The #14 Ladies host Clemson Sunday at noon. The game is on the CW network. Clemson is 7-10 and 1-5 in the ACC. Their one win was was at home against Duke, the team that just destroyed us. They are on a 5 game losing streak, losing to #14 Louisville and #12 FSU at home and #24 UNC, GA Tech and Syracuse on the road.
The Tigers have 6 players averaging 20-28 min/game and 4 more averaging 11-15. Their tallest starter is #3 6'3" forward Elmore, who plays 25 min/game and scores 4.6 points while collecting 6.7 rebounds. They have no freshmen and only one sophomore that play regularly; so they are a mature team.
They have 5 players averaging 33 to 42% from beyond the arc and make 7.6 threes per game. All of their players except #34 Freeman and #21 Inyang will step out and shoot a three; those two have not attempted a three this year. With so many players in the rotation, foul trouble is probably not going to affect who's on the floor. Only three players average double digit scoring; but everyone who plays scores.
The Hokies should not take Clemson lightly. Their record is not good; but they have played a difficult schedule. Of their 10 losses, 4 have been to ranked teams, including #1 South Carolina. And two others Syracuse and Auburn receive votes; only GA State is a bad loss. If we play like we did against Duke, we will lose this game.
The good news is I think I saw a clip of Amoore practicing with the team. If she can play and has no ill effect from being elbowed in the head, the Ladies should be a better team than they were in the second half against Duke. And if she can't play, at least they have had a few practices to try and develop some chemistry.
It's time for this team to start gelling into the team they should be. Someone other than Kitley and Amoore needs to step up and be a consistent contributor. Several players have shown flashes of ability; but no one has been consistent. Wenzel, especially, has been very tentative; she is very good and she need to realize that and play like she can. Ekh has also looked good at time; but she needs to be a more consistent contributor on offense. MIcheau and Summiel have also shown flashes. As have Summiel and Carys Baker. Even Cayla King has been inconsistent. We have a bunch of ladies scoring 4 or 5 points per game. And what we need are for at least 2 to step up and contribute to the offense. When you only have two offensive threats in Kitley and Amoore, we don't put enough pressure on a defense. And our defense has to improve, also. We absolutely could not stop any Duke player from scoring almost at will.
Hopefully this is the game when things start to come together. This game and GA Tech in the friendly confines of Cassell should give us a chance to regain our form and start playing like a top 20 team again.
LET'S GO HOKIES!
Comments
LET'S GO...
HOKIES!!
Let's Go Hokies! See you in the Cassell and I hate noon games on Sunday!
Amoore was a full go in practice yesterday although I saw mention she may have still had swelling in her face.
For those going to the game, today is the whiteout game.
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I assume since she's full go in practice she's officially cleared to play today?
Most likely still gets looked at by the trainers/medical since it was likely a concussion.
Either way, I don't expect her to go for 30+ minutes unless she gets a full clear. Suffren showed some flashes as a capable attacker and distributor. This should free up Wenzel to be a more aggressive shooter, when she is in.
We really need King to be hitting her shots at the rate we've come to expect. Ekh needs to keep up her shooting.
If we are going to be less than 100% at the guard positions, Strack and Kitley should be on the court together for large swaths of the game.
Just saw on Twitter that Amoore hasn't been out on the court yet so we may not be seeing her today.
Not going to play
Wenzel starting off with a turnover...
Ugh. Wenzel with the turnover right off the bat. She needs to get it together.
Drinking.
We are letting them drive free inside.
Sorry....I hope she becomes a good player for us but right now wenzel just doesn't have the handle to take it to the basket.
She can take it to the rim. Unfortunately she is driving right now looking to pass inside rather than finish her own shot. She doesn't have the pinpoint passing to get it through traffic. I expect Suffren and Lexi Blue next year to be the primary ballhandlers.
Suffren looked good taking over for Wenzel.
Seems to me that the game is still too fast for her. You hear a lot that the transition from high school to college can be more difficult for some players. It's like the game hasn't slowed down for her. Hoping it happens since she was highly touted, but Saffren certainly looks the part.
We need more of that from King.
Alot of sloppy little errors adding up
That was much better and more confident from wenzel
With how many open looks we are giving them actually lucky not to be losing by several baskets.
Totally agree. The dribble penetration breaking down our perimeter defense is a disturbing pattern. Seems to have been happening the last several games and no adjustments to counter it.
Ten turnovers already and three or four bumbled rebounds out of bounds.
Clemson has had ten second chance possessions as part of it.
Eleven now for 8 points.
Pretty clear the fan base didn't get the Whiteout memo. It's like 50/50.
Pet peeve of mine. You have an effect game, whiteout, blackout, maroon out, or orange out; and somebody shows up wearing green! Or blue! Or purple! What's up with that? And they call themselves fans? Get off my lawn!
