DePaul-UConn Sequel Friday Night Could Be Equally Compelling
2/10/2022 4:50:00 PM | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Long-time rivals battled to a two-point outcome just over two weeks ago
STORRS, Conn. – Round two of a rich basketball tradition between your Blue Demons and No. 8/8 Connecticut is set for Friday night with SNY televising the BIG EAST showdown.
If the rematch is anything close to the 2022 original on Jan. 26, buckle up and strap it down.
DePaul (19-6, 11-3 BIG EAST) went toe-to-toe with the mighty Huskies (15-5, 9-1) whom coach Doug Bruno hails as the greatest college basketball program of all-time---regardless of gender.
These two fierce combatants took turns exchanging haymakers at Wintrust Arena. After the opening bell, er, tip, UConn landed the first decisive blow outscoring its host 20-11 in the first quarter.
That only served to inflame the competitive fire within Sonya Morris, Lexi Held & Co. as the Blue Demons responded by outscoring coach Geno Auriemma's team 29-11 in the second quarter including a 21-2 run to finish off the first half.
Down nine at halftime, the Huskies counterpunched by outscoring DePaul 23-13 in the third quarter. The final 10 minutes were total nip-and-tuck as the lead went back and forth.
Unfortunately for upset-minded Blue Demon nation, defensive lapses in crunch time resulted in Caroline Ducharme scoring the winning basket with 1.6 seconds left in a heartbreaking 80-78 loss.
Knowing Auriemma, that was WAY too close for comfort. Count on the greatest coach in NCAA women's basketball history to make sure there's a little more margin for error come Friday.
The most obvious tactic would be better containment of Blue Demon All-American candidate Aneesah Morrow who erupted for 30 points and 14 rebounds. She is only the fourth opposing player in UConn's elite history to record a 30-point game with double-digit rebounds.
The other three? They were all the overall No. 1 pick in their respective WNBA Drafts including world-champion Chicago Sky star Candace Parker.
Auriemma & Co. will come out with fire in their eyes after losing 72-69 to Villanova on Wednesday night. It snapped a 169-game conference winning streak that included conference tournament games. Azzi Fudd had 29 points and Christyn Williams 24 in the loss.
Some have surmised that the Jan. 26 encounter was DePaul's best bet to catch the Huskies off guard. Surely, Auriemma and his coaching staff had watched all the film and tracked all the metrics of Morrow's breakout NCAA debut season.
But still, doubts may have lingered. How could a freshman be this good?
After Morrow lived up to the advance notice, Connecticut's brain trust will devise methods to slow down the high-motor rookie who is averaging 20.6 points, 13.4 rebounds and leads the nation in every NCAA rebounding statistic while ranking second in field goals and third in points.
Which makes it all the more incumbent upon Morris, Held, Deja Church, Darrione Rogers and Kierra Collier to raise their games while the Huskies are preoccupied with their power forward teammate.
Morris is scoring nearly 18 points a game and is third in the country in field goals and No. 12 in points. Held accounts for nearly 14 points a game and is fourth in the nation in assists. Church matches Held at 13.9 points a game while Rogers rounds out a double-figure starting five with 10 points a game. She is also the second-leading rebounder at 6.2.
The potential is certainly there, especially when it comes to attacking from long distance. In last Sunday's 88-67 victory over Providence, Bruno & Co. connected on 14-of-31 shots from behind the arc---their third-best three-point performance this season. Rogers and Kendall Holmes led the way combining to shoot 8-of-15 from deep.
Before stumbling against Villanova, Connecticut had won six in a row including an impressive 76-56 takedown of Creighton in Omaha, Neb. and an even more impressive 75-56 triumph over a Tennessee team that was ranked No. 7 in both national polls.
Christyn Williams leads the Huskies averaging 14.6 points a game while Ducharme is scoring at a 12.6 clip and leads her team with 25 three-pointers.
Highly touted Azzi Fudd, the No. 1 recruit in the nation last year, is averaging 10.6 points while knocking down 21-of-41 attempts from deep---51.2 percent.
In the middle is the menacing 6-foot, 5-inch Olivia Nelson-Ododa averaging 10 points, a team-leading 8.2 rebounds and is also tops in assists, steals and blocks.
If the rematch is anything close to the 2022 original on Jan. 26, buckle up and strap it down.
