Women's Basketball 2022-2023

[RUBillsFan]

13 hours ago, BrettJollyComedyHour said:

Wish the team was Brooke and Mia are bright spots.

Last season the women's team finished with a NET of 175.  They're currently at 169.

It has been a bumpy road with a lot of losses on a pretty tough schedule.  However, considering they lost 2 starters off last year's team including Harbison who was far & away their best player and are working in at least 5 new players into the rotation, I don't think they've really underperformed much.  They were 11th in a 14 team A-10 last season.  Their current 169 NET is 9th out of 15 team A-10.  7th is within a reasonable distance.  Given more time to gel & figure things out with a new coach / new players, that should be the goal.  Finish top half in the A-10 & it is a reasonably successful season.

 

[BrettJollyComedyHour]

21 minutes ago, RUBillsFan said:

Last season the women's team finished with a NET of 175.  They're currently at 169.

It has been a bumpy road with a lot of losses on a pretty tough schedule.  However, considering they lost 2 starters off last year's team including Harbison who was far & away their best player and are working in at least 5 new players into the rotation, I don't think they've really underperformed much.  They were 11th in a 14 team A-10 last season.  Their current 169 NET is 9th out of 15 team A-10.  7th is within a reasonable distance.  Given more time to gel & figure things out with a new coach / new players, that should be the goal.  Finish top half in the A-10 & it is a reasonably successful season.

 

You're not wrong, I'm just pessimistic without familiar faces. Change is tough.

[Lord Elrond]

I think they have the ability to be a good team, they just need more consistency, but I think they can get there.

[billikenfan05]

23 minutes ago, Lord Elrond said:

I think they have the ability to be a good team, they just need more consistency, but I think they can get there.

Their A10 slate is miles easier than their non-con. It’ll be interesting.

[Lord Elrond]

Very true, the A10 season for WBB starts tonight, Loy-Chi is first up here in STL. They are 5-8, 235 in NET, we are 169 in NET. This is a game we should win at home.

[BrettJollyComedyHour]

1 hour ago, billikenfan05 said:

Their A10 slate is miles easier than their non-con. It’ll be interesting.

Dayton is even worse this year, so it'll be super satisfying to knock them around.

[Lord Elrond]

Down by 4 at halftime, 25-21. Defense has been good, offense could be better, shooting 29% from the field. 

[White Pelican]

Neither team was anything to write home about tonight. Lost 60-47. Tip of the cap to Julia Martinez, who works her tail off. I just wish she could shoot.

[Lord Elrond]

I liked the defensive effort, but the inability of the entire team to shoot is not an easy thing to overcome. Their defense and rebounding (yes, they out-rebounded Loy-Chi 47-35) including 25 offensive rebounds which gave them 10 more FG attempts than the other team, (63 for the Billikens, 53 for the Ramblers), but the Billikens were 15-63 in FG, 23.8%. And from 3pt range, they had an “O-fer” night, as in 0-15. One of their great weaknesses last year was 3pt shooting, where they were in the bottom 5% of the nation in 3pt shooting. This year, before tonight’s “O-fer” they were ranked only slightly better as the 299th ranked team out of 350 total at 26.35%. Not sure I want to look after todays games are added to the stats.
 

Kyla McMakin had a bad night, despite scoring 16 points (only 4-20 FG), so only 8 pts from the field, but 8-8 in FT. 9 pts for Julia Martinez, but 13 rebounds and 5 steals, Mia Nicastro had 5 pts (2-9) and 8 rebounds.

[billikenfan05]

What is the opposite of entertaining?

Literally sapped all of my energy.

 

[RUBillsFan]

The rest of the team isn't necessarily great, but offensive woes are largely on McMakin.  The team has taken 996 FGs this season.  McMakin has taken 303 (just over 30%) of those shots.  She is shooting just 32% from the field whereas the rest of the team combined is shooting almost 43% from the field.

The one thing McMakin does is knock down FTs.  She's shooting almost 90%.  However, for all her FG attempts, she doesn't get to the line much - just 58 FTA.  Compare to Martinez who has 62 FTA on 111 FGA.

 

 

[AGB91]

McMakin just shoots way too much for this team to ever be successful.

[White Pelican]

I think the rebounding stats are a little misleading, particularly the offensive ones. Several occurred due to the same player unable to make a lay-up. As much as I like Martinez, I think that's how she gathered so many last night. In one sequence, she missed the shot, got the board, missed again, got the board and missed again as Loy-Chi finally grabbed the ball and ran the other way.

[slufanskip]

1 hour ago, White Pelican said:

I think the rebounding stats are a little misleading, particularly the offensive ones. Several occurred due to the same player unable to make a lay-up. As much as I like Martinez, I think that's how she gathered so many last night. In one sequence, she missed the shot, got the board, missed again, got the board and missed again as Loy-Chi finally grabbed the ball and ran the other way.

Moses Maloned it

[slufanskip]

15 hours ago, White Pelican said:

Neither team was anything to write home about tonight. Lost 60-47. Tip of the cap to Julia Martinez, who works her tail off. I just wish she could shoot.

Bad part is we started 10-0 I believe. I had to quit watching. I am quickly not liking McMakin. She just jacks up anything and can’t shoot a lick. The entire team was bad last night though. 23% from the field and 0-15 from 3. It was brutal. 

