Today's games [Archive] - HoopScoop Forums

YCN

01-29-2005, 11:31 AM

I'm watching the UT-Missouri game on TV.

Mizzou played well early, coming out in a zone and Texas had trouble getting the ball inside to Jackson. But Jamie Carey stepped it up with 8 points early, six by going over the zone for two (2-3) 3-pointers, and a steal for a layup for the two. Other than Carey though, Texas was not shooting well early, and the score was close after about 12 minutes.

Missouri sensed that Texas was working on getting a stronger inside presence in the game, and Cindy Stein countered by going with a big lineup down low. That worked briefly, but Texas countered by also going for the trees, and when you put Missouri's three biggest players on the floor against UT's, UT's have more talent and better skill sets. As a result, after several good passes inside to Kalee Carey, Tiffany Jackson and Heather Schreiber for easy scores, Texas has blown the game open as we are winding down to the half.

Texas is now leading 33-19 after a 14-0 scoring run, now Missouri has broken the run to make it 33-21, but Jamie Carey just hit her 4th 3-pointer of the game and now has 17 points (!) with 2 minutes left in the half.

YCN

01-29-2005, 12:20 PM

Updating the Texas game, Missouri has probably played their best game of the season today. They really haven't been bad at all in any phase, except perhaps the 18 turnovers they've had through 30 minutes.

But the real story of the game, and it has been an interesting and entertaining one, is that Texas has been better in every area of the game, and in every position and place on the court. While Missouri is shooting 52.9% for the game, Texas is shooting 55.3% on 13 more shots. They are out-rebounding, out-stealing, out-assisting, well, out-everything against Missouri.

I expected Texas to play a bit of a sloppy game today against a clearly outmanned opponent, but they have just continued their recent string of good play. This team is going to be a contender in March.

Texas leads 65-43 over a game but badly overmatched Missouri team with 7:56 to play.

ChipperF1

01-29-2005, 01:36 PM

Good game thus far. Les Vichies up 31-29 in the first half.

Not having Wheeler is hurting KSU

zip

01-29-2005, 01:41 PM

Any chance someone could update the Oklahoma/Iowa st. game? Thanks in advance.

DblT81

01-29-2005, 01:44 PM

Oklahoma's Live Stats for this game died on my computer at about 13:00 in the first half. :(

Yahoo says ISU 40 OU 34 at the half

DblT81

01-29-2005, 01:47 PM

15 Texas vs.Missouri 71-52 Final
18 Iowa St Oklahoma 40-34 Half
16 Kansas St Colorado 37-34 Half
7 Baylor vs. Okla St 0-0 3:00pm

YCN

01-29-2005, 01:49 PM

I'm watching a little bit in disbelief. If I thought CU was even going to compete at all in this game I would have gone to the game, but after having seen what they've had to offer so far this year, I didn't think they would stay in this one for even 10 minutes.

KSU 37 CU 34 at halftime. I'm shocked. KSU put a run on at the end, but it's obvious that this one is still very much in doubt. Somehow I don't think that KSU can continue to shoot threes as well as they have in the last 10 minutes of this game, and that's the only reason they have the lead right now.

JohnHenry

01-29-2005, 01:52 PM

Horns win 71-52. Tree with 22 pts and 7 rebs, Jamie Carey caught fire and hit 5-8 BTA, finished with 22 pts. Texas got 32 points off 23 Mizzou TOs. :eek: Horns hit 9-18 BTA as a team :eek: Mizzou did play pretty well except for a number of dumb turnovers.

In short: Exactly what the doctor ordered.Texas played one of their best games of the year, went strong for 40, got their shooting touch back, and the bench got plenty of PT in a road game again.

None of the bench players have been particularly spectacular so far, but they have all been logging valuable minutes against quality opponents. This will unlock some useful depth down the stretch and into March, and will REALLY help us next year when we'll be a completely different team and all our bench players from this year will be neede to step up and fill some big shoes. Erneisha Bailey, a fine talent, will hopefully keep seeing the floor so she can work the kinks and bonehead plays out of her game. Lots of potential on that bench if they keep logging minutes in conference play.

ChipperF1

01-29-2005, 01:56 PM

The Buffs just need to keep working inside and maintain some pressure D outside. Colorado looks like they make another mid-season surge.

ChipperF1

01-29-2005, 02:00 PM

This is the Texas team I recognize. Very strong talent and they excuted today to execute Missouri.

Carey brokeout, Tiffany working inside and the whole team playing strong defense and handling the details. The Longhorns weren't sloppy today like they have been in previous game.

The Longhorns have remember who they are, which could be bad news for the rest of us.

Texan

01-29-2005, 02:13 PM

UT looked like a good solid team today. I too was happy to see our bench get some good minutes. I was also happy to see Heather and Kala make some good shots.

CU is giving KSU a nice run. KSU is 6 pts ahead but CU is headed to the line. Whats up with the OU game

YCN

01-29-2005, 02:19 PM

Colorado is STILL right in the game with 11:14 remaining, down 53-51.

This might be a huge upset today, it just has that feeling. KSU has gotten the lead up near double digits, but CU just keeps coming back.

Row6Seat10

01-29-2005, 02:23 PM

6:11 to play ISU 65 OU 53

YCN

01-29-2005, 02:28 PM

No sooner do I mention the word upset does KSU score the next 12 points of the game.

Starting to look bad for CU now, trailing 64-51 with 7-plus minutes to play.

