Swish Appeal: All Posts by Sierra FoxBasketball is basketball.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49391/swish-fave.png2017-01-29T19:14:14-05:00https://www.swishappeal.com/authors/sierra-fox/rss2017-01-29T19:14:14-05:002017-01-29T19:14:14-05:00Terps still undefeated in conference
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<img alt="NCAA Womens Basketball: Connecticut at Maryland" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/g3pLjwHrRtKhhmg_E-JqEMQNO0g=/147x52:1393x883/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/52978681/usa_today_9774375.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Rafael Suanes-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Coming into the game, Iowa knew it would be a tough task to handle Maryland’s many weapons. The Hawkeyes did all they could, but it wasn’t enough to take down the Terps impressive talent. A dominating second-quarter, gave the Terps lots of fuel to get the win!</p> <p id="kI3Gek"><strong>College Park, MD — </strong>No. 3 ranked Maryland’s momentum lifted them over Iowa 100-81 on Sunday at the Xfinity Center as Brionna Jones dominated the Hawkeyes with 28 points, as the Terrapins continue to run through the Big Ten Conference. </p>
<p id="tcCHpG">“The crowd was sensational today. They were really loud and into it,” said Maryland Coach Brenda Frese. “We had great energy off the bench when you talk about Brianna Fraser, Stephanie Jones, Ieshia Small, and Kiah Gillespie, I thought we were able to get some good energy and that’s something we’re trying to build upon is our depth coming off the bench.”</p>
<p id="OmDOFH">The Hawkeyes fought for 40 minutes, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Terps’ talent.</p>
<p id="csA1b7">“We only had 5 turnovers in second half, I’m proud of that with my team. I thought we shot the the ball decently well, attacked off the dribble very well,” Coach Lisa Bluder said. “It was just too much Brionna Jones, too much paint points for us to come out here with a big night.”</p>
<p id="IuKBtv">Brionna Jones led the team with 28 points on 12 of 13 shooting. Shatori Walker-Kimbrough followed with 18 points and the Terps had lots of help from their underclassmen, Brianna Fraser (17) and Destiny Slocum (11). Five of their players finished in double digits in points for the team.</p>
<p id="4OA2dT">Iowa’s Kathleen Doyle led her team with 21 points overall while Ally Disterhoft and Tania Davis added 16 and 13, respectively. </p>
<p id="1YFGyT">The Hawkeyes started four underclassmen alongside senior Disterhoft and came out pretty aggressive before Maryland put their foot on the gas.</p>
<p id="i5ERJv">The first quarter was a close one, 23-18, with the Terps in the lead. Maryland kept turning the ball over and missed defensive assignments allowing Iowa to capitalize on their mistakes.</p>
<p id="4waSaC">It wasn’t until halfway through the second quarter when Maryland started to show the crowd what they’re made of, and took control of the game.</p>
<p id="A7X4bC">With less than six minutes to go until halftime, the Terps and Hawkeyes were tied, 30-30, after Disterhoff converted a three-point play.</p>
<p id="cjjqYg">Reality sunk in for Maryland and they started forcing action, settling in, and playing their game. The Terrapins may have reminisced of last game where they trailed behind at halftime and did not want that to happen again.</p>
<p id="Lc7DPQ">Jones answered to Iowa’s threat by hitting a free throw to get Maryland storming back into the lead.</p>
<p id="4uUUXY">Jones’ sister, Stephanie Jones, was subbed in creating some great chemistry on the court between the two creating a 12-point lead for the team.</p>
<p id="2HvNpK">With five seconds left before intermission, Slocum hit a deep three pointer that had fans at their feet and her teammates running over to give her a huge hug.</p>
<p id="2bOav3">“Destiny always brings a lot of energy, but that particular possession gave us a lot of energy going into the locker room and just lots of confidence to finish out the game,” said senior, Brionna Jones.</p>
<p id="bH1XYt">Maryland was up by 20 points heading into halftime, 56-36.</p>
<p id="9jzuF3">Iowa came out rejuvenated after halftime — and put up a fight. They took advantage of Maryland’s mistakes. Iowa got more points off of turnovers than the Terps, 25-16. Still with this slight edge, the Hawkeyes could not overcome their deficit from the first 20 minutes of the game.</p>
<p id="wILTle">Maryland never let the Hawkeyes get within 10 points in the second half. They cruised through the final period, reaching the century mark, the first time in Big Ten play.</p>
