The Plus/minus: Virginia Women’s Basketball Mauls Pittsburgh

Plus

A triumph is simply a triumph is simply a win.  There is thing rather for illustration getting Pitt astatine nan JPJ to break a two-game losing streak.  This is not a bully Pitt squad – astatine nan bottommost of nan ACC and pinch a triumph only complete Boston College, different bottommost dweller – and it showed.  They were 3/13 from heavy and changeable nether 30% from nan level overall.  Pitt must person had a half-dozen aerial balls and immoderate of their turnovers, well, they looked for illustration precocious schoolers astatine times pinch really good they protected nan ball.  Virginia scored 16 points disconnected Pitt turnovers, and had nan Hoos not missed a mates of bunnies successful nan first quarter, that number would beryllium a batch higher.

Plus

Caitlyn Weimar changeable an ultra-efficient 8/9 from nan level and was 4/4 from nan kindness stripe.  Her footwork is amazing.  Monica Czinano, a teammate of Caitlyn Clark astatine Iowa, was celebrated for making it done full games – and mind you, she was a profession 15 constituent per crippled scorer – without ever dribbling nan ball.  Other than a accelerated break decorativeness wherever she dribbled nan shot from nan apical of nan key, Weimar whitethorn likewise not person dribbled nan shot astatine each tonight.  Would that Blake Buchanan possessed Weimar’s knowing of wherever she is connected nan court.

Plus

Kymora Johnson scored 17 points (3/8 from deep) and dished retired 9 assists.  Yeah, yeah, yeah.  She does this each nan time.  No, what impressed nan astir was Johnson’s on-ball defense, easy nan champion we’ve seen from her this season.  She had 5 steals and forced a sixth, each of nan poke-the-ball variety.  She looked each spot nan 2nd coming of Hannah Hidalgo retired there.

Minus

This Pitt squad looks for illustration nan 2nd coming of Boston College of caller years.  And I don’t mean that successful a bully way.  BC was wildly entertaining to watch: Dontavia Waggoner and Teyana Tidberry, moreover Taina Mair earlier she transferred to Duke.  All were nosy players who had superior holes successful their games and BC languished astatine nan bottommost of nan table.  Point defender Theresa Hagans has grip and a burst to nan rim.  Fatima Diakhate is 3rd successful nan ACC successful double-doubles truthful far.  Both are freshmen.  There’s imaginable there, but some were earnestly outclassed by their Virginia counterparts.

Plus

After starting 1/7 from deep, Virginia exploded by converting six of their adjacent 7 en way to an 8/20 night.  Amazing really hitting 40% of your treys makes everything other easier.  For comparison, Virginia changeable 10/41 from beyond nan arc their past 3 games, 2 of them losses.

Plus

After a three-game enactment successful coach Agugua-Hamilton’s canine house, Gabby White had her 2nd consecutive crippled pinch much than 15 minutes.  She had 9 rebounds and six assists successful 17 minutes.  Adeang Ring, aft nary minutes nan past 2 games, sewage 15 minutes.  I don’t understand coach Mox’s rotations astatine this constituent arsenic Ring sewage each her crippled clip down debased successful nan station aft seemingly carving retired a domiciled arsenic a wing.

Minus

Injuries suck.  In nan mediate of a 10 – 2 tally to scratch backmost to a two-point deficit, Pitt mislaid Amiya Jenkins aft she tripped complete Breona Hurd and deed her knee difficult connected nan floor.  Her screams could beryllium heard connected nan stream.  Pitt, which had yet made this a game, ne'er recovered arsenic Virginia went connected a 16 – 2 tally to adjacent nan half and move nan crippled into a rout.

Plus

The crippled scheme was to lb nan shot down debased to Tabitha Amanze.  It took her 4 times to people arsenic she was good defended by Diakhate.  (And yes, that sanction does look very akin to that of Mamadi Diakite.)  Amanze vanished pinch conscionable 8 points connected an abysmal 4/14 shooting performance.  But you person to emotion it erstwhile it’s nan bigs who are diving connected nan level for loose balls, particularly successful nan mediate of a rotten shooting night.  Amanze did that 3 times successful nan first half, winning a jump shot connected each occasion. 

Minus

With 3 minutes near successful nan first quarter, Pitt switched to zone.  This is simply a bully move against Virginia.  All play long, erstwhile teams switch, nan Cavaliers are slow to react, usually taking 2 to 4 possessions to get backmost connected track.  Good idea, right?  Did I mention that Pitt is conscionable really bad?  Well, doubly arsenic Pitt was going backmost and distant betwixt man and zone, nan Panthers near Johnson unsocial for wide unfastened threes.  Johnson made them pay.

Plus

28 assists connected 34 made baskets.  Unreal. 

Plus

Virgina was 8/10 from nan statement which is fantabulous moreover without considering that Virginia connected nan play has been mediocre shooting free throws.  White knows that constituent defender that can’t person astatine nan statement is of constricted inferior successful adjacent games, is surely moving connected this facet of her crippled arsenic she’s changed her shooting motion.  We’ll person to spot really this tracks arsenic nan play progresses because she was conscionable 2/4 connected nan night.

Next Up:  The women are owed to big NC State connected Sunday, January 25th astatine noon.  The men person moved up their Saturday crippled to noon (and delayed nan ceremonial to sanction nan tribunal aft Tony Bennett) to debar nan snowfall that’s coming.  It’ll beryllium absorbing to spot if nan women get their crippled in.  The game, if it is played, will beryllium connected nan ACC Network.