OU / UCONN

[schooner2]

Overall: I'd have to say I'm pleased with the overall effort. On the post-game show it was mentioned that OU wanted to stay even with UCONN on rebounds and minimize turnovers. And for the most part Oklahoma did just fine in those two categories. OU didn't shoot well, but UCONN had everything to do with that.

Coach Coale had emphasized not getting mentally taken out of a game just because UCONN goes on a run. And OU responded repeatedly to UCONN's runs. To have this game within 4 or 5 points with less than 10 minutes remaining was great. Especially with Dales sitting the bench after two horrendous fouls called on her. Who knows what happens if the right call was made and Dales is credited with two points and a chance to hit from the foul line instead of picking up her 4th foul and having to sit.

Oklahoma was behind by single digits most of the game and made UCONN play its normal rotation until the last minute.

Now OU plays 5 ranked teams (all but one in the #6-#14) in thier first 6 conference games. Coale stated that although that's a brutal start, none will be tougher than the game they just played.

[RaiderPower1]

OU played a great game against a tough team, crowd, and officials. The game was UCONN's to lose. UCONN did not "go off" against OU in the paint either. OU stayed with them step for step. Both teams showed their vulenerability when they got in foul trouble. OU did run on UCONN though as some thought they wouldn't be albe to. On the ESPN board someone called Stacy Dales out of shape cause she was breathing hard. PLEASE! They (cocky UCONN fans) just try to find anything they can to b**** about. Ah well...OU will be tough to beat in the Big XII, but it still won't be easy for them.

BTW since when did Caton Hill become a Tech fan? After she hit her three she put 'guns up' http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/smile.gif .

Also, hope that Ross' knee is ok. http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/frown.gif

[schooner2]

Originally posted by RaiderPower1:
BTW since when did Caton Hill become a Tech fan? After she hit her three she put 'guns up' http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/smile.gif .



I saw that. Pretty funny. If you turn the guns-up so the pointer finger is pointing straight up, then you've got a small version of the 3-point sign! http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/smile.gif

[swok34]

I think she was calling the "guns up defense".. http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/smile.gif

Recalling all those turnovers, not staying on the floor in the game of 2 years ago........I was very impressed with how Oklahoma played. Excruciating game for a Sooner fan...those last 4/5 minutes, kept wishing someone would take over. I think Caton was finally finding her groove when she fouled out. I'm just impressed that they were able to stay in the game and not let their heads take them out of it.....also, didn't realize that Connecticut starts 4 seniors and their bench does not come anywhere near their starting line.......though I will say their bench is better than OU's bench.....dang that Wadsworth injury; I think that was perhaps more of a loss than Cunningham.... and that would have given OU a desperately needed frontcourt sub.

Last game Ross "appeared" to have bummed her knee.......it was actually an ankle injury, so perhaps, it's not the knee. Don't think Ross has played "her TV self" the last 2 games; though it was more apparent in the last game. Connecticut knew if they bottled Caufield up, got Stacey and Caton in foul trouble...OU couldn't come out with a win. And Sue Bird, today, deserves the POY award for the way she stepped up her game when needed.

I think this was a really, really good game for OU to tune it up for that game up in Ames in that hostile arena that Sheri has never managed to overcome.......the fans at UConn are really incredible.

It will be interesting to see the Connecticut/Tennessee game in a couple of weeks, right now, today........I don't see any other teams near them....Vanderbilt was beaten by UConn and I don't think it was as close as the game today, though Vandy is not as athletic as OU.

OU and Connecticut so much mirror one another with their athletism and transition defense.......defense particularly...
there were 49? fouls called in this game, egads, fire those refs.
I think the officiating was horrible and supposedly 2 were Big
XII refs........we want new refs! we want new refs, Big XII!! I think the officiating was bad on both ends. What was up with the offensive foul calling?.........they certainly weren't watching the travelling (which some tend to do this year).

I think little 'ole Action Jackson is gonna be the best point guard to ever leave the hallowed courts of Oklahoma...absolutely
impresses me with her composure and her concentration, esp. for a freshmen.

Ready for the Big XII!!!!!!!!!!!!Go http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/ou.gif

[This message has been edited by swok34 (edited 12-22-2001).]

