[Maple Leaf]

Despite all the challenges the schedule, travel problems, Utah’s court at elevation, etc. our team had to deal with, we came out firing on all cylinders and might have blown Utah out but the referees really altered the game. I don’t usually complain about the officials but this time they really altered the game even more than the FT #s indicate and the #s show a lot for Utah. The announcers indicated they thought there were lots of questionable calls against us or no calls against them. Lots of charges against us that should have been blocking against them, ticky tack fouls against us when they got away with lots of hard checks and bumps but mostly they got away with lots of moving screens which got their 3-point shots going. Brink got called for a moving screen that was less egregious but altered her play the rest of the game.

I think we’ll be better positioned at the PAC-12 tournament

Absolutely, perhaps at the Pac 12 tourney we can get a really good official like Missy.

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We actually outclassed Utah in most categories except for made free throws.  Putting it pure and simple:  shooting fewer free throws and making them at a lower percentage, along with 21 turnovers, is the reason we lost. 

But those turnovers are deceptive.  Quite of few of them were caused by offensive fouls.  Turnovers look more normal otherwise.  So once again, it was the fouls.

I don't mind a game being called tightly, but not if it is called unequally. 

All that said, we did NOT defend Kneepkins well, even if she did get some undeserved free throws.  She was 5/9 from three point range, and some of those were wide open.

We DID defend Pili rather well--better than the first game, keeping her to 6/14 and a more reasonable 14 points.

No one else on Utah was outstanding.  Johnson and McQueen were at 10 and 9 points.  But Kneepkins with 28 was our undoing.

Jump was nearly as good as Kneepkins, and Brink about as good as Pili.  We needed a lot more from Jones in a high scoring game than we got, so perhaps the exhaustion factor took a toll.

The impact of the travel, schedule and the double overtime and travel disruptions was evident by the number of turnovers, being unable to close out on the 3-point shooters and being unable to control the tempo.  I am impressed by how hard Stanford played, but the physical and mental fatigue was too much to overcome against an excellent Utah team. Stanford won 5 out of the last 6 games which includes 3 out of four on the road, against 5 teams that were ranked at the time.

[Maple Leaf]

Despite all the challenges the schedule, travel problems, Utah’s court at elevation, etc. our team had to deal with, we came out firing on all cylinders and might have blown Utah out but the referees really altered the game. I don’t usually complain about the officials but this time they really altered the game even more than the FT #s indicate and the #s show a lot for Utah. The announcers indicated they thought there were lots of questionable calls against us or no calls against them. Lots of charges against us that should have been blocking against them, ticky tack fouls against us when they got away with lots of hard checks and bumps but mostly they got away with lots of moving screens which got their 3-point shots going. Brink got called for a moving screen that was less egregious but altered her play the rest of the game.

I think we’ll be better positioned at the PAC-12 tournament

Absolutely, perhaps at the Pac 12 tourney we can get a really good official like Missy.

---

We actually outclassed Utah in most categories except for made free throws.  Putting it pure and simple:  shooting fewer free throws and making them at a lower percentage, along with 21 turnovers, is the reason we lost. 

But those turnovers are deceptive.  Quite of few of them were caused by offensive fouls.  Turnovers look more normal otherwise.  So once again, it was the fouls.

I don't mind a game being called tightly, but not if it is called unequally. 

All that said, we did NOT defend Kneepkins well, even if she did get some undeserved free throws.  She was 5/9 from three point range, and some of those were wide open.

We DID defend Pili rather well--better than the first game, keeping her to 6/14 and a more reasonable 14 points.

No one else on Utah was outstanding.  Johnson and McQueen were at 10 and 9 points.  But Kneepkins with 28 was our undoing.

Jump was nearly as good as Kneepkins, and Brink about as good as Pili.  We needed a lot more from Jones in a high scoring game than we got, so perhaps the exhaustion factor took a toll.

The impact of the travel, schedule and the double overtime and travel disruptions was evident by the number of turnovers, being unable to close out on the 3-point shooters and being unable to control the tempo.  I am impressed by how hard Stanford played, but the physical and mental fatigue was too much to overcome against an excellent Utah team. Stanford won 5 out of the last 6 games which includes 3 out of four on the road, against 5 teams that were ranked at the time.