2019-20 DWBB Season

[TomJoad]

Thanks for being our eyes. From those of us in foreign lands.

[CameronBornAndBred]

The band has been so fun to watch. Kudos to those folks for being awesome. They look like blue and white popcorn.

[Stray Gator]

Congrats to the Duke women on a gutsy win!

[chrishoke]

DUKE wins!

[CameronBornAndBred]

Smart play by Duke in OT, it was nice to see a tight game (that we were losing in) finished well.
This was a GOOD WIN! It was also a must win, but beyond that, this was a really good win. VT is a good team, and this was a nice end to a great weekend. Hopefully the women use this moving forward. Lord knows they needed the confidence.

72 - 67 finish.

[chrishoke]

Bizarre play w/ 35 seconds left and the shot clock down to 4, the VPI coach calls time out just as his player shoots and makes a tying three that doesn't count.

[sagegrouse]

Duke wins, 72-67.

Headline: McCallie out-coached VT's Kenny Brooks! Well, not exactly -- he made big mistakes in OT -- calling a time-out just as a player was launching the tying three-pointer and then, immediately thererafter, sending his team back on the court with no knowledge that there was only four seconds on the shot clock, resulting in a shot-clock violation.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Bizarre play w/ 35 seconds left and the shot clock down to 4, the VPI coach calls time out just as his player shoots and makes a tying three that doesn't count.

I laughed. Out loud. That was a bomb she nailed, too.

[burnspbesq]

Double-double for Gorecki (17 and 12).

Duke forced 18 turnovers while committing only 13.

Stat of the day is bench scoring: Duke 39, VPISU 5.

[DukieInKansas]

Thanks for the update. I'm working at church and opted to listen to the Chiefs playoff game. It's a wild one so far.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Double-double for Gorecki (17 and 12).

Duke forced 18 turnovers while committing only 13.

Stat of the day is bench scoring: Duke 39, VPISU 5.

I might be wrong, but the first I saw of our second (tied for) leading scorer was her entrance in the 2nd quarter. I don't understand P's reasoning for sitting Goodchild on the bench, maybe it was disciplinary. But she also sat lots in the last few games, and she's proven (both at UVA and tonight against VT) that we need her on the court.

[CameronBornAndBred]

DWBB's record is now 8-8, 2-3 in conference. I don't have any delusions about us making the tourney, but with that being said our next run is perfect timing. This includes our first game against ND, who is not the ND of the last few years.
ND @ home (1/16)
@Clemson (1/19)
@Syracuse (1/23)
GT @ home (1/26)

That's a lot of games in a compact schedule, but if the team is focused for at least three quarters in each contest, I could see us going 3/4 in that stretch. That is a BIG if, however, with Boykin healthy and playing well and Odom back on the court, it's doable.

[buddy]

Bench scoring state is deceptive. Williams, Goodchild, and Boykin did not start. Boykin had a career high 14 (admittedly a small sample size). With Boykin back we have a surfeit of serviceable guards, but a dearth of useful bigs. I think P is searching for the right combination. Unfortunately Leonna picked to day to go on walk about. Goodchild gave a needed boost off the bench when she entered in the second quarter. Boykin led the 4th quarter comeback but was guilty of playing hero (or should it be heroine?) ball. To her credit P pulled her off the floor for a brief moment during OT and counseled her about it. Don't know if it took, but they did win. Williams hit an uncontested 3 early, then decided she was really a 3-pt shooter. To my untrained eye she (1) spent too much time on offense drifting toward the 3-pt line, and (2) on defense too often let VT's center set up down low with Williams behind her in the arc, where it is really hard to defend. But Williams did have a good rebounding game. The addition of a healthy Boykin gives this team more offensive firepower, but means having to work in a new piece halfway through the regular season. Duke is going to be small this year. Akinbode-James is still raw with limited offensive skills. Hopefully she develops. Team could have folded when down 9 early in the 4th, but rallied together and (with the exception of a few hero ball plays from Boykin--some of which resulted in improbable makes) played enough offense and really stepped up the defense. Next is Notre Dame, a tough match but not your usual ND bunch. At least it's home.

[uh_no]

DWBB's record is now 8-8, 2-3 in conference. I don't have any delusions about us making the tourney, but with that being said our next run is perfect timing. This includes our first game against ND, who is not the ND of the last few years.
ND @ home (1/16)
@Clemson (1/19)
@Syracuse (1/23)
GT @ home (1/26)

That's a lot of games in a compact schedule, but if the team is focused for at least three quarters in each contest, I could see us going 3/4 in that stretch. That is a BIG if, however, with Boykin healthy and playing well and Odom back on the court, it's doable.

if we beat ND, I'll run up and down chapel drive naked..._{offer not valid on days ending in "day"}

This one's for you klemnop!

[CameronBornAndBred]

if we beat ND, I'll run up and down chapel drive naked..._{offer not valid on days ending in "day"}

This one's for you klemnop!

This year, you have better odds. Get your sunscreen out.

[Phredd3]

(with the exception of a few hero ball plays from Boykin--some of which resulted in improbable makes)

To me, it looked like those "hero ball" plays were coach-called isolations to get her one-on-one with Mabrey, who lacks some of the lateral quickness that Mikayla has. I'm pretty sure Mikayla did not call bank on the one, but other two looked like open shots that Mikayla created and drilled as designed.

[TKG]

if we beat ND, I'll run up and down chapel drive naked..._{offer not valid on days ending in "day"}

This one's for you klemnop!

You’re on your own with bail.

[Phredd3]

Headline: McCallie out-coached VT's Kenny Brooks! Well, not exactly -- he made big mistakes in OT -- calling a time-out just as a player was launching the tying three-pointer and then, immediately thererafter, sending his team back on the court with no knowledge that there was only four seconds on the shot clock, resulting in a shot-clock violation.

This sequence literally cost them the game. The miracle three - which came from 25+ feet just after the whistle blew - you can write off as unfortunate luck. But the fact that their primary ball handler had no idea that the shot clock was winding down *after* the timeout is inexcusable. They should have at least had the opportunity to try for another miracle shot and run a few more seconds off the clock, plus a rebounding opportunity if the shot didn't go down the second time. That was an epic fail.

[AustinDevil]

Glad we won!

[Gooch]

Excellent win by Duke today! Kind of random that I caught the end of the game, and glad I did!

I will admit that I haven’t watched DWBB at all this year, and don’t watch much women’s basketball, but I live in CT and get exposed to the UConn women a fair amount. From watching how athletic and skilled our key players are, I would concur with the general negative sentiment toward Coach McCallie on the board. Seems like we should be better than our current record. It also seemed like our offense was undisciplined at times, which I would typically put on the coach. I was impressed, though, with our defense—so many times we forced VT into late-shot-clock situations.

Hopefully there will be a coaching change coming and the new coach will get the most out of these talented players and bring DWBB back to greatness!