost won them the game. The funny thing is that I thought every sngle one of her shots was short, or off, or a bad idea, and then she hit them, and it was all good. Aleesha has that knack. She also picked up a pretty steal in the second half, getting into the passing lane for the break. I think it's a break we screwed up, but it was a break anyway.
Didn't see a lot of Sabrina Jeridore in the second half, but that was probably for the best, to be honest. She had a couple of big blocks, but her insistence on crossing the basket to take shots bit her in the ass a couple of times, and she looked distinctly disinterested in boxing out or playing defense. She didn't look like a player who was potentially playing in her last collegiate game. Haley D'Angelo tried to do too much on the offensive end- shooting is not her game and she forced too many shots, but she found her teammates on the wing, and I'll never, ever doubt her heart. There was a point late in the second half where she cramped up bad- you could see it cross her face, and she signaled that a sub needed to get up. Two possessions, one on each side of the floor, passed before there was a stoppage and the sub could get up. Wincing, moving with little hop-steps, Haley stayed in position on her man. She swung out of the way on offense, but her team needed her on defense, and she did her job. Cassidee Ranger was effective in the first half, but Harvard figured out that she needs space, if not time, to shoot, and stayed just close enough on her to make her life miserable. Joy Adams showed a distressing propensity to try to go to the right under the basket, and it cost her both shot attempts and baskets. She spends too much time bringing the ball down low- for heaven's sake, Joy, you're a long, lanky forward, keep the ball up! Damika Martinez was on fire, getting every roll, making all her good shots and a fair number of her bad ones. She made stupid defensive plays and bad passes, but made up for all of that with the shooting.
Someone found the switch at about the ten-minute mark. Suddenly, we were boxing out. The threes that we'd temporarily lost were falling again. We were playing defense. We were driving and dishing. For seven minutes, we were the MAAC mommas and no one could stand in our way. We let them back in, and then we fought back. We thought we had it when Aleesha finished the three-point play. We looked too far ahead.
The officiating didn't help, either. It's never fair to blame the officiating, but Joseph Vaszily made a lot of calls favorable to Harvard and few favorable to Iona, so you can imagine my eyebrows shooting up here. The 'down by contact' call was mentioned earlier. Fagbenle got away with a fair number of travels, too.
We rocked those bleachers. We did what we could for our team. I wish there was some way we could have done more. But now we're just left wondering. One guarded Fagbenle jumper. One more free throw. One more lay-up. One more hand up. One more whistle. One more play. One more would have meant one more round, one more night, one more game. One more. Instead, there's nothing more.
Thank you, Haley and Sabrina, for helping this program rise, for your years and your minutes and your time. Thank you, Sabrina, for four years of blocks and rebounds and defense. Thank you, Haley, for five years of leadership and hustle and sweet passes.
Christina, Aleesha, Aaliyah: it's going to take all of you to fill that void, to be the leaders, to find the right player at the right time, even if that player's not you. Spencer, I know you've got the defensive heart and grit.
Aurellia, Karynda: someone's got to be the big body in the middle so Joy can slide around. Your time is coming. Prove yourselves.
Damika, Joy: you're not secrets anymore. You're the stars, the inside-outside punch that powers this team. We need you to be those stars, faster, better, stronger next season.
We ain't dead yet. We'll be back. Watch out, Marist. Watch out, MAAC. There's a Gael force stirring again in the east.
Sunday, December 1, 2013
December 1st, 2013: Harvard at St. John's
Just the Facts, Ma'am: A crucial Crimson injury led to a big St. John's run, and the Red Storm came away with the 81-76 win over Harvard. Aliyyah Handford led all scorers with 25; Aaliyah Lewis added 19 points, five assists, and five steals. Temi Fagbenle notched 20 points and eight rebounds for Harvard.
For big plays, big games, unexpected boons, drama, and potential heartbreak, join your intrepid and distressingly hungry blogger after the jump.
We're serious about basketball never stopping. That's why, thirteen hours or so after our last game, we're back in the saddle, home again at Carnesecca Arena for the Red Storm's home match against the Crimson of Harvard (though they're wearing black, so it's currently a bit of a misnomer).
