dshans
They call me The Dribbler
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How are we supposed to go to bed after that. Unbelievable
Gotdamn right, mon ami.
One more gut wrencher comin' up!
I'm stocking up on beer and Pepto.
How are we supposed to go to bed after that. Unbelievable
How are we supposed to go to bed after that. Unbelievable
...Their First Team against ND's 1B.
Now I know turner is a senior but will she be back next year? Did she get a medical redshirt?
1 2 3 4 OT T
ND 24 10 23 22 12 91
CONN 14 27 19 19 10 89
STARTERS MIN FG 3PT FT OREB DREB REB AST STL BLK TO PF PTS
J. ShepardF 43 7-14 0-0 1-2 5 6 11 5 0 0 4 3 15
K. WestbeldF 38 3-7 0-2 2-2 1 5 6 5 1 1 1 2 8
M. MabreyG 45 3-10 1-7 0-0 0 2 2 3 3 0 4 1 7
A. OgunbowaleG 45 9-21 3-6 6-8 1 2 3 1 2 0 0 0 27
J. YoungG 43 10-15 2-4 10-11 5 6 11 0 1 1 5 3 32
BENCH MIN FG 3PT FT OREB DREB REB AST STL BLK TO PF PTS
K. NelsonF 11 1-3 0-0 0-0 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 2 2
TEAM 33-70 6-19 19-23 15 23 38 14 7 3 15 11 91
47.1% 31.6% 82.6%
STARTERS MIN FG 3PT FT OREB DREB REB AST STL BLK TO PF PTS
G. WilliamsF 38 6-12 0-0 0-0 3 7 10 7 1 3 4 4 12
N. CollierF 39 11-17 1-1 1-1 3 2 5 2 1 0 2 2 24
K. SamuelsonG 45 6-12 4-8 0-0 0 7 7 4 1 0 4 4 16
C. DangerfieldG 30 3-11 2-8 0-0 0 1 1 4 1 0 3 2 8
K. NurseG 45 4-13 2-7 0-0 3 2 5 2 1 0 2 4 10
BENCH MIN FG 3PT FT OREB DREB REB AST STL BLK TO PF PTS
A. StevensF 28 8-12 0-0 3-5 4 4 8 1 0 3 2 2 19
TEAM 38-77 9-24 4-6 16 25 41 20 5 6 17 18 89
49.4% 37.5% 66.7%
So maybe, just maybe, Sister Jean actually made a pit stop in Columbus Friday night on her way to San Antonio.
Or maybe she just left behind some of her pixie dust for Arike Ogunbowale, Jackie Young, Jessica Shepard and their University of Notre Dame women's basketball teammates to help them vanquish unbeaten and top-rated Connecticut in a late-night NCAA national semifinal at Nationwide Arena.
As vaunted as the Huskies have been, Notre Dame's 91-89 overtime victory marked the second consecutive year an unbeaten Connecticut team has fallen in the Final Four semifinal round.
If the perception is that it takes a minor miracle or two (or more) to defeat UConn, then it's safe to say Irish coach Muffet McGraw's team produced its share on this amazing evening.
It's also the fourth time Notre Dame has eliminated UConn in the NCAA semifinals, the Irish "lucky charm" round as McGraw referred to it after the epic contest ended a little short of midnight.
And it's the fourth time the Irish have defeated the Huskies in overtime (against no losses) -- following Notre Dame wins in that category in the 2011-12 regular season in South Bend, another in the 2012 national semifinals in Denver and then a three-overtime affair in 2013 at Notre Dame.
When McGraw and Ogunbowale entered the shrieking bedlam that comprised the winning locker room, yet another round of screams erupted.
As the Irish head coach checked the final stat sheet she noted Young's game-high and career-high 32 points to go with a game-high-tying 11 rebounds (after she scored only two points in the regular-season matchup in December in Hartford).
Then she pointed out Shepard's 15 points and 11 rebounds.
And she could hardly pass on complimenting Ogunbowale's clutch step-back jump shot ("the biggest shot of her career") from just inside the three-point line, with Napheesa Collier defending, with a single full second left to finally end the drama.
As the Irish found out at the end of regulation, it doesn't pay to leave any time left on the clock for Geno Auriemma's crew -- and so they didn't in the overtime.
In a season in which Notre Dame to date has suffered more ACL tears than defeats, the Irish roll on.
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UConn set a not-so-good tone early with two turnovers in the first minute, and the Huskies ended the period with a half-dozen.