[Amanda]

I was proud of the way OU played. Watching the game, you'd think the Sooners were dominated on the boards, but looking at the box score tells a different story. It wasn't as bad as it looked. I think the key was the timing of the second chance points UCONN got. Its tough to play kickass defense for 25 seconds, force a bad shot, then have the offense get the ball back and convert on a two foot jumper. Talk about knocking the life out of a team. It becomes a mental thing at that point. People say rebounding is about who wants it the most - and that may be partly true. Its also about blocking out, timing, instinct and getting lucky bounces. It seemed like OU was getting pushed too deep in the lane so when the ball came off the rim on a miss, the Sooners were too far under the goal to have a shot at the board.

Is it just me or does Dales just try too hard at times, especially in big TV type games? Trying to make things happen is one thing, forcing stuff is something totally different. She just appears to be too juiced sometimes. There is something to be said for elevating the players around you, which Dales does. But at times, you have to realize the limitations of the people you are playing with and not put your teammates in situations where they are bound to fail. I think sometimes Dales passes up shots to make the dish, and it winds up being a blown chance for OU. Not to bag on Talbert too much, but folks if I have to choose between Stacy Dales shooting the ball or her dishing to Talbert in traffic, I want Stacy Dales shooting the ball. Talbert has some good points, but scoring in heavy traffic isn't one of her strengths.

Caton Hill needs to stop fouling and NOW. I say she gets 10 lashes with a bamboo stick every time she fouls from now on. Its impossible to say where OU would have been at the end of the first half had Hill not spent the better part of it on the pine, but I'll go out on a limb and say OU is better with Hill on the court. She was KEY for them in the second half.

I still say Jackson should start. Maybe in place of Ross. Ross seemed to be better coming off the bench last season than she has been this season. And I think the team plays better with Jackson on the floor. Ross is not a PG and does not handle the pressure very well IMO. Having said that, Ross is an important piece of the puzzle and I hope she isn't badly hurt. OU needs her for sure - I am just not convinced she wouldn't be better as a 6th man.

All things considered, I think OU represented the Big 12 very well. The refs did NOT represent the Big 12 very well, holy LORD they were bad. I don't think they played a roll in who won because both teams got hosed.

OU is about to go through a serious stretch of Big 12 action. CU, TT, ISU, BU and UT over the course of 3 weeks...with only CU and UT in Norman. I figure OU will lose to Tech and ISU and win the others...

[Bob_Ballew]

swok34... JACKSON WAS THE MOST COMPOSED PLAYER ON THE COURT TODAY! WOW... I could not believe it. She will certainly be one of the best guards in the Big12.

Don't you just hate being in foul trouble. The game could have been much different otherwise. With Dales getting the 3rd foul with 6 seconds left before the half and getting the 4th immediately into the 2nd half hurt bad. Hill was a great loss also.

OU should have gained a lot of respect from viewers around the country.

[Bark]

Sooners are a terrific team. More heart than I expected. Too bad about the refs though. 49 fouls!?!? Too many and the 4th on Dales (I thought it was a block) really hurt the game.

Good news though, I heard on the boneyard that Coale said that Ross will be okay!!

Zo31, I'm sure OU got the Lots of respect. Any one who saw this game knows that it was a lot closer than the 14 point diff.

[Jennifer]

I agree w/ most everything said.

I was surprised that OU was only outrebounded 35-43, 10-13 on the offensive glass. As Amanda pointed out, it seemed much worse. Jackson was so steady out there-and she got 6 rebounds (and only 2 TOS)! You have to feel good about her taking the reins once Dales has graduated, but I don't even want to think about that yet!

I think OU did gain some respect. At the Boneyard, they have said as much anyway. I mean, they played Uconn better than anyone else has so far.

I'd love for these two teams to meet again in March in San Antonio. I think the Big 12 will prepare OU for the post season much more than the Big East will Uconn. Uconn has a game against Tennessee, and then should walk right through their conference.

Amanda, I somewhat agree w/ your comments about Dales. It seems like she sometimes puts to much weight on her shoulders to make the big play, and rather than let her game flow, she forces things.

All in all, a pretty good performance.
If some of Ross' early 3's drop, a couple fouls aren't made, and a rebound or two not missed, it could have been much different.

