Post your thoughts: SAC/LAC 6/22

[mdme]

Man, this was a heartbreaker.

Leading for 95% of the game and leading by 20 points then a monumental collapse. Felt bad we could have still won this game but the TOs just killed us. That travelling on Ticha alone in the back court with less than a minute with the score 70-75 was a killer! (not to say she's to blame - they all lost this one).

Some bad calls too. That offensive on bek (should've been a 3 point play for us) was just bad. not to mention that foul on chelsea (should've been on sherill baker).

I thought maybe they ran out of gas in the end. There was absolutely little defense around the basket, or rebounding. I felt maybe we should've put some reserves even in the OT, I felt they we're playing well. our bench is one of our strength. Our rotation was like 6-7 players in the final 15+ minutes (last 5 reg + 2OT).

This game might cost us two games (including the one vs DET tomorrow).

 

[Carole]

Just a really good game. It's weird, with no one to hate. No nasty plays, no meanness, just girls palying hard and loving it. We may have to choose a new team to 'rival' with!

What a shame, though, all the empty seats!

 

[kennadog]

As good as they looked in the 3rd, they are playing horrible in the 4th. Two freakin' inbounds stolen? Good grief.

 

[BRad1055]

Monarchas really choked that game away.

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[Rockmeister]

The Monarchs should be embarrassed. They were up by 19 points going into the 4th quarter and they lost the game. Who cares that the game went into overtime twice. It should have never gotten to that point. What a disappointing loss.

 

[StevenHW]

I echo the previous sentiments mentioned above. We had a 20-point lead and blew it in double overtime. There is simply no other word for it: we just choked...period!

On another note, all those empty seats at the Staples Center! I realize that Staples is a large arena, but dang!

I'm sure it's gonna be a long quiet flight on the way home tonight for our gals! Well, maybe it's more incentive to beat the evil Detroit Shock tomorrow!

[sigh]

 

[Luv13fan]

I am extremely pleased with 3/4 of this ball game.

I am watching the reply now and hope I can see where the wheels actually came off in the fourth.

It didn't come down to Ticha's walk. We were in a mess long before that.

The little things are symantics. The bottom line is we need to finish a ball game. We were up big and wanted to coast into the victory, instead of Closing the Door and Finishing teams off.

If we actually learn that lesson I wont feel as bad about this loss.

BTW Happy Birthday Nicole Powell...

See I can be nice to her...

 

[kennadog]

With less than a minute to go, the Monarchs up one, in a time out with possession......my power goes out.

I consider this a blessing, as I now know we fumbled, and bumbled and choked away a game we should have won. Unbelievably bad play in the fourth. This team scares me with their inconsistency. I'm not sure they've played a solid four quarters yet. The TOs just keep coming.

I'm so disappointed.

 

[mdme]

It didn't come down to Ticha's walk. We were in a mess long before that.

never said that it did. since the start of the fourth, (when we were up by 19) LA was just aggressive and we decided to play tentatively. BUT what I was saying was: Even despite the furious LA comeback, we were up by 5 with less than a minute. JB shouts, one more stop, which we got, then Ticha was walking the ball up the backcourt by herself, then....she travelled (she tried to pass then changed her mind on the last moment which resulted in the unforced travel). IF THAT didn't happen, we probably would have won this game, DESPITE the overall ugliness that was Monarch's BBall in the 4th.

Look at the boxscores, our players we're so tired, we have a bench, I felt we could've used it better in the stretch run (or one of the OTs). All our shots were short, we were outhustled, outworked, and our D was nowhere. See that Taj lay up of the inbound to make them go up by six? that was unexcusable.

 

[Purple Reign]

If we can find a way to get tomorrow night, I can put this one behind me. At least until the Monarchs go back to LA, when is that......WEDNESDAY!!!

This is a tough one. Not much from Yo, Ticha, Rebekkah. Once again, it was the perimeter players Nicole Kara carrying the offensive load.

BRUTAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Luv13fan]

Not disagreeing with you... But I am watching the reply.

I thought she kept Ticha in to long before she subbed for Haynie in the 4th. I thought the 2nd Unit was playing well. But I must have missed something. And I actually thogut Haynie played decent. But again I will look at the reply and see when the wheels came off.

 

[mdme]

Not disagreeing with you... But I am watching the reply.

I thought she kept Ticha in to long before she subbed for Haynie in the 4th. I thought the 2nd Unit was playing well. But I must have missed something. And I actually thogut Haynie played decent. But again I will look at the reply and see when the wheels came off.

I agree, yes, haynie was playing decent (esp compared to her previous games). She was largely a "+" tonight when she was on the floor. They increased their lead nearly everytime she was there (esp in the 1st and 3rd quarter while 2nd quarter was a "push"). Up to 20 and eventually 19 at the end of the 3rd. Then at the start of the 4th Ticha was in, and that was the time the wheels came off (not saying Ticha had anything to do with it)--lead down to 10. Until about ~6+ minutes to go then Haynie goes back in, but that did not stop the bleeding, sparks pressing well and M's continued to have TOs. Ticha back in around 4 minute mark, lead around 4-ish. Game stable until ~1 minute mark with M's up 75-70.

