Spring Break
11:20 p.m.
And it’s all over. Tennessee dominates, 64-48, in a game that never seemed all that close. The Lady Vols win their second consecutive title, their eighth overall, and re-cement their status as the best team in the history of the women’s game.
It was getting dicey for those two years or so, when Tennessee led UConn only 6-5 in titles.
But anyway, most of the crowd is happy, Pat Summitt is smiling and Candace Parker is relieved. The pressure on her shoulders is now over, she can rehab the shoulder a little bit, and prepare for life as a relatively-well-compensated member of the exclusive fraternity of professional basketball players.
And hey, maybe UConn deserves a little credit, too. Summitt just said (paraphrasing) in her press conference next door that she became more confident in her team’s chances after watching the Huskies press Stanford with great effectiveness on Sunday night.
The Vols lose their entire starting lineup, leaving about five scholarship players with college experience,so at least their reign of terror would appear to be over.
A meaningless, too-early top 5 for next year? How about:
UConn-Rutgers-Oklahoma-Stanford and Tennessee, just for the hell of it. And THAT is the most unqualified opinion statement you’ll read tonight.
So it looks like this is it. I didn’t imagine that my role on the UConn women beat would end quite like this, with Pat Summitt cutting down the net and the Huskies long-since departed for home. But so it is.
I’d like to thank everyone out there - a number I imagine is bordering on double-digits - for reading. It’s been a wild season, one left unfulfilled for UConn fans. More importantly, the Huskies have been on the long road back to national dominance since 2005. They’re one step closer, one year older to that goal than they were in October.
It’s a safe bet that the Huskies will be back here next year, when the Final Four moves to St. Louis.
In all probability, the blog will be there as well, even if I am not. So stay tuned here in the coming months for updates on the UConn women, as well as the rest of the UConn sporting world.
Good night and good season from Tampa, and once again thank you. It’s been good.
10:29 p.m.
Hey, if you think I’m whining about the officiating, just come and listen to the Stanford fans behind me, who are literally yelling “THREE SECONDS!” as soon as any Tennessee player steps in the paint. Chill out, guys.
They won’t have much more time to yell. Tennessee’s defense has been absolutely incredible, and the Lady Vols lead it 58-44 with 3:00 or so to play, in what has been an unentertaining slugfest, just like the Lady Vols’ last two games (and last year’s title game against Rutgers, among others that come to mind).
I can’t give UT enough credit. They are impenetrable for the Cardinal. Stanford’s missed a few gimmes, but apart from getting it within 37-33 in the first few minutes of the second half, they (and Candice Wiggins) have been absolutely shut down.
The Vols are certainly deserving champions, though I’ll always wonder about what might have been with a match-up with UConn.
Back probably after the game.
9:30 p.m.
Let me add another ref call to the file:
Nicky Anosike steals the ball, throws a legitimate elbow at the Stanford defender. Whistle. Stanford foul. This is tiring.
Tennessee is cruising, 37-29 at halftime. The way it’s going, it appears as if the second half should be nothing more than a coronation, yet again, for the Lady Vols. How the fates conspired to help Tennessee once again (Texas A&M shooting -35% in the second half in the Elite Eight, LSU not boxing out with one second left, UConn knocked out in the semis), I’ll never know.
Back for less-often updates in the second half, as deadline warrants.
9:22 p.m.
This is getting patently ridiculous. On two straight Stanford possessions, a Tennessee player reached and grabbed a Stanford ballhandler’s arm. The first resulted in a tie-up, the second in a Stanford turnover. Then, the referees called a dubious charge on Stanford’s next possession. Oh, and Candace Parker’s getting the star treatment.
As if the Vols needed any help. It’s 30-21 Tennessee with 3:06 remaining in the first half.
Remember everything Stanford did right against UConn to get here? I’m starting to think that it may have been a fluke. The Cards aren’t getting the breaks they caught against the Huskies, they’re missing open shots and their opponent is (for a change) actually hitting their open shots.
Plus, it feels like Thompson-Boling Arena in here. I feel sick saying that.
9:10 p.m.
Tennessee leads it, 21-15, with 7:46 to go.
Stanford is killing themselves with some sloppy passes, turnovers and bad defensive rebounding. Nicky Anosike in particular did an excellent job on the boards, scoring after running circles around a Stanford post player and grabbing a rebound.