<p id="Dl4f6q">Maryland improves to 9-0 in the Big Ten and 21-1 overall. They will travel to Purdue on Thursday, Feb. 2 for tip-off at 8 pm E.T. Iowa drops to 4-4 in conference play and will play at home vs. Rutgers at 7 pm E.T. also on Feb. 2.</p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2017/1/29/14431868/maryland-annihilation-big-tenSierra Fox2016-12-30T11:00:02-05:002016-12-30T11:00:02-05:00Always finding a way to win
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<img alt="NCAA Womens Basketball: Connecticut at Maryland" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/yfzq8on-JoYlNfsO3bO_9UrXALE=/0x0:3603x2402/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/52524181/usa_today_9774287.0.jpeg" />
<figcaption>Rafael Suanes-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The streak is still alive for Connecticut as they got their 87th consecutive win Thursday night. The Huskies made shots when it mattered most to notch the 87-81 victory in an energetic sold-out stadium.</p> <p id="jtmQmx"><strong>COLLEGE PARK, MD --</strong> In a battle of two undefeated teams, programs that are truly elite, No. 1 ranked UConn (12-0), came out on top, defeating a very talented Maryland team, 87-81, in a sold-out environment at Xfinity Center. </p>
<p id="8LjktY">Kaila Charles, a freshman guard for Maryland, noted the arena as, “electrifying to play in!” </p>
<p id="6fc01Q">The Terrapins were within five points of Connecticut three times in the fourth quarter and but UConn’s dominant push to start the third quarter, coupled with fatigue was the undoing for the Terrapins — and the major reason why they couldn’t get over the hump against the tour de force that is the Huskies.</p>
<p id="mnk9Zn">“Most teams would’ve quit,” said Maryland coach Brenda Frese. “So, it tells you about our team, and they’re so competitive. There’s no quit in this team. We just can’t spot a team like UConn 19 points at the end of the game.” </p>
<p id="ybdQGP">While, Maryland’s team was full of talent and energy on Thursday night, they had no answer for Husky guard Katie Lou Samuelson.</p>
<p id="68Fazg">Samuelson led the team with 23 points, including 17 in the second half. Kia Nurse had 19 and Gabby Williams 16 while the No. 4 Terrapins were led by freshman Destiny Slocumb, who had 23 points. </p>
<p id="qDkIZ8">Both teams started off slow in the first quarter until Samuelson had the first three-pointer of the match-up to get the momentum going for UConn and Williams continued to make it look easy for the Huskies with back-to-back points. </p>
<p id="xP9Lly">It wasn’t until four minutes into the first that Maryland scored. To start the contest, the Terrapins went 0-4 from the field, but turned that into 4-for-5 shortly after.</p>
<p id="CQUgxa">Maryland began to take control of the game with its pace. The game was tied 10-10 with 3:30 left in the period, yet the Huskies quickly took back command and was up six, 18-12, to end the first.</p>
<p id="RoHKKW">While the Terrapins got out the gates slow, once the second stanza began, the Maryland became much more aggressive, as they found themselves getting easy buckets in transition to cut into the Huskies’ lead. </p>
<p id="oSYWSC">Another eye-opening stat from the first period, was offensive rebounds. By the conclusion of the second, Maryland had 12 offensive rebounds compared to UConn’s seven.</p>
<p id="zZjWx5">Their dominance on the boards, coupled with the effort of freshman Kaila Charles — and a late spurt, Maryland headed into intermission down only, 36-31.</p>
<p id="lVNlnw">Good thing for the Terrapins, right? Well, not so fast. </p>
<p id="C13G8W">UConn came out on fire in the second half with their patented “blitz,” scoring 14 unanswered points in the first 2:19 of the third. Just like that, the contest went from a five-point game, to the Huskies being up by 19. </p>
<p id="LC7bbp">“To end the half with a turnover and a basket in the last possession especially the way it happened, that really got our attention,” said UConn coach Geno Auriemma. “We came out in the second half a little more aggressive and had some opportunities early and took them right away,” he said.</p>
<p id="cdMe6x">The run included Samuelson hitting a long three-pointer, as she was being fouled, leading to the very rare four-point-play. Samuelson scored 12 points in the quarter with two dagger-like three-pointers.</p>
<p id="9Bagnk">UConn maintained a comfortable cushion throughout the fourth, even as Napheesa Collier and Williams each picked up their fourth foul. </p>
<p id="1d6tAX">As the game moved into the final 10 minutes, the Huskies had a 15-point lead — but it wasn’t safe.</p>
<p id="0uLvSs">The Terrapins went on a 6-0 run to start off the fourth quarter. Freshman star Destiny Slocum willed her team in a comeback, as she hit deep threes late in the game, to pull her team within striking distance. </p>
