Villanova WBB Gears Up For Texas Tech’s Defense

Texas Tech, Villanova Women’s Basketball’s draw in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, began the season on a 19-0 heater that propelled them into the Top 25. The Lady Raiders then sputtered down the stretch, going 6-7 over the final six weeks of the season with an upset loss to Kansas State in their first game of the Big 12 Tournament.

Prone to fourth quarter meltdowns, Texas Tech last played on March 5, giving them more than two weeks to swallow their loss to the Wildcats. Head coach Krista Gerlich said the break gave them time to rest up, but also warned that the time off could make them come out rusty.

“I think it’s hard. It’s a double-edged sword, if you will. I think you want to stay in a rhythm, you want to stay feeling really good about the way you’re playing,” Gerlich said. “At the same time we got to be able — we were able to get our legs back under us. We were able to work on ourselves for several practices, then focus on Villanova.”

The Lady Raiders also focused on their fourth quarter struggles, trying to find a way to remain consistent and close out games.

“We definitely discussed it. We’ve definitely watched film and done some things in practice to close out games,” Gerlich said. “We certainly have had a couple of fourth quarters that have not gone our way. We’ve lost some games because of it.”

Lockdown Defense

What are the Lady Raiders’ fundamentals? Their defense, for one. Texas Tech’s opponents made just 36.8 percent of their shots on the season and committed an average of 19.5 turnovers, scoring just 58.1 points per game in the process. Lead scorer Bailey Maupin said that while even the best shots can miss, she and her teammates can always control their defensive effort.

“We are a defensive-minded team. You know, the ball doesn’t always go in the hole for you. At the end of the day if you can defend, you can win basketball games, Maupin said. “That’s kind of what we’ve hung our hats on and what we’ve been focused on for most of the season.”

Even with that focus on defense, Gerlich said the Lady Raiders need to make shots in order to play up to their full defensive potential. Texas Tech takes 39 percent of their shots from three and those long, clanging rebounds could set up transition opportunities for fast-paced Villanova.

“Offensively I think we need to share the ball like we have been, not put pressure on any one person to get it done. We have to be able to score against them to be able to set our defense, for sure,” Gerlich said. “Our kids are going to have to really communicate and apply our defensive principles that we’ve put into place for the past three or four years. At the same time they’re really going to have to defend at a high level, in my opinion.”

In preparing for Texas Tech’s defensive aggression, Villanova senior forward Denae Carter said that the Wildcats focus on controlling what they can control, keeping themselves calm through the ups and downs of a 40 minute game.

Controlling What You Can Control

“I think, honestly, it starts in practice. We go over a lot of situations, but obviously, not many things can be exactly the same. Bringing it in in huddles,” Carter said. “Coming together and taking a deep breath at times when things may be going not in our favor, many distractions, just keeping everybody calm but still competitive and driven. I think that’s been probably the biggest thing, the message we try to relay over and over.”

Despite the focus on their defense, the Lady Raiders make 34.3 percent of their three-point shots, good for the nation’s No. 50 mark. Villanova head coach Denise Dillon said their play inside could also become problematic for the small-statured Wildcats.

“I think they’re extremely mobile. Their defense is aggressive. They’re all over the floor. They’re flying around being very disruptive.” Dillon said. “They can do a lot of damage from the perimeter at the three-point line, but then taking it off the bounce, as well, and have some slashers.”

Dillon also described her team’s strengths. The Wildcats adopt a positionless mentality that requires players to do a little bit of everything.

“We play a continuity offense, a five-out offense, a read-and-react. So you need players who are comfortable in all areas. It’s not a post player with their back to the basket. They gotta be comfortable at the perimeter facing up, shooting the ball or taking it off the dribble,” Dillon said.

“Your guards, they’re responsible on both ends of the floor. As much as we want that versatility on the offensive end, we want it on the defensive end, as well. They know they’re going to be switching a lot. They gotta guard post players. Our posts have to guard perimeter players. So just that all-around versatile player.”