The Irish hit five of their first six shots for an 11-6 lead -- with Notre Dame heading on an 8-0 run over 1:57 as UConn missed eight of 10 shots. Young connected on five of her six field-goal attempts in the opening period and her 11 points matched UConn's opening period total until Katie Lou Samuelson's bail-out three at the buzzer made it 24-14 after 10 minutes.
Notre Dame's first-quarter shooting percentage (.588 on 10 of 17) compared to that of UConn (.300 on six of 20) said it all.
But as spectacular as the Irish were in the opening quarter UConn was better in the second.
The Huskies scored the first six points of the second period to prompt a Notre Dame timeout at 8:03. The run reached 10 in a row for UConn before Young pushed her scoring total to 13 points. Later the Huskies scored 14 points in a row as the Irish missed seven straight shots.
The second-period shooting figures again told the story -- UConn hit 12 of 19 (.632) while Notre Dame was only five of 16 (.313).
Azura Stevens came off the bench for 10 points and six rebounds in that period alone for the Huskies. And Notre Dame had seven second-period turnovers.
The Irish limited UConn guards Crystal Dangerfield and Kia Nurse to a combined two points on one-of-12 shooting--yet the Huskies led 41-34 at intermission.
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Notre Dame fought back in the third -- as four straight points by Ogunbowale made it 48-47 for UConn almost exactly midway through the quarter. Then a Marina Mabrey three regained the lead for the Irish at 2:21 at 54-53. An Ogunbowale three again regained it for Notre Dame at 57-56 at 1:35, then the Huskies pulled back ahead 60-57 after three periods.
The Irish came within one at 60-59 on a Kristina Nelson hoop 54 seconds into the last period. Then came seven straight points by the Huskies as Notre Dame went scoreless for nearly three minutes.
At the 4:54 media timeout McGraw's crew got back within a pair on an old-fashioned Young three-point play--and then within one at 71-70 on a Young bucket at 3:42.
Ogunbowale's hoop gave the Irish the lead at 73-72 at 3:14 after a UConn turnover. Kathryn Westbeld missed a layup, then Williams put UConn back on top at 1:54. At 1:32 Young's free throws gave Notre Dame a 75-74 edge, followed by a Westbeld steal.
Then came amazing: Ogunbowale nailed one from the left wing from Mabrey at :46 with the shot clock expiring -- and UConn called time at :44.8. The Irish had hit five of their last seven shots to lead 77-74. Williams threw the ball away, and the Irish called time at :21.3.
An immediate UConn foul sent Ogunbowale to the line at :20.1. She hit both for a five-point Notre Dame lead, prompting a UConn timeout. But a Williams three from the corner and a Nurse steal and layup with nine ticks left sent the game to overtime tied at 79.
Said McGraw later to her team, "At the end of regulation when we should have won it we got a little dejected for a minute and then we pulled ourselves together."
In the extra session, a Shepard lay-in and Ogunbowale free throws gave the Irish a four-point cushion. A Young free throw pushed her total to 32 points before the Huskies called time at :43.4.
UConn tied it on a Dangerfield three at :27 and Notre Dame called timeout at :14.6. The Irish had the ball in front of their bench, and they got it in to Shepard (actually the third inbounds option) who drove toward the hoop but passed on a potential lay-in.
With eight seconds left Mabrey put the ball in the hands of Ogunbowale who did her thing at the death.
Another year and a second straight UConn first-of-the-season defeat in the national semifinals.
"I'm a pretty smart guy," said Auriemma after it ended. "I don't need to learn this two years in a row."
Ogunbowale claimed Thursday she did not remember much about the first Irish-UConn game in December.
Irish fans won't ever let her forget this one.
Former NBA great Kobe Bryant sat behind the Huskies' bench and later tweeted praise for Ogunbowale's late-game play.
Arike tweeted back to him, "Wow, my life is complete. The GOAT."
Bryant had a great retort: "Nah . . . it's complete by finishing the job on Sunday."
In any event, Sister Jean would have been proud.
Wow. Just wow.
I honestly gave up on this team after all the injuries. I thought this was a lost season and that we could look forward to next year. And then we almost win the ACC tournament and I was surprised but I thought the best we could hope for was a final four. When that happened, I barely celebrated because I knew (not thought, but knew) that there was no way we could beat UConn with how hobbled we were. I was more concerned with planning to watch the Loyola game tomorrow. But then the first quarter happened and I thought maybe we had something. But then the second quarter happened and I resigned myself again. Needless to say they proved me wrong once again. I always loved cheering for the girls team, but I just didn't see it happening this year. Maybe I should stop doubting them. But then again, they've been doing pretty good when I doubt them, so why tempt fate haha.
