Delaware's Youth Shows Promise in Home-Opening Loss to Temple
(Guru’s note: Kayla Miller, last seen wearing a Delaware uniform last season and feeding shots to Elena Delle Donne from the point guard position, is joining the Womhoops Guru team as an analyst/blogger/tweeter this season, primarily focusing on her alma mater but perhaps getting involved in other coverage.
She is considering adding an account yet to be named by having been knighted here might use a Lady Guru handle.
Here is Kayla’s take on the Delaware home opening loss to Temple on Tuesday night with the Guru in the post above doing the game story and quelling his guilty conscience by rounding up everything he failed to get to from the entire 10-team PhilahoopsW family.)
By Kayla Miller
Womhoops Guru Analyst
NEWARK, Del. -- The University of Delaware women’s basketball team, coming off a win against University of Rhode Island Rams, opened at home with a loss Tuesday night against the Temple University Owls.
The Blue Hens’ last loss at home was December 20, last season, against the powerful University of Maryland program.
Most people can recall that being the first game Elena Delle Donne started playing again while recovering from her Lyme’s Disease.
(Disclaimer: That will be the first and last time I mention Elena Delle Donne while talking about the current Blue Hen squad. She had a beyond incredible career at Delaware, on that will be hard to ever live up to and had a stellar rookie season for the Chicago Sky in the WNBA. Now she is a former Blue Hen and the focus is on players such as Akeema Richards, Kelsey Buchanan, and Courtni Green, to name a few.}
A crowd of 2,015 Blue Hen fans showed up at the BOB Carpenter Center to watch this young Delaware team.
That is exactly what these fans got, the showing of a young squad with a lot of potential.
As a fan walking out of the BOB, one may have been disappointed with the loss, but there were a few spurts that should make Delaware fans very excited for the future of this UD hoop squad.
The three biggest issues the Blue Hens faced Tuesday night were turnovers, defense, and rebounds; three things you would expect to see in a young team.
The Hens were faced with full court Owl pressure from the jump. Facing pressure like this definitely will help prepare the Blue Hens for their next task on Friday against Wake Forest of the ACC.
Delaware against the Owls played Coach Tina Martin’s infamous “2 zone” defense, which does need some work, but that will come with time.
Martin’s “2 zone” is very unique and you have to understand the principles in order to be successful in it. Communication and all five players working together are essential in this unique defense.
Most of the UD players do not have game time experience playing in the zone but I’m sure the “2 zone” will be used against an athletic Wake Forest team and hopefully it looks even better than it did against Temple
. The players will adjust and get more comfortable the more they play the “2 zone.”
As far as rebounds, Delaware beat Temple on the boards 37-36. However, while Delaware played decent defense, the Hens would give up a big offensive rebound to the Owls.
As the game went on, UD continued to attack the boards more and more. But with about five minutes to go in the game, the Blue Hens needed the ball on offense and although they would cause Temple to shoot a bad shot, they would give up big offensive rebounds.
Turnovers and defense will improve from game to game.
Martin and her team know what they need to work on and I can guarantee that handling the pressure and playing good, solid defense will be stressed in the upcoming practices for Wake Forest.
Aside from what Delaware showed that they need to improve on, Shanice Johnson and Kelsey Buchanan showed some life for Delaware’s front court.
Both players respectably had a double-double.
Shanice, a freshman, was all over the boards and at times showed signs of being a veteran player with some of the offensive rebounds she pulled down and finishing the put back. She finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds
. Kelsey, the senior leader, finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Buchanan has stepped into a leadership role and one can tell that she is the person whom everyone looks to whether they are on or off the court.
Another scorer who I believe can be a strong asset to this young, promising Delaware team is Courtni Green.
As a former player for the Blue Hens, I am very excited to see what these hard working ladies have in store not only for myself, but for the other Delaware fans.
