Hornets Don Apprehensiveness as USF Cruises to a Win

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec 5 – Wednesday evening saw the match-up of two great shooting teams, as the University of San Francisco Women’s Basketball team hosted the Sacramento State Hornets in San Francisco. The Dons were looking to add a win to surpass .500 on the year, while the Hornets needed a win to build much-needed confidence before the holiday season. With the shooting capability of these two teams being about equal, the decisive factors would be ball control and composure.

The game -- as close as it was in the first half -- ended when the second half began. The Dons came out aiming to share the ball and minimize mistakes, and it worked. A positive attitude, timely shooting, and fundamentally sound defense further squelched potential runs by the Hornets. Their minimal trips to the foul line showed the Dons lacked sustained aggressiveness on offense… but fortunately for them, it was not necessary.

This game, however, was never totally in the bag for the Dons. Fueled by consistent and frequent three-point shooting, the Hornets pieced together several small runs in the first half that found them holding the lead on two occasions. Compared to the Dons’, though, the Hornets took fewer risks and attacked less often when behind. Perhaps more importantly, whereas the Dons demonstrated a presence of lighthearted dominance on the court, the Hornets appeared nervous and apprehensive about their misfortunes.

The Hornets clearly have the skill needed to compete with any team on their schedule. This is not an issue. In this game, though, they found themselves on the short end of lightheartedness, positivity, and collective spirit. On the flip side were the composed Dons, with fewer unforced errors: They answered every successful Hornet possession with increased focus and collective effort. In the end, turnovers and assists tell the story.