A Look at the Lynx: Defense vs Detroit

#4 posting 7.7.2006
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A poor second quarter put the Lynx in a deep hole they couldn't climb out of.

NUMBERS EXPLAINED
player, points, possessions, pp100, floor %

MINNESOTA
STARTERS
Amber Jacobs 13, 10, 130.0, .600 still allows to much penetration
Seimone Augustus 16, 14, 114.3, .571 constantly screened
Kristen Mann 13, 10, 130.0, .600
Timika Williams 1, 6, 16.7, .000
Nicole Ohlde 11, 7, 157.1, .714 second shots
BENCH
Svetlana Abrosimova 8, 5, 160.0, .800 looks into the eyes of the player before they have used their dribble. That leads to easy fakes.
Vanessa Hayden 13, 11, 118.2, .545
Megan Duffy 6, 5, 120.0, .600
Adrian Williams 9, 8, 112.5, .500
Tynesha Lewis 0, 4, 0.0, .000
Shona Thorburn 2, 2, 100.0, .500

DETROIT
STARTERS
Katie Smith 2, 6, 33.3, .167
Deanna Nolan 21, 17, 123.5, .588 had to guard Augustus
Swin Cash 11, 9, 122.2, .556
Cheryl Ford 11, 15, 73.3, .400
Ruth Riley 10, 9, 111.1, .444
BENCH
Plenette Pierson 6, 7, 85.7, .429
Kara Braxton 8, 8, 100.0, .500
Kendra Holland-Corn 4, 7, 57.1, .286
Jacqueline Batteast 2, 2, 100.0, .500
Sabrina Palie 2, 1, 200.0, 1.000
Angelina Williams 3, 1, 300.0, 1.000

DEFENDER OF THE GAME
Cheryl Ford

BY THE NUMBERS
Minnesota 92, 82, 112.2, .537
Detroit 80, 84, 95.2, .476

The match ups to start:
Mann defended Cash
Augustus defended Nolan
Ohlde defended Riley
T Williams defended Ford
Jacobs defended Smith

Plain and simple the crucial make-or-break part of the game was in the second quarter when Detroit did what they wanted on offense. They had offensive streaks of 5, and 6, or 11/12 at one point.

The start of the disaster was when the Lynx tried to go zone. A failed block out, a slow rotation to an open 3, Another quick reversal and the zone experiment was over.

The Lynx seem to get screened off the action quite a bit. I don't know how vocal they are on the court. They may be squaking, but can anyone hear anything with the background music?

The Lynx slip under the screen. I think if they run over the top of the screen they will be able to double the ball quickly, and if you crash into the screener perhaps the offense will be less willing to set the screen next time. Helpside is a bit slow in developing as well.

The best Defensive series was at the start of the third quarter when they had five stops in a row.

Cash had four more shots than she has averaged, and scored 19, 7.6 more than average. Mann was guarding her to start. Augustus started with her in the second quarter. Mann had the responsibility to start the second half.

The game was 91-67 when Detroit emptied the bench.
first quarter when MN had a streak of four stops.

No team can play wet paper bag defense for a quarter and expect to contend.

Next up: tomorrow with the Lynx offensive evaluations plus the final two out & abouts from the Dakota Showcase: SD Elite vs Iowa Select I, and Daubert Pinnacle Nebraska vs SD Elite.