Xavier-Duke

[xavierj]

This was an ugly game for both sides. However, don't let this one game color the pace and style that our women play. They are averaging around 75 points a game. This is was just a grind-it-out-no-one-can-make-a-shot type game (think Xavier v. Butler).

Here is their results on the season, you can see most games have a much better tempo and flow. http://www.goxavier.com/sports/w-bas...kbl-sched.html

I don't care how many points they make it's just not pretty basketball. At least during the Xavier v Butler men's game the teams were not bricking point blank uncontested layups. I mean they can't get the ball up the floor, they miss so many easy bunnies and struggle to shoot free throws. They could not beat good high school boys teams.

I have been to a few games and I watch whenever they are on TV but it just does not do much for my excitement. It tends to be a boring brand of basketball and the players seem to struggle with the easiest of shots and that is why no one outside of UCONN & Tennessee can get anyone to show up to womens games and that includes women themselves.

[CinciX12]

It should have not come down to that last play. This game should have been won comfortably by Xavier which makes it frustrating. Here are the offensive possessions from 10:59 on.

2nd Half:

10:59 - Amber Harris Turnover
10:22 - Tyeasha Moss Turnover
10:11 - Megan Askew Turnover
9:52 - Amber Harris 1/2 from the FT line
9:24 - Ta'Shia Phillips Turnover
8:39 - Amber Harris Layup
7:48 - Katie Rutan Turnover
7:19 - Amber Harris missed 2 point shot
7:17 - Ta'Shia Phillips missed 2 point shot
6:29 - Amber Harris missed 3 point jumper
6:25 - Ta'Shia Phillips Turnover
5:54 - Amber Harris Turnover
5:28 - Tyeasha Moss Turnover
4:53 - Amber Harris 1/2 from FT
4:39 - Tyeasha Moss missed 3 point jumper
4:06 - Amber Harris Turnover
3:29 - Amber Harris missed 2 point jumper
2:42 - Amber Harris made 2 point jumper
1:51 - Megan Askew Turnover
:56 - Tyeasha Moss Turnover
:03 - Special Jennings Turnover

So from the 10:59 mark until the end of the game, Xavier had:
2 Field goals made
6 Total points
7 Attempted Field Goals
12 TURNOVERS

I am shocked the game was even this close. That shows you how well the defense played...

Those are just staggering numbers. Epic failure on the part of the girls.

[X-band '01]

Epic failure is harsh - at the end of the day, it's only a regular season game.

It's not unfair to wonder why the players and coaches didn't adjust to Duke's pressure, but I will gladly take any win no matter how impressive or unimpressive the game looks.

[XU-PA]

look at the loss this way, yes lots of turnovers, way too many. But those were not just boots out of bounds or idiotic passes that were tossed to the wrong player. the most of thosew ere very very good duke players jumping the passing lanes and making steals. They did their job on defense. Xavier on the other hand did their job on defense too, forcing duke into bad shots over and over, and holding a very high scoring team to under 50 points.
This was a battle of 2 titans, two of the top five teams in the country.
Yup, X could have done better at the line, but save a kind of wimpy foul call on a tipped ball at 2.5 seconds we'd have seen an extra 5 minutes of ball.
And had an official made what looks to me like an absolute no brainer call at the buzzer, maybe it would have been a 1 point win for X in regulation.
Play this game again, on a neutral court, maybe it's an entirely different result.
2 very good teams doing their jobs.

what i really hate are people who use a loss like this to stink up this forum with tired old complaints about Coach McGuff. look at the numbers, best coach in the programs history, PERIOD.
and to those using this loss to boast about womens basketballs "inferiority" to mens ball, give it a rest, these are top athletes, playing at the top level in their sport, the rhetoric is tired tired tired.

[xavierj]

The problem is that X just flat blew that game when they were in control and at the end of the day that just cannot afford that to happen. If Xavier wins that game they likely lock up a #1 seed at the end of the year but now they will have an excuse to keep them in the 2-3 range. Opportunity lost.

Xavier has arguably two of the best players in the country that will most likely be first round WNBA draft picks. Chances are you will never be able to say that about a Xavier team again. The women's program may stay competitive but after last year's blown opportunity, this year may be the best chance they will ever have to make a final 4.

[X-band '01]

Maybe not a 1, but there's still a good shot at a 2 (or low 1 depending on what Stanford, Baylor, UConn and Duke do) should they beat Stanford. With the A-10 not being a deep conference, Xavier has less margin for error.

I'd like to think that Stanford might overlook Xavier with their pending date with UConn, but that's just not going to happen.

[cinskyline]

It's not unfair to wonder why the players and coaches didn't adjust to Duke's pressure, but I will gladly take any win no matter how impressive or unimpressive the game looks.

This is what bugs me most. It seemed like no adjustment was made in the 2nd half to stop the bleeding. Every time down was turnover, turnover, turnover..... 20 of them in the 2nd half.

Also, the guards simply MUST show up in a game like this with a least a couple of shots. We can't have no-shows from Moss, Rutan, Askew, etc.. Harris and Phillips cannot do it all. We will not get to the Final Four unless we have a better team effort--- Inside and outside.

[diehardfan]

This is what bugs me most. It seemed like no adjustment was made in the 2nd half to stop the bleeding. Every time down was turnover, turnover, turnover..... 20 of them in the 2nd half.

Also, the guards simply MUST show up in a game like this with a least a couple of shots. We can't have no-shows from Moss, Rutan, Askew, etc.. Harris and Phillips cannot do it all. We will not get to the Final Four unless we have a better team effort--- Inside and outside.

Poor passing causes no shot opportunities outside plus rutan sat on bench most of 2nd half, kept starting 5 in. The plays were set for the big girls not the guards. I guess they were hoping to be fouled but we were not very good at the foul line either.