Watch the Devils.
Watch the Devils.
Student section isn't nearly full. Kinda disappointing...I'd say ~500 students...funny how Rebecca Lobo is lauding the Crazies as I type...
Last edited by Bluedog; 01-28-2008 at 07:15 PM.
Game was tied at the half... UT has now opened the second half with 4 unanswered (37-33).
The locks on Joe Alleva's office should be changed tonight.
ABBY! ABBY! ABBY!
FOR THREE!!!!!!
TIED UP at 64!!!
LGD!!!!
gah...TN up 2...4.1 sec left...TN ball...I still believe!
What the HECK was that at the end!?!?!?! Chante Black not know there was only 3.4 seconds left?!?!?!?!!? TOUGH GAME, but INEXCUSABLE ending...i'm sorry. Obviously, tough to go the length of the court in 3.4 sec, but she just stood with the ball for like 2 sec so that obviously made it impossible...very odd. Especially with a timeout remaining. I don't get it.
Color me totally unimpressed with JM's management of the last five minutes of the game. She left Waner on the bench for far too long. Then, coming out of a time-out, Waner, baseball-style from 54 is the best the team can do?
This finish really couldn't have been worse. Black's freeze-frame was bad, but when the second FT went through the net, it was already clear from the herky-jerky, uncertain movements of the team that they were terribly uncertain of what they were doing. Again, How??? How do you not run the play there that you've practiced hundreds of times; you know, the one where you need to go the length of the floor off an in-bounds pass with under 4 to go? Am I making a bad assumption?
A number of ugly plays. On the other hand, it is hard for me to join into the chorus of "woe is us, all is lost, that horrible coach P, etc." We just played the #2 team in the country to the last few seconds of a game. A couple of blown offensive chances go differently and we would all be celebrating our new phenomenal coach. Chill out.
Ya, I agree. It was a pretty solidly played game...I didn't mean to suggest otherwise. I was just posting in the heat of the moment. Overall, it was a solid effort, just the last few seconds were not as planned. Abby didn't have the greatest shooting night, but hit a clutch three at the end. Chante Black also played pretty well. And we held Candace Parker to 4 of 13 shooting, but unfortunately, she went to the line so often and shot 9/12 there. Obviously, rebounding was the difference tonight. 40-29 and the second chance points just kill ya. But, this team has improved mightily from the beginning of the season, and this game just showed that we can beat ANYBODY in the country. It's not so bleak, IMO.
This is a tough one, Allen. I wouldn't consider my attitude one of woe, but of great vexation. It's certainly a solid accomplishment to play so competitively with the #2 team, and to do such a good overall job on the best player in the country. But there were some really, really glaring problems down the stretch that I would like some answers on (not that I'm entitled to them, just saying). How, after Duke ties it late, can Parker be guarded so cavalierly? When Parker flashed to the ball, the defender was very, very unaggressive. The UT wing was actually quite late in recognizing Parker, and yet still Black had not bodied Parker from behind, nor was she attempting to dive in and deny the entry pass. Then after CP finally receives the ball, she is allowed the baseline without even having to make a great move.
The offensive movement down the stretch was virtually non-existant. Waner's last two looks came from two feet or more beyond the arc (thankfully she converted one), and the other stretch look was the tough reverse lay-up she missed coming out of a time-out.
I agree with a previous poster that the team looked very, very disjointed. I'm perfectly willing to chalk a lot of that up to a new coach developing new chemistry. But there are certain tactical aspects of the game that aren't--or at least shouldn't be--as chemistry dependent as others. I do expect that the chemistry will improve over the remainder of the season, but that won't mitigate against how bad things were down the stretch tonight.
So I'm not some lunatic after Coach P's head, just a little concerned right now, that's all.
To be continued...
I also agree; I've been very willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, since the first season with a new coach is hard on everyone, but there have just been some persistent glaring weaknesses that are troubling. I'm not ready to attribute their problems to the players hating Coach P or anything, just wondering what the heck is up, and hoping they really gel before this season is over. 'Cause dang, that game was painful to watch.
Here are the facts:
* Duke had 11 OBoards, but got 0 second chance points
* Tenn had 13 OBoards, but got 21 second chance points
* Duke missed 5 free throws, but lost by 3
Another Stat:
Wal-Mart Bags = Hornbuckle 0-4 from the line
No Wal-Mart Bags = Hornbuckle 4-4 from the line
No Wal-Mart Bags + Hornbuckle 4-4 from the line = Tenn 3 point win
I'm sure Pat can sleep well tonight knowing she had to stoop to such low and drastic measures in order to get a win...
Spoiled, whiney fans. I thought it was a great effort by our team. They are improving by leaps and bounds. I was there, and believe me, they played with passion and intensity. I am very proud of my team!
I felt there was a lack of cohesiveness and singlemindedness of purpose by the Duke women in this game. They didn't seem to be playing or working together.
I too was perplexed by the last "attempt" to score and their management of time, but then they looked ragged throughout the game to me. Some of the most awkward attempts at shooting I have seen in a long time, especially under the basket. It is rare that you can score directly under the basket by shooting "straight up."
Defense sparkled at times, but the offense left a heck of lot to be desired. I think they should have worked on trying to get more people open for three's and short jumpers. It was awful inside!
I wonder mostly about the apparent "lack of drive" that seemed to be in evidence tonight. Some very talented athletes running around with little apparent "team purpose."
I love and support our women, but god is it hard to watch them at times! Downright painful!!
Frankly, I was surprised that the game was within reach. Had Tenn played a just a tad better, I think it would have been a blowout. Maybe next time...eh what?
Go Duke!!
The team purpose was to play team defense- which the did well tonight. Duke's offense, mostly shooting, has been off. Waner is in a huge shooting slump from beyond the arc. Duke played a gutty performance particularly with Black under the weather. Perhaps not having Black at 100% affected what they did on O- but their D was intense all night long.
Considering all those second chance points duke gave up and the open looks abby missed that she probably would've knocked down last year, I think its hard to complain too much about this loss. A few things go differently and we win the game. There was definitely a lot of things Duke did well and I thought the heart and the hustle was there for sure. If I was on the Lady Vols I wouldn't be all that eager to take on Duke again in the tournament.
This may be a "readjusting" year or whatever you want to call it with the new coach, new system, etc, but I think we have showed that we can and will play anyone tough.