Five stats from UConn’s win over UMass Lowell
STORRS — UConn coach Geno Auriemma says he learned more about his team in 40 minutes Saturday afternoon at Gampel Pavilion than he had in the previous four weeks of practice.
What exactly was revealed in the thirdranked Huskies’ 79-23 rout of UMass Lowell?
Let’s dive into a few telling numbers from the long-awaited 2020-21 season opener.
3
Just how good was Paige Bueckers’ UConn debut? Well, consider this, courtesy of Her Hoop Stats: Bueckers, the reigning national high school player of the year, was just the third freshman since 2015-16 to post a line of 17 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and five steals, and the first to do so in her first game.
3:50
Olivia Nelson-Ododa barely saw the floor in the second half, playing a grand total of 3 minutes and 50 seconds in the third before sitting out the fourth. The 6-foot-5 junior logged 21 minutes in all, finishing with 12 points and nine rebounds against an undersized opponent.
When asked postgame about his usage of Nelson-Ododa, Auriemma said he simply wanted to get a longer look at his backups, including freshman Aaliyah Edwards and sophomore Aubrey Griffin.
21
Auriemma has been cautious with Evina Westbrook, using her in spurts during practice as she works to regain her strength following knee surgery last December. He stuck to that approach Saturday, playing her 21 minutes in her first game in over a year. Westbrook was the first starter subbed out at the 5:05 mark, and it’ll be interesting to see if that becomes a trend.
23
UConn allowed its fewest points (23) since a 75-21 victory over Cincinnati in the semifinals of the 2018 American Athletic Conference tournament. That’s the game,
some might recall, that the Bearcats went an entire quarter without scoring.
44.3
Bueckers wasn’t the only freshman to step forward for the Huskies. Mir McLean (10 points, six rebounds) and Edwards (eight points, three rebounds) both turned in solid outings off the bench, impressing Auriemma with their poise and energy on both ends of the floor. Collectively, the trio accounted for 44.3 percent of the Huskies’ points.
Nika Muhl might be a bit rusty after missing practice time with a foot injury, but she should figure into this mix too. Muhl and Piath Gabriel both were scoreless.
All in all, not a bad opening act by the much-acclaimed class.