Much needed quality win

[bac2therac]

That goes without saying...finally RU beat a ranked team, yes Arky was ranked but dropped big time since...This was a must win and RU came out with a sense of urgency and purposed jumping on Minnesota 25-5. I really like the gameplan of CVS in preparing for Big Girl. She got her points and you will she always will but its important to make that entry pass tougher for Minnesota so it doesn't open up the rest of the team for open shots. I thought RU was really effective against her and she also benefitted from a few travels and fouls that were not called. RU bigs picked up some silly fouls though...Ariel and Rachel need to be smarter, cut those reach ins and touch fouls. It didn't hurt them today because RU did so well offensively in the first half but it could have.

Even though I complained a lot about the shrinking lead in the game thread, I love the way this team repelled every single Minnesota run, they got it to 5 a couple times before that late 3 got it to 3 but it seems like RU players stepped up with huge responses everytime Minny turned the tide. That pass to Copper..was it from Davis or Canty? to win the game absolutely a thing of beauty and shows how determined this team was to win....play to win, be aggressive. I thought RU played aggressively on D all game long and it clearly frustrated Minny from getting into their rythmn

Tyler Scaife...wow it must have been there hair...did she have 28? I do not have the stats. Her shot was on from the get go and drained a couple 3s, maybe CVS was reading the board. It was so important for her to get back on track after two bruta shooting games. Sometimes you can just tell when she releases that shot it was going in.

So today I think they really reduced the mental lapses and didn't turn it over as much. RU is the more talented and athletic team than Minnesota, we are better period. However give credit to them, they easily could have folded down 20 or when RU pushed the lead to 58-46 but no they cut it to 58-54, fought to the end. Very gritty team and very well coached team. They are one of those nightmare matchup teams that a 2 or 3 seed does not want to face in the 2nd round of the NCAA tourney.

RU now moves to 14-5/5-3 and probably up a few notches in the rankings. The game at Purdue will not be easy but if they can take care of business there and come how and strut their stuff against PSU and Nebby, they will have some really good confidence going into the rematch down at Maryland. Every win counts when it comes to jockeying for seeding not only in the Big 10 but NCAA tourney to avoid having to play a one or two in the first round.

 

[lieublue]

Very good win, and against a good ranked team. I am liking it.

 

[rudad02]

RU played a very,very good basketball game. Defense was teriffic. Having Canty makes a difference. Great to see Scaife get her rythym back. Great & total team effort. GO RU.

 

[Sir ScarletKnight]

I've got to say, I'm glad to be wrong, though the depth problem still worries me. Still, positive night indeed! I hope I have a voice again come Tuesday.

I'm kind of annoyed at the student turnout though.Two top twenty-five teams going at it, Big Ten matchup...and nadda. Very few showed up and very little noise. The place sounded silent at times. We've got to do better. (Would be nice if they bumped up the buses for games, weekend bus schedule makes it really hard to get around.)

 

[RUgrad]

We are getting there. We have played a tough schedule so far, playing all the ranked Big Ten teams plus Tenn, Ark and UNC (all of which were ranked). So out of our 19 games, 6 of them have been against top 25 teams. This will help us later in the season. We have a great chance now to finish second in the Big Ten, I think 4 losses would do it. There is a lot of basketball left. Team our talent with the big game, tough competitor, experience we are getting, and we will be tough come tournament time.

 

[DennisHajekRC84]

Great win. Glad we finsihed end game yesterday.

 

[MC1974]

I liked our strategy to limit the number of open threes of the opponent while playing a loose post defense (thanks, in part, to the officiating.) Although B had her points, she took and missed a great number of shots. Dome of her misses were open bunnies, too.

Minnesota did not appear to me to have good ball handlers so it intrigues me why we never showed a full court press.

Glad to see Tyler shooting well. I love Copper's game but I thought she took too many ill-advised drives and shots.

The "quadruple-assist" on a fast break was a thing of beauty!!

I like how we withstood their two comeback charges. We were up by twenty in the first and as much as twelve during the second half and our offense went cold. I DON'T like THAT!

That's all!