Game Thread Lady Vols at Missouri

[bobkitten]

Will the team get any more wins before the SEC tournament?

 

[Orange_Mamba]

There was one call late that was called a foul on Jamie and she had position and the Missouri player basically crawled on her (Jamie's) back and side and Jamie got called for the foul. It was a BS call that changed the momentum at a crucial time.

We lost momentum before that. When Cunningham hit a uncontested three and we followed it up with an uncontested turnover that's when we started waning. After we got steals we tried like heck to give them back, and we started getting stuck on offense.

 

[Chops123]

I'm sorry I don't understand the term good loss. There is nothing good about a loss. Close losses always hurt more than blowouts because you second guess but a loss is a loss is a lose

 

[Nuyoika]

I agree. Played much better after a dreadful first 15 minutes or so. Still a disappointing loss. Nared was 10 of 18 in fga, the rest of the ream only 18 of 44. She needed more help.
Also, though our press was very effective in the 3rd q, our half court D wasn't very good.

The press started out good then got lazy. Longer they pressed the more often they would have 2 players wide open behind the press. I thought she might sub to keep the press fresh but that didn't happen. She might have feared they would lose what good was happening.

Even the press really didn't get them over the hump which is crazy cause they were successful in turning them over for a bit but when Mizzou actually were able to use their possessions they were just too efficient for the LV. They should be proud of how they played w/o Russell in the game.

To Holly's credit she did take a T/O at a good point in the game. It just seemed like Tennessee couldn't get very many easy shots. Most of their stuff came from a lot of dribbling and then driving for difficult lay ups or jumpers. Thankfully their 3s fell today because otherwise this would have been a horrible loss. If they had their typical night shooting the 3 this game would have been over at half time.

 

[Nuyoika]

Will the team get any more wins before the SEC tournament?

Florida & South Carolina is probably 50/50.

 

[Nute Gunray]

Will the team get any more wins before the SEC tournament?

No

 

[Orange_Mamba]

We have somewhat bad movement in the first half away from our bench, you would think it would get better when we're in front of our bench but it gets even horrible.

 

[UTLadyvolsfan]

Will the team get any more wins before the SEC tournament?

Yes. We will clobber Florida, and SC is 50-50. Yes they have Wilson back, but the game is at home, and it's our last game of the regular season, AND it's senior night. I can't see our gals losing in the sendoff of Mercedes and Jaime...

 

[Chops123]

Yes. We will clobber Florida, and SC is 50-50. Yes they have Wilson back, but the game is at home, and it's our last game of the regular season, AND it's senior night. I can't see our gals losing in the sendoff of Mercedes and Jaime...

I don't know about fla but Sc is going to be looking for a little revenge. Thank they will be motivated

 

[Amb3096]

I'm sorry I don't understand the term good loss. There is nothing good about a loss. Close losses always hurt more than blowouts because you second guess but a loss is a loss is a lose

I can see losing a close game against a superior team being a learning opportunity and something to build on.

When you are Tennessee looking for "something to build on" after a loss to Alabama, then that's a problem. Same with this game. Aside from Sophie, Tennessee had the clear advantage in talent, athleticism and speed...but Mizzou is a better coached team.

 

[teacherdean]

Intentionally avoided watching this game, but I couldn't keep myself from flipping the channel just to see if it was as bad as I thought it would be. Caught the last 30 seconds just before half. I'm not coming back. There's a rerun on the AHC that is far more satisfying. I'll look up the final score later. I'm betting it will be Mizzou by more than 25.

When the second team came in we were high octane, moving and finding open shooting space. We also went to a pressing defense. Well old Holly could not stand success, so she pressed but went to man to man again. We also went back to Holly’s infamous offense, stand around, pass the ball from one side, passing up good shots, to the other looking to throw the ball into Russell and if that didn’t work try to make a last second shot.

Our middle is soft as a marshmallow and Cunningham abused us in the last quarter. We with out a doubt, had the best talent on the floor, but no even close to the same effort. Poor Russell can’t spell block out, aggressive or toughness. Cunningham was by far the best player on the floor. No matter if you love or dislike Holly’s coaching, unless things happen in a hurry, she is not the coach to lead the Lady Vols back to greatness.

 

[Chops123]

I can see losing a close game against a superior team being a learning opportunity and something to build on.

When you are Tennessee looking for "something to build on" after a loss to Alabama, then that's a problem. Same with this game. Aside from Sophie, Tennessee had the clear advantage in talent, athleticism and speed...but Mizzou is a better coached team.

Exactly

 

[LA Vol]

Good chance we lose to SCAR; UF 50/50. Already screwed the seeding and lost the double bye. They haven't seemed to care much about that, so they'll get what they earned and probably exit earlier than they should've. The LVs have too much talent to keep losing to lesser teams, but that's what they do.

 

[Sportslady]

Whatever! There is nothing I enjoy about that at cocky smart alec. I hope she gets her butt beat no matter who she plays. I would cheer for UConn or South Carolina against her.

She played a fairly clean game today, but I’ve watched games where she played very dirty. (Not tough.... just dirty).

 

[Nuyoika]

Tennessee had the clear advantage in talent, athleticism and speed

This is what would kill me if I were a LV fan. Tim Notke said it best though, "When talent doesn't work hard, hard work beats talent." You can't take any quarters off, any plays off, any possessions off. The athleticism advatange is clear on TV. I can only imagine what it looks like in person. It was outrageously clear vs Alabama but still quite clear vs Missouri.