I really like Selina's shirt, or at least the shade of it. A closer look at the cut makes it less my style, because we all know everything's about me. At least the team's practicing free throws this time. I got tired of seeing them come off the rim.
There's a small group here supporting Sandra, which is nice. She's a good kid.
The band is really on their game today. Solid anthem, and a great band arrangement of "Let It Rock" (the Kevin Rudolf song).
Would that I could say the same for my Johnnies. Harvard's up 36-30. Fouls have been an issue- the differential was 12-8, and that's with a couple of late ones called on the Crimson. Elise Gordon has made her presence felt in the middle with 11 points for Harvard. Aliyyah Handford has 13 hard ones for St. John's, with Aaliyah Lewis contributing seven.
That shouldn't have had to be as dramatic a game as it was, and I feel a little bad for Harvard because of it- I think losing Christine Clark was a blow that they couldn't completely get over, though they put together a good run after St. John's surged out to an eight-point lead.
Elise Gordon was tough in the middle, throwing her weight around without fear. She saw less time in the second half, but was effective when she played. Jasmine Evans went hard to the basket, drawing fouls on her drives. Shilpa Tummala came on late with her shooting, though she seems to have a fondness for the fadeaway that doesn't suit her. She went out late after a rough collision with a St. John's defender- we thought it was an ankle injury, but the ice was closer to her knee. She ended up having to prop her foot on a redshirt's lap because they ran out of room on the bench. AnnMarie Healy canned a quick three, but I don't remember anything else she did.
Christine Clark really is the heart, soul, and captain of her team. She rebounded well inside for a guard. She was a key scorer for them in the first half. She makes them go. When she went out with the foot injury, it was like the team collapsed without her. And it was a bad foot injury. The shoe came off and stayed off, and feet should not be that red. I wish her all the best. Temi Fagbenle moved with a smooth grace on the inside, setting picks in the high post and putting soft shots in the basket. She stepped it up in the second half when her team needed someone. Melissa Mullins had a resounding block in the first half, and always seemed to be in the way of rebounds. Erin McDonnell showed off a little outside touch, which she might have been able to make more use of against a team like St. John's- our posts aren't used to stepping outside and dealing with forwards who can take the three. Hand-checks and picks got to her in the second half. Ali Curtis seemed to be the designated fouler when the foul derby began. She also had a pretty little shot in the lane.
I never thought I'd say this, but Mallory Jones was a huge part of why we won this game. She hit outside shots to open up the paint that Harvard was clogging, and with her build, she was able to make space on the inside. Watching her run a fast break is still somewhat of an oxymoron, but she came through with the skills we needed from her. Sandra Udobi was outmatched in the post. She tried hard, but it was clear that she was in over her head. Jade Walker gave some good minutes off the bench, but she too looked like she was in over her head with Harvard's forwards. Keylantra Langley only hit her shots when it counted, which is what I keep telling people- she only hits shot when the clock is running down, that should be the only time she's allowed to shoot. She was good defensively, too, called upon to counter the Crimson's outside attack.
Ashley Perez looked scared out of her mind out there. Does she not think she's ready for the responsibility? We needed her in the second half, and whether she was injured or just off her game, we couldn't bring her in. Amber Thompson was strong inside, though she had issues finishing, and two of her fouls were ill-considered (though the fifth was cheap- legit, but cheap). She got the crowd roaring early on with a resounding, emphatic leaping block of a three-pointer. Briana Brown had to deal with foul trouble, but she's still the captain, and she came up with a big three late in the game to stretch the lead. Aliyyah Handford had a little more trouble than usual getting into the lane in the first half, but was more successful in finding the seams in the second half, also turning steals into offense. I kind of wish she'd find a jump shot, but she's only a sophomore, I'm sure that'll come in time. Today was Aaliyah Lewis's coming out party. She saw that Aliyyah was having trouble getting going in the first half and became more assertive about looking for her shot. She backed off it a little bit in the second half, but at that point she started to use her quick hands and blazing speed to hit fast break lay-ups. She looked good.
A lot of contact under the basket went uncalled. We were unamused. The fouls didn't seem evenly distributed; then again, I was wondering whether Briana Brown was going to get called for her fifth.
Appropriate that one of the Chuck-a-Duck prize winners today was a guy in a BC cap (given that the proceeds go to a Boston College alumna's care).
