Tulsa at ECU Women's Basketball 2:30pm

[TU4ever2]

The ladies will be playing at ECU at 2:30 in what is a "must win" situation mostly so Tulsa can improve and position itself to be a NIT worthy team which for women is a 120 ranking and a winning record generally speaking. Both will be tough but the ranking is probably within reach with good play.

Mossman seemed to work out who got court mins last game and I liked her choices, however he subbing or really lack of it took the legs from the girls late.

Bittle continues to return to her old form and Evans is making leaps and bounds improvement. Lewis and Lascay set great examples in work rate and attitude. Girls just need to put it all together.

Tulsa is in a clump with ECU and Memphis all three around the 150s and within a game of each other so this is important for Tulsa to get itself in position to try and make the jump towards the top four.

Tulane clobbered Temple who is a different team on the road than at home so this game along with the Temple home game coming up will be big.

Game is at 2:30 on ESPN+ and 93.5 the Jet FM on the Iheartradio app or your local radio dial. As always if the game goes tight I will put in a spoiler alert if you want to watch for yourself. I encourage people to comment and if you aren't watching to do so. We have some girls that are a lot of fun to watch play.

Hopefully they can put together an entire game and come out with a win.

 

[TU4ever2]

Another strong start from Tulsa. Offense looks good, moving the ball well, lots of paint/high post touches. Defense is solid, Tulsa just staying in front and making ECU work. Evans drew a charge, I think she is averaging drawing one a game. Wyvette trying to be aggressive makes a couple turnovers she knows better than. Tulsa crashing boards unfortunately banging into each other as well and have lost a couple they should have. Tulsa shooting 71%. Let's see how our rotations go this game. Points off of turnovers get ECU back in the game.

1Q 4:13
Tulsa 12
ECU

 

[TU4ever2]

Evans appears to have got a bloody nose and has to come out.

 

[TU4ever2]

Wyvette trying to do too much and getting herself in trouble, just needs to make the easy play, trust her team mates. Tulsa stepping up its defense, offense still looks good.

 

[TU4ever2]

Evans passing is pretty impressive, she is just making good decisions and playing well. Her rebounding is spreading. Mossman makes her first sub and it's a spot one but goes well. No Bittle yet, I would like to see her start to get those regular rotations in. Good first quarter overall, nothing hectic or crazy, good pace to the game. Tulsa's defense played very well to finish the quarter and fueled the close out even with some missed shots the girls usually knock down. 10-14 shooting though is tough to complain about. 0-4 free throws could be trouble though. Tulsa starts with ball. Bittle comes in.

2Q 10:00
Tulsa 23
ECU 12

 

[TU4ever2]

Wyvette misses on a couple drives, Tulsa offense begins to stall, not being aggressive and attacking. ECU fights it's way to a couple transition baskets.

2Q 6:00
Tulsa 23
ECU 16

 

[TU4ever2]

Game is physically and getting a little more chippy as it goes along. Both Evans and Wyvette looking for their shot. Tulsa attacking better. Need to continue to move the ball through the high post or drive to the paint, still haven't got back to that from the first quarter but ball is moving and girls are looking for an opening. Tulsa needs to continue to not turn it over, be focused and aggressive on offense and keep playing strong defense.

2Q 4:18
Tulsa 29
ECU 18

 

[TU4ever2]

Tulsa coming back to earth on shooting percentage. ECU gets a couple threes one off a nice down screen on ball reversal and the other in a transition situation. Rotations much better so far. Good runs and breaks for everyone so far. Lewis blocking out well and helping Tulsa to a strong rebounding performance overall. Tulsa missing shots but staying aggressive and drawing fouls, preventing a drought or big run from ECU. Still not shooting there as well as we do. Defense has been good to really good and consistent. Great job by the girls of moving there feet not fouling and giving good help. Lewis and Lascay are being more vocal and in control of how Tulsa is playing. That's a difference from previous games where the Mayberrys dominated how Tulsa played. The Mayberrys are still making it happen. The pace and what it is we are doing is being decided by the seniors and its showing. I like the change and it seems smoother play overall not as much start and stop.

Halftime
Tulsa 32
ECU 24

 

[TU4ever2]

Some interesting stats

Lascay with 8 pts and 8 rebs (career high) so far.

Evans and Lewis are putting in stat stuffing performance checking boxes in points, rebounds, assists, steals, etc. Good sign as I think this team plays best when the high post is providing a balance to our peremiter strengths. Evans continues to just grow, she already looks like a threat ten games in to her career and just seems to settle in more every minute.

Bittle and Evans ability to pass really let's Wyvette relax against the pressure, with Mia and those two on the court she just has to take what is given and her job will require a lot less work than it did early in the season.

 

[TU4ever2]

Tulsa still struggling from the field still. Being aggressive, getting into transition, rebounding to produce opportunity. Still missing at the free throw line. Defense continues to be pretty solid and I don't see the frustration creeping in we have seen on offense before when this happens. I like the way the girls are handling business by doing the other little things to prevent ECU from closing the gap and to get points on the board for themselves.

