Finding her center
Nelson-Ododa powers Huskies to 2nd conference win with rout of Creighton
STORRS — Coach Geno Auriemma was far from impressed with how Olivia Nelson-Ododa started her season Saturday. But in each game since, the junior center has largely answered the call, particularly in No. 3 UConn’s 80-47 win over Creighton on Thursday night at Gampel Pavilion.
Nelson-Ododa shot 9-for-9 from the field, finishing with a gamehigh 24 points through three quarters and propelling the 3-0 Huskies to a second straight conference rout.
“I thought Liv was was very patient today,” Auriemma said after the game. “She was able to see what the defense was doing.
“She wasn’t in a rush to get to the next thing. That’s why those jump shots were going in. That’s whyshe made that 3. Because when Liv is calm and she’s patient and she’s allowing the game to just come and not getting caught up in what happened the last play, she can do a lot.”
The junior joined six Husky alums — Rebecca Lobo (11-for11), Nykesha Sales, Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier (10-for-10) and Shea Ralph and Gabby Williams (9-for-9) — who’ve shot a perfect clip from the field on at least nine attempts.
But the Huskies didn’t win behind Nelson-Ododa’s individual effort alone: Their defensive effort was impressive, as they held Creighton to 16.1% shooting and 12 points in the first half. The
Bluejays, one of the most frequent 3-point-shooting teams in the nation, didn’t hit a 3 until the start of the third quarter, missing their first 11 attempts.
Though the visitors found the basket more often in the second half, Creighton just barely managed a 30% clip by the game’s end.
“What our defense did do was it rushed [Creighton’s] 3s. It made them play a little bit quicker than