(01-09-2020 08:28 PM)elw4796 Wrote:  This is probably the best game plan I've seen from an opposing conference coach over the past year and a half. If you have the bodies to do so, making us play as fast as possible on both ends is about as good a strategy as there is. They're working us with their offensive sets and they're completely in our head when we'er on offense.

True, but they're in very serious foul trouble. 3 FAU players already have 4 personals, and another two have 3, and the 4Q has yet to begin.

(01-09-2020 08:33 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(01-09-2020 08:28 PM)elw4796 Wrote:  This is probably the best game plan I've seen from an opposing conference coach over the past year and a half. If you have the bodies to do so, making us play as fast as possible on both ends is about as good a strategy as there is. They're working us with their offensive sets and they're completely in our head when we'er on offense.

True, but they're in very serious foul trouble. 3 FAU players already have 4 personals, and another two have 3, and the 4Q has yet to begin.

Yep, they're a bit overaggressive. If they had a different ref crew, this might be a bit of a different game.

62-51 Rice at the end of the third. 23-9-5 for Erica (importantly with only 2 TO).

Rice 62 - 51 after 3.

Offensively, we're shooting 54%. The problem is the 20 TOs in just 3 quarters. Schwartz alone has 6 TOs, and Smith (now with 4 personals herself) with 4 TOs.

Erica with 23 points, 9 boards and 5 assists appears to be back to her old self.

Schwartz with 12 points, Mulkey and Smith with 9 each.

I think the refs have probably been a bit too quick to call fouls on FAU. They've definitely been aggressive but every slight bump has been called against them.

Rice up 76-61. That's now an absurd 25 fouls called against FAU and 25 TOs by Rice.

78-69 Rice wins. No clue what to make of that one. I think we'll see more uptempo play against us because of it. The final tally, if correct, is 29 Rice TOs.

Rice with a 78 - 63 lead with 2 minutes left, and Tina empties the bench. FAU takes advantage by scoring 6 unanswered points to close to 78 - 69 final.

Erica with 30 points, 11 boards, 5 assists
Mulkey with a strong 2nd half ended with 15 points, but only 3 boards and 1 block
Smith and Schwartz ended with 9 points and 12 points, respectively, but neither made a FG in the second half, and hardly took any shots.
Ellig had a solid game with 7 points and 4 boards in 13 minutes, but she needs to work on her FT shooting (1-4).

(01-09-2020 07:25 PM)dragon2owl Wrote:  Doesn't appear that Chrisman traveled with the team.

She didn’t play in either home CUSA game (wasn’t at the games so don’t know if she even suited up). Prior to that she played only a minute in each of the games in Puerto Rico and 3 minutes before that so apparently something is up since no mention of an injury....Just adds to the mystery of what the hell has happened to the team. I thought Nicole and Lauren graduating was going to be an issue but felt the incoming freshmen would contribute more than they have. Can’t blame the horrible rebounding at times, the turnovers, shot clock violations, solely on those two not in the lineup. 3pt shooting was impacted however.

We scored 52 points in the paint because of up tempo.

(01-09-2020 09:01 PM)elw4796 Wrote:  78-69 Rice wins. No clue what to make of that one. I think we'll see more uptempo play against us because of it. The final tally, if correct, is 29 Rice TOs.

(01-09-2020 09:17 PM)Tiki Owl Wrote:  I thought Nicole and Lauren graduating was going to be an issue but felt the incoming freshmen would contribute more than they have.

Freshman Schwartz has started every game and Crosthwait and other Freshmen have looked good at times. To me, it is the Sophomores who are under performing. Collectively, the Freshman are playing more minutes (by a little) and scoring more points (by a good bit).

(01-10-2020 09:10 AM)temchugh Wrote:  

(01-09-2020 09:17 PM)Tiki Owl Wrote:  I thought Nicole and Lauren graduating was going to be an issue but felt the incoming freshmen would contribute more than they have.

Freshman Schwartz has started every game and Crosthwait and other Freshmen have looked good at times. To me, it is the Sophomores who are under performing. Collectively, the Freshman are playing more minutes (by a little) and scoring more points (by a good bit).

Aside from the reality that Erica struggled the first month of the season before she returned to form, I actually think the biggest difference has been the play of Nancy. She was on offensive and defensive force last year, and this year she has been anything but, which is a mystery since she's supposedly healthy. And Smith and Wiggins have not improved their overall play as one would have expected. I think this year's Schwartz has outplayed last year's Nicole as our 5th starter, and by a significant margin. Swayze has been a disappointment.

I find it hard to believe that Nancy is 100% healthy. Some sort of injury seems like the best explanation for her drop off (which has been most dramatic on defense). For the Marshall game, Nancy came out from half time with an ice pack on her lower back. But she took it off right before the start of the third quarter and did play.

(01-10-2020 10:14 AM)temchugh Wrote:  I find it hard to believe that Nancy is 100% healthy. Some sort of injury seems like the best explanation for her drop off (which has been most dramatic on defense). For the Marshall game, Nancy came out from half time with an ice pack on her lower back. But she took it off right before the start of the third quarter and did play.

Commentators last night also mentioned that she was holding her lower back.

I’ve mentioned this before. She doesn’t even participate in warmups with the team prior to the game and at the half. I think that’s an indication of her health issues.

Sounds logical. She probably could sit out against a terrible FIU team.