[crackpot]

So much to abhor and so much do adore tonight. So many smart plays and so many head-shakers.

Highlight for me -- nearly at the parking lot near the stadium, girl about 10 or 11, bouncing up and down with excitement, talking to a dude I assumed was her dad. "That game was EPIC! That was the most exciting game I've ever seen!!!"

[crackpot]

So much to abhor and so much do adore tonight. So many smart plays and so many head-shakers.

Highlight for me -- nearly at the parking lot near the stadium, girl about 10 or 11, bouncing up and down with excitement, talking to a dude I assumed was her dad. "That game was EPIC! That was the most exciting game I've ever seen!!!"

[81alum]

My write-up is done at the top, complete with extra spaces that I cannot seem to strip out.

Our rebounding was terrible, but all the other stats are pretty good, other than shooting percentage.  We finally met a team that does to us what we do to everyone--except all the fouling.

[81alum]

My write-up is done at the top, complete with extra spaces that I cannot seem to strip out.

Our rebounding was terrible, but all the other stats are pretty good, other than shooting percentage.  We finally met a team that does to us what we do to everyone--except all the fouling.

[magnus]

The Hulls rightfully get credit for their superb defense, but when Tara put Kiana on Sherrod for the last few minutes of OT, Kiana was amazing.  She was all over Sherrod, who couldn’t even get the ball — and Colorado was lost having to rely on someone else to initiate the offense.  

Before this stretch of defensive dominance, Kiana got a blow on the bench and Sherrod was starting to feel the effects of continually fighting through our tight defense.  Her body language changed, including the appearance of a limp midway through OT.  When Kiana came back in, she may have been re-energized and Sherrod may have begun running on fumes.  A combination that yielded great results for Stanford

So...why didn’t we have Kiana on Sherrod during regulation? 

I wonder if Tara was just trying to save Kiana's legs. Figuring she was more important as a field general?

Finally, kudos to Jenna for what I think was her most productive game yet.

Don't forget the game-saving play when she grabbed a Stanford loose ball just before it bounced out of bounds.  I forget when that was, but I feel like we were down 1 or more possessions near the end of the 4th or in OT.

[magnus]

The Hulls rightfully get credit for their superb defense, but when Tara put Kiana on Sherrod for the last few minutes of OT, Kiana was amazing.  She was all over Sherrod, who couldn’t even get the ball — and Colorado was lost having to rely on someone else to initiate the offense.  

Before this stretch of defensive dominance, Kiana got a blow on the bench and Sherrod was starting to feel the effects of continually fighting through our tight defense.  Her body language changed, including the appearance of a limp midway through OT.  When Kiana came back in, she may have been re-energized and Sherrod may have begun running on fumes.  A combination that yielded great results for Stanford

So...why didn’t we have Kiana on Sherrod during regulation? 

I wonder if Tara was just trying to save Kiana's legs. Figuring she was more important as a field general?

Finally, kudos to Jenna for what I think was her most productive game yet.

Don't forget the game-saving play when she grabbed a Stanford loose ball just before it bounced out of bounds.  I forget when that was, but I feel like we were down 1 or more possessions near the end of the 4th or in OT.

[treetop11]

Preview:



Flow of the game:

JR Payne coaches teams that play and often win ugly.  She beat us at Maples as coach of Santa Clara in 2015--a game in which we scored 8 points in the first quarter.  She has taken her aggressive philosophy to Colorado, where having a deep rotation permits her players to commit lots of fouls.  Colorado out fouled us 24 to 13, and they probably should have been called for twice that number.  Contending with this physical style of play is difficult at best, but in missing Dodson, Carrington, Jerome, and Jones we were missing 4 of our most physical players.

Colorado's defense discombobulated us--particularly Williams who started out 0/7.  Meanwhile, Lacie could not keep glued on the Colorado freshman sensation Jaylyn Sherrod, who hit treys and also cut to the basket with a quickness that our bigs could not keep up with.  The first quarter ended Colorado 21 Stanford 13, with neither our offense or our defense looking very good.  Worst of all, we were being grossly outrebounded--Colorado had more offensive rebounds than we had defensive ones.  They got 2 or 3 chances most trips down the floor.

Tara had us play zone in the second quarter, and it immediately showed results.  Colorado was completely unprepared for it.  Colorado did not make a basket in the quarter--though they eked out 4 points on free throws.  Our offense was still not clicking--we managed 14 and finished up the half ahead 27-25.  But in that quarter 4 of our players made one basket each, and with a few free throws, that was it.  Colorado was doing a good job of cutting off all interior passes and swarming anyone who came into the paint, but they always seemed to be covering the three point shooters too.  Jenna Brown got quite a bit of time in this quarter helping with the zone on the perimeter, and she seemed to acquit herself defensively quite well.

The third quarter did not go as well.  Our offense was creeping along for the third straight quarter--we only managed 12 points--and Tara did not stick with the zone the whole quarter.   Colorado scored 16, taking the lead back 41-39, when we went more than 5 minutes without scoring a point.

In the fourth the defenses both began to break down.  We took the lead on a Jump trey, and through the middle of the quarter we traded baskets, with Lexie being our most reliable shooter.  But by 3:27 Colorado had strung together more baskets than we had, and Aubrey Knight hit an off balance, defended trey to give Colorado a 7 point lead.  I imagine most of us thought that was insurmountable, given how labored our offense had become.  But Williams and Prechtel both hit treys, and Williams fed Lexie for a layup for a 1 point lead with 19 seconds left.  I turned to my neighbor and bemoaned the clock.  Of all the times we have run the clock down, and this time we left plenty of time for Colorado.  Sure enough, Colorado hit an impossible trey with 2 seconds left for a 2 point lead and I felt ill. 

Fortunately, in WBB you can advance the ball on a time out, and Tara did this.  We had a pass-and-shoot situation.  I and virtually everyone in Maples was watching the perimeter to see who would heave it from beyond the arc.  But Lacie threw a perfect pass to Prechtel cutting to the basket, and she put in the layup to tie the game with .2 seconds left and send it to overtime.

In overtime it was an exchange of baskets for the first three minutes, but with two minutes left Prechtel put in a layup for a 1 point lead, then stole the ball back.  Lexie made a layup after grabbing an offensive rebound (we needed more of those!) and we had a 3 point lead with 40 seconds left.  The fouling game began, and we sank 5 free throws to win 76-68.

