Watched the re-run

[geewago]

I started to say I re-watched the game but that would have been a lie. I was at the Ferrel Center watching the Cal - BU game while the MST - ISU game was going on. I walked out , got in the truck and heard that the Cyclones had lost. I really couldn't believe my ears. But now that I've watched it I can understand why it went the way it did.

To me it appeared from the very beginning that MST was just more poised and ready for the moment. You could just see it in their body language that they came to Ames believing they could pull it off. To the contrary the Sisters just looked dis-jointed and unprepared. Where was the team that I saw in OKC? That team would have easily won this game. Middleton seemed to be more content to just dish it off and let the others do their thing. Can't blame Carleton with 31 points but you sure have to ask about the mindset of the rest of them. I really thought when Bridgette hit the three at the 5:47 mark that brought it within one that it was comeback time like they did at Lubbock. And then a few minutes later Scott gets a layup and a foul to bring it back to one again but of course missed the free throw. Over all the Lady Bears just played like champions and refused to be knocked out.

I suspect a lot of the Grit that that ream showed had to do with their coach who was a three time NC winner at Tennessee. She's doing a great job. There's a ton of people on Vol Nation who are begging for UT to hire her as Hollys replacement. For the moment though it's looking more like Jeff will be given the opportunity to do the Tennessee Waltz. For all I know though they may just let Holly bury the program in oblivion. I used to keep up with them religiously when Pat was there but now I just mainly tune in to hear her post game comments. Saddest thing in the world. Her answer to every question is "I don really know what happened".

Any way, pardon me for digressing there. Sorry about the loss. that was a heart breaker.

 

[runbikeswim]

I started to say I re-watched the game but that would have been a lie. I was at the Ferrel Center watching the Cal - BU game while the MST - ISU game was going on. I walked out , got in the truck and heard that the Cyclones had lost. I really couldn't believe my ears. But now that I've watched it I can understand why it went the way it did.

To me it appeared from the very beginning that MST was just more poised and ready for the moment. You could just see it in their body language that they came to Ames believing they could pull it off. To the contrary the Sisters just looked dis-jointed and unprepared. Where was the team that I saw in OKC? That team would have easily won this game. Middleton seemed to be more content to just dish it off and let the others do their thing. Can't blame Carleton with 31 points but you sure have to ask about the mindset of the rest of them. I really thought when Bridgette hit the three at the 5:47 mark that brought it within one that it was comeback time like they did at Lubbock. And then a few minutes later Scott gets a layup and a foul to bring it back to one again but of course missed the free throw. Over all the Lady Bears just played like champions and refused to be knocked out.

I suspect a lot of the Grit that that ream showed had to do with their coach who was a three time NC winner at Tennessee. She's doing a great job. There's a ton of people on Vol Nation who are begging for UT to hire her as Hollys replacement. For the moment though it's looking more like Jeff will be given the opportunity to do the Tennessee Waltz. For all I know though they may just let Holly bury the program in oblivion. I used to keep up with them religiously when Pat was there but now I just mainly tune in to hear her post game comments. Saddest thing in the world. Her answer to every question is "I don really know what happened".

Any way, pardon me for digressing there. Sorry about the loss. that was a heart breaker.

I grew up a UT Lady Vols basketball fan, with parents that followed WBB as my step mother was a player, she was a Vivian Stringer recruit at Iowa until she broke her arm in a car accident in Juco.

I like the MS coach too. I think ISU was tight and would have played better not at Hilton, and MS had nothing to lose and a lot of confidence.

Anyway, Holly needs to go. I watched a few of her pressers too, and when she sits there and says "this team gave its all, had nothing more to give, and I don't know what else we can do," I think, there are a lot of coaches that would know what to do with a roster full of All-Americans.

 

[NenoFone]

I grew up a UT Lady Vols basketball fan, with parents that followed WBB as my step mother was a player, she was a Vivian Stringer recruit at Iowa until she broke her arm in a car accident in Juco.

I like the MS coach too. I think ISU was tight and would have played better not at Hilton, and MS had nothing to lose and a lot of confidence.

Anyway, Holly needs to go. I watched a few of her pressers too, and when she sits there and says "this team gave its all, had nothing more to give, and I don't know what else we can do," I think, there are a lot of coaches that would know what to do with a roster full of All-Americans.

Interesting Hypothesis; Hilton Magic is now a Hilton Curse. The way the men played at home this year there might be some support for this.