YCN

01-29-2005, 02:30 PM

ISU's shooting has just been killing the Sooners. Nice of them to save their 12% 3-point shooting for another day... :(

ChipperF1

01-29-2005, 02:41 PM

They at least came to play and gave it an effort. Wecker was on it in the second half.

Unlike when Nebraska played KSU, Colorado was at least focused in to play from the start.

YCN

01-29-2005, 02:50 PM

It's certainly been a disastrous week for the Sooners, with consecutive home losses in a league where you just can't let that happen and expect to compete in the upper half.

From what I saw of OU today, I'm not at all confident that they can beat Baylor in their next home game. The Sooners of the second half against Texas and today against ISU played like a team that expected to be in the second half of the Big 12, and maybe they would feel more comfortable there.

Certainly the expectations aren't as high if you are wallowing around in self-pity like this team seems to be doing right now. How Sherri Coale can allow her team to put up 31-32 threes when they are hitting 20% from BTA is beyond my understanding. I'm no genius, but it doesn't take one to understand that 26 lost opportunities to score while indiscriminately flailing up prayers from three point range is a certain recipe for losing.

The Sooners need to reevaluate who they are as a team, and what exactly their goals are as a team. Certainly right now they are not in the top six in the conference. The last thing I want them to do is squeak into the NCAA tournament and embarrass themselves in an early round loss there. I'd much rather they just shut off the lights when they lose in Kansas City.

At least I can watch the men's team play like a team that enjoys what they are doing, rather than treating it like taking out the trash. It's no fun to watch a team play when it appears that their greatest fear is to actually succeed in being a good team.

YCN

01-29-2005, 02:53 PM

Colorado would have beaten OU today with the way they played, and Missouri would have as well. I'm now wondering just where in the pecking order OU really stands.

I sure thought this was going to be a breakout season, but I was obviously wrong.

Row6Seat10

01-29-2005, 02:54 PM

Just starting the second half in Stillwater with Baylor leading 31-28.

OSU is outrebounding the Bears 22-19 Nina Stone leads the Cowgirls with 12 points. Baylor is lead by Emily Neiman with 8 pts and S Blackmon has 6.

DblT81

01-29-2005, 02:59 PM

Bball Girl

01-29-2005, 03:04 PM

...and OSU hanging with the Bears. At the half Baylor 29 OSU 25.

Row6Seat10

01-29-2005, 03:10 PM

OSU 45 Baylor 42 13:18 left

This game is back and forth Baylor having a hard time shooting free throws. Nina Stone now has 20 pts

ISUbballfan

01-29-2005, 03:22 PM

Anybody got an update on baylor/osu. I can't find a gametracker or audio broadcast.

Row6Seat10

01-29-2005, 03:31 PM

I was listening on the Baylor audio streamline and it suddenly went dead and hasn't come back yet. Baylor was up 52-50 at the time .

YCN

01-29-2005, 03:34 PM

Whoa YCN. Put the keyboard down and back away slowly. Go take a nap or shovel some snow. You need a breather. It isn't that bad. OU relies on outside shots because the best inside player is 6'1. Somedays that works and some days it doesn't.

Sun comes up tomorrow. The Sooners will play like the best team in America when the Lady Raiders come to town soon. Don't worry it ain't over.
I've been waiting for over 2-1/2 years for this OU team to establish its own consistent identity, and they haven't done so.

OU HAS players who can play effectively inside, but they have become far too guard-centric. The problem with that is that while most of the players for OU can shoot the three, no one has been able to consistently demonstrate the ability to shoot the three with enough effectiveness that it becomes a weapon to ease the burden on the inside. OU needs to decide who gets the outside shooting duty and limit it to that. They also need to remember than open shots only come from playing together as a TEAM, not when players individually try to take on the whole load for themselves.

There is simply too much talent on this team for them to be playing this way. They have seven losses, with four of them in seven games in conference play. OU has nine more conference games remaining, and to finish better than last year in the conference the team has to win seven of them. Included in those seven are games at Kansas, at Nebraska, at home against Baylor and Kansas State, at Colorado, home again against Missouri and Texas Tech, and on the road again at Texas and Oklahoma State. I think that OU could easily lose five or more of those games, with pretty much precludes winning seven.

If OU goes 5-4 against that schedule we get to the Big 12 tourney at 16-11, .500 in league play, and needing to win at least two games to get to the NCAA tournament, where we will get ripped in the first or at latest second round. Just like last year, only with worse results. With about 10 more years of experience on this team, I think it's reasonable to wonder why we haven't developed a go-to point guard to lead this team next year, why our big players are not developing as much as expected, and why this team is playing so selfishly right now at a time when they need to be anything but.

It's really put up or shut up time for OU, and frankly I'm concerned that they might not answer the bell. If OU doesn't win more than five of their remaining games, this will go down as the most disappointing season I've seen from my team since prior to 1999, in a season that should be by expectation one of growth and self-discovery.

I'm sorry if I'm coming off as depressed, but I'm not at all happy that my team nearly beat Texas and responded by losing at home to ISU for the 10th time in the last 11 tries.

DblT81

01-29-2005, 03:34 PM

OSU has Live Stats from their web site.

tied at 61 with 3 min left

Jimi

01-29-2005, 03:38 PM

The KSU V CU final was 81 -70 KSU. Kendra had 28 points and 10 rebounds. Coggins had a career high 25 points on 5-8 from three. Shana Wheeler was not with the team due to the death of a family friend in her church. Jessica McFarland fouled out with 3:37 left in the game. K-State was out of sync most of the game and committed 22 turnovers to Colorado's 13. The defense was not a thing of beauty either. A win is a win even if its ugly, but I have to give credit to Colorado for making the Wildcats play ugly and for playing good offense. Good luck Buffs.

