Game Thread: (4/5) Lady Vols 61 - Auburn 71

[Amb3096]

Is there really anything to say about Rutgers?

I was born in New Jersey and my sister went to Rutgers. I always rooted for them. I moved to Connecticut and it's hard not to become a fan of that team with UConn fans all around you. Kinda like, if you can't beat em join em.

But keep on telling me what to do. I'm used to it being married 46 years.

Well, you just answered what I asked of you...which was to admit that you're a UConn fan. Thank you!

 

[Ovol]

I don’t know about anyone else on here that is a LV fan, but if you had told me in October that we would be 18-2 on January 28th, I would have had you committed. I think they will be allright. Might lose 2 or 3 more before the SECT. I expect to get hosed at UCONN and get toasted at SC. Could lose a home game to Ark, and away to Florida in light of what they did to LSU. Shouldn’t but could.

 

[Darth_Vol]

I think they would be crappy in the SEC or at least on the same level as teams like Auburn, Vanderbilt, and Missouri. Auburn has a lot more athletes than DePaul certainly not better shooters, but I think the game would more than likely depend on where the game was played.

DePaul did pound Vanderbilt and won at Kentucky when they were ranked in the top 15 FWIW.

I know you can argue Auburn had some nice moments this season, but it's hard to get past the fact that they had a losing record and they were the only winless team in the conference this deep into the season. It's just a really bad look for Kellie, for the program, and for potential recruits...

 

[Voluble2]

Auburn lost to LSU by 18 then we lost to Auburn by 10 but beat Arkansas by 7 who beat LSU by 14 so in this day and time when a decent team plays at home you better be ready to play because seen to many games this year where huge home team underdogs are winning.

Why would Auburn have any home court advantage when they only had like 7 fans there?

I can see having the familiar surroundings, but it was like a pick-up game as far as attendance and atmosphere. You can literally get bigger crowds just playing on a public court with random Joes showing up.

 

[Voluble2]

DePaul did pound Vanderbilt and won at Kentucky when they were ranked in the top 15 FWIW.

I know you can argue Auburn had some nice moments this season, but it's hard to get past the fact that they had a losing record and they were the only winless team in the conference this deep into the season. It's just a really bad look for Kellie, for the program, and for potential recruits...

It is bad in particular because we have the reputation of having embarrassing losses, and now we can't point at the season and say, "See, we turned the corner and that isn't happening anymore."

 

[Bballnut1952]

Well, you just answered what I asked of you...which was to admit that you're a UConn fan. Thank you!

Great. Now posters will tell me to go back to the Boneyard. Where I never post. They are idiots there.

 

[OrangeBeachVol]

n

 

[Amb3096]

I don’t know about anyone else on here that is a LV fan, but if you had told me in October that we would be 18-2 on January 28th, I would have had you committed. I think they will be allright. Might lose 2 or 3 more before the SECT. I expect to get hosed at UCONN and get toasted at SC. Could lose a home game to Ark, and away to Florida in light of what they did to LSU. Shouldn’t but could.

At this point in the season, I was expecting losses to Texas, Stanford, Georgia and Ole Miss...and that was before Rae went down. They've definitely exceeded expectations, but there's still a lot of games left. The upcoming run of Arkansas, Florida, UConn and Mizzou will basically determine how likely it is they will be a high NCAAT seed.

 

[Amb3096]

Great. Now posters will tell me to go back to the Boneyard. Where I never post. They are idiots there.

There are plenty of fans from other teams that post here. As you as you're not a d!ck and stick to topic, no harm no foul.

 

[OrangeBeachVol]

Come on Darth, just let it go buddy. Everyone's upset about it but its done and can't get it back. Just have to move on, do damage control and we have to hope this was a wakeup call for them. I posted before the GA game, believing their hype right now was their biggest enemy and it got them. Rather now that later, like the NCAA tourney. Lets see what they are made of. I think they respond.

Kelly should be talking turnovers to them 1K times a day. Make them sick to hear the term.

 

[Amb3096]

Why would Auburn have any home court advantage when they only had like 7 fans there?

