B1G Game 16: Gophers visit Illinois (2-25-18)

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About time they picked up the defense. Making Illinois look like a high school team now.
 

Great rebound and bucket by Bello. Hubbard finally on the scoreboard.
 







Gopher "slow-down" offense is terrible. Should stay with their regular offense.
 

We won thankfully. A loss today would have been brutal. Bello had her best game at the post this year and rebounded very well. But it's not her natural position and against a team with more size she gets into foul trouble to easily. My problem with today is the live by the 3 philosophy. 8 for 33 is only 24% coming off the Indiana game where it was in the low teens. We had a size advantage today against Illinois, especially when Wittinger sat in the 2nd qtr with her second foul, but we didn't take advantage of this and kept jacking outside shots instead of going inside or attacking basket. For as much love as Edwards got after the Maryland game, she sure didn't get any rope to play with today, nor did Fernstrom, but she never does. Use your size advantage and go double post and pound them in the paint, it's not like Hubbard or Pitts was lighting it up today or even Wagner who ended up 7 for 22. We only had like 7 post shots today and I think some were put backs. This team is done if more than one of our shooters are cold from the outside. I also don't like how today when Wittinger went out we kept giving up 3s. No excuse for this from our guards. We gave up 2 more 3's today than we made. Again, thankful for the win, but for some reason it doesn't feel quite as good as it should.
 



Survive and advance! Gophers just started the March motto early!
 

Bello MVP for the day when she was on the court. Gonna need the 3s again in order to avoid a quick postseason appearance.
 

That was a little too interesting.

84-75 MIN final

Bell 24 pts (6-11, 1-2 3P, 11-16 FT), 5 reb, 7 ast, 8 to, 3 stl
Wagner 21 pts (7-22, 3-13 3P, 4-4 FT), 11 reb, 3 ast, 2 to
Pitts 15 pts (4-16, 3-10 3P, 4-4 FT), 5 reb, 1 ast, 1 to
Bello 10 pts (3-6, 4-6 FT), 16 reb, 3 stl, 3 blk

Welcome to the #4 seed! First time in a decade?
 

A narrow escape. Wagner and Bello with double-doubles. 21 points, 11 boards (all defensive boards) for Wagner. 10 points and 16 boards for Bello in only 20 minutes. 12 of Bello's boards were offensive boards. I sure wish the Gophers would use full court pressure or half-court traps more often. They showed that earlier in the year, but obviously they weren't serious about it. I admit that I'm not sure how I would have handled the post rotation this year. Bello is certainly the player with the most upside but she's also had a tendency to get in foul trouble. That being said, I think I'd still give her as many minutes as she can handle at the post position. And, yes, i realize that's not her natural position, but she is so much more athletic that the other 3 posts. On to the BIG tournament. I hope the Gophers can heat up with their 3-point shooting or it might be one and done.
 



tripledouble said:
A narrow escape. Wagner and Bello with double-doubles. 21 points, 11 boards (all defensive boards) for Wagner. 10 points and 16 boards for Bello in only 20 minutes. 12 of Bello's boards were offensive boards. I sure wish the Gophers would use full court pressure or half-court traps more often. They showed that earlier in the year, but obviously they weren't serious about it. I admit that I'm not sure how I would have handled the post rotation this year. Bello is certainly the player with the most upside but she's also had a tendency to get in foul trouble. That being said, I think I'd still give her as many minutes as she can handle at the post position. And, yes, i realize that's not her natural position, but she is so much more athletic that the other 3 posts. On to the BIG tournament. I hope the Gophers can heat up with their 3-point shooting or it might be one and done.
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With Wagner graduating, maybe we change up the 4 guard strategy and let Bello get more run next year regardless at the 4, and also the 5 against smaller lineups. No idea what we have coming in talent wise at the 5.
 

Bello MVP of the game no question. Shooting has gone ice cold hope they can find their rhythm before Friday. Prefer Hubbard running the point at the end of games when other team is in obvious fouling situation really trust her free throw shooting. After last Sunday’s wine I was hoping for a #2 or #3 seed. Didn’t want the Gophers in the same brackets as Iowa or OSU but here we are. #4 seed is a great accomplishment for this team and enjoy it for a few days before the BIG tourney
 

Just a quick Big Ten tourney note - on the radio, Corbu kept saying "Friday, March 3". We are playing on Friday, but Friday is March 2.

We can say what we want about bad losses, great games, etc. Number 4 seed is impressive and it is the first time in ten years we've been able to do that. Probably still won't crack the top 25 tomorrow, but this has been a fun season.

On to Indy!!
 

Right now, the thread for our Illinois game has more replies than the thread on the men's side for their game with Purdue with 9 minutes left in that game. Men down by 24 at the moment. I wonder if having more replies for our game than a men's game has every happened before??
 

Looks like a rubber game with Iowa is inevitable. Gophers have more talent, but Iowa has the best player. Megan Gustafson is a very good player. Gophers will have to double her early and hope she doesn't go off for 30 and 15. 20 and 10 and the Gophers will have a shot. Iowa is a slightly better team than the first game these two teams played, as Iowa's Meyer was coming back from an injury and was a non-factor then. Now that she's had some time to get her legs under her, she is a factor and can shoot some threes. I am thinking that the Gophers will want to dictate the pace in this game and play a real up-tempo game, as the Hawkeyes will have played the day before and they have a somewhat short bench.
 

tripledouble said:
Looks like a rubber game with Iowa is inevitable. Gophers have more talent, but Iowa has the best player. Megan Gustafson is a very good player. Gophers will have to double her early and hope she doesn't go off for 30 and 15. 20 and 10 and the Gophers will have a shot. Iowa is a slightly better team than the first game these two teams played, as Iowa's Meyer was coming back from an injury and was a non-factor then. Now that she's had some time to get her legs under her, she is a factor and can shoot some threes. I am thinking that the Gophers will want to dictate the pace in this game and play a real up-tempo game, as the Hawkeyes will have played the day before and they have a somewhat short bench.
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Yes let’s hope for double OT game between Iowa and Northwestern and maybe an upset; although at this point in the season you need to beat who ever shows up at the gym
 


A big thanks to Taiye and whew, what a season!

Minutes Played (Starters Bolded):

40 Bell
40 Wagner
39 Pitts
39 Hubbard
20 Taiye Bello
10 Fernstrom
10 Edwards
1 Brunson
1 Kaposi
 

Good outcome in a highly stressful must win situation!! Not pretty that’s for sure!!
 

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