Game 11: Gophers visit San Diego (12-10-17)

[Ignatius L Hoops]

Coast to Coast

Minnesota flies toward the Southern California smoke taking on the University of San Diego Toreros (5-4). San Diego was a preseason pick for fourth in the WCC behind Gonzaga, St. Marys and BYU. Last season was a 14-16 (7-11 conference) disappointment for head coach Cindy Fisher now entering her 13th season. Before last season the Toreros posted five consecutive 20+ win seasons and five straight WNIT appearances. Injuries, especially to 5’10 forward Maya Hood, caused difficulties. Hood is back in the lineup averaging 11.4 points and 6 rebounds per game. Hood is also one of four Toreros with double digit steals.

Two of San Diego’s losses were winnable. The Toreros lost late leads to Hawai’i in OT and with 8 seconds remaining to San Diego State.

San Diego’s leading scorer is 5’9” G Aubry Ward-El with 15.2 points per game. Their best post player is 6’1” Senior Sydney Williams averaging 11.0 per game. Although not a three point shooter, Williams did nail two three pointers in the last 30 seconds to briefly give San Diego the lead over San Diego State.

I caught most of the Cal/San Diego State on-line. The Toreros held their own until the fourth quarter. They trailed 25-16 at the end of one and 41-31 at the half. A late Cal rally made the third quarter score Cal 61-46. San Diego played man defense and pressed most of the game forcing Cal into 17 turnovers including 5 steals.

Offensively, the Toreros, facing a man defense, pretty much ran a four out offense featuring Sydney Williams at the post. Williams was the leading scorer with 18 points and at 6’1” played effectively with her back to the basket in addition to knocking down short jumpers. Minnesota needs to keep her under control. San Diego is not much of a three point shooting team; although Cal’s aggressive D probably made them look worse than will the Gopher zone. On Sunday versus Minnesota, a track meet might break out as the Toreros average 71.9 points per game.

Wins: San Diego Christian 82-53, Southern Utah 72-59, @ (Hawai’i) Boise State 72-52, Long Beach State 74-49, @ UC Santa Barbara 71-58.

Losses: @ Hawai’i 63-64 (OT), @ San Diego State 76-77, @ Seattle 73-80, @ Cal 64-89.

 

[Shades]

Free live video
http://www.wccsports.com/gamecenter/w-baskbl/gc-121017-usd.html

 

[Shades]

Just not smooth at all on layups.

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

Just not smooth at all on layups.

Even worse on free throws. 3-10 in the first half.

 

[Shades]

I figure the Gophers can only play better in the second half.

 

[Shades]

Fernstrom gets the quick hook after the indecision and travel.

 

[Shades]

You can't guard Williams with Lamke.

She's been killing the Gophers and there have been no defensive adjustments for her.

 

[GringaGopher]

I figure the Gophers can only play better in the second half.

2-15 from 3 and their D remains weak. This is a team we should be beating easily.

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

That was a complete fiasco. I tried to warn them about Williams who had 25 points (why when Williams got the ball at the free throw line did the defenders run away?) That we still don't trap out of the 2-3 zone is amazing; although Edwards and Fernstrom defending as statues didn't help.

Lamke came in and sized up the situation and picked up the physical play. But, yes, Lamke having to run out to the 3 point line guarding Williams in the closing minutes of the game didn't work. Once again the question arises, how are we going to stop Thome or Gustafson?

Offensively we seemed to dribble with no purpose, screening was rare and we struggled with being overplayed. Edwards had a stat line of 0. Fernstrom's stat line was 2 rebounds and a turnover.

I hope Taiye Bello is ok she fell hard on her tailbone. An as far as I could tell Paloma Gonzalez was not on the bench.