Performances:

As a team, we had many advantages on the stat sheet: we had 20 points off turnovers to their 10, 14 turnovers to their 21, 17 assists to their 9, and only 13 fouls to their 24.  How could the game have been this close?  The answer is in rebounding.  Deep into the game we did not have a single offensive rebound.  At the half we had 8 to their 13.  We evened it up a lot in the 4th quarter, but even so Colorado outrebounded us.  The 19 points we scored on free throws was clearly critical to our victory--so Colorado did pay a price.

This was Lexie's career night with 29 points.  She was the only player I think who scored in every quarter, and she did a lot of other things well too.

Prechtel got a start tonight--only her second start.  She played only 24 minutes--Belibi played 26.  Prechtel scored 12, Belibi 11.  Prechtel grabbed 4 rebounds Belibi 5 (4 of those offensive!)  What was truly remarkable was that all 4 of Prechtel's rebounds came in the final 5 minutes of regulation.  On paper they looked equal, but Belibi had long minutes early in the game when she was ineffective on offense.  She got going much better later when she received the ball a little further from the basket and attacked, rather than trying to score from under the rim.  Neither of them showed the ability to stop speedy little Sherrod or to block her shots.

Fingall and Williams both played over 40 minutes.  Fingall finished with 6 points--two three pointers.  While those were welcome, she did not score around the basket at all.  Williams was 0/5 in the first half but had more success in the second half and overtime.

Lacie had 4 points, but she also led with 7 rebounds and 4 steals--all in 27 minutes.  Jump, Brown, and Wilson had cameos with Brown's being the most significant at 15 minutes.

Conclusion:

The injury carnage has taken a toll, and I am revising my expectations for the season.  But I am thrilled that despite all the injuries we found a way to pull this game out.  If Lexie has a few more games like that, she will become a superstar, and Prechtel and Belibi are both making giant strides into the college game.

Great summary pre and post game as always.

I really dislike their coach Payne because of how she has her teams play - I don't even like looking at her. She's ugly as hell and I don't mean that in a physical attractiveness sense. [.] I really hope CU has a bad season and she gets fired and we get her out of the P12. 

IMO our team made a big mistake by over passing. Not only did we pass up good shots too often, but we should have spread out more and constantly drove the ball and attack the basket. With CU's over aggressiveness and early fouls, we could have fouled out a few of their players pretty early. We would have drawn even more fouls and been at the line even more.

But I was still impressed with the team's toughness and tenacity despite playing rather poorly/lethargic overall.

[treetop11]

Preview:



Flow of the game:

JR Payne coaches teams that play and often win ugly.  She beat us at Maples as coach of Santa Clara in 2015--a game in which we scored 8 points in the first quarter.  She has taken her aggressive philosophy to Colorado, where having a deep rotation permits her players to commit lots of fouls.  Colorado out fouled us 24 to 13, and they probably should have been called for twice that number.  Contending with this physical style of play is difficult at best, but in missing Dodson, Carrington, Jerome, and Jones we were missing 4 of our most physical players.

Colorado's defense discombobulated us--particularly Williams who started out 0/7.  Meanwhile, Lacie could not keep glued on the Colorado freshman sensation Jaylyn Sherrod, who hit treys and also cut to the basket with a quickness that our bigs could not keep up with.  The first quarter ended Colorado 21 Stanford 13, with neither our offense or our defense looking very good.  Worst of all, we were being grossly outrebounded--Colorado had more offensive rebounds than we had defensive ones.  They got 2 or 3 chances most trips down the floor.

Tara had us play zone in the second quarter, and it immediately showed results.  Colorado was completely unprepared for it.  Colorado did not make a basket in the quarter--though they eked out 4 points on free throws.  Our offense was still not clicking--we managed 14 and finished up the half ahead 27-25.  But in that quarter 4 of our players made one basket each, and with a few free throws, that was it.  Colorado was doing a good job of cutting off all interior passes and swarming anyone who came into the paint, but they always seemed to be covering the three point shooters too.  Jenna Brown got quite a bit of time in this quarter helping with the zone on the perimeter, and she seemed to acquit herself defensively quite well.

The third quarter did not go as well.  Our offense was creeping along for the third straight quarter--we only managed 12 points--and Tara did not stick with the zone the whole quarter.   Colorado scored 16, taking the lead back 41-39, when we went more than 5 minutes without scoring a point.

In the fourth the defenses both began to break down.  We took the lead on a Jump trey, and through the middle of the quarter we traded baskets, with Lexie being our most reliable shooter.  But by 3:27 Colorado had strung together more baskets than we had, and Aubrey Knight hit an off balance, defended trey to give Colorado a 7 point lead.  I imagine most of us thought that was insurmountable, given how labored our offense had become.  But Williams and Prechtel both hit treys, and Williams fed Lexie for a layup for a 1 point lead with 19 seconds left.  I turned to my neighbor and bemoaned the clock.  Of all the times we have run the clock down, and this time we left plenty of time for Colorado.  Sure enough, Colorado hit an impossible trey with 2 seconds left for a 2 point lead and I felt ill. 

Fortunately, in WBB you can advance the ball on a time out, and Tara did this.  We had a pass-and-shoot situation.  I and virtually everyone in Maples was watching the perimeter to see who would heave it from beyond the arc.  But Lacie threw a perfect pass to Prechtel cutting to the basket, and she put in the layup to tie the game with .2 seconds left and send it to overtime.

In overtime it was an exchange of baskets for the first three minutes, but with two minutes left Prechtel put in a layup for a 1 point lead, then stole the ball back.  Lexie made a layup after grabbing an offensive rebound (we needed more of those!) and we had a 3 point lead with 40 seconds left.  The fouling game began, and we sank 5 free throws to win 76-68.

Performances:

As a team, we had many advantages on the stat sheet: we had 20 points off turnovers to their 10, 14 turnovers to their 21, 17 assists to their 9, and only 13 fouls to their 24.  How could the game have been this close?  The answer is in rebounding.  Deep into the game we did not have a single offensive rebound.  At the half we had 8 to their 13.  We evened it up a lot in the 4th quarter, but even so Colorado outrebounded us.  The 19 points we scored on free throws was clearly critical to our victory--so Colorado did pay a price.