 

[Den-Den]

This just sooooooo sucks!

I liked how they played the first three quarters, but then the wheels came off. I expected Ticha to be somewhat out of her normal ball handling skills. A concussion will do that to you. Very uncharacteristic travelling for her.

More of a concern for me (and discussed at great length by those I was with) was the team chemistry in the fourth quarter and both overtimes. This is a team that usually pumps itself up when the chips are down. That, sadly, was not happening. And while Haynie did not have as many turnovers tonight, and others had more than her, she did not instill confidence in me watching the game when she was running the point. On several occassions, she was WIDE OPEN and her teammates seemed to deliberately did not pass the ball to her.

We also have almost no inside game...something that had been a Monarch hallmark. No DeMya, a beat-up Yo, Bekka missing-in-action the last several games...and tomorrow night we have Detroit.

I hear that the upper bowl is open and many seats sold. I'm hoping we can chear loud enough to bring them back to the white-line, an inside-outside game, and smarter passes. Oh yeah, and a WIN!!!

 

[Monty'sBiggestFan]

Seriously....this game hinged on Ticha's travel? That was it? That was the single defining point of this meltdown that was what 19 points in the making? I kinda thought it had something to do with us not scoring many damn points in the 4th myself. And the goshdarn 2nd chance points we gave up in the 4th. And the goshdarn what 12 turnovers we had to finish out 20 minutes of game time? It was Ticha's travel that caused this to roll in the L column? How about with 3 seconds to go and a final possession and a chance to win it, how about we NOT muck up the shot we get? How about we grab a damn defensive rebound and not let TMF have four damn chances to finish a miss. That was 2 pts right there that could have held on to this game despite Ticha's travel.

I may need to sleep on this some more before I post further thoughts, but I've got further thoughts than this. But I'm intrigued at the notion that a single play by Ticha is what blew a 19point lead. Very intrigued. Can we at least throw in the 2 nearly indentical turnovers we had failing to get the ball inbounded? Can that come up in conversation with the Ticha travel? Those should at least reduce the cost of Ticha's traveling violation to a 17pt blown lead. (Yeah, I'm stuck on why this play is being singled out...I need further explanation of this and why this single play is mentioned of ALL the stupid stuff that took place in the 4th and the 2 overtimes). I saw soooooooooooooooooooooo many other things that uncharacteristically went poorly. Sorta like the Phoenix game on the road.

 

[Den-Den]

Could not agree with you more MBF! Ticha's travel at the end of the game was NOT the reason they lost. No inside game to speak of, a monstrous number of turnovers on mostly stupid passes, a wide-open lane for easy LA layups. What happened to the white-line and help-side D? And free throws--wow, we have to make the "free" ones! They self-destructed last night. Maybe that's what they needed to do to find the "killer instinct" that they have been missing and need to finish off an opponent. What I wouldn't give to watch the Monarchs blow an opponent away right now...(please, please, let it be against Detroit).

On the positive side--I have to go here to get in a good mind-set for tonight's game against Detroit--they did have a dominant first three quarters. They hustled on transition, patiently worked the ball for good shots, controlled the boards--especially offensively--and Kristen Haynie had a blocked shot!

They DO have it in them, they just need to find a way to finish opponents off without letting them back in the game.

Now it's time to beat Detroit at "Women and Inspiration" night. I'm sure Monarch's fans will show Robin Roberts how WE inspire the Monarchs to WIN!

 

[mdme]

Seriously....this game hinged on Ticha's travel? That was it? That was the single defining point of this meltdown that was what 19 points in the making? I kinda thought it had something to do with us not scoring many damn points in the 4th myself. And the goshdarn 2nd chance points we gave up in the 4th. And the goshdarn what 12 turnovers we had to finish out 20 minutes of game time? It was Ticha's travel that caused this to roll in the L column? How about with 3 seconds to go and a final possession and a chance to win it, how about we NOT muck up the shot we get? How about we grab a damn defensive rebound and not let TMF have four damn chances to finish a miss. That was 2 pts right there that could have held on to this game despite Ticha's travel.

I may need to sleep on this some more before I post further thoughts, but I've got further thoughts than this. But I'm intrigued at the notion that a single play by Ticha is what blew a 19point lead. Very intrigued. Can we at least throw in the 2 nearly indentical turnovers we had failing to get the ball inbounded? Can that come up in conversation with the Ticha travel? Those should at least reduce the cost of Ticha's traveling violation to a 17pt blown lead. (Yeah, I'm stuck on why this play is being singled out...I need further explanation of this and why this single play is mentioned of ALL the stupid stuff that took place in the 4th and the 2 overtimes). I saw soooooooooooooooooooooo many other things that uncharacteristically went poorly. Sorta like the Phoenix game on the road.

