12-13-2015, 11:46 AM
Overall
We kept up with a very good Texas team for most of the game, but could not overcome their tenacious defense and superior rebounding. We made several youthful mistakes in the end that cost us our last chance.
First Half Impressions:
Tara started Kailee instead of Kaylee. Texas is dominant with rebounding, 24-11 so far at the half. Erica is basically our only rebounder. Our threes are not dropping except for McPhee, who hit 2 in a row or we would be in even worse shape. Texas looks far from invincible, though, if we can somehow just get average rebounding and shooting in the second half. Bri and Lili have been very cold. Texas is shooting 50%, including a number of layups that should have been defended off of inbounds and unguarded guard penetration, so there is room for defensive improvement too. But somehow, despite our awful rebounding, poor shooting, and defensive lapses, we are down only 7.
Second Half
The Texas defense was very solid. We seldom got open three point shots except off of transitions. Fortunately, we improved our rebounding considerably in the second half and repeatedly cut the lead to 4 (and twice to 2), but never any closer than that. Late in the fourth quarter we had cut the lead and had momentum, but then several offensive fouls gave it all back. Even so, we had a chance within the last couple of minutes but could not rebound a missed free throw.Â
Performances
I am positively worried about Kaylee Johnson. She was the key to much of our success last year--a veritable rebounding machine. Kailee is simply not the rebounder that Kaylee is. But Kaylee's minutes dwindled, and now she did not start, and her minutes today were very limited. There is something wrong--if ever we needed a second rebounder to help McCall this was the day.
Kailee played most of the game and came up with 3 rebounds and 4 points.
McCall was solid, with 14 points and 13 rebounds. She simply needed some help--she worked hard for those points. Those strange fouls in the second half--Erica fouled out ultimately after not fouling at all in the first half. Odd. Her 5 blocks were critical.
Bri was not at her best. Her defense was not as frenetic as I have seen it and she picked up 4 fouls--not sure if one or two were deliberate at the end. And her shooting was off, just 3/8, and 1/5 from three. Credit Texas--they defended the threes in the half court very well.
Lili led with 21 points and 6 assists. But she was only 1/6 from three point range. Tara made her point guard when the action got tough in the second half.
Karlie was 2/4 from three point range. She has seemed solid this year, but I am still waiting for her to become a more potent offensive weapon. Why only four shots?
McPhee had a great game. In fact, she was the main reason we had some hope. She was 4/4 from three point range. Unfortunately, she was 0/5 from two point range--just the opposite of her normal game.
Summary
As a team, we evened out the shooting in the second half so both teams shot 42% for the game. Turnovers were even. We lost this game based upon woeful rebounding in the first half, that gave Texas a lead that they never relinquished. We played pretty even in the second half. We need Kaylee to get back to her freshman form, or someone else to become a rebounder extraordinaire, to help Erica.
We kept up with a very good Texas team for most of the game, but could not overcome their tenacious defense and superior rebounding. We made several youthful mistakes in the end that cost us our last chance.
First Half Impressions:
Tara started Kailee instead of Kaylee. Texas is dominant with rebounding, 24-11 so far at the half. Erica is basically our only rebounder. Our threes are not dropping except for McPhee, who hit 2 in a row or we would be in even worse shape. Texas looks far from invincible, though, if we can somehow just get average rebounding and shooting in the second half. Bri and Lili have been very cold. Texas is shooting 50%, including a number of layups that should have been defended off of inbounds and unguarded guard penetration, so there is room for defensive improvement too. But somehow, despite our awful rebounding, poor shooting, and defensive lapses, we are down only 7.
Second Half
The Texas defense was very solid. We seldom got open three point shots except off of transitions. Fortunately, we improved our rebounding considerably in the second half and repeatedly cut the lead to 4 (and twice to 2), but never any closer than that. Late in the fourth quarter we had cut the lead and had momentum, but then several offensive fouls gave it all back. Even so, we had a chance within the last couple of minutes but could not rebound a missed free throw.Â
Performances
I am positively worried about Kaylee Johnson. She was the key to much of our success last year--a veritable rebounding machine. Kailee is simply not the rebounder that Kaylee is. But Kaylee's minutes dwindled, and now she did not start, and her minutes today were very limited. There is something wrong--if ever we needed a second rebounder to help McCall this was the day.
Kailee played most of the game and came up with 3 rebounds and 4 points.
McCall was solid, with 14 points and 13 rebounds. She simply needed some help--she worked hard for those points. Those strange fouls in the second half--Erica fouled out ultimately after not fouling at all in the first half. Odd. Her 5 blocks were critical.
Bri was not at her best. Her defense was not as frenetic as I have seen it and she picked up 4 fouls--not sure if one or two were deliberate at the end. And her shooting was off, just 3/8, and 1/5 from three. Credit Texas--they defended the threes in the half court very well.
Lili led with 21 points and 6 assists. But she was only 1/6 from three point range. Tara made her point guard when the action got tough in the second half.
Karlie was 2/4 from three point range. She has seemed solid this year, but I am still waiting for her to become a more potent offensive weapon. Why only four shots?
McPhee had a great game. In fact, she was the main reason we had some hope. She was 4/4 from three point range. Unfortunately, she was 0/5 from two point range--just the opposite of her normal game.
Summary
As a team, we evened out the shooting in the second half so both teams shot 42% for the game. Turnovers were even. We lost this game based upon woeful rebounding in the first half, that gave Texas a lead that they never relinquished. We played pretty even in the second half. We need Kaylee to get back to her freshman form, or someone else to become a rebounder extraordinaire, to help Erica.