[Lord Elrond]

SLU WBB 3pt percentage is now 25.2%, last in the A10, 318th of 350 NCAA Div 1 teams. They’ve played 16 games, 330 3pt FGA’s, this is not a small sample size or slump, this is what they can do. Either dig down on the bench and find someone who can hit 3’s (Kiley Bess, Abby Liber, Ashleigh Connor, Isabell Tillett seem to be the options), or stop trying to shoot so many 3pters and find a way to move the ball inside. Shot efficiency at 2 pt range still needs improvement, it’s not good at times, like last night, but it seems a better option than long range.

[Lord Elrond]

On 12/29/2022 at 10:12 AM, RUBillsFan said:

The rest of the team isn't necessarily great, but offensive woes are largely on McMakin.  The team has taken 996 FGs this season.  McMakin has taken 303 (just over 30%) of those shots.  She is shooting just 32% from the field whereas the rest of the team combined is shooting almost 43% from the field.

The one thing McMakin does is knock down FTs.  She's shooting almost 90%.  However, for all her FG attempts, she doesn't get to the line much - just 58 FTA.  Compare to Martinez who has 62 FTA on 111 FGA.

 

 

I think it’s fair to say that Kyla McMakin is not playing well this year. Comparing stats:

McMakin’s 3 season averages at Longwood: .368 FG, .324 3PT, 4.9 Reb/Game, 1.6 Assists/Game

McMakin last season at Longwood:                .390 FG, .340 3PT, 4.6 Reb/Game, 1.3 Assists/Game

McMakin’s season average so far at SLU:      .320 FG, .263 3PT, 3.3 Reb/Game, 1.1 Assists/Game

We are halfway through the season, so this is not a blip or a slump. Not only is she off from her career averages before SLU, she has regressed a lot since last season.  Is there some physical injury that is not public that she is dealing with? Homesickness? I have no idea, but what we are seeing is not close to the player she was.

[brianstl]

3 hours ago, Lord Elrond said:

I think it’s fair to say that Kyla McMakin is not playing well this year. Comparing stats:

McMakin’s 3 season averages at Longwood: .368 FG, .324 3PT, 4.9 Reb/Game, 1.6 Assists/Game

McMakin last season at Longwood:                .390 FG, .340 3PT, 4.6 Reb/Game, 1.3 Assists/Game

McMakin’s season average so far at SLU:      .320 FG, .263 3PT, 3.3 Reb/Game, 1.1 Assists/Game

We are halfway through the season, so this is not a blip or a slump. Not only is she off from her career averages before SLU, she has regressed a lot since last season.  Is there some physical injury that is not public that she is dealing with? Homesickness? I have no idea, but what we are seeing is not close to the player she was.

Big step up in the level of opponents she is playing.

[Lord Elrond]

15 minutes ago, brianstl said:

Big step up in the level of opponents she is playing.

They didn’t just play bad teams last year. While the A12 is a step up from the Big South, it’s not like Longwood didn’t play good non-conference teams, and they did win an NCAA game. Against (ranked #4 when they played) Maryland last year, she was 8-19 FG, 3-6 3PT. Against (ranked #13 when they played) Iowa State, she was 8-22 FG, 2-7 3PT). Against A10 Duquesne, she was 11-28 FG, 3-7 3PT. In the NCAA game against Mt St Mary’s, she was 7-16 FG, 4-5 3PT. We’ve barely started the A10 season, and she’s well off where she was last year.

[brianstl]

1 hour ago, Lord Elrond said:

They didn’t just play bad teams last year. While the A12 is a step up from the Big South, it’s not like Longwood didn’t play good non-conference teams, and they did win an NCAA game. Against (ranked #4 when they played) Maryland last year, she was 8-19 FG, 3-6 3PT. Against (ranked #13 when they played) Iowa State, she was 8-22 FG, 2-7 3PT). Against A10 Duquesne, she was 11-28 FG, 3-7 3PT. In the NCAA game against Mt St Mary’s, she was 7-16 FG, 4-5 3PT. We’ve barely started the A10 season, and she’s well off where she was last year.

You’re right. I didn’t have a clue that Longwood played the 43rd toughest non-conference schedule last season according to NET.

[Lord Elrond]

Billikens 86- VCU 83 in OT, nice road win for SLU.  Kyla McMakin was on fire, 40 pts, 14-33FG, 6-13 3PT. Julia Martinez 9 Pts, 12 Rebs, 9 assists, 5 steals. Brooke Flowers 9 pts, 6 Reb, 4 blocks, Mia Nicastro and Brianna Johns 7 pts each.they shot 44.3% FG and 31.8% from 3pt range.

[slufanskip]

5 minutes ago, Lord Elrond said:

Billikens 86- VCU 83 in OT, nice road win for SLU.  Kyla McMakin was on fire, 40 pts, 14-33FG, 6-13 3PT. Julia Martinez 9 Pts, 12 Rebs, 9 assists, 5 steals. Brooke Flowers 9 pts, 6 Reb, 4 blocks, Mia Nicastro and Brianna Johns 7 pts each.they shot 44.3% FG and 31.8% from 3pt range.

I watched most of the 2nd half. McMakin was on fire. Julia was very close to triple double with 5 steals to boot. 
 

VCU is not very good and came back from I think 13 down in the 2nd half but the Bills steadied things and took control in OT. Any conference road win is a good win. 

[Lord Elrond]

The 40 pts was the most in Billiken womens history, beating out 37 by Theresa Lisch against LaSalle 0n 1/17/2009

 

[willie]

Watched most of the game. Martinez really is a good player but what an ugly shot. They showed a close up of her shooting a free throw. Her mechanics are terrible. Sort of twists her wrist. Hard to believe a coach somewhere along the line couldn’t have improved her form. 

[BrettJollyComedyHour]

This is remarkable.