[Jennifer]

"Interesting" thread on the boneyard: http://qs236.pair.com/temery/cgi-perl/uconn/wbb.pl/read/26172

I know this is only a few people and not representative of the whole, but the thoughts here are that if the foul calls would not have happened, which were more against Uconn, Uconn would have won by 25+. I got a chuckle out of that.

Seems like overall the thoughts are that OU was better than expected and a very good team. We already knew that!

Metromaniac, looking forward to your input on the game.

[swok34]

I read in the paper that Ross's knee locked and that she will be okay, really, really sore but okay.........

Laneisha didn't sit at all....Ross and Talbert were next playing 37 minutes...that's a lot of minutes for Ross with her knee. She told me over the summer that she had spend time in the weight room strengthening her upper leg muscles. I think she's a little hardier this year, in that last year she was limited to about 25 min a game.

[swok34]

I think the refs were bad and I think they affected the game given that both OU and UConn are fastbreaking teams.......it killed that and was chopped up because of the whistles.
I don't think the whistles affected the final score though, they were bad calls both ways.

[hawkeye]

Does anyone else get tired of listening to the ESPN announcers drool about UCONN and TENN? It is ridiculous. They should at least make an attempt to give the opposing teams the respect they deserve during games. You'd think they were part owners of UCONN or Gino's in-laws...ugh.

[metromaniac]

Just a bit of a backdrop for the posters ---- the UCONN men played the nite before and the Civic Center in Hartford was not full----it was full and wired for the women's game---Sat by Desiree Taylor and her family---intersesting insight---we both commented pre-game what an unbelievable atmosphere for the ladies.

Side-note---When Stacey Hansmeyer was intoduced to sing, which she did wonderfully, the National Anthem, the 17,000 or so embraced her as their own. The scene was set----the arena looks to rise almost straight up from the court. The crowd was looking for a quick, as usual, UCONN run to go up by 12-20----just didn't happen. Despite Caton getting 2 fouls early; Taurasi got 2 quick also----kind of evened up things.

Despite the number of fouls , they truly were equally inane or insane on both sides--ref's and players.

After a day or two, can't seem to recreate the play by play, but it was a war and UCONN knew they were in one. Games like this, #1 and #3 always are or should be. Yes, Tuarasi came on big in the 2nd half but UConn isn't or wouldn't be thrilled to be playing the Sooners in San Antonio, if you know what I mean!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sue Bird is a Stud!!!I love to watch her play---she actually made a covey of turnovers but still did the right stuff at the right time. The foul call on Stacey Dales starting the second half was close to the worst I have seen---yeah it was huge---and right in my line of sight. Probably would have mattered. Next time,,,,,?.

It is just incredible how these fans in the NE embrace their ladies. Our football oriented Big 12 fans would serve themselves best if they looked for the special efforts and traits these dedicated and hard working women give to us all.


Let's fill 'em up for the impending wars in the Big 12 and get ready to kick some bu-- in the tournament!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


GO http://hoopscoop.net/ubb/ou.gif

[metromaniac]

Just another interesting and maybe bizarre note---OU fastbreak points-----ZERO----. With UCONN crashing five most of the time, the Sooners MUST capitalize and attack the rim on fast breaks !

Another reason to believe in a change of score next time around.

[Zo31]

One of the Big 12 Refs in the OU/UCONN game was Scotty Hermann. He is a gynecologist in Waco and I have seen him do a much better job of calling games. As you all know, it is when the refs go unnoticed, that is when they do their jobs well. I am a firm believer in letting the teams play and certainly not affect the flow of a game. Obvious calls must be made and close calls should be kept in check. Last week in Waco, the refs missed some horrible travelling calls, and made up for them a few minutes later on "ticky tack" calls. My biggest gripe about the refs are when the wrong one makes the call, completely out of position, clear across the court, one of those X-Ray vision calls, or anticipation calls. VERY BAD calls!

[RaiderPower1]

Originally posted by Zo31:
My biggest gripe about the refs are when the wrong one makes the call, completely out of position, clear across the court, one of those X-Ray vision calls, or anticipation calls. VERY BAD calls!

I totally agree with you Zo...It's like they miss a call here and make a bad call just to make up for the missed call. If you make a bad call, then leave it and keep doing your job. Don't keep making bad calls just to "redeem" yourself to the crowd. That's another thing. Refs are too influenced by the crowd IMO. All I ask for is consistency game in and game out without affecting the flow of the game.