Final
score: Storm 71 – Shock 84 (L) (5-5)
Attendance
|
7335
Anthem
Watch | Gay and lesbian chorus. Probably the
best rendition of the anthem we've had so far this season.
Fan
Psyche | We're hanging with them! We're hanging
with them! Oh, right. They have Katie Smith. Crap.
Game
Highlight | Getting their lead down to 6.
Halftime
| KISS 106 FM radio people basketball scrimmage.
It was ugly.
SF.O
Keyword of the Game | Somewhere, a high school
is missing a ref.
Game
Photos
| Rick
| Scott
L | Scott
E
Not
to be defeatist, but I wasn't really expecting a win tonight.
I was expecting a blowout given how the Storm have been playing
lately, but they toyed with us through the first half and
kept the game close enough that a mini-run in the second quarter
had all of us thinking, "Hey, we might just win this
thing."
Then
Katie Smith decided to start hitting her shots.
The
Shock looked sharp the whole game and were only really slowed
down by foul trouble and a Storm defensive surge in the second
quarter. The Storm stayed in the game early because of free
throws. If it weren't for all the free throws in the first
10 minutes, we might have been staring down another 4-20+
scoring quarter. As it was, the refs decided to start calling
every little thing and Janell was camped out at the free throw
line.
The
Shock played a great first quarter offensively and it was
kind of surprising that we were down only 9. The Storm got
themselves together and started playing better defense in
the second and were able to convert on a couple turnovers.
They slowly whittled the score down to 6 with a couple minutes
left in the half. The Key was a rockin' and then Katie Smith
came a knockin'. Bam bam, and we're right back to being down
by 9 again.
The
third quarter started to suck badly as the fouls started going
against the Storm. Fouls and highly questionable turnover
calls, like carried balls and travels that weren't really
travels. The Shock suddenly couldn't miss and the Storm faltered.
The 9 point lead crept up and up. Every possession the Storm
missed on, the Shock came down and scored easily. It was starting
to get nasty out there.
LJ
was more frustrated than I've seen her in years. They played
an LJ retrospective on the Stormvision thing and I swear she
had a flashback game in response. She was complaining to the
refs and got a technical foul. She was being called for ticky-tacky
fouls that the Shock posts were getting away with (in the
second half anyway — first half, if a Shock player squinted
hard they got called for a foul). And the Shock posts were
really kicking her around.
The
scouting report on the Storm has to include the following
observations: 1/ Throw a zone defense at them. They have no
answers for it. 2/ Play them extremely physically. They get
frustrated, lose their composure and nearly take themselves
out of the game. Laimbeer had his team playing #2 all night
long and it worked against LJ, Betty, Izi and Sue. Janell
was the only one who seemed undaunted by the physical play
and repeatedly attacked on offense. JB had a big scoring night,
but with no one else really kicking it up as well, down we
went.
What
can you say about the Shock? They play nasty. They flop. They
are stacked with talent 10 deep and really only have one player,
Sanders, who isn't a contributor. They can also shoot the
lights out and aren't going to lose a game because they screwed
up. You have to full-on beat them, and I don't see many other
teams this season who have the guns to do that. I so don't
want to see them repeat, but damn if it doesn't look like
they are poised to do just that.
Other
notes:
A
couple of forum members won the Fan Dance off — 04wnbachamps
and her dad. Good job!
Our
section, 103, FINALLY won something — the Mini race
thing. It was between us, 113 and 128. There was much trash
gesturing between 103 and 113 before and after the race. Of
course, the better section won and were gracious in our victory.
During
the pregame shoot-around, Fluker, Ely and Robinson were messing
around and shooting with their off hands. Ashley was hitting
so many shots, she said that she was going to start shooting
lefty all the time.
When
Laimbeer was introduced, the crowd erupted in boos. He seemed
a little surprised (really Bill, surprised?) and was smiling
about it.
Fan
sign of the year (and yes, I got a photo): Somewhere, a high
school is missing a ref.
The
"New Refs" chant got going, but the problem was
that these guys (except for June) were new refs. The suckage
is almost epic.
They
announced that we used up the full Storm allotment of All-Star
ballots again. Hopefully that will translate into getting
at least 3 Storm starters. LJ and Sue are locks of course.
I'm hoping JB makes it in too. Betty was a long ways behind
Becky Hammon for the 2nd guard spot and Izi was a write-in
and no write-in has ever made it. Good luck JB.
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