ChipperF1

01-29-2005, 03:43 PM

And YCN jumps on me for downing the ballclub after a tough outing. ;)

Didn't Oklahoma go through a rough patch last year just this one? They did, and they ended up as Big 12 tourney champs.

This year? Tough to say, what's up with Oklahoma. The talent is there, but a piece seems to be missing and things just aren't running as they should.

I have a feeling I'll be sitting courtside on two stumbling teams come February 6.

YCN

01-29-2005, 03:46 PM

Is there some unwritten rule that live stats windows are supposed to automatically freeze for at least 10 minutes when there are 4 seconds on the clock and one team leads by two?

Or more precisely, is there any such thing as a GOOD live stats program, because the one that most of the Big 12 teams are using just plain stinks.

breid

01-29-2005, 03:47 PM

Baylor wins

YCN

01-29-2005, 03:48 PM

The difference between OU and Nebraska is that Nebraska has been improving, while OU has been treading water for most of two seasons now.

I'm starting to tap my feet...

swok34

01-29-2005, 03:58 PM

Hmmmmmm, OU was shooting what an Iowa State zone gives you.....three's. I don't think Chelsi hit one at all today, Laura didn't hit one......that left Erin who did hit at least 3 in the first half.

Iowa State and Oklahoma are a lot alike in that they both rely on their perimeter shooting to free up the middle....and vice-versa.

Iowa State had it going with their perimeter shooting, but OU did not. Lauren Shoush and Laura Andrews both had two very, very good back to back games.......and they've both reverted to their early season woes.

This is a VERY young team; do you remember when Stacey Dales was a sophomore? You had better have worn a football helmet to the Lloyd Noble Center or your head was in jeopardy :eek:

Maybe I don't get it.........even if this team does not make it to the NCAA's this year....my butt will still be sitting in Seat 10 cheering them on just the same. And I suspect this OU team isn't going to lay down and quit....I've never seen a Sherri Coale team do that yet.

ChipperF1

01-29-2005, 04:03 PM

I don't know about that. The last two years for OU haven't been bad. I have feeling you are comparing the '03 and '04 team to 2002. That's a tough act to follow and really almost impossible.

Oklahoma in 2002 was just that good, that cohesive and that special. 2003 Oklahoma was still pretty good, but had dent.

Last season was rough at the beginning, but that teams was nails at the end. To do what they did was quite solid, it just that when NCAA time rolled around, a team was able to exploit the week points well.

When I look at Oklahoma this year, I see some talent, but I also see a lot of youth. A lot of new faces and a team looking for a direction. That's going to yield up and down performance.

As far as a comparison to Nebraska? C'mon Y, we couldn't get any worse. Improvement had to happen. :)

This year's Big 12 has most of the field going through what you are seeing. We have four very cohesive teams. Two more that could go either way, and a bottom tier of 5 more that are game, but not quite ready for prime time.

wbbcatfan

01-29-2005, 04:05 PM

The other thing to consider here is that Iowa State is a much better team than anyone had given them credit for. A loss to Iowa State at home or away is for sure not the end of the world. They are very solid in all aspects of their game and if they are hitting from the outside they will beat anybody in the conference.

swok34

01-29-2005, 04:12 PM

Iowa State is also more of a senior laden team.......

ChipperF1

01-29-2005, 04:16 PM

But it could mean ending up in the WNIT. The Big 12 conference won't get 7 teams in. Maybe 6, although the way things could shape up, we could end up with just 5 depending on what happens.

Right now, its just about wins, and the way the midsection of this league is, wins could be hard to come by.

Jennifer

01-29-2005, 04:28 PM

This is a VERY young team;

While I'm not disagreeing with this statement, that seems to be the thing that has been said since the 2002 season. Sure, injuries have had something to do with that, but though Higgins is a Sophomore, I don't consider her 'young'. This is her 3rd season at OU. Ditto for Welch. THat just leaves Rush as the young one in the starting lineup.
I don't think so much that this team's problem is youth. They just need a consistant inside presence so that they don't have to rely on the 3 so much.

When your leading rebounder is your point guard, something is wrong. Kendra Moore was the 2nd leading rebounder today with 8. SHe is what, 5'6? They need muscle on the inside, not quick guards getting in there and getting the boards.

swok34

01-29-2005, 04:45 PM

But much of what creates rebounds for guards is the frontcourt blocking out......

What we don't have this year is two solid consistent frontcourt players.....we have Leah, who's had to push over to the 5 position. Laura Andrews can play limited minutes, Antoinette Wadsworth (still undersized, not as big an offensive threat, but very good rebounder), Beky Preston (didn't play at all today) and Casey Walker. Casey Walker actually came in and held her own, but she's not used to the physicality of this league. And you go back to the same issue.......consistency from perimeter shooters to free up the interior. That didn't happen today.

In past year's....we've always had one very good post player and one that could go in and do her job. Like the Caton Hill/Jamie Talbert combo......or the Caton Hill/Leah Rush combo.....for the most part, OU has always been mostly a guard oriented team.

DblT81

01-29-2005, 04:48 PM

When your leading rebounder is your point guard, something is wrong.