Minutes Played (Starters Bolded)

38 Bell
38 Wagner
34 Hubbard
27 T. Bello
15 Pitts
13 Lamke
11 Brunson
10 Edwards
10 Fernstrom
4 Kaposi

 

[bball_craz_31]

In Lamke's defense, Williams came into today hitting 3-9 from 3-point range. Another game of where a player with no 3-point ability hits multiple. If i'm the coach a player had only hit 3 in 9 games, I would let her shoot again. Also San Diego came in averaging 2.9 made 3-pointers and they hit 6. Once again, it never seems to fail that every team shoots like the Golden State Warriors when they play the Gophers. Yes I am fully aware The gophers defense was not great, but while I'm frustrated with gophers defense, I'm equally frustrated with every team going off from behind the arc against gophers, especially late in the game when they hit 3 of them to pretty much close out the game. Hagen hit one late and she also came into today 2-6 total from 3-point range in all 9 games so far. Williams also had her career high, seriously I think almost every game a player has their career high vs the gophers.

A similarity to the North Caolina game was the gophers win this game if they make their free-throws. they lost by 5 to NC and missed 6 free-throws and today lost by 3 and missed 8 of them. While I unfortunately I feel this lose is on the same level as the New Mexico loss Banham's senior year meaning that barring a miracle, this type of loss all but slams NCAA door shut, I don't think the team is crumbling. No blow out loss, 2 close losses. Also wonder if Pitts has hit kind of a freshman wall. 1 point and 1 rebound tonight and single digits in both at Georgetown. Hoping the team can get Cal Poly on wednesday and then rest up and get back on track with 9 days off before final NC game.

That was a complete fiasco. I tried to warn them about Williams who had 25 points (why when Williams got the ball at the free throw line did the defenders run away?) That we still don't trap out of the 2-3 zone is amazing; although Edwards and Fernstrom defending as statues didn't help.

Lamke came in and sized up the situation and picked up the physical play. But, yes, Lamke having to run out to the 3 point line guarding Williams in the closing minutes of the game didn't work. Once again the question arises, how are we going to stop Thome or Gustafson?

Offensively we seemed to dribble with no purpose, screening was rare and we struggled with being overplayed. Edwards had a stat line of 0. Fernstrom's stat line was 2 rebounds and a turnover.

I hope Taiye Bello is ok she fell hard on her tailbone. An as far as I could tell Paloma Gonzalez was not on the bench.


Minutes Played (Starters Bolded)

38 Bell
38 Wagner
34 Hubbard
27 T. Bello
15 Pitts
13 Lamke
11 Brunson
10 Edwards
10 Fernstrom
4 Kaposi

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

I didn't mean to be hard on Lamke-Annalese stepped to defend. It just that during the game Gopher defenders seemed baffled about who should step to Williams. Williams is a decent, experienced mid-major center; but she's not unguardable except, apparently, by our 2-3 zone.

 

[Shades]

Lamke came in and sized up the situation and picked up the physical play. But, yes, Lamke having to run out to the 3 point line guarding Williams in the closing minutes of the game didn't work.

You guys can't say Williams isn't a three point shooter. She was smooth and confident.

How are we going to stop Thome or Gustafson?

If they shoot the three reliably, we might be in trouble.

Offensively we seemed to dribble with no purpose, screening was rare and we struggled with being overplayed. Edwards had a stat line of 0. Fernstrom's stat line was 2 rebounds and a turnover.

San Diego seem to match up pretty well with the Gophers and defended them well. The refs tended to swallow their whistles, which seem to benefit San Diego. Team definitely looked lost out there. Carlie seems to have lost that confidence she had at Georgetown. I was hoping superhero Carlie would show up for a string of games.

And as far as I could tell Paloma Gonzalez was not on the bench

If she wasn't in the bench for Georgetown, she wouldn't be for San Diego. I'm pretty sure they went from Georgetown to San Diego without returning home. Trap game situation. Going east coast to west coast without a home game in between. Let's not schedule like that again.

So is Gonzalez hurt, sick, or did she bail on the team? Gotta hear an answer by tomorrow.

 

[samloupete]

This is a bad bad loss. A lot of teams don’t recover from something like this. We will see what this team is made of. If they truly desire to play in the NCAA tournament, it’s got to be more than just words. Where was Wagner today?

 

[Shades]

This is a bad bad loss. A lot of teams don’t recover from something like this. We will see what this team is made of. If they truly desire to play in the NCAA tournament, it’s got to be more than just words. Where was Wagner today?

More like where has Pitts been? She went from Big 10 freshman of the week to an image on a milk carton.