Why would she need one?
The NCAA allows 5 years to play 4. Turner played in '14, '15, '16, and sat out '17 injured. She has a remaining year of eligibility if she wants it.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">a look at the reaction from <a href="https://twitter.com/RebeccaLobo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RebeccaLobo</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/karalawson20?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@karalawson20</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/adamamin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@adamamin</a> at the broadcast table in the final seconds of the UConn-Notre Dame game <a href="https://t.co/0qqpd8Td58">pic.twitter.com/0qqpd8Td58</a></p>— Anna Negron (@ItsAnnaNegron) <a href="https://twitter.com/ItsAnnaNegron/status/980129373448699904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 31, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Looks like someone shot Lobo's dog. I saw "What the.." come out of her mouth, but couldn't verify the last word was "Hell".
Edit: Not sure the video is showing in my post, sorry.
https://www.ndinsider.com/basketball/womens/noie-sophomore-jackie-young-takes-special-step-for-notre-dame/article_5ae0e8ce-2e31-11e8-bdeb-db7a80d5bf45.html
Tom Noie South Bend Tribune tnoie@ndinsider.com @TNoieNDI Mar 22, 2018
McGrawI think, she’s going to be, maybe, the best player to ever play here.
Good read.
We're going to need you today. They're going to take me away; they're not going to let me do something.
MarinaShe's so strong and so athletic that when she gets moving downhill ... you might as well just get out of the way and hope she misses it. I'm not stepping in front of her. Same with Arike. They're both so deadly in transition. Our whole game is to try and get rebounds so we can get out in transition and not have to run offense.
Niele IveyShe knows that she's really good, but she's not the one to be boasting about it. She just takes care of business and is really talented. I feel like last night she put the team on her back and was like 'I got you.
...
Why they'll win the national title
Notre Dame: While the Irish got a few key stops against UConn in the fourth quarter and overtime, no one will mistake Notre Dame for a brilliant defensive team. If the Irish are going to win their second championship it will be because the offense delivered again.
Notre Dame has averaged 92.4 points in five NCAA tournament games and is 86 points away from breaking the all-time tournament scoring record of 547 points, set by the 2000 UConn team.
Part of that success has been Notre Dame's aggressiveness, especially in the second half of games. Ogunbowale has always been a confident offensive player with the mindset that no one can stop her. Young, the all-time leading scorer in the history of Indiana high school basketball, might have figured that out for herself as a collegian on Friday. Notre Dame went to the free throw line 23 times, 18 of which were Ogunbowale and Young. The 19-4 advantage at the line was the reason the Irish beat the Huskies, who made three more 3-pointers and five more total field goals.
Mississippi State: While Notre Dame has the pedigree, Mississippi State has the players who have played in a championship game.
Most people remember Morgan William's game-winning shot to beat UConn a year ago, but might not as easily recall South Carolina beating the Bulldogs for the national title. Mississippi State hasn't forgotten. Rectifying that and taking that one last step for the program has been a rallying cry all season. Now the Bulldogs are on the brink.
Mississippi State is all too aware of how beating UConn in the semifinals can impact the ability of the mind and body to bounce back. Last year, the Bulldogs didn't appear to have enough in the tank in the title game against South Carolina. Guarding against a letdown after a tough 45 minutes against Louisville will be easier now from that experience.
McCowan has also become a weapon no one else can match. She is a huge advantage against a Notre Dame frontcourt that is only three players deep.
Three keys
A Mabrey reboot: Notre Dame was able to beat UConn without its third-leading scorer contributing much. Marina Mabrey's seven points on 3-of-10 shooting was her worst game of the tournament after averaging 19.5 PPG in the first four. The Irish should be even better if they get her back to form and spread the offensive wealth. The Huskies dared Young to beat them, and she did. Could Mississippi State do the same with Mabrey after seeing her struggle on Friday? Mabrey has also played all but 10 possible minutes in the NCAA tournament and hasn't left any of the past three games. It's unlikely, but could the volume and the greater intensity of the minutes playing out of position at point guard be taking a toll physically?
Making 3-point shots count: Both teams shoot a fairly high percentage from beyond the arc -- Notre Dame at 37.3 percent and Mississippi State at 39.5 percent -- but neither shot well from downtown in the semifinals. The Irish went 6-for-19 and the Bulldogs practically ignored the shot until the second half, going just 4-for-15 for the game. This is where Mabrey comes in again. She was 1-of-7 on 3-point attempts against UConn after going 17-of-27 in four previous NCAA tournament games and shooting 40.1 percent from there during the season.