Soonerman? What say you?

------------------------------------
OU fans just repeat that Democratic party mantra... Help is on the way! :D

35TangoTango

01-29-2005, 05:07 PM

Soonerman? What say you?

The difference between last year's team and this year's is that neither Caton Hill nor Maria Villarroel have been effectively replaced.

3 6'3" post players on the team, and we don't feel like we can put any of them in the game. Chelsi is at this point just a shadow of what we saw her freshman year. So much depends on confidence, and we didn't have much today. It seemed like we were playing 3 on 5.

It's going to be interesting to see how the season plays out. You've got to remember that we were just one shot away from beating Texas. Was that game our Gettysburg, or can we regroup and win some battles yet? :ou:

(and Chipper will tell you I'm not much for putting faith in Democrat mantras)

schooner2

01-29-2005, 05:08 PM

Well, time for my two cents I guess. Today was a very bitter pill to swallow even considering that Iowa State is a ranked team playing very well. If OU is to live up to pre-season expectations they really needed a win today. You simply can't lose at home. And before I go on, give mucho kudos to Iowa State. Wow, they looked a lot like the teams from recent past bombing away from outside. They hit their first 7 shots of the game with 5 of those being 3-pointers. OU was on fire as well for the first-half of the first-half. It was all downhill from there.

I agree with a lot of YCN's point. But have to side with Jennifer on the youth issue. This is not a young team. On a team where 6 maybe 7 players get a vast majority of the playing time, 2 of them are seniors. Andrews is a junior as are two others off the bench in Wadsworth and Preston. Higgins and Welch are really more like juniors than sophomores since they've been around for 3 years. Rush is the youngest, yet is clearly the most improved and is our second best player behind Jackson.

The bitter pill we as Sooner fans may have to swallow is our talent just doesn't match up with the Top 5 in the league, at all.

Has anybody mentioned Caton Hill? Man, what a big loss that was. We lost her strong inside presence and her fantastic determination to win no matter what. A lot of heart graduated along with her talent.

Our front court is just getting decimated and exposed at how weak it is.

Welch has been an absolute no show. All season. We don't have the 'ole Caufield threat of driving the baseline and drawing fouls and hitting a zillion free throws. Welch is not nearly fast enough to do this. She is strong. But we can't seem to be able to use that. Her only game is beyond the 3-point arc and she is just playing miserably.

Andrews has become more of an offensive liability than defensive asset.

We can no longer rely on Preston. She played ZERO minutes today.

Higgins is hot and cold. She would have had to be ultra-hot today to keep us in the game. She is nowhere near as consistent as she was last season, though.

And that's it. Not much of a bench. Just Shoush really who can provide some nice sparks at times.

OU is hurting for talent. This is probably the least talented team since at least 2000 or 1999. And I say lack in talent because if they truly we're a talented shooting team we wouldn't be having this much difficulty in scoring from outside game in and game out. OU had a lot, A LOT, of looks from outside to convert. Welch was just missing badly today.

So, it's probably time to swallow that bitter pill and question whether we make the NCAA Tourney or not. I still think we have a shot at Tech (we always play them great and did so in Lubbock already) and maybe Kansas State as their inside game is not as good as ISU. I think it would be a big upset to knock off Baylor. I don't know if home wins against KSU and Tech are enough to get us in the tourney - maybe so. But if we go 1-2 against those three - that's not enough.

schooner2

01-29-2005, 05:10 PM

The difference between last year's team and this year's is that neither Caton Hill nor Maria Villarroel have been effectively replaced.

3 6'3" post players on the team, and we don't feel like we can put any of them in the game. Chelsi is at this point just a shadow of what we saw her freshman year. So much depends on confidence, and we didn't have much today. It seemed like we were playing 3 on 5.

It's going to be interesting to see how the season plays out. You've got to remember that we were just one shot away from beating Texas. Was that game our Gettysburg, or can we regroup and win some battles yet? :ou:

(and Chipper will tell you I'm not much for putting faith in Democrat mantras)

Great comments soonerman. I totally forgot about Villarroel as well. How could I? Yep, we lose Maria and Caton and replace them with absolutely nothing. Can you imagine losing both Caton and Maria last year just before the Big 12 Tourney is to be played? How bad we would have been? That's this year.

YCN

01-29-2005, 05:12 PM

In 2002-2003 OU had 15 years of experience on the roster with the loss of Caton Hill to an ACL injury. In 2003-2004 OU had 13 years of experience with the loss of Chelsi Welch to an ACL injury. This year OU has 19 years of experience. Next year the Sooners will have 24 years of experence.

In 2002-2003 the Sooners, replacing 4 of 5 starters, finished 19-13 and made it to the NCAA tournament, losing at home in the first round to George Washington.

In 2003-2004 the team caught fire in February to finish the season 24-9, but they were unable to sustain the peak they achieved in winning the Big 12 tournament when they played in the NCAA tournament as a highly over-seeded #3. In the second round they were exposed as an inexperienced team in the second round by the Stanford Cardinal, who wrecked the Sooners 68-43 in the second round. The teams that OU beat in the Big 12 tournament that went to the NCAA tournament: Colorado, Kansas State and Texas, lost in the first round, second round and regional semifinal respectively.

I don't yet believe that OU cannot reach some high goals for this season, but with two losses this week over teams that OU was, at least on paper, projected to beat in games at home, the road to success just got a whole lot tougher.

