ChipperF1
11-26-2001, 09:39 AM
Another great battle for Nebraska in the Caribbean. A fight against an NCAA tournament team and a chance to show our mettle against a solid team and a conference contender.
Unfortunately, we didn't come to play both halfs of the contest.
The first half saw Tulane do what was expected. Get Tournament MVP Teana McKiver her shots in the paint. Tulane took a quick 8-2 lead working the ball inside.
McKiver won the battle inside early, forcing Katie Morse and Katie Robinette into early foul trouble (and later getting Amanda Cleveland into foul trouble, too).
Those problem negated a good first half of shooting. The Husker shot 50% from the field, but a poor defensive effort allowed Tulane a 51% half, including some open looks outside. Reserve forward Brett Tiemann found two wide open threes in the first half that stretched the Tulane lead to 29-19 before the Huskers began to right themselves.
K.C. Cowgill, Alexa Johnson, and Paige Sutton led a hodgepodge of Big Red offense that kept the Huskers at least close . The halftime score was Tulane 47, Nebraska 39.
Now this is where things get positive. Last year's Nebraska team would find themselves down 8 at half, come out in the second half, lose poise, miss shots, lose heart and quit.
This year's Nebraska didn't do that, and they found a rally from an unlikely source.
Shahidrah Roberts last year couldn't hit water in the middle of the Atlantic most games. Sunday, Roberts left Team Worthless, and was worth everything to her team.
Tulane up 55-44, about 11 minutes left, when Roberts locked on Delancy Joseph and stole the ball. She motored the other way for a score, and that opened a big 8-0 run...that grew into a 13-2 gap..In two minutes, Roberts had 5 points and 3 rebounds, including a 15 footer to tie the score at 57. Nine minutes remained, plenty of time, but the Huskers are in the hunt.
The teams traded punches the rest of the way, and neither managed a lead larger than three. But signs of last year's Huskers revisited to hurt the effort. Most notably, turnovers. The Huskers only committed 18, one of the lowest efforts in two years. However four times in the final eight minutes, the Husker had a chance to build a bigger cushion when leading. Twice Keesha Cannon turned it over (7 on the game in a very poor outing), Shannon Howell committed one, and K.C. Cowgill committed one.
The Huskers also found their shooting cold. 38% in the second half, only strong rebounding kept the hole from getting deeper. In five scoring possessions in the second half, the Huskers got three or more chances thanks to rebounds. On one possession they got six rebounds to score a needed two points.
Tulane cashed in enough opportunities. McKiver outworked and outmanned Alexa Johnson, three times in the last 5 minutes as Tulane kept the Huskers at bay to the final minute.
Then came the controversy. :38 left, Huskers down 3, Tulane inbounds under the Nebraska basket. Shannon Howell stole the inbound and pitched the ball to Shah Roberts for an uncontested layup. Nebraska is down one...This thing isn't over....
TWEET!
WHADDYA MEAN IT DOESN'T COUNT?!?!?!!
On the under end of the floor Alexa Johnson was called for an intentional foul while fighting through a screen by McKiver. Needless to say Paul Sanderford didn't like it. Husker fans didn't like it. But Tulane had two free throws and the ball.
McKiver hit one of two. On the next Nebraska possession, Cowgill dribbled the ball off her foot, killing any shot to win.
Tulane 84, Nebraska 78 final.
WHAT WORKED FOR NEBRASKA
1. Shah Roberts...16 points (14 in the second half), 5 rebounds. If nothing else, she's earning the sixth man spot. Good to see this kid finally showing her talent. She is quickly losing her spot on Team Worthless and that's a good thing.
2. Alexa Johnson..12 points today. The sophmore isn't bad player, she's just need more time in the battle to get settled in.
3. Paige Sutton (On Defense)...Paige did the best of anybody on Tulane's inside game. Some help on the perimeter would had been useful. Paige's play in this tournament has also been a pleasant surprise. But a caveat Husker faithful, Paige has teased us before and has left wanting more often than not.
WHAT DIDN'T WORK FOR NEBRASKA
1. FOUL TROUBLE. Katie Morse picked up 2 in the first 10 minutes. Katie Robinette had to sit for too much of both halves. Amanda Cleveland picked up 4 fouls in 3 minutes. Nebraska was out of position most of the game defensively. They were chasing and the led to so many foul.
