Reflection

[sybarite]

We just played three tough teams in three days. We didn't even put up a fight in the first game. We came to play in the second game, but let it get away from us. Then, we came back twice late to tie the game and win it in OT, after trailing by seven in OT with about a minute left, the reverse of last night.

Did some kids show some development in one area? Last year's team would have lost all three. This team showed some guts. We had LaNesia, Gabbi, Pierre-Louis, Campbell-Olds, and, was it Carter, at the end of the game. Three freshmen played against a team that had beaten Kentucky and played South Florida tight. They also fought through some bad calls, some poor free throw shooting, and some thoughtless passes . Fundamentally, it was not a good game. But, we won. Despite everything, these kids had the one fundamental that generates victories, guts. You can learn everything else.

 

[SKSooner]

This team has some spunk. I think all of these road games are going to make them a lot tougher in conference play. They will continue to get better.

The Illinois win was huge mentally. Now, we need to take care of business on the road.

 

[sybarite]

We are outshooting the opposition 48.6 to 39.6%. Threes, 37.8 to 31.4%.

Free throws: 52.1 to 72.1%. Ouch!

We lead our opposition in assists: 110-56
We also have fewer turnovers: 115-125

Points:
Sharane 95
Kaylon and Peyton 70
Nicole 54
LaNesia 50
Gabbi 46

Rebounds:

Sharane 41
Kay Kay 37
Gabbi 26
McKenna 23
LaNesia 22

Assists:

Gabbi 22
Peyton 19
Gioya and Sharane 13

Turnovers:

Sharane 20
Gabbi 18

 

[tycat947]

This team has some spunk. I think all of these road games are going to make them a lot tougher in conference play. They will continue to get better.

The Illinois win was huge mentally. Now, we need to take care of business on the road.

Agreed. This is a very young team and as tough as this tourney was, it will make them better come Jan/Feb.

 

[rocjunkie]

I am hoping that the South Florida game will be the only abomination during the season. I liked the fact that despite horrible officiating, the kids had a lot of character and fight in the Kentucky and Illinois games. They should have beaten the Wildcats and finished 2-1 in this very tough tournament. The experience the youngsters got on this trip will be immeasurable. It should pay dividends down the road into January through March. They have proven to me that they can play with the top teams in the country, they just have to learn to perform under pressure and finish. The pieces are there, they just need a couple of kids to rise to the top and become leaders of this team. I think Nicole, Sharane and LaNesia could be prime candidates to take that mantle. We will just have to wait and see how it all plays out. The key will come from the free throw line, and continue improvement in rebounding. We need to find the kids that have the "want to" in them.

 

[MisterF]

I found this interesting in the postgame notes.

The lineup for the Sooners in the final 4:51 of overtime was three freshmen - Gabbi Ortiz, LaNesia Williams and Vionise Pierre-Louis; one sophomore – Derica Wyatt, and a senior – Sharane Campbell-Olds.

I know a lot of factors were involved in that lineup. But three freshman most of the OT time and OU won.

 

[soonermike22]

Sometimes, good but developing teams will take losses as a way to point out their weak spots, underline their strengths, and use that as a springboard to get better. This team has great potential, but still has to develop an identity, and a mental toughness to be good.
I would rather watch this team, that makes mistakes, but keeps fighting than a team with experience that doesn't make the effort this team does.

 

[sybarite]

I found this interesting in the postgame notes.

The lineup for the Sooners in the final 4:51 of overtime was three freshmen - Gabbi Ortiz, LaNesia Williams and Vionise Pierre-Louis; one sophomore – Derica Wyatt, and a senior – Sharane Campbell-Olds.

I know a lot of factors were involved in that lineup. But three freshman most of the OT time and OU won.

We subbed in Carter for Pierre-Louis, who had scored all of our points in OT, at 0:36, just after Vionese hit the free throw to tie it. I guess it was to have the good hands people in for the last 36 seconds, although Vivi had hit FTs better than most yesterday. Only the last two points, on FTs, were made by someone other than Vivi (Sharane).

It was interesting to see which post was more effective under which conditions. Vivi didn't get much of a chance to play until late yesterday, and we simply lose it without her scoring in OT. She got two field goals, but they were both on putbacks, not off of entry passes. Someone missed on both putbacks, she she got the rebound. She also hit three free throws in OT. Until then, she had been silent this weekend.

Kay Kay had problems when she was surrounded. She couldn't get off her shot. She did get some rebounds in the first game, but she could not score. Curiously, with them packing it into the middle, Treece found it easy to score over it. She simply stepped back and hit a couple of jump shots, as well as some putbacks. Nobody was effective after receiving and entry pass. Too much traffic. We may find that we need to forget the entry pass for the layup if they pack the defense in. Either shoot over it (Treece), or use it to pass out of. But, we can't keep it in there because they also trapped Kay Kay where she couldn't pass. SF wasn't that tall. They were trapping with a 6-1 post and a guard. We simply weren't moving well enough to do anything if Kay Kay couldn't make it easy. On paper, Kay Kay should have had her best game against SF.

Our posts are different. Treece may be the better option if they are packing it in. She did not look at all effective if she played with her back to the basket when they packed it in, but she killed them facing the basket. She hit jump shots and got tip ins. Vivi is simply power. Finally, after five games, she hit a free throw, four of them. She wasn't that bad of a free throw shooter in HS. But, Vivi is also better at putbacks than at turn and shoot. Kay Kay can kill teams that have no inside presence, but can't go over a good post. She has to learn that she, too, is better at getting offensive boards in that situation.

We have to learn what they can do, and they have to learn what they can't do.

 

[sybarite]

As the season began, did we have a reason to expect much, at least at the first part of the year. We weren't all that great at the end of last year. We lost three seniors who had about ten years of cumulative starting between them. Griffin had started the most part of all four years, as has Aaryn. Morgan started most of three years.

Our only real returning starter was Sharane. Gioya had started, but was not established. Kornet had some playing time as a reserve. T'Ona had played a little. Kay Kay had started about three games, but had mostly been a reserve. From this, we have the experience to start strong. We ran into this:

Washington 5-1, and pretty good.
Lamar 1-5
Bradley 0-5
South Florida 5-2
Kentucky 6-1
Illinois 5-2

Kentucky and South Florida won two each in the Paradise Jam. Illinois and OU lost twice. Forgetting the weak teams of Lamar and Bradley, an inexperienced group didn't do badly splitting with Washington, South Florida, Illinois, and Kentucky. I think we were the second best team in the Jam, losing to Kentucky only because of an officiating disaster. This is probably a lot better than we have any right to think we would have been.

It is also interesting that in the OT against Illinois, we lost Little immediately to fouls. Then, we played Vivi, LaNesia, Gabbi, Sharane, and Derica for the rest of the OT, before Gioya was substituted for Vivi with 36 seconds left. Sharane is the only upperclassman in that mix. Although she did score the last two points that won it, it was Vivi who scored every other point in the OT.

These kids should not have been ready to beat Illinois or Kentucky. They are green, and they don't even have an identity. Are they a running team, a set team, a zone team, a man-to-man team? They are just a bunch of kids this early. But, lacking any identity, they have exhibited one thing that is essential. They came back twice from about ten down in regulation in the last two or three minutes and from about five down in OT with about 1:30 left. They came back. They won.

I can't tell you how they won. They just won. I don't know that they can explain it. There was no pattern. Just work hard to get a putback, to get the ball. Just do it. That is their identity, for now.