DePaul (19-6, 11-3 BIG EAST) went toe-to-toe with the mighty Huskies (15-5, 9-1) whom coach Doug Bruno hails as the greatest college basketball program of all-time---regardless of gender.
These two fierce combatants took turns exchanging haymakers at Wintrust Arena. After the opening bell, er, tip, UConn landed the first decisive blow outscoring its host 20-11 in the first quarter.
That only served to inflame the competitive fire within Sonya Morris, Lexi Held & Co. as the Blue Demons responded by outscoring coach Geno Auriemma's team 29-11 in the second quarter including a 21-2 run to finish off the first half.
Down nine at halftime, the Huskies counterpunched by outscoring DePaul 23-13 in the third quarter. The final 10 minutes were total nip-and-tuck as the lead went back and forth.
Unfortunately for upset-minded Blue Demon nation, defensive lapses in crunch time resulted in Caroline Ducharme scoring the winning basket with 1.6 seconds left in a heartbreaking 80-78 loss.
Knowing Auriemma, that was WAY too close for comfort. Count on the greatest coach in NCAA women's basketball history to make sure there's a little more margin for error come Friday.
The most obvious tactic would be better containment of Blue Demon All-American candidate Aneesah Morrow who erupted for 30 points and 14 rebounds. She is only the fourth opposing player in UConn's elite history to record a 30-point game with double-digit rebounds.
The other three? They were all the overall No. 1 pick in their respective WNBA Drafts including world-champion Chicago Sky star Candace Parker.
Auriemma & Co. will come out with fire in their eyes after losing 72-69 to Villanova on Wednesday night. It snapped a 169-game conference winning streak that included conference tournament games. Azzi Fudd had 29 points and Christyn Williams 24 in the loss.
Some have surmised that the Jan. 26 encounter was DePaul's best bet to catch the Huskies off guard. Surely, Auriemma and his coaching staff had watched all the film and tracked all the metrics of Morrow's breakout NCAA debut season.
But still, doubts may have lingered. How could a freshman be this good?
After Morrow lived up to the advance notice, Connecticut's brain trust will devise methods to slow down the high-motor rookie who is averaging 20.6 points, 13.4 rebounds and leads the nation in every NCAA rebounding statistic while ranking second in field goals and third in points.
Which makes it all the more incumbent upon Morris, Held, Deja Church, Darrione Rogers and Kierra Collier to raise their games while the Huskies are preoccupied with their power forward teammate.
Morris is scoring nearly 18 points a game and is third in the country in field goals and No. 12 in points. Held accounts for nearly 14 points a game and is fourth in the nation in assists. Church matches Held at 13.9 points a game while Rogers rounds out a double-figure starting five with 10 points a game. She is also the second-leading rebounder at 6.2.
The potential is certainly there, especially when it comes to attacking from long distance. In last Sunday's 88-67 victory over Providence, Bruno & Co. connected on 14-of-31 shots from behind the arc---their third-best three-point performance this season. Rogers and Kendall Holmes led the way combining to shoot 8-of-15 from deep.
Before stumbling against Villanova, Connecticut had won six in a row including an impressive 76-56 takedown of Creighton in Omaha, Neb. and an even more impressive 75-56 triumph over a Tennessee team that was ranked No. 7 in both national polls.
Christyn Williams leads the Huskies averaging 14.6 points a game while Ducharme is scoring at a 12.6 clip and leads her team with 25 three-pointers.
Highly touted Azzi Fudd, the No. 1 recruit in the nation last year, is averaging 10.6 points while knocking down 21-of-41 attempts from deep---51.2 percent.
In the middle is the menacing 6-foot, 5-inch Olivia Nelson-Ododa averaging 10 points, a team-leading 8.2 rebounds and is also tops in assists, steals and blocks.
Players Mentioned
G
/ WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
G
/ WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
G
/ WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
G
/ WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
F
/ WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
G
/ WOMEN'S BASKETBALLDemon Docs: Welcome Head Coach Jill M. Pizzotti
Tuesday, April 29
Episode 19: Jill M. Pizzotti, Women's Basketball Head Coach
Wednesday, April 16
Jill M. Pizzotti Introductory Press Conference
Tuesday, April 15
DePaul Women's Basketball: Jill Pizzotti Introductory Press Conference
Thursday, April 10