A Look at the Lynx: Sky Defense

#2 posting 7.19.2006
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

A LOOK AT THE LYNX
Part 1: Defense vs Chicago

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

Remember these numbers correspond to the points and possessions on defense.
MINNESOTA
STARTERS
Amber Jacobs 17, 12, 141.6, .542
Seimone Augustus 7,10, 70.0, .300
Kristen Mann 7, 4, 175.0, .750
Tamika Williams 12, 10, 120.0, .600
Nicole Ohlde 11, 10, 110.0, .450
BENCH
Svetlana Abrosimova 11, 14, 78.6, .357
Vanessa Hayden 11, 11, 100.0, .455
Chandi Jones 2, 2, 100.0, .500
Adrian Williams 4, 7, .571, .286

CHICAGO
STARTERS
Jia Perkins 12, 11, 109.1, .455
Chelsea Newton 6, 8, 75.0, .375
Amanda Lassiter 4, 3, 133.3, .667
Candice Dupree 17, 13, 130.7, .538
Bernadette Ngoyisa 9, 15, 60.0, .333
BENCH
Deanna Jackson 12, 7, 171.4, .714
Stacey Lovelace 6, 4, 150.0, .750
Stacey Dales 7, 6, 116.7, .500
Elaine Powell 10, 8, 125.0, .625
Liz Shimek 3, 1, 300.0, 1.000
Coretta Brown 3, 2, 150.0, 1.000

DIFFERNENTIALS
MINNESOTA
Jacobs +7
Augustus +11
Mann -7
T Williams -3
Ohlde -9
Abrosimova +7
Hayden -2
Thorburn +2
A Williams -2
Jones +4

CHICAGO
Newton +2
Perkins -2
Dupree -3
Lassiter 0
Ngoyisa +3
Dales +6
Powell -5
Lovelace -3
Jackson -5
Brown 0
Shimek 0

Match ups
Chicago Offense/MN Defense to start the game
Perkins/Jacobs
Lassiter/Mann
Dupree/TWilliams
Ohlde/Ngoyisa
Newton/Augustus

HEAD OF THE DEFENSE
Seimone Augustus today holding her player under 100 pp100 and sub 500 on floor %.

BY THE NUMBERS
Minnesota 82, 80, 102.5, .463
Chicago 90, 78, 115.4, .526

Is the Sky the limit? or limitless? The Lynx picked up an expected win over the expansion team this afternoon. At the start of the game the Lynx were 4/5 on allowing Chicago to score. There never was a string of defensive stops in the first half. In the middle of 3rd quarter MN did hold the Sky to a 1/9 series. It was two 4 possession droughts sandwiched with a 3 on a screened off player. The big defensive push came in the fourth quarter when Chicago cut the lead to 84-80. They held Chicago to a 2/11 scoring possession ratio. Unfortunately 4 points were scored on one possession as Jacobs fouled the three point shooter and she finished the free throw. But during money time the Lynx delivered. Abrosimova had three stops during the stretch with two forced turnovers and one rebound. Chicago was also tightening the D late in the game with 8 straight stops against the Lynx.

One thing I noticed during the game was the speed the Chicago team set up their offense. Their point guards held on to the ball about 4 seconds, and Minnesota's held on to the ball for over 9 seconds at times. The Chicago style put more pressure on MN's transition. The speed of the game slowed down in the fourth quarter. It was averaging 14.63 for both teams in the first half, but slowed down to 16.22 in the fourth quarter. Now you might say so what, little over a second. But that doesn't count the speed of Chicago's possessions. They were under 8 seconds many times. But possessions became much more valuable in the fourth.

The Lynx did show some physcial initiative today, especially Vanessa Hayden knocking players off their cut routes. That needs to happen with more folks. Augustus, and Abrosimova both had strong defensive performances today.

Next up: Tonight with the White Championship game with Albert Lea and Alexandria from the Rogers Summer Showcase.