That is what makes it so mind boggling. No offense to Porter and I give Mizzou all the props for pulling out the win but every time Porter scored I thought to myself... how? For a good stretch of this game she outplayed Russell when they were in together. Just weird sometimes with this team. You can't say for sure what exactly you are going to get. They did look like they wanted to be there though so that's a step in the right direction.

 

[teacherdean]

I've rarely ever seen Tennessee use screens to free up shooters. One of the reasons Middleton was woefully misused during her time with the team.

Holly can’t spell screen, I coached that in grade school along with blocking out for rebounds. We just keep falling like a cement block in a swimming pool and poor old Holly is clueless.

 

[LA Vol]

If the tournament means anything to them, the LVs have the talent to make a run. They seem so blase about it all, though-- hard to know how much effort they'll bring or what their goal even is.

 

[1985Vols]

I don't watch a lot of Lady Vols games but tuned in towards the end of this one. I didn't see a lot players that looked like they were upset to lose. Not sure it means a lot to them anymore.

 

[djohnnyg]

Since starting out 15-0 LV are 6-6. Just aren't that good...and Holly sure as hell ain't gonna make em better. Typical LV late season meltdown. They aren't winning anything in sec tourney or ncaa. They'll be lucky to finish in top 25...but if they do everyone will say how great it is. Pffft. Team is showing true colors.I had to do something w the family so I checked the score going into 4th..and i KNEW they would find a way to lose. They are such predictable chokers.

 

[Amb3096]

This is what would kill me if I were a LV fan. Tim Notke said it best though, "When talent doesn't work hard, hard work beats talent." You can't take any quarters off, any plays off, any possessions off. The athleticism advatange is clear on TV. I can only imagine what it looks like in person. It was outrageously clear vs Alabama but still quite clear vs Missouri.

That is what makes it so mind boggling. No offense to Porter and I give Mizzou all the props for pulling out the win but every time Porter scored I thought to myself... how? For a good stretch of this game she outplayed Russell when they were in together. Just weird sometimes with this team. You can't say for sure what exactly you are going to get. They did look like they wanted to be there though so that's a step in the right direction.

We're used to it. That's been the case during Holly's entire tenure. I mean, Chattanooga? TWICE????

Porter is a good player, though. She's tall, but she's not built like a center. She has a nice face up game. This is two games in a row where she's outplayed Mercedes. The thing is, she can't defend Mercedes, but she can more than hold her own in scoring. Still, she's nowhere near as talented or as strong as Mercedes. Russell should be producing more than she is, but even when she's off, she's a great decoy for the defenses because Mizzou couldn't afford to guard her with just one player.

Other than the obvious Sophie, I thought Jordan Frericks was the big difference maker. They didn't have her last year, but she's a strong, physical player who can finish with contact.

 

[Amb3096]

When the second team came in we were high octane, moving and finding open shooting space. We also went to a pressing defense. Well old Holly could not stand success, so she pressed but went to man to man again. We also went back to Holly’s infamous offense, stand around, pass the ball from one side, passing up good shots, to the other looking to throw the ball into Russell and if that didn’t work try to make a last second shot.

Our middle is soft as a marshmallow and Cunningham abused us in the last quarter. We with out a doubt, had the best talent on the floor, but no even close to the same effort. Poor Russell can’t spell block out, aggressive or toughness. Cunningham was by far the best player on the floor. No matter if you love or dislike Holly’s coaching, unless things happen in a hurry, she is not the coach to lead the Lady Vols back to greatness.

I saw Meme bark at Russell once when Sophie beat her off the dribble. There was no one between Sophie and the basket, yet Russell stayed on the opposite side of the baseline guarding her player and letting Sophie have an easy layup. And that wasn't the only time. The help defense on those baseline drives was atrocious.

 

[VOLINVONORE]

Russell had zero fight in her during the last part of the game. She produced close to zero effort.

I think Russell and Nard played way too many minuets in the first half of the season and have run out of gas. I hope they get some rest before the NCAAs.

 

[Volontario]

I think Russell and Nard played way too many minuets in the first half of the season and have run out of gas. I hope they get some rest before the NCAAs.

I really wish that’s all it was.

 

[LA Vol]

Sophie and Mercedes show why the two teams are trending in different directions. Sophie turns up the heat down the stretch and Mercedes disappears. Mercedes got her records, so we might have seen her best effort. She probably wants less minutes.

I think the LVs have gotten used to losing and it doesn't sting like it should. That's on Holly. She tells them they're not going to win every game, so they've adopted that "it's okay to lose" mindset. As a team, they lack the killer instinct. Who knows what their team goals are-- or if they even have any other than making the postseason? The last player I heard say she wanted to get to the F4, win a championship and hang a banner in the rafters was Diamond-- last year.

 

[Amb3096]

I think Russell and Nard played way too many minuets in the first half of the season and have run out of gas. I hope they get some rest before the NCAAs.

Nared looked like she could've gone for another 2 periods. Russell has been disappearing in the 4th quarter a lot. She must be feeling banged up at this point. Unfortunately, because of Tennessee's complete inability to put away lesser teams early, she's had to go the distance against the likes of Vanderbilt, Arkansas and Alabama. I don't see that changing anytime soon. The SECT will be a tough challenge, because she will log heavy minutes in every game Tennessee plays, with little rest in between. At least MSST and SC will likely have the benefit of having to play 1 fewer game.