This was Lexie's career night with 29 points.  She was the only player I think who scored in every quarter, and she did a lot of other things well too.

Prechtel got a start tonight--only her second start.  She played only 24 minutes--Belibi played 26.  Prechtel scored 12, Belibi 11.  Prechtel grabbed 4 rebounds Belibi 5 (4 of those offensive!)  What was truly remarkable was that all 4 of Prechtel's rebounds came in the final 5 minutes of regulation.  On paper they looked equal, but Belibi had long minutes early in the game when she was ineffective on offense.  She got going much better later when she received the ball a little further from the basket and attacked, rather than trying to score from under the rim.  Neither of them showed the ability to stop speedy little Sherrod or to block her shots.

Fingall and Williams both played over 40 minutes.  Fingall finished with 6 points--two three pointers.  While those were welcome, she did not score around the basket at all.  Williams was 0/5 in the first half but had more success in the second half and overtime.

Lacie had 4 points, but she also led with 7 rebounds and 4 steals--all in 27 minutes.  Jump, Brown, and Wilson had cameos with Brown's being the most significant at 15 minutes.

Conclusion:

The injury carnage has taken a toll, and I am revising my expectations for the season.  But I am thrilled that despite all the injuries we found a way to pull this game out.  If Lexie has a few more games like that, she will become a superstar, and Prechtel and Belibi are both making giant strides into the college game.

Great summary pre and post game as always.

I really dislike their coach Payne because of how she has her teams play - I don't even like looking at her. She's ugly as hell and I don't mean that in a physical attractiveness sense. [.] I really hope CU has a bad season and she gets fired and we get her out of the P12. 

IMO our team made a big mistake by over passing. Not only did we pass up good shots too often, but we should have spread out more and constantly drove the ball and attack the basket. With CU's over aggressiveness and early fouls, we could have fouled out a few of their players pretty early. We would have drawn even more fouls and been at the line even more.

But I was still impressed with the team's toughness and tenacity despite playing rather poorly/lethargic overall.

[mbdude]

game tying layup from Youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLKdfSo7uPg

also shows a lot of empty seats

[mbdude]

game tying layup from Youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLKdfSo7uPg

also shows a lot of empty seats

[BosCard]

Preview:



Flow of the game:

JR Payne coaches teams that play and often win ugly.  She beat us at Maples as coach of Santa Clara in 2015--a game in which we scored 8 points in the first quarter.  She has taken her aggressive philosophy to Colorado, where having a deep rotation permits her players to commit lots of fouls.  Colorado out fouled us 24 to 13, and they probably should have been called for twice that number.  Contending with this physical style of play is difficult at best, but in missing Dodson, Carrington, Jerome, and Jones we were missing 4 of our most physical players.

Colorado's defense discombobulated us--particularly Williams who started out 0/7.  Meanwhile, Lacie could not keep glued on the Colorado freshman sensation Jaylyn Sherrod, who hit treys and also cut to the basket with a quickness that our bigs could not keep up with.  The first quarter ended Colorado 21 Stanford 13, with neither our offense or our defense looking very good.  Worst of all, we were being grossly outrebounded--Colorado had more offensive rebounds than we had defensive ones.  They got 2 or 3 chances most trips down the floor.

Tara had us play zone in the second quarter, and it immediately showed results.  Colorado was completely unprepared for it.  Colorado did not make a basket in the quarter--though they eked out 4 points on free throws.  Our offense was still not clicking--we managed 14 and finished up the half ahead 27-25.  But in that quarter 4 of our players made one basket each, and with a few free throws, that was it.  Colorado was doing a good job of cutting off all interior passes and swarming anyone who came into the paint, but they always seemed to be covering the three point shooters too.  Jenna Brown got quite a bit of time in this quarter helping with the zone on the perimeter, and she seemed to acquit herself defensively quite well.

The third quarter did not go as well.  Our offense was creeping along for the third straight quarter--we only managed 12 points--and Tara did not stick with the zone the whole quarter.   Colorado scored 16, taking the lead back 41-39, when we went more than 5 minutes without scoring a point.

In the fourth the defenses both began to break down.  We took the lead on a Jump trey, and through the middle of the quarter we traded baskets, with Lexie being our most reliable shooter.  But by 3:27 Colorado had strung together more baskets than we had, and Aubrey Knight hit an off balance, defended trey to give Colorado a 7 point lead.  I imagine most of us thought that was insurmountable, given how labored our offense had become.  But Williams and Prechtel both hit treys, and Williams fed Lexie for a layup for a 1 point lead with 19 seconds left.  I turned to my neighbor and bemoaned the clock.  Of all the times we have run the clock down, and this time we left plenty of time for Colorado.  Sure enough, Colorado hit an impossible trey with 2 seconds left for a 2 point lead and I felt ill. 

Fortunately, in WBB you can advance the ball on a time out, and Tara did this.  We had a pass-and-shoot situation.  I and virtually everyone in Maples was watching the perimeter to see who would heave it from beyond the arc.  But Lacie threw a perfect pass to Prechtel cutting to the basket, and she put in the layup to tie the game with .2 seconds left and send it to overtime.

In overtime it was an exchange of baskets for the first three minutes, but with two minutes left Prechtel put in a layup for a 1 point lead, then stole the ball back.  Lexie made a layup after grabbing an offensive rebound (we needed more of those!) and we had a 3 point lead with 40 seconds left.  The fouling game began, and we sank 5 free throws to win 76-68.

Performances:

As a team, we had many advantages on the stat sheet: we had 20 points off turnovers to their 10, 14 turnovers to their 21, 17 assists to their 9, and only 13 fouls to their 24.  How could the game have been this close?  The answer is in rebounding.  Deep into the game we did not have a single offensive rebound.  At the half we had 8 to their 13.  We evened it up a lot in the 4th quarter, but even so Colorado outrebounded us.  The 19 points we scored on free throws was clearly critical to our victory--so Colorado did pay a price.

This was Lexie's career night with 29 points.  She was the only player I think who scored in every quarter, and she did a lot of other things well too.