I can see having the familiar surroundings, but it was like a pick-up game as far as attendance and atmosphere. You can literally get bigger crowds just playing on a public court with random Joes showing up.

That was awful when the fans stormed the court. There were like 30 people...

 

[SandyO]

She will be great her junior and senior year. Pure scorer but I don't love her down low at this point with boxing out. Saunders needs to be a reliable defensive player next year.

No one would love to see Saunders be a good player more than me but just because you’re tall does not a good player make. I’d love to be wrong but I don’t think I am unfortunately

 

[Big Orange Rob]

It's not so much that we lost a game, because most thought we would have dropped a game or two by this time in the season. What is concerning is the way they have played a lot this season, which happened to contribute to this loss. Excessive turnovers, missed shots at the basketball, lack of cohesive offense, poor effort & intensity at times, etc. These are not signs of a great team or great coaching. These same deficiencies have haunted us for a long time. At some point, this has to get better if we ever hope to get back to competing for conference and national titles - which is what this program wants and deserves. Hopefully this loss lights a fire under the entire coaching staff and team.

 

[SandyO]

She is just too slow. The reason the rebounds kept bouncing off her was that she wasn't quick enough to get her hands on them well enough to catch them. It looked like she was rebounding with her fists. Tough game for her. She shouldn't be put in against players any quicker than Staiti. Let Puckett or Striplin handle the more athletic posts.

Her hands looked like tree trunks

 

[chuckiepoo]

It is bad in particular because we have the reputation of having embarrassing losses, and now we can't point at the season and say, "See, we turned the corner and that isn't happening anymore."

What? Keep waiting for that perfect season….

 

[chuckiepoo]

That was awful when the fans stormed the court. There were like 30 people...

…showered the court?

 

[Bballnut1952]

There are plenty of fans from other teams that post here. As you as you're not a d!ck and stick to topic, no harm no foul.

Being a dick is a matter of opinion....lol.

I'll do my best.

 

[LV renaissance]

Why would Auburn have any home court advantage when they only had like 7 fans there?

I can see having the familiar surroundings, but it was like a pick-up game as far as attendance and atmosphere. You can literally get bigger crowds just playing on a public court with random Joes showing up.

There is literally a home court advantage for all sports, even those that don't draw any fans. There are many teams like Auburn in women's basketball who hardly have any support, yet almost all teams have better records at home than on the road. Travel, hotels, unfamiliar gyms, being away from your normal schedule, different beds etc. impact people. On the other hand, being on the road is not why this team lost.

 

[Mr French]

No one would love to see Saunders be a good player more than me but just because you’re tall does not a good player make. I’d love to be wrong but I don’t think I am unfortunately

I know. I'm just saying she needs to be a reliable defensive player not necessarily a good or great player.

 

[LV renaissance]

I know this is late for a response to the game, but if I had posted last night it would have been even more negative. There was so many things maddening about the game, but a few things just sent it over the top for me. (1) Rae is one of my favorite players but there were several times last night when she was in a safe part of the court, and then she would scurry around while dribbling wildly into the most crowded area of Auburn players without ever even taking note of what she was or where her team mates were. It you were trying to throw a game, you could not pick a better technique to do so. I am sure she is hurting side and will turn it around, but it was near unbelievable to see it happen again and again. (2) Similar to number one, I don't think I have ever seen a center have 4 straight rebounds drop straight into their hands and not one of them was caught. Probably a sign of nerves, but hard to see on top of everything else going on.(3) Despite one glaring mistake, Sara was about as productive as anyone with her points and rebounds in just a few minutes played. Yet, we hardly utilized her in the 2nd half. (4) Yet another game with NO ASSISTS from our point guards Walker and Miles. Love them, but this is unheard of from winning teams. (5) There seems to be so many games lately that Keys get some points in the first few minutes with minimal afterwards. We don't seem to have any thing to counter the adjustments teams are making defensively on her. (6). Even though we won the rebounding margin, the last half of the 4th quarter we repeatedly would miss a basket and not be in a position to get the rebound. This has been our strength so for it to be missing at the most critical time of the game was noteworthy. This is what expanded Auburn's lead. (7) Last and most importantly, this is the first time we have seen the team look so emotionally fragile and the couching staff being so ineffective in making the changes needed strategically, emotionally, and interpersonally, It truly was a flashback that I never wanted to see again.

