LADY RAIDER BB Middle Tennessee vs La Tech, 7PM, Friday, March 11, 2022

[SpaceRaider]

 

[Blue Raider Lightning]

Uggggg! What is it with this team and the second half? 3 up at the break and we lose by 8 after being outscored 34-15 in the 4th quarter. 34 points in a 10 minute quarter!
On the bright side, this team can win the WNIT. But not the outcome we were hoping for.

 

[crassyblue]

Yes, this was very disappointing.

 

[crassyblue]

I still love this team though.

 

[blue rai]

Flagrant fouls turned the game around. I think there may have been some acting involved but ref had to make the call.we live by the 3 and die by the 3. I think 2 games in 24 hours took its toll in the 4th quarter And our shots stop falling.

 

[Blue Raider Lightning]

I guess we have all said it til we are blue in the face but here is another example.

Last night (Southern Miss game) when up by 20 in the closing minutes, we still have 3 starters in. In fact, two logged all 40 minutes and one had 39.

This is nothing new. It is common. We have a great team. I have enjoyed this season as much as any in a long time. It's hard to complain with the success we have had. But I wonder how much better we would be if we gave our starters more rest?

Coach has done better this year but there is no reason to have them in when up by 20 when you are playing 3 games in 3 days.

If we were gassed in the 4th quarter it's easy to see why.

 

[TRUEBLUE73]

This is a terribly underachieving team. Very dissatisfied with the result.

 

[Scomo64]

5 players played 187/200 minutes. We ran out of gas again. I don't think Whitson can play the next game, so it'll be interesting to see who gets the minutes. If Boldyreva and Malashka play together, that could be interesting.

 

[blue rai]

5 players played 187/200 minutes. We ran out of gas again. I don't think Whitson can play the next game, so it'll be interesting to see who gets the minutes. If Boldyreva and Malashka play together, that could be interesting.

Have wondered the same thing. Hopefully we will have a chance to see. I think Jada can really help also if given a chance to play?

 

[MTFNBY5]

Started the year with a potential rotation of 10 players. With the loss of the kid from Alabama to injury and transfer along with the other Russian leaving (Hate it at my age I can't remember names) we should have been down to eight yet we had only 7+ minutes from the bench other than Malashka in two games, one in which we had a significant lead.
It was fools gold early in the year thinking Insell had changed.

And yes Scomo64: It would be interesting next year to see an improved Boldyreva at the 5 and Malashka at the 4. Here's to hoping there are no defections, Blakely makes a huge jump, and that one or more of the recruits brings some athleticism to the roster.

 

[crassyblue]

+

 

[MTBig Blue]

I'm convinced that we will never get over the hump to become a great team as long as Rick is still coach.

 

[MTOleBlue]

I would hope Matt (or whoever it is that takes over for Rick) doesn't continue his 40-minutes-a-game strategy that tires the starters out.

 

[TRUEBLUE73]

It’s an absurd practice to play players 40 minutes. How can you win when you are exhausted?

 

[blue rai]

Michigan state, miss state, ncaa tournament games. Wku, Latech , this year. All big games where we had big leads and our starters just run out of gas. Been watching this show for years and it’s not going to change.

 

[MTOleBlue]

It's Rick's main failure - inability to manage those situations. Also, he never calls TOs when things start going downhill.