Candice Wiggins, Stanford’s star, really needs to take over the game on offense, and most importantly, she needs to not miss fast break layups. On the plus side, she’s created some havoc on defense with a couple of steals.
Let’s see what the Cardinal can do with Candace Parker out of the game.
9:01 p.m.
The quest to have Tennessee get every call in this game is on, apparently, as the Lady Vols have been reaching in on nearly every Stanford possession and the refs have been letting it go.
Tennessee leads, 17-9, with 11:16 to go. Shannon Bobbitt is the story of the game, as she now has 8 points, and Stanford simply cannot win the game if someone besides Parker (who has 5 herself) has a huge, huge game.
8:50 p.m.
Tennessee leads, 12-7 at the first TV timeout. Bad news for Stanford all around - Shannon Bobbitt looks like she’s on fire (she hit a couple 3s already) and the Vols look absolutely supercharged on defense.
Where was this Tennessee offense all tournament? More importantly, where was this Stanford defense last night? The Lady Vols are scoring at will against Stanford right now. UT is not a deep team, so Stanford has to keep it close and wear them down, and pray that Wiggins is efficient with her shots. But the Lady Vols look like a juggernaut right now.
Rocky Top is going to get ultra-annoying, real soon.
Back with more.
8:25 p.m.
Yes, it’s not a 60’s song, but the Tennessee band just broke that one out, because they are from the South.
To their credit, the Stanford band replied by clapping along, and thus far are well ahead in the Battle of the Bands competition. And not just because their conductor looks like a female Willy Wonka, with ‘S’ cane, top hat and cardinal vest. Also not because they play the Star Wars imperial march when their team comes out on the court. Beats the hell out of hearing ‘Rocky Top’ for the 19th time in an hour, certainly.
Anyway, with that out of the way, we are ready for some basketball here at the St. Pete Times Forum. I don’t know that the liveblog will be as thorough as usual, due to some other things that also need to get done, but I’ll do what I can.
Notes and observations, before we get to the starting lineups:
It appears as if the UConn fans have fled Tampa en masse, and they’ve all sold their seats to Tennesseeans. There’s orange pretty much wherever you look, a smidge of cardinal, and just a smattering of purple and blue/white/whatever the hell color UConn fans feel like wearing.
Love the Stanford fans’ enthusiasm. They seem like a nice, classy fanbase, except for the one or two fan-referees who called 87 offensive fouls on UConn last night. That got annoying quick.
Your Candace Parker Update of the Night: She looks good. No additional troubles with the shoulder, and you figure that in her final collegiate game, anything goes. The LA Sparks (who have the #1 pick in tomorrow’s WNBA draft) will be crossing their fingers all night that nothing goes wrong.
Sign of the night, so far: “Geaux Stanford,” held by a purple-clad LSU fan. He speaks for us all, really.
Worst sign of the night: “Where’s Geno,” held by an orange-clad Vols fan. Seriously? That’s almost as classy as yelling ’Yankees suck’ at a New England Patriots victory parade, not that Boston fans would ever be so petty and obnoxious. Dumb, too. What was I saying?
The NCAA elected to go with Jet’s “Cold Hard Bitch” for its 2008 tournament ‘how we got here’ video. I don’t think my superiors will let me make any further comment on that.
Without further adieu, YOUR championship game starting lineups:
#2 Stanford (35-3, Spokane Regional champions, coached by Tara VanDerveer): PG Rosalyn Gold-Onwude (#21, a 5-foot-10 sophomore); SG J.J. Hones (#10, a 5-foot-10 sophomore); SF Candice Wiggins (#11, a 5-foot-11 senior); PF Kayla Pedersen (#14, a 6-foot-4 freshman); C Jayne Appel (#2, a 6-foot-4 sophomore)
#1 Tennessee (35-2, Oklahoma City Regional champions, coached by Pat Summitt): PG Shannon Bobbitt (#00, a 5-foot-2 senior), SG Alexis Hornbuckle (#14, a 5-foot-11 senior); SF Alberta Auguste (#33, a 5-foot-11 senior); PF Candace Parker (#3, a 6-foot-4 junior); C Nicky Anosike (#55, a 6-foot-4 senior)
One more stream-of-consciousness thought, I don’t know what’s more memorizing - the funky, gyrating dancing of the Stanford cheerleaders/dance team, or the flailing, hypnotic movements of the Stanford tree. The tree is ragged as hell and looks like it was designed as a fourth-grade project when you get up close, but the Tennessee fans to my right seem to love the Tree. Good for them.
