In no particular order
1. Where's the January swoon?
Down in Maryland (1-3)
2. A fitting end
The Hall couldn't buy a free throw in the first half. Then an intentional miss closes out the victory.
3. Heart attack
This is two parts.
Part 1 - Why would Holloway put a player in the lane on Ndefo's missed free throw late?
Part 2 - What the hell was Samuel thinking fighting for the missed shot with less than a second left on the game clock?
4. Game of inches
I asked the obvious question to Ndefo if he missed the shot on purpose and he said yes. But his high arcing shot didn't miss by much.
5, Hero ball
It almost killed the Pirates in the first half. Quick low percentage shots, many from range and just as many from Dawes put the Pirates in a hole that they didn't dig out from until the waning seconds of the game. UConn with the lead 39:20. Seton Hall with the lead 00:08.
6. How do you spell Ndefo?
THEMAN
7. What did the Hall do at the halftime break?
Practice their free throw shooting as they made 13-14 shots from the stripe until Ndefo's intentional miss.
8. Don't get off to a bad start
That was the Pirates goal to get the crowd into the game early. 10-2 minutes after the tip killed that theory.
9. Get out of my way!
Odukale did not have a strong offensive game. But his rim rattling dunk late over Sanogo (who had 4 fouls) brought the roof down.
10. What were you thinking?
The Pirates take their first lead of the game in the last minute or so and Dawes reaches in in the back court leading to a foul and 2 gifts points for the Huskies.
11. What's better than 100%?
UConn shooting 13-14 from the stripe and on their 1 miss getting the offensive rebound and a three point make.
12. From the culinary department
Switching the script for the Pirates. UConn 18 turnovers to the Hall's 9.
13. Word I got....
Two people close to the program said the Hall was having great practices of late as the team was finally buying into what their coach was selling. Holloway reiterated that in the post game.
14. Chicken wings are usually good.
But not when they belong to Richmond, who has a bad habit of using his off arm to create space. Got called twice last night and both calls were accurate.
15. Just in the nick of time.
Students just came back to campus and were LOUD last night. So loud that Samuel said in the post game after the Odukale dunk UConn was trying to call an offensive play and none of the players were able to hear it.
16. Physicality
Centers -
Sanogo 5 fouls.
Clingan 4 fouls.
Samuel 4 fouls.
17. Misleading
Dawes played 33:33 minutes and really struggled all night. 4-14 from the field. 1-8 from range. 3 turnovers and brutal shot selection. Yet he led the team with a +10.
18. Help
As in help defense. Credit Samuel for controlling Sanogo inside all game long. But he didn't do it alone. Weakside help and the guards dropping down low had a lot to do with keeping the UConn big man in check.
19. 20 rebounds from your point?
About 30 seconds into the 2nd stanza Richmond grabbed his 10th rebound. I was thinking 20. Shockingly that was his last carom of the game.
20. Who would have thunk it?
From 0-3 to 5-4.