Three-headed Bulldog: Mississippi State can't rely on holding Notre Dame to 63 points over 45 minutes like it did to Louisville on Friday. The Irish are too good on offense, and their confidence is sky-high. That means the Bulldogs will have to score more and that a third scorer must emerge. Johnson, the club's third-leading scorer during the regular season (11.7 PPG), is the most logical candidate, but that 3-pointer to tie the score near the end of regulation was just her second and final field goal of the game. Johnson finished with seven points. William had 10 points against Louisville and has scored more in the tournament than she averaged in the regular season (13.2 PPG vs. 7.2 PPG).
The names you know
Jackie Young, Notre Dame: If she wasn't a name you knew before Friday, you certainly do now. The 6-foot sophomore guard torched UConn in a way that Irish players not named Skylar Diggins haven't done in a long time. Young's 32 points are the most for a Notre Dame player in a Final Four. She came into the NCAA tournament averaging 14.1 PPG, fourth-best on the Irish. Even in the tournament up until Friday she was averaging 15.0 PPG. Her previous career high was 24, and it came just three games ago against Villanova. Even more impressive: Young did a portion of her damage against UConn matched up with Gabby Williams, the 2017 national defensive player of the year.
Teaira McCowan, Mississippi State: Louisville coach Jeff Walz said he had multiple ideas on how to attempt to slow down McCowan. He also knew that a single strategy likely wasn't the answer and that he would have to shift the approach as game dictated. But none of the strategies seemed to work for very long on Friday. The Cardinals just couldn't keep McCowan off the boards. She turned four Bulldog misses into putbacks in the first half alone, and had 13 offensive rebounds in the game. Notre Dame is less physical and has fewer fouls it can afford than Louisville. McCowan should be an even bigger problem for the Irish, who might have to race the ball up the court even faster than normal, hoping to wear down and limit McCowan's stationary inside touches.
Game-changers
Jessica Shepard, Notre Dame: Much has been made of the late decision by the NCAA to allow Shepard to play immediately without sitting out the typical season for a Division I transfer. That's for good reason. The special waiver saved Notre Dame's season before it even started. Without injured All-American Brianna Turner, Irish coach Muffet McGraw had no reliable inside threat. Shepard became that and more. Her 15 points and 11 rebounds against UConn was her fourth double-double of the NCAA tournament. Shepard has averaged 19 points and 10 rebounds in five tournament games. It's her versatility that gives Notre Dame a chance against McCowan. The 6-4 Shepard is an adept passer who can face up or work on the low block. She has the ability to draw McCowan away from the basket and the size to push back when McCowan uses her 6-7 frame to claim an area in the lane.
Blair Schaefer, Mississippi State: Other than an 18-point performance against Nicholls State in the first round, Schaefer has been quiet in the NCAA tournament. Twice (against NC State and Louisville) she didn't score at all; she totaled 14 points in the other two. The 5-7 senior is not a big scorer, but Mississippi State could use every bit of the 9.8 PPG Schaefer averaged during the regular season. Schaefer could be the one who steps up as the Bulldogs' third scorer and 3-point shooter. She shoots a team-best 41.7 percent from behind the 3-point line. Notre Dame is likely to play a significant amount of zone, one that sags to protect against McCowan. At the same time, the Irish won't let Vivians free. Something will have to give -- and that could translate into plenty of open looks for Schaefer.
Prediction: Mississippi State
McGrawShe is a force inside. Works the boards like nobody I've ever seen. She's so dominant on both ends of the floor. We haven't faced anybody like that. ... We have a couple of plans that we'll go to, and hopefully one of them will work.
It is literally a tall order. Jess has the strength, I think, but we're going to need to bring some help. That's really hard to do the way they shoot the ball. They're going to spread you out and make it really tough for us to defend her. Jess and Koko both are going to have that assignment.
.Kathryn WestbeldIt's definitely going to take more than one person to guard her and kind of keep her off the boards. If one person can kind of get a body on her and box her out, that one person doesn't necessarily have to get the rebound as long as [McCowan] is not getting the rebound. If the whole team can crash the boards and everybody can box out, I think we'll be all right
Date Team Standing Pred Pwin Margin Total
4/1 6 pm ET
Miss St # 3 (37-1) 80 56 % -2.5 159
Notre Dame # 2 (34-3) 78 44 %
SAGARIN MODEL RATING PREDICTOR GOLDEN RECENT
Mississippi St. 103.10 102.80 103.29 107.69
Notre Dame 101.85 101.37 102.44 108.70
Margin of Victory 1.25 1.43 0.85 -1.01