Game 4: Gophers Host Seton Hall (11/20/16)

[Ignatius L Hoops]

Gophers Host Seton Hall (3-0)

24, 14, 12: those are the steals Seton Hall pirated in their first three games. 29, 25, 18 are the turnovers forced by the Pirates. Best be prepared for pressure. Fortunately, Seton Hall is also turnover prone committing 18, 18, and 20 in three games.

Last season, Seton Hall was 23-9 (12-6 in the Big East) and were an at large NCAA team losing 97-76 to Duquesne in the first round.
The Pirates have defeated Savannah State 74-60, Marist (in Poughkeepsie) 76-63 and Boston College 71-66. Seton Hall is not afraid of the three (25-75).

Probable Starters:
JaQuan Jackson: 5’8 G Jr (19.5/pg) (who transferred away from the Louisiana Tech mess)
Latecia Smith: 5’6 G So. (14.3/pg)
Claire Lundberg: 6’2 G/F Jr (10.7) (from Anoka)
Jayla Jones-Pack: 6’4” F/C Fr
Kaity Healy: 5’6 G F

Others of Note:
Kaela Hilaire: 5’5 G Fr (14.3/pg)
Martha Kuderer: 5’11” G/F (from Eden Praire)

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

This is either something or it isn't: TT Smith and JaQuan Jackson sat out the BC game for NCAA violations. No I don't know if it was a one time deal.

Kaela Hilaire did not play like a freshman Thursday night. With top scorers TT Smith and Quanny Jackson out due to NCAA violations, she stepped up in a big way leading the point. In her first career start, she scored seventeen, notched four steals, and had eight assists. Her most important play however came with 10.1 seconds left to play with the Pirates just up three, 69-66 when she knocked the ball off of one of Boston College's top scorers Kelly Hughes' foot, forcing a turnover. She hit two ensuing free throws icing the game and giving the Pirates their third win of the season

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

If I understood a post on a Seton Hall forum (see below): there were four players suspended two missed the first two games. Smith and Jackson sat out the BC game and will sit out the Minnesota game.

After the Minnesota game, the four players have to sit out one of the next two games and then they are good to go.

https://setonhall.forums.rivals.com/threads/women-make-big-comeback-to-beat-marist.25396/

OK, I have been given permission to post this.

4 players, Jaquan Jackson, TT Smith, Jordan Molyneaux and Libirdia Gordon were all suspended 3 games each by the NCAA for a rules regulation.

The suspensions are being staggered over the first 6 games. Gordon and Molyneaux missed the first two games and will miss one more each.

Smith and Jackson will miss the next two games and they like the other young ladies will then miss one more game each (games 5 & 6).

After those 6 games they will be free and clear to resume their BB careers in full

 

[overpass]

Bell, Edwards, Hedstrom, Hubbard and Wagner started.

Appears to be no audio on BTN Plus?

 

[Shades]

Carlie seems to have Monica Wright Syndrome on her layups.

Good energy on defense by Tinjum!

 

[Shades]

40-24 MIN at the half

Wagner 15 pts, 4 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl ... I think she got cheated out of a steal

 

[ruppertflywheel]

Ladies win 90-57.....several Gophers hit double figures

 

[tripledouble]

It would have been a better game if Seton Hall had been able to play all of its players. Two of their top 3 scorers were serving a suspension. I continue to be impressed with the Bello/Brunson/Hubbard recruiting class. Very athletic. Love how active T. Bello is. Kaposi, Key, K. Bello with their first points of their Gopher careers. Also, Lamke gets some PT. Only player who didn't play was Fernstrom and she's not eligible. Wagner, Bell, Brunson, and Hubbard in double-figure scoring. Bello double-figure rebounds.

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

Gophers defeated Seton Hall 90-57. There were at least 8 minutes of garbage time in the fourth quarter (a nice change). For the game, Minnesota committed 19 turnovers and force Seton Hall into 26. Minnesota had 14 steals and the Hall 11.

The Pirates were as advertised. However, coach Anthony Bozella (quite the animated (annoying) character on the sidelines) obviously built some of his game plan around 6'4" Jones-Pack. Unfortunately she picked up two quick fouls, eventually fouled out playing only 9 minutes. So the Pirates went to plans B and C. But, the Gophers effectiveness at drawing fouls pretty much ruined Bozella's plans.

In addition to the 2-3, the Gophers played some extended periods of man defense. Both in slowed and disrupted the Pirates.

Hubbard is playing a smooth confident game. Brunson is bringing energy and is learning what not to do. Taiye Bello looks like she can develop into a strong big ten player (12 rebounds in 14 minutes).

[B]Starters[/B]: Another combo.

Hedstrom
Edwards
Wagner
Hubbard
Bell


Minutes Played

27 Wagner 20 points
25 Hubbard 13 points
23 Bell 17 points
22 Brunson 11 points
20 Hedstrom
18 Starr
16 Tinjum
15 Edwards
14 T Bello 6 points and 12 rebounds
6 K Bello
5 Key
4 Kaposi
3 Barnes
2 Lamke

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

http://www.gophersports.com/sports/w-baskbl/spec-rel/112016aab.html

Quotes:

Head Coach Marlene Stollings
Opening Statement...
“Really proud of our team taking on a team that has gone to back to back NCAA tournaments and really just controlling the game from start to finish. Really pleased with our defense for forcing them to 26 turnovers. I really thought it allowed us to get out in transition and get a lot of buckets. I'm proud of our team for one day prep turnaround against a team that plays 1-3-1, which you don’t see very often, so thought we handled that pretty well.”

On rebounding today…….
“Well what we did was we showed all 24 of Georgetown’s offensive rebounds in our film session and I think that spoke volume to our young ladies. They did not like what that looked like and felt pretty confident they were able to do something about that. Obviously, outrebounded by 24 was impressive and I don’t think they liked that and didn’t want to see that again on film.”

On the second half……
“I thought the pace started to bother Seton Hall a little bit and I think that is what started things to open up even after a made bucket, we were able to challenge them.”

On changing the starting line up…..
“We told our young ladies that to be ready that line ups could adjust because of scouts or based on practice performance. Today was pretty scout based. We knew that they played the zone and we wanted our three point shooters on the floor to space them out, so that's why we put Joanna (Hedstrom) at the 4, and Gadiva (Hubbard) can obviously play zone or man, but we wanted to have solid three point shooting on the floor.”


Junior Carlie Wagner
On her scoring performance…..
“I was just trying to shoot confidently and just take the right timing of shots. I felt like after I made my first one that I felt confident after that to just keep shooting and my teammates did a great job penetrating to the basket and finding me in the opening and overall just being aggressive.”


Freshman Gadiva Hubbard
On getting the start today…..
“I was feeling pretty confident. I knew if I didn’t do anything, I had to rebound because like Coach Marlene said, I didn’t like video, so if I didn’t do anything, I had to rebound.”

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

One oddity: In the absence of anyone to sing or play (in live or recorded form) the National Anthem, fans were asked to sing. It went well.

One pet peeve applying to volleyball, men's hockey and women's basketball: Can we get a recorded version of the Rouser which actually sounds like today's Rouser.