WBB: NESCAC

[NE Jeffs Fan]

Anyone else having trouble with NESN for Bowdoin -Amherst game?  Worked fine for Tufts game, now not working.

[Hoopsinfo]

Amherst rides Giddins to the win.  Jeffs write-up before the game seems to not acknowledge Giddins' key role but as we've seen repeatedly this year, the Jeffs went to her in key stretches of the second half. Congrats to the Jeffs. Like the strong presence of Savannah and Giddins on the inside.  They would be wise to ride the same strategy for a win against Tufts tomorrow.

[Hoopsinfo]

Amherst rides Giddins to the win.  Jeffs write-up before the game seems to not acknowledge Giddins' key role but as we've seen repeatedly this year, the Jeffs went to her in key stretches of the second half. Congrats to the Jeffs. Like the strong presence of Savannah and Giddins on the inside.  They would be wise to ride the same strategy for a win against Tufts tomorrow.

[Maine 1]

A typical Amherst game.  It is really all about defense for Amherst. They weren't very good on offense today, but they suffocated Bowdoin on defense.  Coach G's defense (for years now) simply will not allow the other team to stand and get open looks at the basket.  When Bowdoin did get an open look, they rushed the shot and missed. Bowdoin had plenty of chances to take a much bigger lead in this game and did not capitalize.
There is not a great team in the NESCAC this year.  I expect that tomorrow's game will be another defensive struggle.  If someone gets a hot hand, it could make the difference.  I think it is an even game.
Bowdoin, Amherst and Tufts should all get into the NCAA tournament.  Williams may still sneak in given its ranking last wek
I also could not get into the game in the first half, but had not trouble for the second half.

[Maine 1]

Several upsets in league tournaments this weekend--may have an impact on the non-conference winners that get into the tournament

[NH NESCAC Fan]

I was only able to watch the 2nd half of the Tufts/Amherst game.  Just a couple of quick observations.  Tufts was clearly the better team.  They killed Amherst on the boards, and while I understand the theory that you dance with the one that brought you to the dance, Gromacki's man to man defense was not getting it done.  IMO, an adjustment should have been made.  Also, it puzzles me why Haley Zwecker has ridden the bench so much this year.

Anyway...on to the NCAA's.

[Maine 1]

I missed today's game, but looks like Tufts dominated inside.  Congratulations to Tufts--they were the best team over the course of the season.  I wonder if they can host an NCAA first round.  Their gym is very small, so I am not sure it would be able to hold the required number of people.
I also think the year-end NESCAC awards will be interesting.  There does not seem to be a clear cut player of the year.  I believe one that stands out is Brickley for Trinity, but usually  the league likes to give awards to players from the winning teams.  Tufts has a number of capable players, but I don't think anyone really stands out as a player of the year. 
Will be interested to see what happens tomorrow with the NCAA bids.  Expect to see four teams, including Williams, in the tournament, although I don't think Williams belongs there.

[LORENZO123]

Tufts hosted St. Lawrence, New Paltz State and Babson for the first round last year. It was a little cramped but the fans get to see the game up close and personal.

[joe8579]

Got to see Tufts for the first time in person today. Overall, a dominating performance against a very good (if thin) Amherst team. Amherst over the past few weeks reminds me quite a bit of Tufts from two or three years ago: they play great defense but can't score. A total of what, ~90 points over two games this weekend? They just don't have the weapons they did in the past, event as recently as last year.

The difference between Tufts two years ago and today is that they can now score multiple ways from multiple people. They still play superior defense but now you have to put up 60+ points to beat them, which is far from easy. How many opponents have scored that many this year?

Tufts hosted the first two rounds of the NCAA tourney both last year and the year before. This year, they will host for as long as they keep playing (up to the final four), since they're unquestionably the #1 seed in the Northeast and surrounding regions.

I don't have numbers to back it up, but Tufts' gym is very comparable in size to Amherst and Williams', when you count the seating on both ends. Maybe a little smaller, but certainly not smaller enough to affect the committee's decision there. It's not like there are thousands of people queuing up to get into these games, despite how compelling they are.

I am also confused as to why Zwecker didn't play more. She got to the rim well, made her free throws, and was probably Amherst's most dangerous offensive player. Barring some kind of injury/discipline problems, she should have played more minutes.

[nescachoopsfan2]

Tufts made renovations to Cousens Gym ahead of the 2009-10 school year that rotated the basketball court and made it a regulation-sized facility. Since that time, they have been eligible to host NCAA Tournament games. Prior to that, they weren't allowed to do so. The Tufts women qualified for the tournament in 2010 but were shipped out of region to Kean for the first and second rounds. They were left out of the tournament in 2011, then qualified and hosted first- and second-round games in 2012 and 2013.

[nescacbbrules]

The Tufts women were clearly the better team today and the best NESCAC team throughout the season. Several elements that set them apart were evident on the court and revealed in the statistics .
First, their D. Amherst and Trinity struggled consistently to find good shots. Confirmed by these games and Tufts scoring defense ranking nationally this season and last.
Second, their protection of the basketball possessions: 6 turnovers today, 7 against Trinity. They got 19 more shots than Trinity, 17 more than Amherst. Hard to win against that stat, especially when they are pounding the ball inside. It is a luxury to be able to miss some bunnies when you keep getting them on every possession. Gave up 1 steal to Trinity, 3 to Amherst. Impressive.
Third, that power game. Kanner, North, and Rocchi give them a huge presence, and they know how to use it. Touch entry passes, plays that isolate the defense, and aggressive team rebounding (Foley is so quick to the ball) are keys. Against Trinity, Tufts had a nearly 3 minute possession and today a two minute possession, both at pivotal times.
Good luck to the Jumbos, Lord Jeffs, and Polar Bears, and should they make it, the Ephs. Jeffs and Jumbos should host.

[joe8579]

Great point on the number of shots difference between the two teams yesterday. It did seem to me that most of Amhersts possessions took a long time and yet did not result in a good shot. It's hard to score if you can't get quality looks, no matter how good a shooter you are. Also, none of the current Amherst players are great shooters yet - just look at their season 3pt percentages.

It'll be interesting to see how the brackets shape up later today.

[Hoopsinfo]

Observation - Amherst relies too much on the 3 point shot.  The mid-range jump shots were open yesterday but for some reason the players are reticent to take that shot.  Tufts was doing a good job defending the 3 and the mid-range jumpers would have opened up Tufts' defense.  I would say GP did not make the necessary adjustments during the game.  As for shooting percentages - Giddins has shot 56.4% from the floor (one of the best in the league) while leading the team in scoring and Zwecker shot 48% from the 3-point arc.  Why does GP have his best shooters coming off the bench as well as his leading rebounder (Giddins) after having lost his center?   

[NH NESCAC Fan]

I said this last year, and I'll say it again now.  Haley Zwecker can flat out play.  Why she has been relegated to coming off the bench is beyond me.  She is an excellent ball handler...She and Cheyenne Pritchard are the only guards on the team with fewer turnovers than assists.  Plus, she has the most assists on the team...while only playing 16 minutes per game.  As was already mentioned, she is their leading 3 point shooter.  And I don't believe her lack of time is due to any disciplinary reason.  I just don't get it.

Of course, I am not the college coach with the highest winning percentage in history, so...what do I know?

[nescacbbrules]

I agree with both of you on Zwecker. Her Assist/TO ratio is much better as is her FG %. She had more assists than Renner in half the minutes. She attacked the basket effectively. Hard to figure. Stubborn? Coach G started pulling the point guards off the floor at silly intervals to critique them.