NOBODY is saying that. NOBODY is singling Ticha out. It was just that, of all the TO's that were made, most were forced by the LA aggressive press EXCEPT that one because Ticha was walking the ball up court while LA was setting up the defense unguarded (but travelled). NO, Ticha's TO DID NOT start the loss of the 19 point lead, it was the one that lost the last of it. At that time we were leading by 5 with around a minute+ left and the ball in our possession....

...what I said was: despite the atrocious 4thQ, we could have still won it if that didn't happen.

As I mentioned in my above post, it was ALL of them who lost it by the terrible play in the 4th. Also, I felt fatigue had A LOT to do with it since: There was no defense, no rebounding, shots were short, just no intensity.

And DEN-DEN, I did see what you saw about some passes not made despite Haynie being open (on the inbounds) --which by the way resulted in TOs too. I guess they don't trust her that much (shrugs shoulder) - pity coz she played decent up until the end of the 3rd.

 

[MamaBristow]

NOBODY is saying that. NOBODY is singling Ticha out. It was just that, of all the TO's that were made, most were forced by the LA aggressive press EXCEPT that one because Ticha was walking the ball up court while LA was setting up the defense unguarded (but travelled). NO, Ticha's TO DID NOT start the loss of the 19 point lead, it was the one that lost the last of it. At that time we were leading by 5 with around a minute+ left and the ball in our possession....

...what I said was: despite the atrocious 4thQ, we could have still won it if that didn't happen.

As I mentioned in my above post, it was ALL of them who lost it by the terrible play in the 4th. Also, I felt fatigue had A LOT to do with it since: There was no defense, no rebounding, shots were short, just no intensity.

And DEN-DEN, I did see what you saw about some passes not made despite Haynie being open (on the inbounds) --which by the way resulted in TOs too. I guess they don't trust her that much (shrugs shoulder) - pity coz she played decent up until the end of the 3rd.

That's funny, cause it still sounds like you are blaming Ticha. Your constant emphasis on that one play speaks volumes. Like it was some sort of turning point and if it hadn't happened we would have won.

Funny how when Nicole traveled and turned the ball over, when we had that same 5pt lead in the 4th, that didn't cost us the game in your opinion. Just when Ticha did it. Which is ridiculous. Maybe we would have won if Kara didn't dribble the ball off her foot on that final possession and then heave up and airball. Maybe if ANYONE could grab a defensive rebound instead of letting Taj play catch with herself on the glass. Maybe if Chelsea didn't start the 4th quarter with back to back TO's. Maybe if Haynie didn't turn the ball over 4 seconds after checking in during the 4th. The whole 4th quarter was a sloppy mess, but for some reason you want to keep coming back to Ticha's TO and saying we still coulda won the game if she didn't do THAT.

The real point of the matter is that Ticha never should have had to check back into the game in the first place. Cause the Monarchs should have closed the door on the Sparks. But we have been saying this for years, even in 2005, this team has no killer instinct. They don't finish people off. And one day, hopefully soon, I hope they learn that lesson and learn to close the door on people.

This team played 3 great quarters of basketball. Nicole Powell was being aggressive with her shot, she was rebounding and doing all the other little things we want to see from her. Kara was instrumental in that 3rd quarter where she essentially did everything by herself and piled on to that lead. Chelsea scored in double figures. The point guards played well despite Haynie being in a slump and Ticha being concussed and still a little foggy. We were winning big despite a below average scoring night from our posts.

But give LA some credit, they played with a lot of intensity and heart in the 4th quarter and the bonus time. They are playing without LLL, without Holdsclaw, and without Johnson. Then add to that Christi Thomas spraining her ankle TWICE in the game, their sparkplug newbie Baker fouling out, and their Monarchs-Killer Mabika having a very human game against us--and they STILL beat us. That says a lot about them as a team. Taj played great, Baker played great, Spencer had another big night against us, and Fernandez was her usual impressive self. Coop has them on the right track to compete even with everything seemingly against them this season.

Hopefully our team can learn from this and regroup to beat Detroit tonight, cause they are going to be tough. They are also on the second night of a back to back, but they were able to finish their game off in regulation. And they got the win despite still missing Cheryl Ford.

 

[mdme]

Then I would like to apologize if it came across that way and I offended you. That was not the intent.

As mentioned in my posts above, I felt the reasons that they lost were:

1) LA's aggressive play in the 4th.
2) Our players were obviously fatigued at the 2nd OT as the same 5 played the final minutes and both OTs (short shots, no defense, lack of intensity, stupid TOs).
3) I even mentioned questionable calls.
4) and yes I agree: lack of a killer instinct.

 

[slugking50]

It was my fault. I got home and turned the game on with a 19 point lead. Then the we choked.

I apoligize.