Positive side: This is not only a learning experience players, but it is for KJH and staff as well. She has not couched a team that has risen so high so fast. On top of this challenge, she had to deal with the inevitable emotional letdown of playing an away game at the bottom dweller of the league while dealing with the loss of an emotional leader of the team. She is smart and savvy, so I trust she will learn from this and have a good way to convey it to her team.
I keep reminding myself that it was just one game in the middle of the season, and rather it happen now then later. Also, a win against a good Arkansas team would sure be reassuring!!
Go Lady Vols!

 

[youcancallmeAl]

i don’t think it’s possible to overreact too much to this loss. This is one of the worst losses in program history (on paper). The talent disparity between these teams is ridiculous.

Yes, the sky is really falling.

 

[JBB1985]

Indeed, just being on your home court has been proven to be an advantage in all sports, as well as in most sports influencing referee/ umpire calls.

By the way the attendance at Auburn was 2,314 out of a capacity potential of 9,121. I watched much of the game and the folks were scattered with only 3-4 main clusters. I'd have guessed over 1,000-to-1,200 but I never counted portions of the stands that had significant folks so as to better extrapolate. I've seen and read a lot sour grapes after a bad loss to a so-so team, but criticizing their attendance is a new one. Below even when a few over-amped folks that insult other teams' fan base for being all white-haired and blue-haired. Auburn benefitted from home court even if it wasn't a jam-packed 10,000-20,000 in those familiar places with giant, successful fan bases, year after year.

It has been a while since Auburn and Ciampi pulled off the WCBB version of the NFL Buffalo Bills in multiple, consecutive Super Bowl losses. Ciampi can at least look back and say to himself his Auburn teams lost to teams coached by 3 of the Top 5 All-Time coaches.

 

[youcancallmeAl]

Can LV fans jump ship any faster ?
I didn't expect Tennessee to go undefeated in the SEC. However. I didn't expect them to lose to a previously SEC winless Auburn.
Bad games happen. Tennessee had been playing great team ball for the entire season. This is the anomaly. Let's see how they react, in the next few games, before burying them.

A voice of reason.

 

[Voluble2]

What? Keep waiting for that perfect season….

Or one without an embarrassing loss, which is the subject. The Stanford loss was not embarrassing. Losing to a winless Auburn team on a 23 game SEC losing streak was embarrassing, you can bet your butt the coaches we are competing against in recruiting will feature it prominently in their pitch.

 

[youcancallmeAl]

All of this. Things were bound to catch up with us, I just didn't think it would be against Auburn. By far Dye's worst game, she was just out of synch all night.

Dang Rae and those slippers. She's does the slippin and slidin thing when she's forcing the offense, which she did all night. Rae has regressed since her injury. Has shown nice shooting touch at times but never really in flow yet. That late t.o. off the leg was the coffin nail. Right now, best for her to take her covid year and come back next year.

Good for Horston shaking off a terrible first half. She and Walker both scored well. They also combined for 8 t.o.s in the first half, JH had 6 total. This has to stop. Up until tonight we've been able to outplay the t.o.s but we knew it wouldn't last.


I said at the time I thought this was the one we'd have trouble getting beyond for lots of reasons. Mostly bc the next guys up were way less than ready. There's no need to pile on, we all saw it, but dear God could Striplin possibly be worse than what we saw? It's almost not fair or decent to let a player so badly out of their league even go out there. There have to be other options. Enough said.

As far as Key, bless her heart she just can't win. She's so overly cautious when she is on the floor that she's almost ineffective. I'm not sure why we can't at least get her more involved in the offense in the fleeting moments she is in the game. IMO she just has to play with effing abandon and let what happens happen.

A sucky loss, but we'll see what they do with it. Not the end of the world, at least hopefully. Time to pull it together one more time.

You realize Striplin is a freshman and Saunders is a junior? Our inability to backup Key lies with coaching failure and player failure to develop Emily.