Prechtel got a start tonight--only her second start.  She played only 24 minutes--Belibi played 26.  Prechtel scored 12, Belibi 11.  Prechtel grabbed 4 rebounds Belibi 5 (4 of those offensive!)  What was truly remarkable was that all 4 of Prechtel's rebounds came in the final 5 minutes of regulation.  On paper they looked equal, but Belibi had long minutes early in the game when she was ineffective on offense.  She got going much better later when she received the ball a little further from the basket and attacked, rather than trying to score from under the rim.  Neither of them showed the ability to stop speedy little Sherrod or to block her shots.

Fingall and Williams both played over 40 minutes.  Fingall finished with 6 points--two three pointers.  While those were welcome, she did not score around the basket at all.  Williams was 0/5 in the first half but had more success in the second half and overtime.

Lacie had 4 points, but she also led with 7 rebounds and 4 steals--all in 27 minutes.  Jump, Brown, and Wilson had cameos with Brown's being the most significant at 15 minutes.

Conclusion:

The injury carnage has taken a toll, and I am revising my expectations for the season.  But I am thrilled that despite all the injuries we found a way to pull this game out.  If Lexie has a few more games like that, she will become a superstar, and Prechtel and Belibi are both making giant strides into the college game.

Great summary pre and post game as always.

I really dislike their coach Payne because of how she has her teams play - I don't even like looking at her. She's ugly as hell and I don't mean that in a physical attractiveness sense. [.] I really hope CU has a bad season and she gets fired and we get her out of the P12. 

IMO our team made a big mistake by over passing. Not only did we pass up good shots too often, but we should have spread out more and constantly drove the ball and attack the basket. With CU's over aggressiveness and early fouls, we could have fouled out a few of their players pretty early. We would have drawn even more fouls and been at the line even more.

But I was still impressed with the team's toughness and tenacity despite playing rather poorly/lethargic overall.

Great point about over passing.  But I think that's exactly why Tara put in Brown.  Brown is always looking to drive plus she is very strong and can absorb a lot of physical contact.  Contrast this with Lacie who is going to pass a lot more and gets pushed off her route on offense by a very physical / foul prone defense.  And this definitely wasn't a Jump 3-point shooting game since Colorado was so aggressively guarding the perimeter.  Great to see Tara recognize the strengths of her players and for them to step up when called upon depending on the game situation.

[BosCard]

Preview:



Flow of the game:

JR Payne coaches teams that play and often win ugly.  She beat us at Maples as coach of Santa Clara in 2015--a game in which we scored 8 points in the first quarter.  She has taken her aggressive philosophy to Colorado, where having a deep rotation permits her players to commit lots of fouls.  Colorado out fouled us 24 to 13, and they probably should have been called for twice that number.  Contending with this physical style of play is difficult at best, but in missing Dodson, Carrington, Jerome, and Jones we were missing 4 of our most physical players.

Colorado's defense discombobulated us--particularly Williams who started out 0/7.  Meanwhile, Lacie could not keep glued on the Colorado freshman sensation Jaylyn Sherrod, who hit treys and also cut to the basket with a quickness that our bigs could not keep up with.  The first quarter ended Colorado 21 Stanford 13, with neither our offense or our defense looking very good.  Worst of all, we were being grossly outrebounded--Colorado had more offensive rebounds than we had defensive ones.  They got 2 or 3 chances most trips down the floor.

Tara had us play zone in the second quarter, and it immediately showed results.  Colorado was completely unprepared for it.  Colorado did not make a basket in the quarter--though they eked out 4 points on free throws.  Our offense was still not clicking--we managed 14 and finished up the half ahead 27-25.  But in that quarter 4 of our players made one basket each, and with a few free throws, that was it.  Colorado was doing a good job of cutting off all interior passes and swarming anyone who came into the paint, but they always seemed to be covering the three point shooters too.  Jenna Brown got quite a bit of time in this quarter helping with the zone on the perimeter, and she seemed to acquit herself defensively quite well.

The third quarter did not go as well.  Our offense was creeping along for the third straight quarter--we only managed 12 points--and Tara did not stick with the zone the whole quarter.   Colorado scored 16, taking the lead back 41-39, when we went more than 5 minutes without scoring a point.

In the fourth the defenses both began to break down.  We took the lead on a Jump trey, and through the middle of the quarter we traded baskets, with Lexie being our most reliable shooter.  But by 3:27 Colorado had strung together more baskets than we had, and Aubrey Knight hit an off balance, defended trey to give Colorado a 7 point lead.  I imagine most of us thought that was insurmountable, given how labored our offense had become.  But Williams and Prechtel both hit treys, and Williams fed Lexie for a layup for a 1 point lead with 19 seconds left.  I turned to my neighbor and bemoaned the clock.  Of all the times we have run the clock down, and this time we left plenty of time for Colorado.  Sure enough, Colorado hit an impossible trey with 2 seconds left for a 2 point lead and I felt ill. 

Fortunately, in WBB you can advance the ball on a time out, and Tara did this.  We had a pass-and-shoot situation.  I and virtually everyone in Maples was watching the perimeter to see who would heave it from beyond the arc.  But Lacie threw a perfect pass to Prechtel cutting to the basket, and she put in the layup to tie the game with .2 seconds left and send it to overtime.

In overtime it was an exchange of baskets for the first three minutes, but with two minutes left Prechtel put in a layup for a 1 point lead, then stole the ball back.  Lexie made a layup after grabbing an offensive rebound (we needed more of those!) and we had a 3 point lead with 40 seconds left.  The fouling game began, and we sank 5 free throws to win 76-68.

Performances:

As a team, we had many advantages on the stat sheet: we had 20 points off turnovers to their 10, 14 turnovers to their 21, 17 assists to their 9, and only 13 fouls to their 24.  How could the game have been this close?  The answer is in rebounding.  Deep into the game we did not have a single offensive rebound.  At the half we had 8 to their 13.  We evened it up a lot in the 4th quarter, but even so Colorado outrebounded us.  The 19 points we scored on free throws was clearly critical to our victory--so Colorado did pay a price.

This was Lexie's career night with 29 points.  She was the only player I think who scored in every quarter, and she did a lot of other things well too.