Good crowd for a non-conference game. Hope they keep coming back.
On to Auburn- let's hope we have better luck with this SEC foe.
Friday, March 20, 2009
March 20th, 2009: Harvard at St. John's (WNIT)
St. John's Red Storm 83, Harvard Crimson 60
Da'Shena Stevens turns on the afterburners, and Red beats Crimson in a battle of shades.
I think what I am coming to love most about Da'Shena Stevens is that she is so damn determined never to lose. That's going to be so important in the next few years, assuming she doesn't make the same mistake as Kia Wright and let her emotions get the best of her.
Harvard brought a pretty decent-sized fan contingent. They brought signs. I couldn't help but think of the Eddie Izzard sketch. "Have you got a flag?" I think "Have you got a sign?" is the basketball roadie's equivalent. However, the guy that threw the rally towel back on the court is a jerk, and I curse him with a murrain.
The good news is that the horrible anthem singer of games past did not butcher the anthem. The bad news is that the St. John's band did. I think going to Ivy League games has spoiled me for fun marching bands.
Harvard, much like Dartmouth, has a lot of long, lanky players. Their offense mostly went through Emma Markley, who has the kind of aggressive presence I'm not used to seeing in the Ivy League. She wants the ball and isn't afraid to call for it. I like her. She made her mark on the game, no pun intended. I also really liked Emily Tay. She's got a nice build, she's got a nice shot, and she brings good on-ball defense. She had one wicked block in particular on what was going to be a great fast break for St. John's. Brogan Berry was the kind of pest you expect someone to be if they're six inches shorter than everyone else on the floor, not when they're five-eight. Christine Matera brought red-hot shooting off the bench, canning threes all over the place- she finished with four triples. Emma Moretzsohn somehow doesn't look intimidatingly huge, despite being 6'7" and therefore four inches taller than anyone else on the floor. I think it's because she's slightly built. Harvard has a very communicative team. I heard the players and the coaches being verbally involved with the game constantly. I like that a lot in basketball, and I think it encouraged our ladies to start talking to each other, which has been one of their major problems this season.
Off-court amusements: Coco's hair exploded. Sky gets her dance moves from her mother- it was particularly hilarious when they were both dancing to "Let It Rock". During one shot during shootaround, Sky came down really weirdly on one foot and just started cracking up.
Da'Shena started off hot, then cooled off, then decided, "Fuck this, I'm taking over." in the second half. Twenty points, all on two-pointers; not a bad haul, all things considered. Good hands, too. Not a great night for Joy, but it didn't have to be, with the minutes we got from Recee and Victoria. Yes, Victoria. I nearly fell off the bleachers when KBA brought V in with ten and a half minutes to go. And we all burst into wild applause and whoops of joy when she hit her first two shots and got fouled on both. The free throw shooting is a problem. Victoria, may I suggest hanging around Kelly for that? She's the only reliable FT shooter we have left. But I'm really, really glad she's starting to get into the flow of games. We're going to need her next year. Sheree kept making things happen. She's a very energetic player, and though her enthusiasm sometimes gets the better of her, she's an asset to the team. Kelly didn't find her groove until the second half, but she had the most dynamic play of the game. Sky pulled the trigger a bit quickly sometimes, I thought, but overall she didn't have a bad game. Solid bench play tonight, too. Well, Coco was Coco- if there's a dumb mistake to be made, she'll make it- but other than that we got really good bench play. Kristin played a few good minutes. Britney took a little while to get into the flow- she made a couple of dumb freshman mistakes, and then almost got broken on a three-pointer, but she got herself straightened out eventually. Recee played tough, and I think she changed the complexion of the game, especially when she and Victoria were in- Dartmouth wanted to get physical, but when we came with the bigs, they couldn't answer, because their posts were tall and skinny.
Kia Wright was at the game- she's been at quite a few of them, actually, but she brought a really bad haircut to this one. Some of the recruits were behind the bench. Monique McLean was wandering around. This last made me want to hit something with my clipboard.
So it's on to Hartford now. Anyone wanna give me a lift? I'll pay gas money.
There will eventually be pictures here, as there are for St. John's games, but it might take longer than usual. Be patient. It's tourney time.