2. INTERIOR DEFENSE. No one had answer for Teana McKiver. She had 20 points, 9 rebounds. Gwen Slaughter added 10.
3. PERIMETER DEFENSE. This was the surprise. Delancy Joseph, Sarah Goree and Britt Tiemann had a field day outside against the chase-and-foul-huskers. This threesome combined for 35 points, while the Huskers guards combined for 27 and shot 11-for-28.
4. KEESHA CANNON. 4 points, 7 turnovers...and a telling observation by the coach.
"Keesha was very disappointing today. She didn't show the enthisiasm or the leadership you need out there."
--Paul Sanderford, after the game.
How a quarterback can't show enthuiasm for a championship game and a chance to remain undefeated is beyond me.
Maybe Keesha was doing her Eric Crouch impresssion.
NOTES ON TULANE.
Lisa Stockton has a solid team. Today showed why they've been to the tournament three straight years and why they are a conference favorite. Teana McKiver was a sixth man last year, and she seems to be stepping in a frontline role nicely. This is a team that will be in the Field of 64 in March.
I also looked their inside to outside play. All Tulane needs is to stay consistent. That is only thing that hurt them last year, the effort would be up and down in spots.
OUTLOOK: A good weekend for the Huskers. Okay, they lost a game, but 2-1 on the tournament isn't a bad deal, and they played two quality clubs and split.
But losing to Tulane showed this team how far they have to travel to be an NCAA tournament team. The foul trouble, the poor defense was so last year and that is frustrating especially on a team with so much more to offer than the season of surrender that was 2000-2001.
I am pleased with the bench coming through. I am pleased with Shah Roberts resurgence and I hope it continues. I am pleased with Paige Sutton showing signs of life. Alexa Johnson got another extended stint and did well
But what happened with the frontline unit puzzles me. We have young group of starters and they will have bad games. But if Sunday was an indication of what could happen when Robinette or Morse has to deal with a Welle or when Keesha Cannon faces Stacy Dales, then the glass isn't half-full.
The next four games are against jabronis. Texas Southern, at New Orleans followed by home dates with Weber State, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Four games Nebraska should win, but more importantly four games to get tuned up for the matchups with Cincinnati and Drake in mid-December.
A 4-and-1 start to the year isn't shabby, but last year's team started 4-and-1, too.
Unfortunately, we didn't come to play both halfs of the contest.
The first half saw Tulane do what was expected. Get Tournament MVP Teana McKiver her shots in the paint. Tulane took a quick 8-2 lead working the ball inside.
McKiver won the battle inside early, forcing Katie Morse and Katie Robinette into early foul trouble (and later getting Amanda Cleveland into foul trouble, too).
Those problem negated a good first half of shooting. The Husker shot 50% from the field, but a poor defensive effort allowed Tulane a 51% half, including some open looks outside. Reserve forward Brett Tiemann found two wide open threes in the first half that stretched the Tulane lead to 29-19 before the Huskers began to right themselves.
K.C. Cowgill, Alexa Johnson, and Paige Sutton led a hodgepodge of Big Red offense that kept the Huskers at least close . The halftime score was Tulane 47, Nebraska 39.
Now this is where things get positive. Last year's Nebraska team would find themselves down 8 at half, come out in the second half, lose poise, miss shots, lose heart and quit.
This year's Nebraska didn't do that, and they found a rally from an unlikely source.
Shahidrah Roberts last year couldn't hit water in the middle of the Atlantic most games. Sunday, Roberts left Team Worthless, and was worth everything to her team.
Tulane up 55-44, about 11 minutes left, when Roberts locked on Delancy Joseph and stole the ball. She motored the other way for a score, and that opened a big 8-0 run...that grew into a 13-2 gap..In two minutes, Roberts had 5 points and 3 rebounds, including a 15 footer to tie the score at 57. Nine minutes remained, plenty of time, but the Huskers are in the hunt.
The teams traded punches the rest of the way, and neither managed a lead larger than three. But signs of last year's Huskers revisited to hurt the effort. Most notably, turnovers. The Huskers only committed 18, one of the lowest efforts in two years. However four times in the final eight minutes, the Husker had a chance to build a bigger cushion when leading. Twice Keesha Cannon turned it over (7 on the game in a very poor outing), Shannon Howell committed one, and K.C. Cowgill committed one.
