[Viking_Guy]

I have to say at this point I do not want Marta on the floor for long stretches against good teams. Not just 0-2, but that Stanford is playing 4 on 5 in any half court offense. And with Johnson, who we really need for post defense and rebounding, it's 3 on 5. 81A, I think that's the explanation for Johnson's limited minutes, but we had Alanna at the 4 for the most part (doing the 4 on offense, 3 on defense thing at points.)

Ucla ignored Sniezek whenever she didn't have the ball in hand; late in the game, she was standing in the right corner when the ball was on the left side; "her" defender was 5 feet from doubling McCall on the left block. Every Bruin defender was either in or on the near side of the lane.

And at one point in the fourth quarter, Stanford, still in the game, had a 3 on 2 break with their PG with the ball in her hands attacking the left wing. The two defenders split - one going with Samuelson to the left corner, the other fronting McCall on the far block.

Sniezek stopped at the three point line - with NO ONE guarding her or stepping into her path - and passed the ball to a guarded Samuelson.  You have to drive there - draw the defender on McCall and dish, or finish the layup if she backs off.  Instead, they end up playing half court offense against a recovered UCLA d.

It would also be another thing if her defense made up for it. But while she has lightning-quick hands, she has to get tight on defense for them to be effective - and then gets blown by into the lane far too easily. Not to mention going under picks far too readily.

And defense was the difference tonight.  The offense, while intermittent, scored 76 points.  That should be enough to win.  A constant inability to deny penetration, leading to fouls, or defenses rotating to help and leaving shooters, killed us.  Guards going under screens and ending up three feet behind Canada was not a good look.  If you go under the screen, you better be able to get in front of the player driving, because you're conceding the jumper.

Tara - why no zone against a team with one or maybe 1.5 good outside shooters, especially when no one could stay in front of Canada?  Why did our posts never hedge against Canada driving to her left off a pick? And why oh why such a short bench? I would've loved to have seen more of Carrington for energy, or more of Fingall, who actually had an effective run of play against the zone the Bruins showed.

I hope Bri is okay, because I think she needs to play the bulk of the minutes at the point against good teams from now on.

VG

[Viking_Guy]

I have to say at this point I do not want Marta on the floor for long stretches against good teams. Not just 0-2, but that Stanford is playing 4 on 5 in any half court offense. And with Johnson, who we really need for post defense and rebounding, it's 3 on 5. 81A, I think that's the explanation for Johnson's limited minutes, but we had Alanna at the 4 for the most part (doing the 4 on offense, 3 on defense thing at points.)

Ucla ignored Sniezek whenever she didn't have the ball in hand; late in the game, she was standing in the right corner when the ball was on the left side; "her" defender was 5 feet from doubling McCall on the left block. Every Bruin defender was either in or on the near side of the lane.

And at one point in the fourth quarter, Stanford, still in the game, had a 3 on 2 break with their PG with the ball in her hands attacking the left wing. The two defenders split - one going with Samuelson to the left corner, the other fronting McCall on the far block.

Sniezek stopped at the three point line - with NO ONE guarding her or stepping into her path - and passed the ball to a guarded Samuelson.  You have to drive there - draw the defender on McCall and dish, or finish the layup if she backs off.  Instead, they end up playing half court offense against a recovered UCLA d.

It would also be another thing if her defense made up for it. But while she has lightning-quick hands, she has to get tight on defense for them to be effective - and then gets blown by into the lane far too easily. Not to mention going under picks far too readily.

And defense was the difference tonight.  The offense, while intermittent, scored 76 points.  That should be enough to win.  A constant inability to deny penetration, leading to fouls, or defenses rotating to help and leaving shooters, killed us.  Guards going under screens and ending up three feet behind Canada was not a good look.  If you go under the screen, you better be able to get in front of the player driving, because you're conceding the jumper.

Tara - why no zone against a team with one or maybe 1.5 good outside shooters, especially when no one could stay in front of Canada?  Why did our posts never hedge against Canada driving to her left off a pick? And why oh why such a short bench? I would've loved to have seen more of Carrington for energy, or more of Fingall, who actually had an effective run of play against the zone the Bruins showed.

I hope Bri is okay, because I think she needs to play the bulk of the minutes at the point against good teams from now on.

VG