Prechtel got a start tonight--only her second start.  She played only 24 minutes--Belibi played 26.  Prechtel scored 12, Belibi 11.  Prechtel grabbed 4 rebounds Belibi 5 (4 of those offensive!)  What was truly remarkable was that all 4 of Prechtel's rebounds came in the final 5 minutes of regulation.  On paper they looked equal, but Belibi had long minutes early in the game when she was ineffective on offense.  She got going much better later when she received the ball a little further from the basket and attacked, rather than trying to score from under the rim.  Neither of them showed the ability to stop speedy little Sherrod or to block her shots.

Fingall and Williams both played over 40 minutes.  Fingall finished with 6 points--two three pointers.  While those were welcome, she did not score around the basket at all.  Williams was 0/5 in the first half but had more success in the second half and overtime.

Lacie had 4 points, but she also led with 7 rebounds and 4 steals--all in 27 minutes.  Jump, Brown, and Wilson had cameos with Brown's being the most significant at 15 minutes.

Conclusion:

The injury carnage has taken a toll, and I am revising my expectations for the season.  But I am thrilled that despite all the injuries we found a way to pull this game out.  If Lexie has a few more games like that, she will become a superstar, and Prechtel and Belibi are both making giant strides into the college game.

Great summary pre and post game as always.

I really dislike their coach Payne because of how she has her teams play - I don't even like looking at her. She's ugly as hell and I don't mean that in a physical attractiveness sense. [.] I really hope CU has a bad season and she gets fired and we get her out of the P12. 

IMO our team made a big mistake by over passing. Not only did we pass up good shots too often, but we should have spread out more and constantly drove the ball and attack the basket. With CU's over aggressiveness and early fouls, we could have fouled out a few of their players pretty early. We would have drawn even more fouls and been at the line even more.

But I was still impressed with the team's toughness and tenacity despite playing rather poorly/lethargic overall.

Great point about over passing.  But I think that's exactly why Tara put in Brown.  Brown is always looking to drive plus she is very strong and can absorb a lot of physical contact.  Contrast this with Lacie who is going to pass a lot more and gets pushed off her route on offense by a very physical / foul prone defense.  And this definitely wasn't a Jump 3-point shooting game since Colorado was so aggressively guarding the perimeter.  Great to see Tara recognize the strengths of her players and for them to step up when called upon depending on the game situation.

[81alum]

Great point about over passing.  But I think that's exactly why Tara put in Brown.  Brown is always looking to drive plus she is very strong and can absorb a lot of physical contact.  Contrast this with Lacie who is going to pass a lot more and gets pushed off her route on offense by a very physical / foul prone defense.  And this definitely wasn't a Jump 3-point shooting game since Colorado was so aggressively guarding the perimeter.  Great to see Tara recognize the strengths of her players and for them to step up when called upon depending on the game situation.

I think this is right.

At the chalk talk I asked what we had to do to defeat Colorado's particular kind of defense.  Back door cuts and aggressive drives to the basket was the answer.  Defenses that play that close are vulnerable to drives because the defender has less reaction time and forgoes recovery space in order to be so close. 

Who on our team is really, really good at driving to the basket?  Carrington and Jones.  And--I thought--Williams.  And so as I walked over to Maples from the chalk talk I thought that Williams was going to have to have a great game.

Credit JR Payne--she of course had the same knowledge and idea--and no doubt Williams had Colorado's best defender and was the focus of their defense, going 0/5 in the first half.  That left no one on our team who routinely drives to the basket.  The one basket Brown scored was on a drive she made into the paint to set up a floater.

Furthermore, her team was exceptionally well prepared to guard the back door cuts.  They did it not by guarding the cutters so much as by guarding the entrance passes, which were deflected or intercepted more often than not.  The way to punish that is for the passer to fake the pass then take it to the basket herself--Haley would have been perfect for that role.

Finally, Colorado was also exceptional at getting back on defense.  The crowd audibly groaned on numerous occasions when we thought we were getting a fast break only to have Williams have to back it out because Colorado defenders got back.  Williams might have made a couple of mistakes by not trying to force a pass forward, but she has had games with lots of turnovers, and last night she had 5 assists to 2 turnovers, so she had probably been instructed to be conservative and not to risk turning the ball over.

Colorado was excessively physical, but if your team finds something that works it would be foolish not to use it as long as the refs don't call it, so this is a problem with officiating.  But that is not ALL they were.  They were very well prepared to exploit our weakness.  Now other teams will be too.  Until we can prove that we can consistently punish close defenses by driving and finishing at the rim, we will get more of this.

By the way, this was also very similar to how Texas beat us.  Haley Jones was uncharacteristically timid in that game--her first big game on the road in hostile territory--and we never really developed the threat to drive on the basket. 

We can be a good jump-shooting team when the stars line up, but we also need the aggression and talent to drive and finish at the rim.  Lexie, I thought, was able to do just enough (with a career night, given that Colorado was focusing more on Williams) to help us eek out the win.  Belibi can also drive when she starts at the elbow.  We are going to need more.

[81alum]

Great point about over passing.  But I think that's exactly why Tara put in Brown.  Brown is always looking to drive plus she is very strong and can absorb a lot of physical contact.  Contrast this with Lacie who is going to pass a lot more and gets pushed off her route on offense by a very physical / foul prone defense.  And this definitely wasn't a Jump 3-point shooting game since Colorado was so aggressively guarding the perimeter.  Great to see Tara recognize the strengths of her players and for them to step up when called upon depending on the game situation.

I think this is right.

At the chalk talk I asked what we had to do to defeat Colorado's particular kind of defense.  Back door cuts and aggressive drives to the basket was the answer.  Defenses that play that close are vulnerable to drives because the defender has less reaction time and forgoes recovery space in order to be so close. 

Who on our team is really, really good at driving to the basket?  Carrington and Jones.  And--I thought--Williams.  And so as I walked over to Maples from the chalk talk I thought that Williams was going to have to have a great game.

Credit JR Payne--she of course had the same knowledge and idea--and no doubt Williams had Colorado's best defender and was the focus of their defense, going 0/5 in the first half.  That left no one on our team who routinely drives to the basket.  The one basket Brown scored was on a drive she made into the paint to set up a floater.

Furthermore, her team was exceptionally well prepared to guard the back door cuts.  They did it not by guarding the cutters so much as by guarding the entrance passes, which were deflected or intercepted more often than not.  The way to punish that is for the passer to fake the pass then take it to the basket herself--Haley would have been perfect for that role.

