Huskies going to the line after a foul on Monakana. 4.2 left

First one good

Second one good

77-71 NIU.

Foul on NIU with .5 left but it's meaningless

Boyd to the line

First one good

Second one good

Rockets lose 77-73

How do we lose this one at home?? It's already the 2nd time we've lost a home MAC game

Rockets D did their job. 77 is the lowest point total for NIU this year, and way below their 90+ season average.

Scored over 70 too which is better than they have been doing of late, but it just wasn't enough points. Fouls and rebounding killed the Rockets. Outrebounded by 12. Rockets actually made more buckets and took 17 more shots than NIU. NIU scored 6 more at the line.

(01-14-2017 04:07 PM)inductchuck16 Wrote:  How do we lose this one at home?? It's already the 2nd time we've lost a home MAC game

Problem not getting back on defense and not having a great outside shooter
to keep them from sagging inside.

For those who may think that it was poor UT defense in this one, you have not seen NIU play this year. I've seen parts of a handful of games, and this is by far the most stress any team has put on their offense. They are normally running free making layups and getting open shots at will. Today it took Lehman to put the team on her back and basically be the entire offense in the 2nd half. And UT still held them 14 points under their season average. And they did that with Santucci (who has IMO been the best defensive player all season) held to 19 minutes due to fouls.

NIU just put up 88 on very stingy defensive Ohio, and scored 98 on Kent.

I think the defense played great. Rebounding and not enough points was the killer.

The loss masks a monster game by Janice. 21 points, 11 boards 1 assist and 2 steals, plus about as good a defense as you could play on Lehman much of the 2nd half.

Kaayla had 18 and 8, and 3 blocks. Unfortunately the 3 blocks all came in about the first 5 minutes of the game.

Boyd with 12.

Random thoughts:
1) Bravo-Harriot needs to stop fouling so much. We need her on the court.
2) Great to have Janice back. It would have been ugly without her.
3) McIntyre played three great quarters but couldn't get anything going in the 4th.
4) A few bad calls each way, but I thought McIntyre got hacked several times with no foul call.
5) I think we've lost every game this year that has come down to the last few possessions.
6) Another horrible start. If games were only five minutes long, I think we'd have only a few wins.
7) Cunningham hit a couple big shots.

(01-14-2017 04:17 PM)northcoastRocket Wrote:  NIU just put up 88 on very stingy defensive Ohio, and scored 98 on Kent.

Yeah but Ohio was able to put up 80 against NIU and Kent was able to put 97 against NIU. If UT had been able to score like Ohio and Kent did against NIU, holding them to 77 would have been good enough,........but they didn't, so it was not good enough.

The Rockets may have slowed the NIU offense just a bit but they sure were not close to stopping it particularly early on when NIU was shooting lights out. However, after courageously fighting their way back to a tie and putting themselves in a position to win the game they just were not able to get in done and were sunk by 3 or so empty offensive possessions in the last minute and a half.

Janice had a remarkable game and Kaayla was money when they could actually get the ball to her up until late in the game when NIU began to successfully close on her when she got the ball. Sara R. is usually able to give the offense a jolt coming off the bench but her shooting was a bit off today and Jay-Ann spent a good deal of the first half on the bench and never really got her offense in gear although she did make several nice offensive plays, When it got down to crunch time in the last minute or two a lot of the players acted as if they were afraid to take an open shot and I didn't see anyone really wanting or begging for the ball.

The Rocket offense has been struggling a bit since the last non-conference game against Detroit however the defense has been outstanding and keeping them in all of these games and winning most; however, today the D only slowed down NIU a bit but not quite enough for the win. If a few more Rockets get their shots to fall again and get their confidence back on offense while still playing good defense they will be fine. I would rather have the offense a bit out of sync at the start of conference play than at tourney time in March.

EDIT: I forgot to mention that those girls who appeared to be middle school age and played at half time were the best of these teams I have seen this season at Savage. They actually made a lot of shots---both layups and two bonafide 3 pointers.

(01-14-2017 05:00 PM)Dwight Wrote:  Random thoughts:
1) Bravo-Harriot needs to stop fouling so much. We need her on the court.
2) Great to have Janice back. It would have been ugly without her.
3) McIntyre played three great quarters but couldn't get anything going in the 4th.
4) A few bad calls each way, but I thought McIntyre got hacked several times with no foul call.
5) I think we've lost every game this year that has come down to the last few possessions.
6) Another horrible start. If games were only five minutes long, I think we'd have only a few wins.
7) Cunningham hit a couple big shots.

Number1:Yes!
Number 3: If I'm an opposing coach, McIntyre isn't beating me in the fourth. She'll be doubled every touch and hacked if she puts it on the floor in the paint. I don't care if she goes to the line. Much more likely to beat me from the floor. #25 was basically 5 fouls in an extra large uniform but she forced KMc to pass or shoot free throws. If she ever hits FTs in the 65% range she'll be unstoppable.

For both Rocket bball teams--these aren't rosters that are going to finish conference play as the #1 or #2 seed...maybe not even the #3...but all it takes is a few good games come MAC tournament time...and I still think the ladies could do that.

Add up Santucci's points, assists, rebounds, and steals, and the total (5) equals less than her turnovers (6). Not to mention four fouls. I generally love watching her play, but today was one to forget.

(01-14-2017 06:28 PM)Dwight Wrote:  Add up Santucci's points, assists, rebounds, and steals, and the total (5) equals less than her turnovers (6). Not to mention four fouls. I generally love watching her play, but today was one to forget.

OTOH-she helped harass perhaps the league's best player into 11turnovets and nearly as many whines. She's a freshman, though, and she'll have freshman games. We started one junior, 3 sophisticated and a frosh with the top sub also a frosh. I'm hoping for big things this year, expecting them the next two.

Did not realize that brick masonry was an elective at UT. Lots of bricks put up in the first quarter. Terrible shooting - team never quit but when they tied the game they seem to lack the energy to take a lead. Seems it was a mental barrier that they could not over come. The defense step up to hold NIU well under their average. Take heart and learn.

(01-14-2017 07:31 PM)H2Oville Rocket Wrote:  

(01-14-2017 06:28 PM)Dwight Wrote:  Add up Santucci's points, assists, rebounds, and steals, and the total (5) equals less than her turnovers (6). Not to mention four fouls. I generally love watching her play, but today was one to forget.

OTOH-she helped harass perhaps the league's best player into 11turnovets and nearly as many whines. She's a freshman, though, and she'll have freshman games. We started one junior, 3 sophisticated and a frosh with the top sub also a frosh. I'm hoping for big things this year, expecting them the next two.

Still waiting for the Naama reverse spin!