 

[savepolarbears]

Thinking back on the first half, we played like we were 20 down at the tip. Lots of freshman bad shots. I'm sure she feels badly, as probably does the coach for not sitting her, and the seniors for not telling her don't panic, we have this. This was a good matchup for AD, maybe she should have played more earlier. A learning experience.

 

[Walden4Prez]

The 3's didn't fall and we couldn't get a stop. Loved watching this team.

 

[coolerifyoudid]

I could be way off on this, but I had a recurring thought as I was watching the game. I kept thinking that it felt like a team that had gotten together and told each other that they needed to make sure Bridget got her points so she could get the record.

I don't mean this as Bridget asked them for it because that doesn't fit her persona at all. It just had the feel that several of her teammates felt good about the win and had a "let's try to send BC out with the record at home" behind the scenes talk. The normal movement we got used to seeing wasn't there. The confident shooting strokes weren't there. It was disjointed.

Please don't think I'm taking anything away from MST. They made clutch shots, defended and rebounded REALLY well. I just felt like they didn't get our best shot.

 

[Cyclad]

I started to say I re-watched the game but that would have been a lie. I was at the Ferrel Center watching the Cal - BU game while the MST - ISU game was going on. I walked out , got in the truck and heard that the Cyclones had lost. I really couldn't believe my ears. But now that I've watched it I can understand why it went the way it did.

To me it appeared from the very beginning that MST was just more poised and ready for the moment. You could just see it in their body language that they came to Ames believing they could pull it off. To the contrary the Sisters just looked dis-jointed and unprepared. Where was the team that I saw in OKC? That team would have easily won this game. Middleton seemed to be more content to just dish it off and let the others do their thing. Can't blame Carleton with 31 points but you sure have to ask about the mindset of the rest of them. I really thought when Bridgette hit the three at the 5:47 mark that brought it within one that it was comeback time like they did at Lubbock. And then a few minutes later Scott gets a layup and a foul to bring it back to one again but of course missed the free throw. Over all the Lady Bears just played like champions and refused to be knocked out.

I suspect a lot of the Grit that that ream showed had to do with their coach who was a three time NC winner at Tennessee. She's doing a great job. There's a ton of people on Vol Nation who are begging for UT to hire her as Hollys replacement. For the moment though it's looking more like Jeff will be given the opportunity to do the Tennessee Waltz. For all I know though they may just let Holly bury the program in oblivion. I used to keep up with them religiously when Pat was there but now I just mainly tune in to hear her post game comments. Saddest thing in the world. Her answer to every question is "I don really know what happened".

Any way, pardon me for digressing there. Sorry about the loss. that was a heart breaker.

I thought they were the best team I saw all year - not named Baylor. Excellent players, well coached, play smart and hard. Very impressed. They were just better than us.

 

[cstrunk]

I could be way off on this, but I had a recurring thought as I was watching the game. I kept thinking that it felt like a team that had gotten together and told each other that they needed to make sure Bridget got her points so she could get the record.

I don't mean this as Bridget asked them for it because that doesn't fit her persona at all. It just had the feel that several of her teammates felt good about the win and had a "let's try to send BC out with the record at home" behind the scenes talk. The normal movement we got used to seeing wasn't there. The confident shooting strokes weren't there. It was disjointed.

Please don't think I'm taking anything away from MST. They made clutch shots, defended and rebounded REALLY well. I just felt like they didn't get our best shot.

Doesn't make any sense. Play another game and she'd have a better chance at more points...

 

[geewago]

Doesn't make any sense. Play another game and she'd have a better chance at more points...

EGGZACTLY

 

[kcdc4isu]

What I saw at the game and again watching the video of it was a team with nothing to lose (MS) because they were not even supposed to be in this game. And a team that had a number of players who just had a really bad shooting night. If you watch very many games you will from time to time see good teams have those kind of nights and get beat by a team they would beat 8 out of 10 times. As Bill said it is a game of making baskets and we did not make them 2/17 from 3 is not the way we usually shoot.

 

[Clonefan32]

The game played out just like the Men's NCAA game. Tough start, dug a hole, couldn't make a shot. Every time they made a run the other team answered with a 5-6 point run. Only one player played well and the others overly deferred to that person. They really were identical games.