Finally, Colorado was also exceptional at getting back on defense.  The crowd audibly groaned on numerous occasions when we thought we were getting a fast break only to have Williams have to back it out because Colorado defenders got back.  Williams might have made a couple of mistakes by not trying to force a pass forward, but she has had games with lots of turnovers, and last night she had 5 assists to 2 turnovers, so she had probably been instructed to be conservative and not to risk turning the ball over.

Colorado was excessively physical, but if your team finds something that works it would be foolish not to use it as long as the refs don't call it, so this is a problem with officiating.  But that is not ALL they were.  They were very well prepared to exploit our weakness.  Now other teams will be too.  Until we can prove that we can consistently punish close defenses by driving and finishing at the rim, we will get more of this.

By the way, this was also very similar to how Texas beat us.  Haley Jones was uncharacteristically timid in that game--her first big game on the road in hostile territory--and we never really developed the threat to drive on the basket. 

We can be a good jump-shooting team when the stars line up, but we also need the aggression and talent to drive and finish at the rim.  Lexie, I thought, was able to do just enough (with a career night, given that Colorado was focusing more on Williams) to help us eek out the win.  Belibi can also drive when she starts at the elbow.  We are going to need more.

[BosCard]

[/quote]
Who on our team is really, really good at driving to the basket?  Carrington and Jones.  And--I thought--Williams.  
[/quote]

Yes agree, however I think there are different ways to drive to the basket.  Williams needs space to finish her drives which is part of the reason why she uses ball fakes so much when she drives.  She struggles to finish over a physical defender who is bodying her but not fouling.  Let's call her more like Steph Curry.  In contrast, Carrington, Jones and Brown are both long and strong enough to finish more contested drives over physical defenders.  This would be more the James Harden kind of drive.

[BosCard]

[/quote]
Who on our team is really, really good at driving to the basket?  Carrington and Jones.  And--I thought--Williams.  
[/quote]

Yes agree, however I think there are different ways to drive to the basket.  Williams needs space to finish her drives which is part of the reason why she uses ball fakes so much when she drives.  She struggles to finish over a physical defender who is bodying her but not fouling.  Let's call her more like Steph Curry.  In contrast, Carrington, Jones and Brown are both long and strong enough to finish more contested drives over physical defenders.  This would be more the James Harden kind of drive.

[Baez87]

GAME BALLS ALL AROUND
If game balls were passed out after this game, one would have to start out with a pretty full bag! Where would one begin?
First, though, thanks are in order for the coachs' response to our suggestions in the Pregame Mtg and on the Cardboard after the last home game—and I’m not referring simply to the rosters that were handed out (although that appeared to be appreciated, too). Coach Paye addressed the team injury issue at the onset and laid it to rest without discussion. Her analysis of what to expect with the Colorado Buffaloes (and what an appropriate mascot for that stampeding bunch) led to several relevant questions. I found 81Alum's question to Kate, about what team strategies were taught to counteract the Buffalo's excessive physical play, drew out some useful perspectives on the game from Kate.
Back to the game balls... the challenge is that Game ball are passed out one at a time, so the process might seem ordinal, but it’s not meant to be.
Freshman Ashten Prechtel's defense, rebounding, ability to score from anywhere, and no turnovers were all outshined by her clutch layup to win the game.
Sophomore Lexie Hull's 37 have-no-fear big minutes, timely career high scoring, and lock-down defense were indispensable.
Junior Kiana William's assists, defense and crucial steals, give-it-all-for-the-team play (44 minutes!), and ability to take the big hit without wavering provide this team it’s heart and soul.
Senior Nadia Fingall's solid play, endurance, selflessness, and leadership were on display for 41 minutes, including gathering the team together in the closing moments to maintain focus on finishing the game.
Sophomore Lacie Hull's timely free throws, solid rebounding, game-leading steals, and court awareness might easily be overlooked, but her 27 minutes were crucial.
And there were other game contributors of note—Jenna Brown had her best outing; Fran Belibi struggled for much of the game, but still contributed 11 points and 4 rebounds, Hannah Jump got nine solid minutes and a trey, Anna Wilson looked confident in playing just three minutes.
The fan base (all 2,827 of them) really got behind the team during the final minutes and helped create an admoshere of winning in Maples. We sounded like a full house!
And last, but not least: Tara and the coaching staff helped the team overcome adversity and keep focused on winning. Tara, in drawing up that last play, was pure genius; and it was executed beautifully by Lacie’s pass, Kiana's tough screen, and Ashten's determination and skill!
Great team effort, game balls all around!

[Baez87]

GAME BALLS ALL AROUND
If game balls were passed out after this game, one would have to start out with a pretty full bag! Where would one begin?
First, though, thanks are in order for the coachs' response to our suggestions in the Pregame Mtg and on the Cardboard after the last home game—and I’m not referring simply to the rosters that were handed out (although that appeared to be appreciated, too). Coach Paye addressed the team injury issue at the onset and laid it to rest without discussion. Her analysis of what to expect with the Colorado Buffaloes (and what an appropriate mascot for that stampeding bunch) led to several relevant questions. I found 81Alum's question to Kate, about what team strategies were taught to counteract the Buffalo's excessive physical play, drew out some useful perspectives on the game from Kate.
Back to the game balls... the challenge is that Game ball are passed out one at a time, so the process might seem ordinal, but it’s not meant to be.
Freshman Ashten Prechtel's defense, rebounding, ability to score from anywhere, and no turnovers were all outshined by her clutch layup to win the game.
Sophomore Lexie Hull's 37 have-no-fear big minutes, timely career high scoring, and lock-down defense were indispensable.
Junior Kiana William's assists, defense and crucial steals, give-it-all-for-the-team play (44 minutes!), and ability to take the big hit without wavering provide this team it’s heart and soul.
Senior Nadia Fingall's solid play, endurance, selflessness, and leadership were on display for 41 minutes, including gathering the team together in the closing moments to maintain focus on finishing the game.
Sophomore Lacie Hull's timely free throws, solid rebounding, game-leading steals, and court awareness might easily be overlooked, but her 27 minutes were crucial.
And there were other game contributors of note—Jenna Brown had her best outing; Fran Belibi struggled for much of the game, but still contributed 11 points and 4 rebounds, Hannah Jump got nine solid minutes and a trey, Anna Wilson looked confident in playing just three minutes.
The fan base (all 2,827 of them) really got behind the team during the final minutes and helped create an admoshere of winning in Maples. We sounded like a full house!
And last, but not least: Tara and the coaching staff helped the team overcome adversity and keep focused on winning. Tara, in drawing up that last play, was pure genius; and it was executed beautifully by Lacie’s pass, Kiana's tough screen, and Ashten's determination and skill!
Great team effort, game balls all around!

