#1 UCI 62 #4 LBSU 57 Final

This is a really good game. Both teams are playing at a high level.

Great set of photos from the Poly win: https://www.facebook.com/BigWestConference/photos/a.10155125075862743.1073742086.105295017742/10155125077342743/?type=3&theater

Coaches post-game quotes: http://www.bigwest.org//assets/sports/mbball/2017%20BWT%20UCD-CP%20Quotes.pdf

Bonnie Henrickson is on the fast track of putting UCSB women's basketball back on the map after several dreadful years under their previous coach. She has 5 D1 transfers on this year's team and they are a relatively young team overall so they'll be in the mix next year too.

One thing I noticed as a difference between Henrickson and Jen Gross is what they say after a loss. Jen was very complimentary about how UCSB played and what they did that made the difference in the game. She also was gracious in her comments about the Aggies and praised them for the goals they accomplished already this season and didn't dwell on this disappointing loss.

http://www.bigwest.org/userfiles//2017%20UCSB-UCD%20Quotes.pdf

In a post-game TV interview after the Aggies beat the Gauchos in Santa Barbara this year, Henrickson had nothing to say about the Aggies win even when the UCSB TV commentator kept saying how impressed he was with the Aggies. Instead, she groused about what her team did not do that she said made it easy for the Ags.

Henrickson may have turned things around at UCSB but I'm glad we have a coach like Jen Gross at the helm of the Aggies. She's humble when we win and supportive when we lose and gives credit to our opponents for what they did well. Not so much for Henrickson.

The old adage that it's tough to be a team 3 times in one season held true today for the Aggies. You have to give the Gauchos credit though. They beat the Aggies in all phases of the game and particularly on defense. They were jumping the passing lanes the whole game and the Aggies just kept throwing soft, telegraphed passes that got stolen and led to points off TO's for SB. The Gaucho guards were too quick for the Aggies to handle as they penetrated into the lane off the dribble time and time again.

This has to be a bitter pill for the Aggies to swallow. They beat themselves with TO's as much as UCSB beat them. At halftime, Coach Gross said the Ags had to take better care of the ball but they continued to make some critical, poor passes in the second half.

Bonnie Henrickson has turned the SB program around in just two years. She brought in several D1 transfers like Drew Edelman from USC, Drea Toler from Oregon and Sarah Porter from Ole Miss . They'll be a force next year.

The Ags future looks bright with only one senior leaving the team and some nice recruits coming in. The biggest problem I see that the Aggies have is a lack of quickness in the front court. We have relatively big guards that have trouble defending smaller more athletic guards like UCSB has. I'm not sure how Jen Gross will be able to address that next year.

As disappointing as this loss is, at least we're off to the WNIT where we might have a better chance at winning a game or two.

Go Ags!

Sac Bee feature article on Coach Jen Gross and her husband, assistant coach Joe Teramoto:

http://www.sacbee.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/ailene-voisin/article137599043.html

Friday March 10
Semifinal Games

#1 Aggies vs #4 UC Santa Barbara 12 noon. Live stream on ESPN3

#2 Long Beach State vs #3 CSUN 2:30 pm. Live stream on ESPN3

All the top 4 seeds advance as #4 LBSU eliminates #5 Hawai'i 73-62.

Friday March 10
Semifinal Games

#1 UC Irvine vs #4 LBSU 6:30 pm. Live stream on ESPN3 & tape delay after the Aggie game on ESPNU.

#2 Aggies vs #3 Fullerton. Televised live on ESPNU and streamed on ESPN3.

Official announcement:

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – UC Santa Barbara will not retain head men's basketball coach Bob Williams beyond his current contract, Director of Athletics John McCutcheon announced in a statement on Thursday.

"I informed Coach Williams today that the University will not be extending his contract beyond the current term. As I am attending the Big West Tournament and related league meetings in Anaheim I was not able to inform Bob in person. Public speculation and the potential impact to our men's basketball team members have prompted me to make this announcement now. I hope to meet with team members on my return to campus but will have no additional comments at this time." – John McCutcheon

http://ucsbgauchos.com/sports/m-baskbl/2016-17/releases/20170309rawfz1

Not the way Bob wanted to go out from what he once called "his dream job." I wonder if he will stay in basketball or hang it up and enjoy the good life?

Good luck coach!

#1 UC Irvine beat #8 UC Riverside 76-67. So the Aggies will play #3 Fullerton at 9 pm tomorrow. The game will be televised live on ESPNU and streamed live on ESPN3.

#3 Fullerton knocked off #6 CSUN 81-68. CSF has won 9 of their last 11 games.

Wow..I wonder if they can make this tournament format (3 games in 3 days with reseeding teams) any more ridiculous..

I hope he just decided not to return rather than having been shown the door. Bob Williams is a great coach and a class act. No Aggie BB fan will ever forget how he led the Aggies to their miracle DII National Championship in 1998.

It's tournament time...I'll take a win any way we can get it. Poly is a tough match up for us. They are very physical inside, play tough defense and can get hot from 3. We've been inconsistent on offense all season so our defense has to carry us through the offensive droughts we're going to have.

We played great defense in this game and rebounded the ball well. Chima was a monster on the boards and White kept us in the lead in the first half. Schneider was pressing...just trying too hard to make something happen.

Win #20 and we live to play again...I'll take it!

What did Blue have to say?

Ok..I've edited this post a couple of times and I finally think I understand how this crazy BW bracket works. Essentially, we won't know what time we play tomorrow until all of today's games are over.

http://www.bigwest.org/assets/sports/mbball/17_MB_Bracket.pdf

Goode has never been an offensive threat and Henn has struggled on offense lately so I don't think we'll get much O from either of them in the 2nd half.

Actually folks, you're seeing some outstanding defense by both teams and, when you have two teams who are not led by offense, this is the kind of game you get. I think playing a 12 noon game in a huge, empty arena is affecting the offense also. It is often tough for shooters to get dialed in when a place as big as the Honda Center is empty. Got to keep up the good D because I doubt that either team is going to explode on offense.

Here we go...good luck Ags!!!

Wednesday March 8
Second Round Scores

#3 CSUN 71 #6 Hawai'i 64
#4 UC Santa Barbara 81 #5 UC Riverside 71

Friday March 10
Semifinal Games

#1 Aggies vs #4 UC Santa Barbara
#2 Long Beach State vs #3 CSUN