<p id="SONc6e">But just as momentum was shifting to Maryland, Samuelson hit a mind-blowing three-pointer to silence the sold-out crowd. Another back-and-forth battle ensues, however, the fight the Terrapins had, would be a little too late, and not enough to snap UConn’s unfathomable 87-game winning streak. </p>
<p id="AOzXwP">“It’s nice and all that, but that’s not the focus of what we’re trying to do,” said Auriemma.</p>
<p id="eeIwmD">Connecticut will play UCF at 1 pm ET on Jan. 1. Maryland will travel to Minnesota for their Big 10 opener on New Year’s at 6 pm ET. </p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/ncaa/2016/12/30/14121928/uconn-trademark-blitz-marylandSierra Fox2016-12-08T22:45:00-05:002016-12-08T22:45:00-05:00Georgetown stays hot
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<img alt="NCAA Womens Basketball: Big East Conference Tournament-Georgetown vs St. John's" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/D-GUoG4LVcO3FIOKBewq7IP6KNg=/0x181:4260x3021/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/52209927/usa_today_9163724.0.jpeg" />
<figcaption>David Banks-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Georgetown is officially rolling, as they have not lost since Nov. 18, after tonight’s victory over George Mason. The Hoyas came alive in the first quarter and stayed hot for the remainder of the game to finish on top 69-56.</p> <p id="72DKMf"><strong>WASHINGTON, D.C. — </strong>After being on the road for seven consecutive games, Georgetown is now riding a six-game winning streak after defeating their neighbor George Mason. Faith Woodard’s double-double, 17 points and 11 rebounds, in tandem with 25 points and seven rebounds from Dorothy Adomako helped the Hoyas come out on top tonight (Dec. 8) by a final score of 69-56.</p>
<p id="9YF6l6">“It’s so great to be back at home,” Georgetown head coach Natasha Adair said.</p>
<p id="TRchhK">Adomako’s and Woodard’s performances were key in crunch time, both pitching in double-digit points and recording a 3-4 mark from three-point land. George Mason head coach Nyla Milleson even coined Adomako’s performance as “tremendous.”</p>
<p id="GyYzmm">“We hit pretty big shots down the stretch,” Woodard said. “They (George Mason) closed the gap during the fourth quarter, but I think Dorothy did a good job of keeping her foot on the pedal and sinking shots when we needed them to go in. We did a good job at not giving up and playing as a team.”</p>
<p id="VcHhRb">Woodard’s senior leadership was also a big factor in tonight’s result with the experience and confidence she brings to the table.</p>
<p id="xjYbDy">“I know what’s expected in the Big East and the style of play you have to bring in order to be a winning team,” Woodard said. “We brought intensity and that’s what we try to bring every game.” </p>
<p id="ZMoBQB">The beginning of the game started out slow filled with turnovers and missed field goals from each team until Georgetown started to pull away. Although the Patriots started off with a 5-0 lead, the Hoyas went on an 18-3 run shooting lights out. Georgetown dominated the first quarter, 24-12. </p>
<p id="AxsJxC">George Mason responded and played a strong second quarter. They limited the turnovers, but still found themselves outscored by three (11-8) due to a last minute three-pointer by Georgetown’s Jade Martin. In the first half, George Mason had 11 turnovers that turned into 16 points for Georgetown. The Hoyas led 35-20 going into halftime.</p>
<p id="sPdEGm">The Patriots came out controlling the pace of the game after halftime. They picked up the intensity and outscored Georgetown 19-18 in the third quarter. The Patriots went on numerous runs to cut a 19-point deficit to only eight points late in the fourth quarter. </p>
<p id="PducFR">“We only had five turnovers the second half and I thought we guarded pretty well at half court,” Milleson said.</p>
<p id="C2jin0">However, the Hoyas were just too much to match on the offensive side of the ball and led by 10 with 3:44 to go. They tallied up 20 second-chance points for the game and out-rebounded George Mason 42-34 on the evening. Georgetown also shot just below 58 percent (11-19) from behind the arc. </p>
<p id="AzFRjv">Milleson mentioned that she has a young team, and in order to succeed, they have to continue to battle hard and play top teams like Georgetown. When looking at the stat sheet, however, she noted her squad will have to play better against high caliber opponents like the Hoyas in order to walk away with better results.</p>
<p id="hvKZvG">Georgetown will look to defend their home court and extend its win streak to seven versus Alabama at home this Sunday, Dec. 11. George Mason, now 5-5 after tonight’s loss, will be on the road at Illinois State.</p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2016/12/8/13895182/georgetown-george-masonSierra Fox2016-11-12T00:32:22-05:002016-11-12T00:32:22-05:00Which “George” to pick?
