11-17-2019, 11:12 PM
A handful of takes from inside Maples:
1. And I hate to lead with it, but that was the WORST officiated game I've seen in a long time. And it wasn't so much the bad calls - of which there were plenty, with I'd say about 50% going in Stanford's favor - but as another poster noted, it was the "stop the game while I do something important at the scorer's table and you all wait and watch." It was beyond annoying, and struck me as incredibly egocentric and unprofessional. WTH is going on with MB, in particular?
2. For the 1H, I thought Tara was coaching a hockey with team, with the way she was running subs in and out, with players on the floor for 1-3 minutes before being pulled again. The worst treatment was for Carrington, who was plainly peeved at game's end (right from post-game huddle at midcourt to the locker room - the first one to exit Maples). And I don't blame her. Yeah, she forced a couple shots - but she wasn't the only one. But the leash was ridiculously short for her, especially a player with her resume. I'm wondering if something went on in practices leading up to this game. Whatever, I hope/trust things get worked out with Carrington, who was a complete non-factor today. More generally, Tara has to give groups on the floor more time to play and get into the flow. It was only when she halted the player line subs that Stanford got some flow (and that's when Haley, in particular, got going).
3. Interestingly, Lexie played the entire 1H (which stood in stark contrast to most of the sub patterns). She started out hot, but grew fatigued as the half wore down - very predictably. And was cold shooting later in 1H (i.e., 2Q). Strange that Lexie didn't get some rest earlier than she did. Overall, Lexie had a very strong game, so this is picking at the edges, but I think it could have been better with a little better PT management.
4. Stanford really needs to work on being "strong with the ball." Too many times balls were fumbled away, or grabbed for a moment, or not secured. Gonzaga, otoh, was physically stronger and bullied Stanford around quite a bit.
5. Last point: Gonzaga is very well-coached. That entire team boxed out, played hard for the entire game, and pursued their game plan to a tee. I was impressed.
P.S. I'd say Kiana is the most indispensable player on this very talented roster.
1. And I hate to lead with it, but that was the WORST officiated game I've seen in a long time. And it wasn't so much the bad calls - of which there were plenty, with I'd say about 50% going in Stanford's favor - but as another poster noted, it was the "stop the game while I do something important at the scorer's table and you all wait and watch." It was beyond annoying, and struck me as incredibly egocentric and unprofessional. WTH is going on with MB, in particular?
2. For the 1H, I thought Tara was coaching a hockey with team, with the way she was running subs in and out, with players on the floor for 1-3 minutes before being pulled again. The worst treatment was for Carrington, who was plainly peeved at game's end (right from post-game huddle at midcourt to the locker room - the first one to exit Maples). And I don't blame her. Yeah, she forced a couple shots - but she wasn't the only one. But the leash was ridiculously short for her, especially a player with her resume. I'm wondering if something went on in practices leading up to this game. Whatever, I hope/trust things get worked out with Carrington, who was a complete non-factor today. More generally, Tara has to give groups on the floor more time to play and get into the flow. It was only when she halted the player line subs that Stanford got some flow (and that's when Haley, in particular, got going).
3. Interestingly, Lexie played the entire 1H (which stood in stark contrast to most of the sub patterns). She started out hot, but grew fatigued as the half wore down - very predictably. And was cold shooting later in 1H (i.e., 2Q). Strange that Lexie didn't get some rest earlier than she did. Overall, Lexie had a very strong game, so this is picking at the edges, but I think it could have been better with a little better PT management.
4. Stanford really needs to work on being "strong with the ball." Too many times balls were fumbled away, or grabbed for a moment, or not secured. Gonzaga, otoh, was physically stronger and bullied Stanford around quite a bit.
5. Last point: Gonzaga is very well-coached. That entire team boxed out, played hard for the entire game, and pursued their game plan to a tee. I was impressed.
P.S. I'd say Kiana is the most indispensable player on this very talented roster.