Back during the game.
Let’s see if we can’t continue using lyrics from 60’s songs in the post titles for the remainder of the tournament.
Welcome back to Tampa, where it’s been a while since the blog has been touched. Two days, in fact.
But we are, in fact, here, in preparation for the upcoming national championship game between Tennessee and Stanford. There’s no rooting interest for UConn students and fans (save the defeat, embarrassment and disbanding of the University of Tennessee), but the DC Blog will be here to liveblog the game, the aftermath and any other resulting happenings here at the St. Pete Times forum. And then we will fly back to Connecticut, sad and disappointed at seeing Pat Summitt once again cut down the nets (probably).
I’ll be back shortly before the 8:30 tipoff to offer some thoughts, as well as starting lineups and all that jazz.
So the lyrics aren’t perfectly applicable here, but hey, it’s a downer kind of night for Husky Nation.
As you know by now, UConn fell to Stanford, 82-73, in the national semifinals. The Huskies are now 5-4 all-time in semifinal games. Today was also the progam’s first-ever loss in the month of April. The Cardinal became the first team to reach 80 points against UConn. Renee Montgomery gets much of the culprit status, shooting 4-for-18. But she was emblematic of all the problems UConn faced tonight. Terrible outside shooting, not enough inside game, and 20 points on 18 shots for Maya Moore. UConn was just inefficient enough and Stanford hit the big shots when they counted.
This group of seniors becomes the first since 1999 to fail to win a national championship, and mostly thanks to the 1995 team, the second since ‘91.
Numbers are just numbers, of course. Easy to analyze, easy to read.
But I wish I could describe to you the feeling, the heartbreak of being in the UConn locker room about 90 minutes ago.
In one corner, reserve Jacqui Fernandes sits, staring blankly at the ground, eyes red. In the other, star Maya Moore is putting on her best face and answering the media’s questions. Kaili McLaren sits across from her, untying her shoes and sighing.
Kind of poetically, each senior acts a little differently while the media is in there.
Mel Thomas sits in the corner, shedding a few tears with associate coach Chris Dailey. Ketia Swanier tears up when she’s asked about her four years at UConn. Brittany Hunter, ever the reserved, intelligent one, appears to be taking everything in. She’s also holding back tears, but you get the sense that she already has some perspective on her career.
And then there’s Charde. I don’t want to sound callous, but it seems somehow fitting that Charde’s UConn career ends with her sitting - her back turned to the media asking Swanier questions - and munching on some postgame dinner, waiting for the inevitable barrage of questions to come.
As a reporter, it’s kind of your job to ask these clearly depressed players your questions. As a person, it sucks. You don’t want to be in there any more than they do.
As a fan, you feel terrible for the seniors, but hopeful for those that remain behind and those that join anew.
It’s this way for 338 teams every year, as it will be for the loser in Tuesday’s title game. It’s the reason everyone plays the games - not only so that your team isn’t the one crying in the locker room, but so that you can celebrate something truly special.
**(I hope to have what I think is a pretty moving picture of Mel and CD up sometime before Monday morning in this spot)**
For Charde, Mel, Britt and Ketia: thanks. Good luck in the WNBA, or whatever you may end up doing in life. I think I speak for just about everyone when I say that.
Enough of my whimsy. There’s still work to do in Tampa, even if the Huskies will no longer a part of it.
—————————————————————————————–
While UConn may be done, the DC Blog is not. We’ll be stuck here in Tampa until Wednesday morning, so the very least I can do is provide a little blow-by-blow coverage of the remainder of the tournament, no?
As I’m writing, Tennessee is inbounding the ball down 46-45, in an astounding game. Parker dribbles the length of the floor, passes it, the UT player blows the layup. But Alexis Hornbuckle gets the rebound and the putback is good with - you’ve gotta be kidding me - 0.2 seconds left.
C. Vivian Stringer is angry somwhere, I can tell.
*BREAK WITH JOURNALISTIC OBJECTIVITY, BEGIN OBLIGATORY ANTI-TENNESSEE TWO-MINUTES’ HATE*
Once again, the Shady Vols get an incredible break to have a shot at their eighth national title game. If there’s one team on Earth that deserves fewer lucky breaks than Tennessee (holler if you hear me, ‘Texas A&M missing seven straight open jumpers in the final few minutes of the Elite 8′), I’ve yet to find it.