3Q 5:45
Tulsa 39
ECU 29

Lascay with a double double now.

 

[TU4ever2]

Lol bad charge call on a good flop for Lewis. ECU turns it into a basket. Mia and Lewis play a little two man game and get a nice drive and floater for Mia to get them another basket and the offense going again. ECU is aggressive and trying to find their way through. Tulsa with a couple fouls after doing a great job the 1st half playing clean defense. Rotation has gone non-existent again. 22 mins for each starter. ECU at the line.

3Q 4:13
Tulsa 41
ECU 31

Lascay already at 12 and 10 moved clear of tie in steals to 8th and is six steals from a tied for 6th.

 

[TU4ever2]

Moutry and Bittle are the only two bench players to get any time, not sure why Hrafnkelsdottir hasn't seen the floor. Tulsa is struggling from the free throws which may become an issue. The Mayberrys are the ones missing too which is a rarity. Tulsa 31% on free throws, thankfully ECU only shooting 2/5.

Defense leads to some easy baskets, Tulsa offense just enough to keep them in front. Tulsa has done a very good job on rebounding. Been a double digit lead most of the game. We need a strong 4th quarter, the only one we have had all year was against this ECU team. Tulsa offense seems to be getting buckets again at the end of the quarter so hopefully that fg% will go back up and that was are big draught. Girls did a good job of figuring out ways to get points despite the bad shooting. If they make their free throws at a normal rate (71%) TU would be sitting on a nice twenty point lead or so and this fourth would have less nervousness to it.

4Q 10:00
Tulsa 48
ECU 37

 

[TU4ever2]

ECU just wills themselves a basket first possesion, draw some fouls, get some offensive rebounds and get the bucket. Tulsa comes down gets a good shot, misses, rebound on offense and a quick follow shot for a bucket.

Moutry has been playing a good not going to show up in the box score game. Draws a charge, tipped a few balls, some good blocking out, really good defense, and has been a coog type player on offense, keeping the ball moving setting screens.

3Q 7:19
Tulsa 52
ECU 41

ECU staying scrappy and fighting through.

 

[TU4ever2]

Bittle with a great and one after Tulsa breaks the ECU pressure, takes the contact and puts the ball in. At half she talked about how she has grown to like playing a small post. Some of those girls are big and she was intimidated at first, but she has held her own and feels comfortable. That's a part of her game that she didn't have previously, it showed there. Makes her even more of a valuable player and offensive threat.

4Q 7:04
Tulsa 54
ECU 41

Bittle shooting.

 

[TU4ever2]

Tulsa has looked smooth this whole game. I haven't seen anything that makes me say what was that. Defense and offense have been well organized, we made sure to do the small things while struggling with our shooting, getting some easy lay ups, tightening up on defense, drawing fouls (need to make the freebies though). Strong rebounding also helped getting Tulsa some put backs or extra possesions they turned into points. While I have seen them look better in a quarter, this was the most complete game I have seen from them. Fourth has been more start and stop with more fouling but Tulsa has maintained their focus and continued to play well.

4Q 4:17
Tulsa 59
ECU 46

Lascay will be at the line after the media time out.

 

[TU4ever2]

Tulsa gets Johnson and Clayton in for some mop up time. Lascay is having a career game and its setting the tone for the team. 21 pts and 14 rebounds. Career high is 24pts and was 8 rebounds. 6pts 6rebs 4asts for Lewis. Evans in double figures and drew another charge.

4Q 1:15
Tulsa 67
ECU 54

 

[TU4ever2]

Rodriguez comes in for Lascay who finishes her day with 21/14 plus 3 assists and 2 steals. I like Mossman getting the others in. As I said not sure why Hrafnkelsdottir didn't play maybe injury or illness. I would like to see a similar rotation next game with her in for Moutry. Moutry and Rodriguez are both solid players for spot mins or to stretch for more time in a pinch. That sort of rotation with regular substitutions (which were better today) is a solid competitive team in this conference.

Tulsa takes possesion of 6th place (picked last) a little more than half way through conference play. Top six get a buy in the conference tourney so it's a good place to be with a tie breaker over ECU. Solid fourth from the girl, nobody looked gassed and played smart despite the foul fear it turned into and the missed shots.

Evans with 10pts 3rebs 1asst 2steals and 0 turnovers with 2 fouls. Played outstanding defense drew 2 charges so that's four extra possesions her defense gave us from steals and the foul turnovers.

Both Mayberrys struggled at the line, hopefully just a hiccup. Otherwise solid game from them.


Lewis 6pts 6rebs (4 offensive) 4assts 4steals and 1blk only 1 turnover and only 2 fouls.

That is a stat stuffing performance, well done from both our senior leaders.

Final
Tulsa 68
ECU 59