OU did get hot in February last year, winning 11 of 14, including four in the Big 12 tourney and one NCAA tournament game. The Sooners were 13-6 prior to that game compared to 11-7 this year. As of right now the Sooners hare 10-7 as far as the NCAA selection committee is concerned, because OU played one team that doesn't play in Division I. There is much work to be done for this team, and the time to do it is rapidly dwindling.

Here's how I'd like to see the Sooners finish the season, but my expectations have been diminished.

at Kansas - I would hope for a win, but KU is getting more difficult to defeat all the time.

at Nebraska - It will take a complete turnaround for OU in their approach to winning on the road to beat Nebraska in Lincoln. I hope for a win, but expect a loss.

Baylor - OU's at home, but Baylor is big and physical inside, with far better outside shooting than the Sooners. I want them to win, but fear that they will lose. OU hasn't defeated anyone as good as Baylor this year, at home or on the road.

Kansas State - same as Baylor.

at Colorado - I expect a win, but if OU plays the way they played against ISU today, and Colorado plays the way they did against K-State, OU will lose.

Missouri - From their performances today I can easily see that Missouri would have beaten OU in either Norman or Columbia. Fortunately the Sooners play this game at home, so I expect a win, but a loss wouldn't surprise me.

Texas Tech - Again, OU hasn't beaten a team this good at home or on the road this year. I'd love to see a win, but I expect a loss.

at Texas - A loss.

at Oklahoma State - A win.

So there you have it. Unless OU improves noticably they will go 4-5 or worse down the stretch, going in the Big 12 tournament at 14-12 against Division I competition. 14-13 or 15-13 against D-I opponents would seem to be likely prior to OU's appearance in the WNIT tournament, probably playing on the road after the first or second round.

Bball Girl

01-29-2005, 05:25 PM

OU fans...sorry about these last two games. I thought you had UT well in hand and while I did NOT underestimate ISU, I did expect you to beat them at home. Dang it.

Changing topics a bit...it sounds like Baylor and OSU had quite some game and now KMR thinks it's ok to get free throws to win a game. See
http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaw/recap?gid=200501290446 for the full story.

"Steffanie Blackmon made good on her chance to lift Baylor to victory. Oklahoma State didn't think she should have had the opportunity.

Blackmon was fouled under the basket with 0.9 seconds remaining and made both shots from the foul line as No. 7 Baylor fended off Oklahoma State 67-65 on Saturday. The Cowgirls' ensuing inbounds pass went out of bounds and Baylor ran out the final few ticks.

Oklahoma State (6-11, 1-6), which has beaten a Top 10 team at Gallagher-Iba Arena each of the past two seasons, was unhappy with the call against forward Destanie Sykes.

``Who calls a foul?'' said Nina Stone, who led Oklahoma State with 20 points. ``I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I don't understand. Who calls a foul with point-nine seconds left on the game clock? You've got to just let us play the game.''

Cowgirls coach Julie Goodenough wouldn't comment directly on the foul, saying only ``I would like to have gone to overtime.''

``There a lot of things that go through your mind,'' Mulkey-Robertson said. ``For her to step up and make those two free throws basically won the game for us.''

DblT81

01-29-2005, 06:04 PM

You Oklahoma fans sound an awful lot like Tech fans on Dec 19th and Jan 22nd. Not specifically in what you are saying but the general frustration. (And I bet some UT fans can relate as well).

It subsides.

Young/old, experienced/inexperienced. All I see is a roster full of sophomores who are going to team with two of the nations top recruits over the next two years to cause me some heartache.

#1OUWBBFAN

01-29-2005, 07:20 PM

Just got in from the game a while ago. I'm not depressed, but we've hidden all the firearms. Iowa State was absolutely incredible in the first 15 minutes. They shot 185% from the 3 point line and made at least 10 points from shots they were thinking about taking. When you're hot you're hot. YCN I feel your pain but we'll be OK. This is a great group of girls with great leadership.

catladyok

01-29-2005, 07:25 PM

Yeah, it's frustrating to watch your team lose 2 games at home back-to-back, but we just have to take the losses along with the wins. Maybe we're not as good as we should be at this point in time, but this just happens. Other teams have been through the same thing and the fans have 'survived' and we will, too. I'd still be there yelling for them even if we lost ALL of our games.

The current Sooner team just isn't strong enough or confident enough to overcome problems during a game, and that's why they just can't seem to 'seal the deal.' It's kind of bad when your point guard is doing most of the scoring, and it's not fair to put all the load on Dionnah and Leah.

But I was happy to see Sherri subbing more people in during this game even when we were having trouble staying in the game. (Yeah, even coaches can learn a lot from a loss.) 'My' girl (Antoinette Wadsworth) got a few minutes this time! And Casey Walker had some very productive minutes - and this OU crowd LOVES her. We go nuts every time she scores.

ISU is usally a strong shooting team, and when the Sooners can't get anything to fall, well ... down we go. We have some players who can shoot well once they get on a roll, but they're just not consistent enough in general. You never know what to expect, and that's what is causing so much frustration among the Sooner fans.

I really enjoyed the game in spite of the loss. And even more, I enjoyed meeting ISU3PointLand and Cyrox at lunch! Such neat guys. And if I were a classy fan I would have bought their lunch, but since I'm not I let them buy their own! It's so refreshing to meet fans who support their team in such a positive way. Thanks for coming, guys! See you at the tournament, I hope!

Now, it's time to watch the 2 games I taped. Bye for now.

