Defensive keys to the game against UGA in my eyes.
#1 The paint has to be closed this afternoon. If we can control Staiti inside that’s a big step in the right direction. She is their leader. We did a great job of this last season, will need another great defensive effort from our interior players. Key and KK will need to stay out of foul trouble which means our perimeter players can’t get beat off the dribble 50 times like the other night. Suspect we will see a lot of Walker in place of Suarez tonight for this reason. Must win the battle of the boards and the paint points.
#2 We need to be more disruptive on defense. UGA is turnover prone, even more so than we are, averaging almost 18 a game. They force their opponents into over 20 though. IMO it is an important growth point for us to win the points off turnovers battle today. We need to disrupt and convert. Would like to see us throw a trap at the ball when it goes into the corner or right as the ball handler crosses half court. Make them throw some bad passes and get some runout baskets to build a lead. Those plays are deflating to teams.
#3 Get back in transition and pick up their guards early. Have to bust back and get our defense set. If we force them to play over us they’ll struggle. If we allow them to play around us like we did LSU it could be a long night. We cannot allow their guards to catch an outlet and go right up the center of the paint. Gotta turn them back right after mid court.
#4 Turn them into a jump shooting team and force them to run halfcourt offense. They only average 4 3s a game. They have several players who shoot it pretty well though. Need to run them off the line and force them into tough jumpers. Their guards don’t have much of a mid-range game and if we can clog the paint they’ll have a tough shooting night. Would not be shocked to see some more zone tonight but we’re going to have to rebound better out of it than we did against LSU.