Women's Hoops Blog

Inane commentary on a game that deserves far better


Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Now for the good stuff: last night's second-round game in Seattle between Texas A&M and Gonzaga was the most exciting game I've seen all year: for the level of play (high, though not UConn/ Stanford high), for the intensity of the fan attention (respectful, enthusiastic, and loud, in favor of the home-state Zags), for the neat contrast in kinds of talent and styles of play, and for the jostling storylines, almost too many to count.

Texas A&M, you'll remember, is the only team that has beaten Nebraska this year. They're known for their hustle, and for their defense; last night they stood out first of all for Danielle Adams, the big, strong center who did almost whatever she wanted down low for the second half.

The West Coast Conference champions had no player nearly as strong; they also had no answer for whatever TAMU did to Courtney Vandersloot, the point guard who (as the announcers just kept pointing out) leads America in assists, but couldn't get her mojo on last night: she finished with 6 A's and 11 TO's.

What the Zags had was a style of play designed to get past stronger, bigger opponents-- literally get past them, and over their heads: they play a bit like the Mercury (or the Suns), zipping the ball down the floor, making one or two passes (but not many solo fast breaks), and putting themselves in rhythm to make outside shots.

That's what they did for the first half: the Zags racked up a double-digit lead. And then they lost it, and got it back, and lost it, and got it back, and lost it again. Tiffanie Shives, as she did on Saturday, kept her Zags in the game by sinking treys; the Aggies kept up the pressure, and stayed on the glass, but Gonzaga kept up the pace.

Adams and Vandersloot collected four fouls; then Vandersloot, diving at midcourt, collected a fifth with 1:30 remaining and her team up by a point. Then TAMU scored. And then Gonzaga's Vivian Frieson made her swift, off-balance, midrange jump shot into the game's final goal: Gonzaga won, 72-71.

Both teams showed remarkable teamwork (A&M more on the defensive end), but the winners deserve to celebrate: nobody more than Frieson. "Vivian never wavered," coach Kelly Graves said.

The Seattle event was the only second-round game with a same-season rematch: in December 2009, the Aggies won. Both teams used their memories as motivators last night.

Want more storylines? Coach Blair got what looked like a very intentional technical foul to start the second half, the apparent spark to TAMU's comeback. (In the locker room, he told his team that Frieson was "kicking [their] butt.") The game was juco transfer Adams's first start all year.

Afterwards, Blair could have sounded bitter-- he had to travel a long distance to play a lower seed on their de facto home floor. Instead, he got things right: ""It's a shame one of us had to go home," he said. "By far this is the hardest second-round game that we've had to play since I've been in the NCAAs."

You can relive the action almost minute by minute: Jayda liveblogged the game.

UPDATE: Q liveblogged it too.