 

[runbikeswim]

The game played out just like the Men's NCAA game. Tough start, dug a hole, couldn't make a shot. Every time they made a run the other team answered with a 5-6 point run. Only one player played well and the others overly deferred to that person. They really were identical games.

Alexa played pretty damn hard, and would have had several more assists if those who shall not be named did not miss 5 straight bunnies in the 1st quarter and were 0 of 14 from 3. She was being double teamed on penetration forcing her to pass back out to the perimeter. Bridget had more success, A because she is Bridget, and B she was playing the high post/ gap when MS ran zone defense, which they stopped doing in the 2nd half because Bridget was lighting it up in the mid-range.

 

[savepolarbears]

I thought they were the best team I saw all year - not named Baylor. Excellent players, well coached, play smart and hard. Very impressed. They were just better than us.

Hmm, I think they'd be a .250 team in the Big 12 at best. Smart players, good plan, and good coaching. But if we played our game, worked for the best shot, we should have won. They weren't dominant enough on D to make us uncomfortable, we just played like each shot had to be heroic. So much pressure to hit the 3. 2 of 17. A sure way to lose to a lesser team.

 

[mwwbbfan]

Hmm, I think they'd be a .250 team in the Big 12 at best. Smart players, good plan, and good coaching. But if we played our game, worked for the best shot, we should have won. They weren't dominant enough on D to make us uncomfortable, we just played like each shot had to be heroic. So much pressure to hit the 3. 2 of 17. A sure way to lose to a lesser team.

The irony is I think we win that game on a neutral court - the team looked to me like they were so tight and I think it was because they thought they HADto win and were so afraid of letting down the fans that they could not play their normal game.

 

[StClone]

Off topic but does anyone have official attendance for Ames and Iowa City for the Tourney games?

 

[BoxsterCy]

Off topic but does anyone have official attendance for Ames and Iowa City for the Tourney games?

Listed below is attendance. Hawkeyes, a little surprising to me, kinda crushed us with their attendance. Probably got a small bump from Drake and Mizzu but still great attendance.

ISU at Hilton: 6,503 and 5,809
Iowa at Carver: 10,720 and 12,376

When you count ticket sales that start the week of the game I think you get better "real" attendance numbers than for regular season games that are inflated by season tickets sales. BTW, our 1st game is about what we drew in our last home game in the NCAA's vs Florida State. .

 

[StClone]

Listed below is attendance. Hawkeyes, a little surprising to me, kinda crushed us with their attendance. Probably got a small bump from Drake and Mizzu but still great attendance.

ISU at Hilton: 6,503 and 5,809
Iowa at Carver: 10,720 and 12,376

When you count ticket sales that start the week of the game I think you get better "real" attendance numbers than for regular season games that are inflated by season tickets sales. BTW, our 1st game is about what we drew in our last home game in the NCAA's vs Florida State. .

Pretty impressive. Caveat you give may explain the disparity well. Best way to see the influence of "local teams" is to compare regular season numbers of Iowa vs. Iowa State NCAA Tourney attendance.

 

[ISU40]

You also have to remember that our second game was a Monday night at 8 pm vs. their second game was a Sunday afternoon. However their men were also playing at the same time so kudos for the big crowd.

 

[runbikeswim]

Our Monday crowd was way larger than Saturday

 

[BoxsterCy]

Pretty impressive. Caveat you give may explain the disparity well. Best way to see the influence of "local teams" is to compare regular season numbers of Iowa vs. Iowa State NCAA Tourney attendance.

Can't deny their fans came out this year. I don't think regional teams playing in IC bumped the attendance THAT much. WBB fans don't travel well, even for NCAA's. Hell, South Carolina played Florida State in a 2nd round regional matchup and only drew 2000. North Carolina State/Kentucky, another 2nd round regional matchup, 2700. Even when we played in Mpls in the Barn for the NCAA's it's not like we brought thousands up I-35. I have no doubt they lead in attendance for 1st and 2nd round games this year, and by a very wide margin.**

I was a little disappointed in our attendance considering we had a once in a decade player of equal status to Iowa's and that it didn't generate as much buzz outside of dedicated fans of WBB. Than I looked up some historic NCAA games hosted at Hilton and found our 6000 or so was actually on par with past years. Our 2010 history summary even noted our 6700/6500 was 2nd only to Tennessee for opening rounds at year. So, our host game attendance was really not down from past tournaments. Probably will rank well for the 1st/2nd rounds this year.



** Edit: Confirmed, some records set.