 

[Shades]

Hard to believe Bell went 9-18. She missed so many easy bunnies. 2-6 from FT is unacceptable. Does the coaching staff emphasize that enough? Missed free points can lose you the game, as shown in this game. At least the turnovers were kept under 5.

In both Gopher losses, an opposing player destroys their career high. Shows an inability to defend a player with the hot hand with this abysmal zone defense. Stollings has got to adjust better.

 

[Hrothgar]

I listened to the game on the radio today. I could sit here and imagine the San Diego players waltzing to the basket over and over again to take shots unguarded and unimpeded. (Hard for me to tell which Gophers team has the most holes in the defense, the women's basketball or the women's volleyball.) I can see losing in basketball to UConn, Ohio State, South Carolina, etc., but MN should never be losing to teams like San Diego. Where's the recruiting?

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

More like where has Pitts been? She went from Big 10 freshman of the week to an image on a milk carton.

I couldn't figure out if Pitts' playing time today was impacted by:

1) the twisted ankle when she landed on the defenders foot or
2) that T. Bello was more active and aggressive playing the four or
3) poor defending or
4) poor play in general

Anyway, USD pretty much ran an offense similar to a lot of B1G teams. This did not bode well.

 

[gophsfan]

Fernstrom gets the quick hook after the indecision and travel.

I get what Stollings wants to do, but it's a fantasy and is not going to happen as her entire team can't defend and at this point that's on the coaches. It's a cluster in my opinion. I have no idea how any post player can have any confidence in themselves at this point. Seems like they are always getting the brunt of the quick hook, especially Fernstron, yet some guards can do no wrong and half butt it defensively. Lamke had a good offensive game today but like someone else said, not the fleetest of foot. And knowing Stollings she will probably get 5 minutes or less in the next game as it will be Edwards again. No clue how this team ends up doing in the Big10, but today was a bad loss and has me worried, especially since some of our wins were against cupcakes so far this year. Wish we could get Jim Peterson on staff as I think he'd be a big help strategically as Stollings seems to struggle a lot in this area.

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

While I unfortunately I feel this lose is on the same level as the New Mexico loss Banham's senior year meaning that barring a miracle, this type of loss all but slams NCAA door shut, I don't think the team is crumbling. No blow out loss, 2 close losses. Also wonder if Pitts has hit kind of a freshman wall. 1 point and 1 rebound tonight and single digits in both at Georgetown. Hoping the team can get Cal Poly on wednesday and then rest up and get back on track with 9 days off before final NC game.

The New Mexico loss is a decent comparison. However, last week, San Diego's RPI was 235 which puts this loss more on a par with Pam's infamous 75-68 loss at Alabama A&M. I assume San Diego's RPI will improve as the season continues and that I'll get over my annoyance about how predictable it was that Sydney Williams would have a field day.

It's increasingly odd that after you pointed out Gonzalez's absence that there has been nary a word. Is it academics? Is she going the way of Sue Key?...

 

[Ski U Mah Gopher]

The New Mexico loss is a decent comparison. However, last week, San Diego's RPI was 235 which puts this loss more on a par with Pam's infamous 75-68 loss at Alabama A&M. I assume San Diego's RPI will improve as the season continues and that I'll get over my annoyance about how predictable it was that Sydney Williams would have a field day.

It's increasingly odd that after you pointed out Gonzalez's absence that there has been nary a word. Is it academics? Is she going the way of Sue Key?...

Gonzalez is still on the roster. The U is usually good at updating when someone leaves.

She is a freshman from overseas. Maybe a little trouble with one class?

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

Gonzalez is still on the roster. The U is usually good at updating when someone leaves.

She is a freshman from overseas. Maybe a little trouble with one class?

Referencing Gonzalez, Stollings mentioned a couple of times that Paloma's not being here during the summer meant she's had a lot thrown at her in a short time; new system, different lingo, classes, etc. I took this as meaning an adjustment period not necessarily a five alarmer. Nevertheless, there's not been a mention that she's unavailable. That's odd. Well, there's the coaches show tomorrow night and the Wednesday day game perhaps we will learn more or have a sighting.