35TangoTango

01-29-2005, 07:26 PM

(Coach Cole at post-game press conference) "The season is a long way from over, I promise you that. If you think that we are just going to lay over and start talking about next year, you’re nuts."

So why should I give up? :ou:

Bball Girl

01-29-2005, 07:41 PM

So why should I give up? :ou:
Absolutely! You know the kids feel far worse than you do...they feel like they let you, themselves, their coaches and their families down.

Keep believing!

catladyok

01-29-2005, 08:01 PM

Absolutely! You know the kids feel far worse than you do...they feel like they let you, themselves, their coaches and their families down.

Keep believing!
My sentiments exactly! And just rememebr: 'Tough times don't last but tough titties DO!'

ouconster

01-29-2005, 08:02 PM

I am not down on them! I know they will be back. They proved last year when all thought it was over, that they could win, and they will do it again. Win or lose, I am still a big fan and love the team. Congrats to ISU, they shot absolutely absurd from the 3. You can tell they are a senior heavy team.

swok34

01-29-2005, 08:05 PM

catladyok

01-29-2005, 08:07 PM

They shot 185% from the 3 point line and made at least 10 points from shots they were thinking about taking. When you're hot you're hot.

This is the gospel truth. Too bad we don't have the game on tape or we'd prove it to you. For a while there, the ISU threes were falling like snow in Massachusetts. I was preparing myself for a blow-out which, fortunately, didn't happen.

And how could I be so rude - I forgot to say 'Congratulations, Cyclones', and so I'm saying it now. And I really mean it.

schooner2

01-29-2005, 08:50 PM

Young/old, experienced/inexperienced. All I see is a roster full of sophomores who are going to team with two of the nations top recruits over the next two years to cause me some heartache.

Well, as for me, I'm not talking about next year. Shoot yeah, I agree with you about next year. If you think Leah Rush is having a break out year this season, wait till next season when all the heat and big bodies banging on her inside is instead given to the Paris twins. And then Leah is free to do what she does best? I think Leah benefits big time the next two season and could turn into a bigger star than the Paris twins (at least for the twins first couple of seasons).

But, I'm talking about this year. I've always rooted for the players and will continue to be a big fan. But I think you're crazy if people keep thinking that OU has as much talent as the Top 5 in this conference and is just having a down stretch. It's not there.

OU always fights hard. And they may very well win a couple of games that they shouldn't because of their tenacity. But we are definitely underdogs to the top 5 in conference and to Nebraska on the road -- and deservedly so.

Maybe I'm just now waking up to reality.

BOOMER SOONER!

carolann

01-29-2005, 09:37 PM

Baylor needed 2 free throws on a foul called with .09 seconds left on the clock to be OSU! How did this happen? Wow, we really better not ink in any wins for our teams.

swok34

01-29-2005, 09:39 PM

OU/ISU Attendance: 10539

I think OU should invite the elementary school kids EVERY game ;)

No kidding, carolann. Never know what a team can do once they find their groove. Oklahoma State's shooting percentage was better than Baylor; rebounds were tied...
looks like Niemann was 50% from beyond the arc connecting on 5 of 10 3-pointers.

ISUbballfan

01-29-2005, 09:48 PM

OU/ISU Attendance: 10539

I think OU should invite the elementary school kids EVERY game ;)

What is record crowd for OU for a regular season game?

swok34

01-29-2005, 09:56 PM

Ungator

01-29-2005, 11:19 PM

Today’s attendance, 10,539, was the most this season. It was also the seventh largest crowd to watch a women’s basketball game inside Lloyd Noble Center.

I think maybe the OU/Connecticut was the largest crowd a few years back. Not sure if we've topped that one in the regular season. I think at the time, the LNC seated 11,500; and has since added maybe 500 seats.

Actually, I think the largest crowd was at last year's OU/Tennessee game.

Some comments about today:

Andrews: rarely shoots well, makes slow bounce passes that lead to turnovers. Apparently plays for defensive purposes, whatever those are.

After the game Coale admitted to not making enough substitutions in the Texas game and seemed to think she did today. Why she would stick with players who stopped scoring is a mystery to me. The OU bench scored 12 points vs. ISU's 4 -- and that was without letting Lam, Sanchez, or Preston play at all. I think even the Sanchez Saxes are starting to get upset.

Consider Moore, who shot 1 of 8 from the field. When asked about this today, Coale said she took the shots because she was open. What that tells me is that the Cyclones were not defending against Moore. That says a lot more to me than that she was open. That's 7 plays where OU failed to score.

Also look at the shooting stats from the other side. The Sooners missed 51 of 72 shots, 27 of 33 3-pointers. Of those misses only 16 of 72, 10 of 33 were from the bench. A lot of starters needed to sit down.

Either Coale doesn't believe the bench players can develop or she thinks her starters are capable of scoring when their shooting show they are exhausted. She needs to sub more. ISU made frequent rotations and Fennelly said he did that to rest his starters; he did not expect points from his bench.

I remember complaining about her playing her starters too long a few years ago. All the weight conditioning in the world won't give energy to a player that needs a rest. She has got to substitute more.

Ungator

YCN

01-29-2005, 11:45 PM

Thank you, Ungator.

I looked at Casey Walker today (for a brief period of time, and one of the only times I've even seen her play) and wondered why she wasn't getting at least 5-10 minutes in the rotation. I saw nothing there that led me to believe that she couldn't contribute to the team. She made 2-3 from the field in heavy traffic, made no turnovers, and looked at least reasonably mobile. She's in her second year AFTER her ACL. So what's holding her up from being a contributor?

