What an incredible game, crowd and win down at the YUM! last night. Almost an hour of post-game media room conversation after the Louisville win. Maybe one billion emotions, thoughts and replays racing through my mind still this morning after this one. Getting to sit next to Holly Rowe for the contest. This will be "one for the ages".
For excellent performances, deafening crowd noise, Geno's "one of a kind" post game presser and a win by #3 over #2, let's watch as Dana and Asia launch another three and trot back down court with:
FIVE THINGS ABOUT THIS GAME
5) EXCELLENCE on the hardwood. Make no mistake about it. This was a well-played game. Just 11 combined turnovers. Players on both sides refusing to quit. The Cards shone for a five minute stretch in the third quarter so brightly and delivered the gut-punch that UConn never recovered from. People watching throughout the country and in the downtown arena had to have been impressed with the excellence performed down by the river.
4) ASIA AWAKENS AND THEN SAYS "NITE-NITE". After a scoreless first quarter, Asia was understandably a bit down. No points in the first ten minutes. Jeff Walz looks at her and tells her to smile, be ecstatic because her teammates were holding it together and she should be excited about that. The words worked. 14 second quarter points. Some huge threes followed, three in a row and a huge one in the fourth to push the lead to 11. She is the best player in college women's basketball. Asia doing Asia-type things. Encouraging the crowd to let it loose late in the contest. Durr-riffic.
3) JJ AIRLINES WAS NOT GROUNDED. Jasmine Jones with the double-double of 13 points and 12 rebounds. Four assists. Running the court with confidence, displaying her unique brand of athleticism and hurling the ball into the seats at the final horn. I wonder if they counted that as a shot? Putting the team on her back early, this was JJ's "Super-Bowl" and she did not disappoint.. UConn led for only nine minutes in a 40-minute contest. Jazmine Jones is the accelerator on this finely-tuned Cardinal airplane. Flight cleared for takeoff!
2) THE GENO MONOLOUGES. You owe it to yourself to cue up Geno's post-game comments. Cardinal Couple and others have it linked up. Obviously parched after the game, he pepped-up after a glass of water and went into a revealing, humorous, poignant, sarcastic, stern and relevant post game "Q&A" with a packed media room. I think he was having fun messing with the scribes despite the loss. I don't think he wanted to leave. Talking about how his team "sucked". Goading Walz into continuing the series by calling him a "big baby".. This was classic Geno and no one holds post-game court like him.
1) DANA THE DOMINANT. What a night for the guard from Gary! 20 points, five threes, four assists and blazing by bewildered UConn defenders. Enjoying the party. This woman is your future, Cardinal fans. Get to know her. Marvel at her skills. She was "to the point" post-game, crediting her teammates, the fans and the coaches' game plan. She went toe-to-toe with UConn guard extraordinaire Crystal Dangerfield and proved her mettle. She gets my "player of the game" ...that is, if I can slow her down to accept it.
I'll never forget the Cardinal sequence after a missed UConn three. Jones rebound, down court pass to Durr, who finds Carter with the orb. Arica spotting an open Sam Fuehring. Shot up, shot good. UConn time out. I heard it made Sportscenter's top three. It should have.
This, my friends, is Louisville women's basketball .If you are missing it, you're missing a lot. It's not too late to get involved.
As we were walking out last night, Paulie caught up with Sam Purcell. Sam works with the Cardinal guards and Paulie complimented him on their play. Sam fired right back that this was a team win. Somewhere, the warrior Sam Fuehring (10 points,12 rebounds) is nodding in agreement.
-- Sonja --
For excellent performances, deafening crowd noise, Geno's "one of a kind" post game presser and a win by #3 over #2, let's watch as Dana and Asia launch another three and trot back down court with:
FIVE THINGS ABOUT THIS GAME
5) EXCELLENCE on the hardwood. Make no mistake about it. This was a well-played game. Just 11 combined turnovers. Players on both sides refusing to quit. The Cards shone for a five minute stretch in the third quarter so brightly and delivered the gut-punch that UConn never recovered from. People watching throughout the country and in the downtown arena had to have been impressed with the excellence performed down by the river.
4) ASIA AWAKENS AND THEN SAYS "NITE-NITE". After a scoreless first quarter, Asia was understandably a bit down. No points in the first ten minutes. Jeff Walz looks at her and tells her to smile, be ecstatic because her teammates were holding it together and she should be excited about that. The words worked. 14 second quarter points. Some huge threes followed, three in a row and a huge one in the fourth to push the lead to 11. She is the best player in college women's basketball. Asia doing Asia-type things. Encouraging the crowd to let it loose late in the contest. Durr-riffic.
3) JJ AIRLINES WAS NOT GROUNDED. Jasmine Jones with the double-double of 13 points and 12 rebounds. Four assists. Running the court with confidence, displaying her unique brand of athleticism and hurling the ball into the seats at the final horn. I wonder if they counted that as a shot? Putting the team on her back early, this was JJ's "Super-Bowl" and she did not disappoint.. UConn led for only nine minutes in a 40-minute contest. Jazmine Jones is the accelerator on this finely-tuned Cardinal airplane. Flight cleared for takeoff!
2) THE GENO MONOLOUGES. You owe it to yourself to cue up Geno's post-game comments. Cardinal Couple and others have it linked up. Obviously parched after the game, he pepped-up after a glass of water and went into a revealing, humorous, poignant, sarcastic, stern and relevant post game "Q&A" with a packed media room. I think he was having fun messing with the scribes despite the loss. I don't think he wanted to leave. Talking about how his team "sucked". Goading Walz into continuing the series by calling him a "big baby".. This was classic Geno and no one holds post-game court like him.
1) DANA THE DOMINANT. What a night for the guard from Gary! 20 points, five threes, four assists and blazing by bewildered UConn defenders. Enjoying the party. This woman is your future, Cardinal fans. Get to know her. Marvel at her skills. She was "to the point" post-game, crediting her teammates, the fans and the coaches' game plan. She went toe-to-toe with UConn guard extraordinaire Crystal Dangerfield and proved her mettle. She gets my "player of the game" ...that is, if I can slow her down to accept it.
I'll never forget the Cardinal sequence after a missed UConn three. Jones rebound, down court pass to Durr, who finds Carter with the orb. Arica spotting an open Sam Fuehring. Shot up, shot good. UConn time out. I heard it made Sportscenter's top three. It should have.
This, my friends, is Louisville women's basketball .If you are missing it, you're missing a lot. It's not too late to get involved.
As we were walking out last night, Paulie caught up with Sam Purcell. Sam works with the Cardinal guards and Paulie complimented him on their play. Sam fired right back that this was a team win. Somewhere, the warrior Sam Fuehring (10 points,12 rebounds) is nodding in agreement.
-- Sonja --