[M T]

also shows a lot of empty seats

Also shows a lot of seats filled beyond the end line on the sides, and one half of the lower end zone.  (There must be a reason one half the end zone was filled and one half was mostly empty, but I don't know the reason.)

[M T]

also shows a lot of empty seats

Also shows a lot of seats filled beyond the end line on the sides, and one half of the lower end zone.  (There must be a reason one half the end zone was filled and one half was mostly empty, but I don't know the reason.)

[bl82]

As much as I love Lexie, credit to Lacie for the pass to Prechtel on the inbounds play at the end of regulation. With all the injuries, it makes me wonder how many different permutations of passer, screener and cutter we have used on this play in practice. Nicely executed diversion, fake and pass for the layup.

[bl82]

As much as I love Lexie, credit to Lacie for the pass to Prechtel on the inbounds play at the end of regulation. With all the injuries, it makes me wonder how many different permutations of passer, screener and cutter we have used on this play in practice. Nicely executed diversion, fake and pass for the layup.

[terry]

As much as I love Lexie, credit to Lacie for the pass to Prechtel on the inbounds play at the end of regulation.  With all the injuries, it makes me wonder how many different permutations of passer, screener and cutter we have used on this play in practice.  Nicely executed diversion, fake and pass for the layup.

It's interesting that Tara put the ball in the hands of Prechtel in a do-or-die, game-on-the-line situation.

[terry]

As much as I love Lexie, credit to Lacie for the pass to Prechtel on the inbounds play at the end of regulation.  With all the injuries, it makes me wonder how many different permutations of passer, screener and cutter we have used on this play in practice.  Nicely executed diversion, fake and pass for the layup.

It's interesting that Tara put the ball in the hands of Prechtel in a do-or-die, game-on-the-line situation.

[Baez87]

As much as I love Lexie, credit to Lacie for the pass to Prechtel on the inbounds play at the end of regulation.  With all the injuries, it makes me wonder how many different permutations of passer, screener and cutter we have used on this play in practice.  Nicely executed diversion, fake and pass for the layup.

Thanks for catching that. Correction made.

[Baez87]

As much as I love Lexie, credit to Lacie for the pass to Prechtel on the inbounds play at the end of regulation.  With all the injuries, it makes me wonder how many different permutations of passer, screener and cutter we have used on this play in practice.  Nicely executed diversion, fake and pass for the layup.

Thanks for catching that. Correction made.

[81alum]

That pass from Lacie to Prechtel is one of the best basketball plays I have ever seen.  Prechtel used her height to catch that and took it in between two shorter defenders.  If the pass was even a smidge less accurate or Prechtel was less tall we lose in regulation.  It had to be perfect, and it was.

[81alum]

That pass from Lacie to Prechtel is one of the best basketball plays I have ever seen.  Prechtel used her height to catch that and took it in between two shorter defenders.  If the pass was even a smidge less accurate or Prechtel was less tall we lose in regulation.  It had to be perfect, and it was.

[crackpot]

also shows a lot of empty seats

Also shows a lot of seats filled beyond the end line on the sides, and one half of the lower end zone.  (There must be a reason one half the end zone was filled and one half was mostly empty, but I don't know the reason.)

Attendance was pretty sparse, but there were also a lot of people leaving for the exits as regulation wound down. I'm still laughing about the fan in the row in front of me who put on her heavy coat, started to head out, then the fabulous play happened. Sat through overtime sweating.

The student section was jam-packed last night. It was pretty packed last game, too.

[crackpot]

also shows a lot of empty seats

Also shows a lot of seats filled beyond the end line on the sides, and one half of the lower end zone.  (There must be a reason one half the end zone was filled and one half was mostly empty, but I don't know the reason.)

Attendance was pretty sparse, but there were also a lot of people leaving for the exits as regulation wound down. I'm still laughing about the fan in the row in front of me who put on her heavy coat, started to head out, then the fabulous play happened. Sat through overtime sweating.

The student section was jam-packed last night. It was pretty packed last game, too.

[WBB fan]

[quote="mbdude" pid='268421' dateline='1579956718']
also shows a lot of empty seats

Also shows a lot of seats filled beyond the end line on the sides, and one half of the lower end zone.  (There must be a reason one half the end zone was filled and one half was mostly empty, but I don't know the reason.)
[/quot

Attendance was pretty sparse, but there were also a lot of people leaving for the exits as regulation wound down. I'm still laughing about the fan in the row in front of me who put on her heavy coat, started to head out, then the fabulous play happened. Sat through overtime sweating.

The student section was jam-packed last night. It was pretty packed last game, too.

Thanks for pointing that out about the student section. I hadn't taken note of that, and it that's the case, it's great news. I find it so frustrating that so few people come, and lots of them seem to be season ticket holders not showing up. I needed to get two extra tickets for tomorrow, went to the website and found that very few seats in the middle reserved sections were available -- this despite the nearly ubiquitous empty seats in those sections at games. I got my desired seats on stubhub. What a contrast to Corvallis and Eugene. I was at both games last week, a fantastic atmosphere, so very exciting, and such great support for the teams.

[WBB fan]

[quote="mbdude" pid='268421' dateline='1579956718']
also shows a lot of empty seats

Also shows a lot of seats filled beyond the end line on the sides, and one half of the lower end zone.  (There must be a reason one half the end zone was filled and one half was mostly empty, but I don't know the reason.)
[/quot

Attendance was pretty sparse, but there were also a lot of people leaving for the exits as regulation wound down. I'm still laughing about the fan in the row in front of me who put on her heavy coat, started to head out, then the fabulous play happened. Sat through overtime sweating.