Kelly Lam was either the best or second best player in Wisconsin last year. Do you know how many millions of people live in Wisconsin? Why is she superglued to the bench? Coach Coale spoke highly of her when she recruited her.

And Beky Preston. She was an absolute sensation when she played her HS ball in NM, and where's it getting her? Bless her heart, she wants to be a warrior, but no one can be a warrior with bench sores from sitting so long.

It's time to cut the squad loose and let them determine their fate. It seems that the other concept isn't working right now. It isn't like these players are a bunch of stiffs. Krista Sanchez was the best player in Arkansas, Kendra Moore in Oklahoma, and Moore was put on the all-class all-state team without even playing her senior year due to injury. OU has talent to burn, and I just do not understand the grand plan behind what is going on right now.

We could play people all night long if we just used a balanced 10 player rotation. What's the big deal behind that?

Jennifer

01-30-2005, 12:13 AM

I'm with Schooner that maybe the talent just isn't there.
However, I'm not yet looking towards next year. There are still a lot of games to be played. Dionnah has been a favorite player of mine since her freshman year and I intend to enjoy every game of her last season. Gosh, I will miss seeing her play. She is just a warrior.

swok34

01-30-2005, 12:53 AM

ok, I'll agree about the talent.

I just think some of these players haven't developed like the coaches had thought they would.

We, OU fans, are a hard bunch to please......I recall listening to Sherri's radio show two years ago and everyone was yammering on about turnovers. We averaged something like 22+ turnovers a game with the heady bunch that went to the Final Four....and nobody was complaining then.

And, I'm not to next year either......I like the team OU has today. I'm sorry to see that Dionnah probably won't get the national attention she deserves because of how the team is performing.

Either Debbie Antonelli or Brian Brinkley mentioned that Dionnah is one of 3 Division 1 point guards that leads her team in rebounding.....and that's in addition to everything else that Dionnah has done for this team since DAY ONE. I've seen her develop from a shy, skinny kid to like you say, Jennifer........a warrior.

There was a spurt in today's game that I truly felt that Dionnah was going to try and win this game by herself....
hard to do for an army of 1 when the other team are such prolific scorers.

spooky

01-30-2005, 02:00 AM

.

Oklahoma State (6-11, 1-6), which has beaten a Top 10 team at Gallagher-Iba Arena each of the past two seasons, was unhappy with the call against forward Destanie Sykes.

``Who calls a foul?'' said Nina Stone, who led Oklahoma State with 20 points. ``I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I don't understand. Who calls a foul with point-nine seconds left on the game clock? You've got to just let us play the game.''

Cowgirls coach Julie Goodenough wouldn't comment directly on the foul, saying only ``I would like to have gone to overtime.''

At the risk of sounding too much like a homer, there was no comparison between the last second foul today and "the call" last year. Today, for once, Baylor ran a final shot play that worked. Steffanie got a great pass inside and was in the process of shooting a gimmee layup when she was hit pretty hard from the back. I know we've argued many times whether you call the last second foul or not, and away from the basket I tend to say you don't, but you can't let an obvious foul on the shooter go on a last second shot.

That said, OSU was impressive today. They got some production from some of their lesser knowns and hustled hard for 40 minutes. Baylor didn't play horribly. We weren't as aggressive on defense as I would have liked, and we have never shot well in GBA and today was the norm. We got many open looks and missed alot of them badly. We had 15 turnovers but continued the disturbing trend of having them more frequently during critical possessions.

mred

01-30-2005, 07:21 AM

Today, for once, Baylor ran a final shot play that worked. Steffanie got a great pass inside and was in the process of shooting a gimmee layup when she was hit pretty hard from the back. I know we've argued many times whether you call the last second foul or not, and away from the basket I tend to say you don't, but you can't let an obvious foul on the shooter go on a last second shot.

I didn't see the game so I can't comment on the specific accuracy of your statement, but I definitely agree with the sentiment. If you slap someone's hand on their follow-through as time expires, you shouldn't expect a call. However just because there's little time left doesn't mean you are free to hammer someone to avoid the basket. If the play was as you described, OSU has nothing to complain about other than their own breakdown on defense.

I get pretty annoyed with the "You've got to let us play the game" comment on last-second plays like this. Last I checked, "the game" has a rulebook that governs what's a foul and what is not, and although swallowing the whistle on a ticky-tack foul is expected, allowing a blatant violation isn't.

Bball Girl

01-30-2005, 07:46 AM

I'm sorry to see that Dionnah probably won't get the national attention she deserves because of how the team is performing.

Either Debbie Antonelli or Brian Brinkley mentioned that Dionnah is one of 3 Division 1 point guards that leads her team in rebounding.....and that's in addition to everything else that Dionnah has done for this team since DAY ONE. I've seen her develop from a shy, skinny kid to like you say, Jennifer........a warrior.

There was a spurt in today's game that I truly felt that Dionnah was going to try and win this game by herself....
hard to do for an army of 1 when the other team are such prolific scorers.

Dionnah is a WARRIOR.....I remember her play as a freshman in the NC game. She wants to win bad enough that she will do whatever is needed and she has a homing instinct for the ball...where it goes, there she is.

I'm not looking forward to Tech coming to Norman. Last year was not a pleasant experience...how can 5 players have 20 hands?...that's what it felt like, hands everywhere grabbing at the ball.

