The Upside

[SWC75]

- Maybe this team does have a knack for winning the close ones. We’ve now done it 8 times in 11 games. No matter what happens- getting killed on the boards, clanging jumpers, making stupid turnovers trying to hold onto a lead, missing free throws in the last minute that could have clinched it- we always seem to find a way to win anyway.

- Part of that is that we always seem to be the team ahead. Here is our “quarterly breakdown” of the average score for each ten minute segment of games:
16-14, 20-12, 18-17, 22-18.5. We win that second quarter by such a strong margin that we are able to retain the lead and control of the game through our often bumpy second halves. That big moment where the other team takes the lead and their fans explode never quite comes, or if it does they have expended so much energy in coming back that a counter-punch by SU knocks them out.


- Against a team full of NBA talent who won a national championship last year we hit the boards hard, out-rebounding the Huskies 41-37. In the first half we rebounded 15 of their 18 misses. After getting pounded on the offensive boards game after game, this was a refreshing change.

- Kris Joseph had a hot first half with 12 points, including three treys. He wound up 8 for 15 for the game with 21 points. He can do a lot of things for us but the big thing is to score the ball and he did it.

- Fab Melo had a terrific game, with 11 points, 9 rebounds, 3 blocks and 5 for 6 shooting, including the winning follow-up dunk, (which was not offensive goal-tending).

- We had a Michael Carter- Williams sighting. He showed us a glimpse of the future with 3 points, 2 assist’s and a steal in 7 minutes of play. We made our big run with him in there. We’ve done a lot of winning over the years and even more of it this year. It won’t stop next year.

- James Southerland finally hit a three- his first since the first UCONN game and his second since the Notre Dame game. He also had a big block on Drummond. He’s not a one-dimensional player which is good because if he was just a shooter, he’s have had no dimensions at the way he’s been going.

- CJ Fair had no dimensions in the second half but he had such a good first half he still had 6 points, 7 rebounds and 3 block.
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- Scoop wasn’t as bad as people think. He had 7 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists vs. only 3 turnovers which he negated with 3 steals.

- Ditto for Dion, who scored 10 points and was 4 for 4 from the free throw line, which had been a problem in recent games. He also had a highlight-film dunk that capped off the 13-0 run that put us in command.

29-1 and 10 to be done….. Impossible is nothing!!!!

LET’S GO ORANGE!!!

 

[All4SU]

-
- Against a team full of NBA talent who won a national championship next year we hit the boards hard, out-rebounding the Huskies 41-37. In the first half we rebounded 15 of their 18 misses. After getting pounded on the offensive boards game after game, this was a refreshing change.

Is this the first SWC NC Prediction?

 

[SWC75]

Is this the first SWC NC Prediction?

No, it's the upteenth SWC typo.

 

[SoBristol]

Should also mention BT contributed in the first half. Looked like he was breaking out of his slump. Then, again, did not do much in his second half minutes.

Melo had good stats, was big in the final 2 or 3 minutes, but had all he could handle (and more) from Drummond. In the second half, UConn did a real good job getting the ball to the foul line, with Drummond or their other big getting position inside on our forwards.

 

[SWC75]

Should also mention BT contributed in the first half. Looked like he was breaking out of his slump. Then, again, did not do much in his second half minutes.

Melo had good stats, was big in the final 2 or 3 minutes, but had all he could handle (and more) from Drummond. In the second half, UConn did a real good job getting the ball to the foul line, with Drummond or their other big getting position inside on our forwards.

That's why he had all he could handle from Drummond. When we allow penetration as easily as that, melo has to move forward to meet the threat and Drummond had the baseline all to himself. Defense begins out front.