[chimera]

I waited to post because the game bothered me a lot.  I thought the officiating let way, way too much go, to our detriment.  We have some leaner players who get bounced around and beat up when teams are allowed to do that.  I think that's why we missed so many shots, trying to hurry to escape contact that was not getting called.  It's one thing to say be more aggressive and drive, but when they do that and either get blocked legitimately (which happened) or fouled with no call (which also happened too much), what's the alternative?  This would have been a game for Carrington, who is bigger and stronger than any of our other guards to take it to them on the drive.

I also thought we never quite found the answer an offense or defense against them.  On offense there was way too much dribbling and point go here or go there from whoever was the point guard (Williams, Wilson or Brown mostly) that ate up shot clock and helped cause some rushed and less than wonderful shot attempts.  We never defended all that well, though give the Bruins credit - they made their shots and and ran their offense pretty well no matter what we tried.  We let them get way too many put-backs, especially in the first half.

I agree with whoever said above the game was probably lost right after we went ahead late third quarter but then lost the momentum with turnovers and poor shot selection.  When Williams got tired she forced things and her shots stopped falling.  Since she was most of our offense, that killed all momentum.  To the good, when she was on early, she was magnificent.  I thought at the half if we got better at rebounding we would turn things around.  We did get better at rebounding but it wasn't enough when the shots stopped falling and our defense couldn't stop them from getting the shots they wanted.

I don't see how we escape the rest of the conference schedule without two or three or even more (gulp) losses, not with the gauntlet to come.  Healthy we may have been a F4 team.  Now?  Just don't have the horses, the depth, or the experience.  A shame, but nothing to do but keep plugging away.  This may pay off next year when all the freshman and sophs have all this experience under their belts, but then again, we got hurt with injuries last year (Fingall going out hurt a lot) and now this season, and we never know what will be next year regarding health.

I'm struggling to enjoy games lately, not due to anything the team is doing or not doing, but due to how the games are officiated.  Every year it seems to get more physical to the point that players are pushed, grabbed, thrown to the floor, all kinds of stuff.  It's a wonder more don't get badly hurt, like Poor Da Silva in the men's game today.  We are not innocent, we do our share of physical stuff, but all teams do, they have to or they will get steamrolled, which is not how the game is supposed to be played.  I sit there and watch and ask myself if I am enjoying watching and too often the answer is no, it is frustrating to watch and it doesn't look fun to play either.  A lot of what looks like poor shooting is not being able to finish through contact, but making players finish through contact is not a great look for the game.  Missed shots, turnovers, all that stuff, much of it is at least partially caused by players basically getting (wo)manhandled all game.  The officials have a tough job.  Their job would be much easier if they did not allow so much contact.  If players are allowed to be very physical what do you finally call?  Harder to sort that out than not letting it get that way to start.  I'm not sure I am going tomorrow.  The state of the world and our country has me in a permanent funk and I just don't know that I can take watching USC bang our players around, which they surely will do.  Games are not so much of an escape lately, rather add more stress, which I am not up to deal with right now.

[chimera]

I waited to post because the game bothered me a lot.  I thought the officiating let way, way too much go, to our detriment.  We have some leaner players who get bounced around and beat up when teams are allowed to do that.  I think that's why we missed so many shots, trying to hurry to escape contact that was not getting called.  It's one thing to say be more aggressive and drive, but when they do that and either get blocked legitimately (which happened) or fouled with no call (which also happened too much), what's the alternative?  This would have been a game for Carrington, who is bigger and stronger than any of our other guards to take it to them on the drive.

I also thought we never quite found the answer an offense or defense against them.  On offense there was way too much dribbling and point go here or go there from whoever was the point guard (Williams, Wilson or Brown mostly) that ate up shot clock and helped cause some rushed and less than wonderful shot attempts.  We never defended all that well, though give the Bruins credit - they made their shots and and ran their offense pretty well no matter what we tried.  We let them get way too many put-backs, especially in the first half.

I agree with whoever said above the game was probably lost right after we went ahead late third quarter but then lost the momentum with turnovers and poor shot selection.  When Williams got tired she forced things and her shots stopped falling.  Since she was most of our offense, that killed all momentum.  To the good, when she was on early, she was magnificent.  I thought at the half if we got better at rebounding we would turn things around.  We did get better at rebounding but it wasn't enough when the shots stopped falling and our defense couldn't stop them from getting the shots they wanted.

I don't see how we escape the rest of the conference schedule without two or three or even more (gulp) losses, not with the gauntlet to come.  Healthy we may have been a F4 team.  Now?  Just don't have the horses, the depth, or the experience.  A shame, but nothing to do but keep plugging away.  This may pay off next year when all the freshman and sophs have all this experience under their belts, but then again, we got hurt with injuries last year (Fingall going out hurt a lot) and now this season, and we never know what will be next year regarding health.

I'm struggling to enjoy games lately, not due to anything the team is doing or not doing, but due to how the games are officiated.  Every year it seems to get more physical to the point that players are pushed, grabbed, thrown to the floor, all kinds of stuff.  It's a wonder more don't get badly hurt, like Poor Da Silva in the men's game today.  We are not innocent, we do our share of physical stuff, but all teams do, they have to or they will get steamrolled, which is not how the game is supposed to be played.  I sit there and watch and ask myself if I am enjoying watching and too often the answer is no, it is frustrating to watch and it doesn't look fun to play either.  A lot of what looks like poor shooting is not being able to finish through contact, but making players finish through contact is not a great look for the game.  Missed shots, turnovers, all that stuff, much of it is at least partially caused by players basically getting (wo)manhandled all game.  The officials have a tough job.  Their job would be much easier if they did not allow so much contact.  If players are allowed to be very physical what do you finally call?  Harder to sort that out than not letting it get that way to start.  I'm not sure I am going tomorrow.  The state of the world and our country has me in a permanent funk and I just don't know that I can take watching USC bang our players around, which they surely will do.  Games are not so much of an escape lately, rather add more stress, which I am not up to deal with right now.