It’s tough to understand, but games like the loss to Temple will only help the sophomores and freshmen learn from their mistakes to make them better for the many future games they have yet to play as a Delaware Blue Hen.
She is considering adding an account yet to be named by having been knighted here might use a Lady Guru handle.
Here is Kayla’s take on the Delaware home opening loss to Temple on Tuesday night with the Guru in the post above doing the game story and quelling his guilty conscience by rounding up everything he failed to get to from the entire 10-team PhilahoopsW family.)
By Kayla Miller
Womhoops Guru Analyst
NEWARK, Del. -- The University of Delaware women’s basketball team, coming off a win against University of Rhode Island Rams, opened at home with a loss Tuesday night against the Temple University Owls.
The Blue Hens’ last loss at home was December 20, last season, against the powerful University of Maryland program.
Most people can recall that being the first game Elena Delle Donne started playing again while recovering from her Lyme’s Disease.
(Disclaimer: That will be the first and last time I mention Elena Delle Donne while talking about the current Blue Hen squad. She had a beyond incredible career at Delaware, on that will be hard to ever live up to and had a stellar rookie season for the Chicago Sky in the WNBA. Now she is a former Blue Hen and the focus is on players such as Akeema Richards, Kelsey Buchanan, and Courtni Green, to name a few.}
A crowd of 2,015 Blue Hen fans showed up at the BOB Carpenter Center to watch this young Delaware team.
That is exactly what these fans got, the showing of a young squad with a lot of potential.
As a fan walking out of the BOB, one may have been disappointed with the loss, but there were a few spurts that should make Delaware fans very excited for the future of this UD hoop squad.
The three biggest issues the Blue Hens faced Tuesday night were turnovers, defense, and rebounds; three things you would expect to see in a young team.
The Hens were faced with full court Owl pressure from the jump. Facing pressure like this definitely will help prepare the Blue Hens for their next task on Friday against Wake Forest of the ACC.
Delaware against the Owls played Coach Tina Martin’s infamous “2 zone” defense, which does need some work, but that will come with time.
Martin’s “2 zone” is very unique and you have to understand the principles in order to be successful in it. Communication and all five players working together are essential in this unique defense.
Most of the UD players do not have game time experience playing in the zone but I’m sure the “2 zone” will be used against an athletic Wake Forest team and hopefully it looks even better than it did against Temple
. The players will adjust and get more comfortable the more they play the “2 zone.”
As far as rebounds, Delaware beat Temple on the boards 37-36. However, while Delaware played decent defense, the Hens would give up a big offensive rebound to the Owls.
As the game went on, UD continued to attack the boards more and more. But with about five minutes to go in the game, the Blue Hens needed the ball on offense and although they would cause Temple to shoot a bad shot, they would give up big offensive rebounds.
Turnovers and defense will improve from game to game.
Martin and her team know what they need to work on and I can guarantee that handling the pressure and playing good, solid defense will be stressed in the upcoming practices for Wake Forest.
Aside from what Delaware showed that they need to improve on, Shanice Johnson and Kelsey Buchanan showed some life for Delaware’s front court.
Both players respectably had a double-double.
Shanice, a freshman, was all over the boards and at times showed signs of being a veteran player with some of the offensive rebounds she pulled down and finishing the put back. She finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds
. Kelsey, the senior leader, finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Buchanan has stepped into a leadership role and one can tell that she is the person whom everyone looks to whether they are on or off the court.
Another scorer who I believe can be a strong asset to this young, promising Delaware team is Courtni Green.
As a former player for the Blue Hens, I am very excited to see what these hard working ladies have in store not only for myself, but for the other Delaware fans.
It’s tough to understand, but games like the loss to Temple will only help the sophomores and freshmen learn from their mistakes to make them better for the many future games they have yet to play as a Delaware Blue Hen.
posted by Mel Greenberg | 7:46 AM
1 Comments:
nice work kayla - thats shanics johnson former cardinal ohara and comets player !
Post a Comment
<< Home