The student section was jam-packed last night. It was pretty packed last game, too.

Thanks for pointing that out about the student section. I hadn't taken note of that, and it that's the case, it's great news. I find it so frustrating that so few people come, and lots of them seem to be season ticket holders not showing up. I needed to get two extra tickets for tomorrow, went to the website and found that very few seats in the middle reserved sections were available -- this despite the nearly ubiquitous empty seats in those sections at games. I got my desired seats on stubhub. What a contrast to Corvallis and Eugene. I was at both games last week, a fantastic atmosphere, so very exciting, and such great support for the teams.

[81alum]

[quote="mbdude" pid='268421' dateline='1579956718']
also shows a lot of empty seats

Also shows a lot of seats filled beyond the end line on the sides, and one half of the lower end zone.  (There must be a reason one half the end zone was filled and one half was mostly empty, but I don't know the reason.)
[/quot

Attendance was pretty sparse, but there were also a lot of people leaving for the exits as regulation wound down. I'm still laughing about the fan in the row in front of me who put on her heavy coat, started to head out, then the fabulous play happened. Sat through overtime sweating.

The student section was jam-packed last night. It was pretty packed last game, too.

Thanks for pointing that out about the student section. I hadn't taken note of that, and it that's the case, it's great news. I find it so frustrating that so few people come, and lots of them seem to be season ticket holders not showing up. I needed to get two extra tickets for tomorrow, went to the website and found that very few seats in the middle reserved sections were available -- this despite the nearly ubiquitous empty seats in those sections at games. I got my desired seats on stubhub. What a contrast to Corvallis and Eugene. I was at both games last week, a fantastic atmosphere, so very exciting, and such great support for the teams.

Arizona sold out 10,000 seats for the territorial cup game they just won against ASU.  So that is three Pac 12 programs that are selling out arenas bigger than Maples--at least some of the time.  I know that Stanford is actually a much smaller undergraduate school with a much smaller alumni base living nearby--but we should at least be able to do as well as we used to do.  2800 is sad.

[81alum]

[quote="mbdude" pid='268421' dateline='1579956718']
also shows a lot of empty seats

Also shows a lot of seats filled beyond the end line on the sides, and one half of the lower end zone.  (There must be a reason one half the end zone was filled and one half was mostly empty, but I don't know the reason.)
[/quot

Attendance was pretty sparse, but there were also a lot of people leaving for the exits as regulation wound down. I'm still laughing about the fan in the row in front of me who put on her heavy coat, started to head out, then the fabulous play happened. Sat through overtime sweating.

The student section was jam-packed last night. It was pretty packed last game, too.

Thanks for pointing that out about the student section. I hadn't taken note of that, and it that's the case, it's great news. I find it so frustrating that so few people come, and lots of them seem to be season ticket holders not showing up. I needed to get two extra tickets for tomorrow, went to the website and found that very few seats in the middle reserved sections were available -- this despite the nearly ubiquitous empty seats in those sections at games. I got my desired seats on stubhub. What a contrast to Corvallis and Eugene. I was at both games last week, a fantastic atmosphere, so very exciting, and such great support for the teams.

Arizona sold out 10,000 seats for the territorial cup game they just won against ASU.  So that is three Pac 12 programs that are selling out arenas bigger than Maples--at least some of the time.  I know that Stanford is actually a much smaller undergraduate school with a much smaller alumni base living nearby--but we should at least be able to do as well as we used to do.  2800 is sad.

[crackpot]

I find it so frustrating that so few people come, and lots of them seem to be season ticket holders not showing up. I needed to get two extra tickets for tomorrow, went to the website and found that very few seats in the middle reserved sections were available -- this despite the nearly ubiquitous empty seats in those sections at games. I got my desired seats on stubhub. What a contrast to Corvallis and Eugene. I was at both games last week, a fantastic atmosphere, so very exciting, and such great support for the teams.

That's a really good point. Last time I couldn't make a game, I gave my ticket away to someone who ended up sleeping through tip-off so didn't show up. But if I wanted to give away my seat, there's currently no easy way to "give back" my seat so they can resell it or give it away. I'll swear there used to be.

[crackpot]

I find it so frustrating that so few people come, and lots of them seem to be season ticket holders not showing up. I needed to get two extra tickets for tomorrow, went to the website and found that very few seats in the middle reserved sections were available -- this despite the nearly ubiquitous empty seats in those sections at games. I got my desired seats on stubhub. What a contrast to Corvallis and Eugene. I was at both games last week, a fantastic atmosphere, so very exciting, and such great support for the teams.

That's a really good point. Last time I couldn't make a game, I gave my ticket away to someone who ended up sleeping through tip-off so didn't show up. But if I wanted to give away my seat, there's currently no easy way to "give back" my seat so they can resell it or give it away. I'll swear there used to be.

[oldalum]

 there's currently no easy way to "give back" my seat so they can resell it or give it away. I'll swear there used to be.

There still is. When you login, click on Manage My Account and then Gift Back Tickets

[oldalum]

 there's currently no easy way to "give back" my seat so they can resell it or give it away. I'll swear there used to be.

There still is. When you login, click on Manage My Account and then Gift Back Tickets

[triangle2]

Prechtel's playing time is going to continue to expand, I suspect. She has a couple of things that our post players have often lacked: soft hands, a quality 3-point shot, and the ability to finish. Plus, she's long enough to alter shots and big enough to bang down low. 

I loved the subtle messaging of Tara bringing Brown to the post-game press conference and praising her hustle. Perhaps another classic Vanderveer 'outhouse to the hen house' moment. It was very evident in the second half that Brown has the quickness to break down defenders and a kind of lateral mobility under pressure that the team generally lacks. Kudos to her for seizing the moment.

[triangle2]

Prechtel's playing time is going to continue to expand, I suspect. She has a couple of things that our post players have often lacked: soft hands, a quality 3-point shot, and the ability to finish. Plus, she's long enough to alter shots and big enough to bang down low. 

I loved the subtle messaging of Tara bringing Brown to the post-game press conference and praising her hustle. Perhaps another classic Vanderveer 'outhouse to the hen house' moment. It was very evident in the second half that Brown has the quickness to break down defenders and a kind of lateral mobility under pressure that the team generally lacks. Kudos to her for seizing the moment.