Bball Girl

01-30-2005, 07:59 AM

Not a good day for the Sooners...the ISU faithful must have been walking on air winning both games yesterday. Although I think the men's win was a much BIGGER upset than the women's win.

I watched the KU/Texas game and wow...talk about a whopping. I like Rick Barnes and I know this would have been a better game with Tucker and the other UT player who's hurt (can't remember his name). Kansas was hot last night and put on an exhibition!

UNM took care of UNLV in the Pit last night and the broadcasters remember a game several years ago where the attendance hovered about 24,000...it holds about 18,500. I'm just trying to imagine 24,000 rabid Lobo fans...it's a scary thought.

But there is NOTING like losing on your homecourt when you're ranked #11 to a team that hasn't beaten you in 38 tries...since 1986. Washington State 70 Arizona 63 :(

I'm an Arizona alum and here in Rio Rancho we get FSN Arizona so I get to see almost EVERY single game. There's a team with LOADS of talent and skill, but not a lot of common sense and way, way much swagger. :mad:

Bball Girl

01-30-2005, 08:21 AM

Just to further add to YCN's frustration with ESPN. Their front page with a story about Baylor and OSU shows a picture of

http://espn.starwave.com/media/ncw/2004/0322/photo/a_young_frt.jpg

As much as I love seeing LaToya's work against Young...you'd think they could find a different picture to illustrate Baylor's win.

See http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/index

carolann

01-30-2005, 08:27 AM

Spooky and Mred, I agree with you. I was thinking about posting and was hesitant because I didn't see the Baylor/OSU game. However, I think there is a difference between a foul called when 2 players are going for a loose ball and a foul called when someone is going up for a shot.

Cowgirlfan

01-30-2005, 12:10 PM

I certainly agree that a blatant foul is a blatant foul whenever it occurs, but it sure looked to me like Blackmon flopped. I was on the side of the arena opposite the two team benches, so Blackmon was coming toward my side when the foul occured. It looked like she was just barely bumped by Sykes and she took the opportunity to fall down. I'm sure from the backside (and I assume that is where you were sitting, that is where most Baylor fans were) it looked like a complete hack.
I was a little disappointed in the call, but I was more disappointed in the defense letting the ball get into the post with the game on the line.
For what it's worth, today's article in the Stillwater News-Press says, "A controversial foul call with 0.9 seconds on the clock led to two Baylor free throws and a 67-65 Oklahoma State loss Saturday afternoon at Gallagher-Iba Arena.

The No. 7 Lady Bears got their two game-winning points from center Steffanie Blackmon’s charity shots and dropped Oklahoma State to 6-11 overall and 1-6 in the Big 12. BU improved to 15-3 overall and 5-2 in league games.

The foul was the fifth on Cowgirl forward Destanie Sykes and came in the post. A television replay showed minimal physical contact on the play."

I certainly do agree that it was nothing like the call in the Tennessee game. This was more of a good acting job, I thought (which is a smart play by a senior).

BearLady

01-30-2005, 12:12 PM

Just got back home after going to Stillwater to watch the game yesterday. With objectivity, I will say that I could not see the ball/players inside and movement on the final play, as I was seated near the mid-court line and all of the players were between me and the basket.

I will note though that there were lots of very quick whistles throughout the game yesterday on both ends of the court. So whether the last foul 'should' have been called or not, that type of whistle was pretty much what went on throughout the entire game for both teams. There were occasions when OSU fans were definitely displeased with calls made (before the last foul called) and Baylor also had quick whistles go against them.

I doubt you would find many Baylor fans who could not feel empathy for the Cowgirls regarding that last less-than-a-second call, just remembering our own experience last year.

I congratulate the Cowgirls for playing with much heart throughout the game. They are going to be fun to watch over the next couple of years. And I congratulate the Cowgirl fans for turning out in pretty good numbers. Yes, there was a special youth day promotion yesterday, which helped fill a good number of seats. But all of the Cowgirl supporters seemed to be very enthusiastic and kept supporting the players.

:bu:

Cowgirlfan

01-30-2005, 12:34 PM

Overall I didn't think the officiating was particularly one-sided, but I did think it was bad. The tall blond woman (I think her name is Jeneane Pence) is always terrible, every time I see her. The other woman (I guess that must be Connie Pardue) I'd never noticed before but she was pretty bad too. The man (Michael Price) was incredibly late with nearly every call.
I remember Sophia Young -- who is an incredible player -- completely running over a Cowgirl and laying it in with no call. Then Blackmon gets the call at the end. All I ask is consistency.
Like I said, I really don't think either squad greatly benefitted. I saw plenty of calls in OSU's favor that were pretty bad. But I'm still incredibly disappointed in the quality of the officiating in the best conference in the country.

spooky

01-30-2005, 04:48 PM

Well I guess that goes to show you that no two people, especially fans of opposing teams, are ever going to see a game the same way from an officiating point of view. I agree that no team got a real advantage, but i actually think that it was about as well officiated a game as i have seen this year. Three or four times a ref called a foul and was very specific as to what body part was violated (whack on the head, clipped the elbow, etc...) My first reaction during live play had been "What, you're nuts!!!" but every time the replay on the scoreboard showed that they had been right on. I also seem to be one of the few who doesn't really dislike Pence. To each his own I guess. Between all us hoopscoopers, I'm sure every ref out there is on somebody's hit list. :)