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<img alt="NCAA Womens Basketball: Big East Conference Tournament-Georgetown vs St. John's" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/WFWY7t6SY7zeRIJBNio4lcAFL2E=/0x202:2443x1831/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51798773/usa_today_9163727.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>David Banks-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>In a neighborhood friendly game between Georgetown and George Washington, the first three quarters exemplified how competitive these two teams were. However, during crunch time, one team ran away from the competition.</p> <p id="VUHfqT"><strong>WASHINGTON, D.C — </strong>It all came down to the fourth quarter at McDonough Arena where Georgetown dominated the pace of the game to win their home opener against George Washington, 72-57. </p>
<p id="gCyy7q">Faith Woodward led the team with 22 points and explained how they came back after trailing behind for most of the game.</p>
<p id="oCEAVu">“Our energy was contagious in the fourth quarter. We were feeding off of each other,” Woodward said. “If we did have a lapse on defense, we were talking on the way back saying how we were going to correct things, and we were just really communicating out there, and it ended up winning us the game.”</p>
<p id="toEu5k">Coach Adair mentioned that tonight the Hoyas had to work on their defensive end and that’s what made the difference.</p>
<p id="wQrGsV">“We are a defensive-minded team and so we had to hone in defensively in order to get the momentum, in order to play kind of how we wanted to play, and I think after we got stop after stop, we eased back into the way we needed to play,” Coach Adair said.</p>
<p id="f1QShc">At the start of the first quarter, Georgetown was fouled and got the first point of the game. George Washington answered immediately by dribbling the ball down to get the first layup of the game making it 2-1.</p>
<p id="hBZofq">Woodard responded for Georgetown and got a lead pass from Dionna White for their first layup, hyping up the momentum for the team, but that did not last long.</p>
<p id="1nSWB3">Brianna Cummings made the first three-pointer of the game for George Washington which increased the team’s energy. When the Colonial’s touched the ball, they were aggressive and started controlling the speed of the game.</p>
<p id="gkDcUO">George Washington’s Mei-Lyn Bautista made a remarkable three-pointer with 4:44 left in the first quarter causing the Hoyas to use a timeout. At this point, the Colonial was on top by 10, 15-5.</p>
<p id="dZ3t1N">With 2:42 to go, George Washington kept a 10 point lead, 17-7.</p>
<p id="5NLKGy">Georgetown’s Burton made her foul shot opportunities towards the end of the quarter bringing the Hoyas within four points of George Washington, 18-14.</p>
<p id="ZOrw7K">At the start of the second quarter, Georgetown looked like a transformed team.</p>
<p id="JESROV">The Colonial got into foul trouble, and the Hoyas took advantage of it. At 9:35 left in the quarter, White’s three-pointer set the crowd on fire.</p>
<p id="EQHb3D">George Washington’s Camila Tapias got fouled and went 2-2 one minute into the quarter. Hoya’s Burton responded to that and brought the score the closest it had been since the beginning of the game, 19-20.</p>
<p id="8QtZh7">At the 7:40 mark, Georgetown took the lead 21-20, which knocked George Washington off balance and shortly after that, the two teams were tied 21-21.</p>
<p id="Nyxz7P">George Washington changed that after they got a boost of energy to help them take the lead back into halftime, 32-24.</p>
<p id="k5DcMC">In the beginning of the second half, White hit a three and Dorothy Adomako responded with another one bringing the Hoyas’ points closer to the Colonial’s.</p>
<p id="HUU69N">When the score was 48-40 with George Washington still in the lead, Coach Adair gave her team a couple of words of encouragement, “I said, it’s winning time, and they just didn’t look back.”</p>
<p id="0AhtgE">With 5:06 to go, the final quarter became a one-point ball game, 55-54, and getting the fans pumped.</p>
<p id="j6Jl4B">After a media timeout, Georgetown took the one point lead 56-55. </p>
<p id="Aa1cte">At 3:55, Burton got the momentum going for the Hoyas’ making a remarkable jumper to increase the lead by two. Adomako, the three point machine, made another with under two minutes to go.</p>
<p id="TiwQFP">Burton got a layup with less than a minute to go making the score 64-57, and George Washington was not able to come back.</p>
<p id="LQV9S2">Coach Rizzotti for the Colonial’s mentioned that they had some good opportunities late in the game, but didn’t capitalize on them and is looking forward to working on her team’s offense. </p>
<p id="FdSXrm">“You’re talking about a team that’s in their third year with a coach and our team which is in the first year with a whole new system and a whole new kind of philosophy about how we want to do things,” Rizzotti said. “I really want to be able to share the ball and get a lot of different shots from a lot of different people.” </p>
<p id="utQn3c">George Washington was resilient and continued to be a force during the game, but it all came down to the last and final minutes. The Hoyas finished strong defeating the Colonial, 72-57. </p>
<p id="Pz9cBW">This weekend, Georgetown will be on the road against Virginia Tech and George Washington’s next game is Sunday against Princeton.</p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/ncaa/2016/11/12/13606184/hoyas-adair-storm-past-george-washingtonSierra Fox