And if there’s a group of fans more obnoxious than Lady Vols fans, again, I’d also like to hear it. They are loud though (and they probably bought about 12,000 of the 21,000 seats here), so give them that.
My opinion? I hope Stanford beats the tar out of them. I hope Candice Wiggins scores 30 and Jayne Appel throws some ‘bows against Anosike.
*RETURN TO JOURNALISTIC OBJECTIVITY, END OF TWO MINUTES’ HATE*
Tennessee wins it, 47-46, in one of the ugliest games you’ll ever see. As a result, it’ll be Tennessee against Stanford, Tuesday night at 8:30 p.m. here in Tampa. I’m not all too thrilled with it, but I will still be here dutifully, as we crown a national champion in the other city by the bay.
The DC blog will be back up tomorrow (likely) for press conferences, but unless some major news breaks, it’ll be that, the game, and then a final wrap-up post somewhere down the line.
Good night from Tampa, everybody. And UConn fans, take heart - Elena DelleDonne and Tiffany Hayes will be in Storrs in a few months.
8:54 p.m.
Game. J.J. Hones knocks down yet another wide open look for Stanford, and it’s a 10-point game with 3:14 to go. The Huskies score five straight in the next 30 seconds, but then Kayla Pedersen knocks down - guess - ANOTHER wide-open 3-pointer. It’s 74-66 with 2:09 to play. The Huskies have played their worst defensive game in the national semifinals. Barring a miracle, this one could be over.
8:50 p.m.
And now UConn is up against it.
Stanford leads them, 68-61 with 3:46 to play. The Huskies got within five before Stanford got the benefit of a no-call on a potential charge and converted a second-look layup.
The Huskies have the ball and they absolutely need to score on their next couple of possessions, or indeed this season will come to an end.
8:35 p.m.
I’m not ready to call this game over, but it is not looking good for UConn. There’s 7:59 to play and Stanford, getting nearly every call, every bounce of the ball, and hitting most of the big shots, leads 59-51.
Maya Moore finally drained an open shot to cut it to eight, but UConn just cannot score consistently without the outside shot. Charde Houston just committed a costly turnover to give the ball back to the Cardinal. It feels as if every time UConn gets within sight of tying the game, Stanford hits a big shot. Most recently, it was Jayne Appel’s ridiculous reverse layup.
The Cardinal are playing like a team that desperately wants to win. UConn needs to get to that level. It’s doable, but UConn will have a tough time making up eight points on a very, very good Cardinal team in eight minutes.
8:25 p.m.
Just an unbelievably awful stretch for UConn, on all accounts. After cutting Stanford’s lead to 47-46 with 14:07 to go, Stanford goes on an 8-0 run to go up nine with 11:45 left.
The Huskies drifted into a 2-3 zone after struggling with the man-to-man defense all year. Which is fine…unless the opposing team has a shooter the caliber of Candice Wiggins. She just hit two backbreaking 3-pointers, the Huskies are still settling (and missing badly) on just about every jump shot they take, and the No. 1 team in the nation is in peril of going home tonight.
UConn still has no offense to speak of, and Stanford looks like an absolute juggernaut right now.
Danger time for the Huskies. We’ll see how they respond.
8:18 p.m.
The Huskies have cut into Stanford’s lead just a smidge, and it’s 47-42 Cardinal with 15:06 to play.
Maya Moore is too unselfish at times. She had an open layup and chose to give the ball to Tina Charles as defenders closed in. Charles lost it, and so did the Huskies.
Time is very quickly winding here, as each possession grows in importance. UConn will have to turn the intensity on defense up, get some stops and make some open shots finally.
8:10 p.m.
The wireless internet connection here is God awful. Thanks, NCAA.
Stanford leads, 40-33 at half.
I had a big spiel on how Stanford is outplaying UConn in every aspect. Kayla Pederson is dominant, Candice Wiggins can go off at any moment, and UConn is in grave danger unless Montgomery, Swanier and Moore start hitting the open shots they’re getting. UConn is 2-for-9 from 3 in the first half, simliar to their result against Rutgers. And, no surprise, without the 3-pointers, the Huskies are struggling to create any offense.
It’s hit your shots and advance for UConn. Otherwise, the Huskies will be going home much sooner than most expected.
From Horsebarn Hill to Hilltop - we’ve got you covered.
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