My impressions:
1) Ignore most of the stats. The stats in a double overtime are grossly deceptive. We dramatically improved in just about all categories in the two overtimes, or else we would despair looking at the stat sheet.
2) Brink's foul trouble reminds us just how crucial she is to the game--and not mainly on offense. The entire character of the game changes when she is not patrolling the paint.
3) Betts and Jump played well. Jump 4/6 from three, Betts 5/9 with 8 rebounds. We don't win if either of those two have bad games.
4) What the heck happened to our free throw shooting? Is it an elevation thing? Betts could have won it at the end of the the first overtime, and we were a paltry 13/22 after shooting quite well in the last couple of months. Again, the game is not that close and a lot shorter if we shot our free throws better.
5) Jones. Jones. Jones. You live by the Jones and die by the Jones. 7/19 shots, but only 2/4 in the first half, a worse 2/10 in the second half, and 3/5 in overtime. 11 rebounds meaning a double double, and a whopping 7 assists, but also 4 fouls and 5 turnovers. The game belongs to her, both the bad and the good.
6) We are GOOD defensively, thank goodness. Colorado held to 29% shooting, and only 16% three point shooting, and we out rebounded them in both categories.
7) Bench points. Stanford 27, Colorado 6. It was nice to see Belibi and Betts have good games, wish Prechtel could have had more minutes, given that those three are all from Colorado.
8) Points in the paint. In that horrible first half, we had almost none. By the end of the game: Stanford 40 Colorado 30.
All in all, I will work hard to erase all memories of this ugly thing and instead dwell pleasantly on the fact that we just locked up at least a tie for winning the Pac 12. It will be VERY interesting to see how we do against Utah after a draining game like this. It will be a test of endurance and perseverance that may tell us much about our prospects in the coming tournaments.
However, at this point, I have to give our team and coaches credit. We have won a lot of ugly, close games this year. Yes, we have also lost a couple. But it does increasingly seem as if our team--which is younger than many think--has some grit.
1) Ignore most of the stats. The stats in a double overtime are grossly deceptive. We dramatically improved in just about all categories in the two overtimes, or else we would despair looking at the stat sheet.
2) Brink's foul trouble reminds us just how crucial she is to the game--and not mainly on offense. The entire character of the game changes when she is not patrolling the paint.
3) Betts and Jump played well. Jump 4/6 from three, Betts 5/9 with 8 rebounds. We don't win if either of those two have bad games.
4) What the heck happened to our free throw shooting? Is it an elevation thing? Betts could have won it at the end of the the first overtime, and we were a paltry 13/22 after shooting quite well in the last couple of months. Again, the game is not that close and a lot shorter if we shot our free throws better.
5) Jones. Jones. Jones. You live by the Jones and die by the Jones. 7/19 shots, but only 2/4 in the first half, a worse 2/10 in the second half, and 3/5 in overtime. 11 rebounds meaning a double double, and a whopping 7 assists, but also 4 fouls and 5 turnovers. The game belongs to her, both the bad and the good.
6) We are GOOD defensively, thank goodness. Colorado held to 29% shooting, and only 16% three point shooting, and we out rebounded them in both categories.
7) Bench points. Stanford 27, Colorado 6. It was nice to see Belibi and Betts have good games, wish Prechtel could have had more minutes, given that those three are all from Colorado.
8) Points in the paint. In that horrible first half, we had almost none. By the end of the game: Stanford 40 Colorado 30.
All in all, I will work hard to erase all memories of this ugly thing and instead dwell pleasantly on the fact that we just locked up at least a tie for winning the Pac 12. It will be VERY interesting to see how we do against Utah after a draining game like this. It will be a test of endurance and perseverance that may tell us much about our prospects in the coming tournaments.
However, at this point, I have to give our team and coaches credit. We have won a lot of ugly, close games this year. Yes, we have also lost a couple. But it does increasingly seem as if our team--which is younger than many think--has some grit.