They arranged for the Corps to be there and they were in combat uniforms and the band was in black t shirts. They couldn't even get that right. If it was really important they would have been handing out t shirts at the door as fans came in.
I'd wager since its winter and recently snow, the Corps likely went for those uniforms to march/walk in inclement weather. Since it's after break, no white shirt right now either, so you're left with Grey bag, blue blouse, or hokie bag maroon polo.
And I'm sure @HightyTighty could weigh in but I feel like pep band does what pep band wants.
I was thinking about going to this game and didn't see anything about it being a white out while looking at tickets.
I had to come directly from church with the family. Never heard it was going to be a white out or military appreciation day until we go there. Not well advertised. When they printed tickets that information was on the tickets.
Summiel took an elbow to the face on a screen in the lane but no call. No surprise.
Ekhcellent way to end the half.
13 turnovers. Clemson with 13 points off turnovers.
Clemson up 18 to 12 on paint points.
Ugly half. Lot of unforced mistakes.
Add in offensive rebounds for Klempson. All 3 add up to why we are not ahead by 10 or more in this game.
Yep those and several rebounds bobbled out of bounds by the Hokies that didn't count as turnovers.
Summiel needs to start at the 4 from now on. She's a super heady and scrappy player who is a threat from beyond the arc, she is much better for the flow of the offense than Micheaux at this point by far. Basically any lineup that includes her puts 4 shooters on the floor with kitley
I'd almost be interested to see Micheaux at the 5 and Kitley at the 4.
With the style of play not sure there is much difference and opposing teams would still put their bigger forward on Kitley.
Did not look like Wentzel even touched her arm.
Two really weak fouls to start the half. If they are going to call them get your money's worth
Make that three straight possessions for Clemson with fouls called on Hokies.
Wow, the refs needed a copy of a rules book and glasses provided.
Kitley being hugged and restrained but no calls because she doesn't fall down
Free throw attempt differential is now 15-6
Keep feeding Kitley
Suffren has had at least four wide open looks from outside and has had no inclination to shoot. That's concerning.
And then wide open outside dribbles into a contested shot. SMDH
I said the same thing. Any idea why? Just not confident? Clemson seems to be sagging way off of her like it's known that she either can't shoot it from outside or doesn't want to.
I don't believe she is much of a three point shooter at this stage of her career
Not much tape on her so not sure opponents have much to go on there. How they have approached her though reminds me of Wabissa Bede games on the mens side. She averaged almost 17 points per game in high school so knew how to score there.
Hitting threes/Klempson missing wide open ones the main reason Hokies lead. 7/17 vs 2/12. Hokies winning assist battle 17-4.
Clemson leads rebounds and has 13 offensive rebounds. Clemson 12-4 free throw advantage which is odd only because foul total is 13 on Hokies to 12 on Clemson.
Turnovers have somewhat "normalized" with Hokies at 15 to Clemsons 13. Still an ugly number with most of 4th quarter left.
How is that not an offensive foul when cayla got trucked?
Honestly it probably should have been a block on King. Her feet weren't set and Clemson player wasn't out of control.
That has to be a foul on someone, either a charge or a block. It can't be a no call there.
King being hurt about the last thing we need. Not good they didn't want her to put weight on her feet.
She did the lap around Cassell at the end of the game walking. But no brace or wrap.
That is an encouraging sign that injury is not serious.
That's what Wenzel needs to do more.
That should not have been a foul on Clemson but ACC officials at their finest. The one whistling it completely shielded from view.
Much much much better second half by wenzel. Also we should use the kitley-strack combo on the floor so much more.
Kenny should get ALL the real contributors off the floor
Hopefully king just got a bruise... I got a similar injury playing soccer where me and another player slammed knees trying to kick the same ball... it was insanely painful but healed quickly
Good to see King standing in the timeout huddle
No way that was an offensive foul. Whitehorn was not set. She was shuffling her feet.
Same bald ref called it that called that foul on Clemson earlier where he was behind the play and had no angle to actually make a call there.
Agree on the iffy call there, but your feet don't have to be set to draw an offensive foul. You just need to have good defensive position when the contact is made. Or it can be called if the ball handler extends the off hand to push off.
She did neither of those things. She was sideways and feet moving and Wenzel did not lower shoulder or extend arm.
Incredible string of refball "turnovers" to keep clemson in it
How are there no fouls called on these insane hacks that are being called jump balls or no calls
That tiny bump on Wenzel is a foul but two girls smacking Kitley repeatedly wasnt?
Agree
So inconsistent
The refs got both wrong
Wenzel did not commit a foul and Kitley was fouled at least twice on that play
I agree on Wenzel's drive. I was more pointing out the "Kitley Effect" though. She was getting mugged but no call. She passed to Wenzel and as soon as the Clemson player touched Carleigh they called a foul.
Really frustrating that officials constantly take Kitleys size and turn it into a disadvantage. She might be the most fouled player in the ACC but it doesn't get called nearly enough.