The Huskers also found their shooting cold. 38% in the second half, only strong rebounding kept the hole from getting deeper. In five scoring possessions in the second half, the Huskers got three or more chances thanks to rebounds. On one possession they got six rebounds to score a needed two points.
Tulane cashed in enough opportunities. McKiver outworked and outmanned Alexa Johnson, three times in the last 5 minutes as Tulane kept the Huskers at bay to the final minute.
Then came the controversy. :38 left, Huskers down 3, Tulane inbounds under the Nebraska basket. Shannon Howell stole the inbound and pitched the ball to Shah Roberts for an uncontested layup. Nebraska is down one...This thing isn't over....
TWEET!
WHADDYA MEAN IT DOESN'T COUNT?!?!?!!
On the under end of the floor Alexa Johnson was called for an intentional foul while fighting through a screen by McKiver. Needless to say Paul Sanderford didn't like it. Husker fans didn't like it. But Tulane had two free throws and the ball.
McKiver hit one of two. On the next Nebraska possession, Cowgill dribbled the ball off her foot, killing any shot to win.
Tulane 84, Nebraska 78 final.
WHAT WORKED FOR NEBRASKA
1. Shah Roberts...16 points (14 in the second half), 5 rebounds. If nothing else, she's earning the sixth man spot. Good to see this kid finally showing her talent. She is quickly losing her spot on Team Worthless and that's a good thing.
2. Alexa Johnson..12 points today. The sophmore isn't bad player, she's just need more time in the battle to get settled in.
3. Paige Sutton (On Defense)...Paige did the best of anybody on Tulane's inside game. Some help on the perimeter would had been useful. Paige's play in this tournament has also been a pleasant surprise. But a caveat Husker faithful, Paige has teased us before and has left wanting more often than not.
WHAT DIDN'T WORK FOR NEBRASKA
1. FOUL TROUBLE. Katie Morse picked up 2 in the first 10 minutes. Katie Robinette had to sit for too much of both halves. Amanda Cleveland picked up 4 fouls in 3 minutes. Nebraska was out of position most of the game defensively. They were chasing and the led to so many foul.
2. INTERIOR DEFENSE. No one had answer for Teana McKiver. She had 20 points, 9 rebounds. Gwen Slaughter added 10.
3. PERIMETER DEFENSE. This was the surprise. Delancy Joseph, Sarah Goree and Britt Tiemann had a field day outside against the chase-and-foul-huskers. This threesome combined for 35 points, while the Huskers guards combined for 27 and shot 11-for-28.
4. KEESHA CANNON. 4 points, 7 turnovers...and a telling observation by the coach.
"Keesha was very disappointing today. She didn't show the enthisiasm or the leadership you need out there."
--Paul Sanderford, after the game.
How a quarterback can't show enthuiasm for a championship game and a chance to remain undefeated is beyond me.
Maybe Keesha was doing her Eric Crouch impresssion.
NOTES ON TULANE.
Lisa Stockton has a solid team. Today showed why they've been to the tournament three straight years and why they are a conference favorite. Teana McKiver was a sixth man last year, and she seems to be stepping in a frontline role nicely. This is a team that will be in the Field of 64 in March.
I also looked their inside to outside play. All Tulane needs is to stay consistent. That is only thing that hurt them last year, the effort would be up and down in spots.
OUTLOOK: A good weekend for the Huskers. Okay, they lost a game, but 2-1 on the tournament isn't a bad deal, and they played two quality clubs and split.
But losing to Tulane showed this team how far they have to travel to be an NCAA tournament team. The foul trouble, the poor defense was so last year and that is frustrating especially on a team with so much more to offer than the season of surrender that was 2000-2001.
I am pleased with the bench coming through. I am pleased with Shah Roberts resurgence and I hope it continues. I am pleased with Paige Sutton showing signs of life. Alexa Johnson got another extended stint and did well
But what happened with the frontline unit puzzles me. We have young group of starters and they will have bad games. But if Sunday was an indication of what could happen when Robinette or Morse has to deal with a Welle or when Keesha Cannon faces Stacy Dales, then the glass isn't half-full.
The next four games are against jabronis. Texas Southern, at New Orleans followed by home dates with Weber State, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Four games Nebraska should win, but more importantly four games to get tuned up for the matchups with Cincinnati and Drake in mid-December.
A 4-and-1 start to the year isn't shabby, but last year's team started 4-and-1, too.