New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
No. 1 UCONN vs. No. 2 BAYLOR
Tennessee was the first and most passionate rival. Notre Dame was the next foil, a Big East opponent and an adversary on the national stage. Baylor?
UConn has faced Baylor eight times, losing as many as it has won. It can’t be a rivalry if one team wins game after game, so this might be UConn’s best rival.
The Huskies and Bears first met in the Final Four 11 years ago. The latest chapter in the rivalry is in the Elite Eight — UConn and Baylor, Monday night (7 p.m.) for a spot in the Final Four.
Let’s take a trip down memory lane:
APRIL 4, 2010 IN SAN ANTONIO
UConn 70, Baylor 50: In the national semifinals, No. 1 UConn pulled away in the second half to beat Brittney Griner and Baylor. It was 41-38 with under 15 minutes left, but
UConn seized control behind Maya Moore (34 points, 12 rebounds) and Tina Charles (21 points, 13 rebounds). Griner had 13 points, five blocks and six rebounds. It was UConn’s 77th consecutive win. The 78th was a national-title victory over Stanford two nights later.
NOV. 16, 2010 IN HARTFORD
UConn 65, Baylor 64: In a matchup of No. 1 vs. No. 2, the top-ranked Huskies climbed back from an eight-point deficit for their 80th consecutive win. Odyssey Sims missed a 30-foot shot as time expired and UConn held on for the win. Bria Hartley scored eight points in the final four minutes to lift UConn. Moore had 30 points, Griner 19 points and nine blocks.
DEC. 18, 2011 IN WACO, TEXAS
Baylor 66, UConn 61: This time, No. 1 Baylor prevailed over No. 2 UConn as Griner had 12 points in a 27-11 closing run. UConn led by 11 with 15 minutes left, but Baylor was simply too good down the stretch. Griner had 25 points, nine blocks and nine rebounds, while Sims had 23 points. Hartley led the Huskies with 25 points.
FEB. 18, 2013 IN HARTFORD
Baylor 76, UConn 70: Reigning national champion and top-ranked Baylor got 21 second-half points from Griner, en route to a win over No 3 UConn at a sold out XL Center. Griner had 25 points and nine rebounds while Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis led UConn with 26 points and 15 rebounds. Struggling freshman Breanna Stewart played just seven minutes.
JAN. 13, 2014 IN WACO, TEXAS
UConn 66, Baylor 55: This time, Stewart asserted herself with 18 points and 11 rebounds, as No. 1 UConn ended Baylor’s 69-game home winning streak. The defending national champion Huskies outscored No. 7 Baylor 16-6 down the stretch. Sims was averaging 31.8 points per game and scored 20, with UConn holding her to 4 of 25 shooting.
NOV. 17, 2016 IN STORRS
UConn 72, Baylor 61: Freshman Crystal Dangerfield scored 19 points in just her second career game and No. 7 UConn outscored Baylor 16-2 down the stretch to up to upset the No. 2 Bears. It was UConn’s 77th consecutive win as a young team passed an early-season test. Katie Lou Samuelson added 16 pointsfor UConn.
JAN. 3, 2019 IN WACO, TEXAS
Baylor 68, UConn 57: This was the end of UConn’s 126-game winning streak. The No. 1 Huskies lost for the first time since Nov. 14, 2014 as No. 8 Baylor controlled from start to finish. The Huskies had no answer for Kalani Brown (22 points, 17 rebounds). Napheesa Collier led UConn with 16 points.
JAN. 9, 2020 IN HARTFORD
Baylor 74, UConn 58: Baylor ended another streak — UConn’s 98-game home winning streak. The No. 1 Huskies couldn’t stop Tea Cooper (27 points) and No. 6 Baylor pulled away at the XL Center. UConn trailed by one point with 6:36 left, but Baylor reeled off 15 unanswered points and the game was over.
NCAA TOURNAMENT ELITE EIGHT
When: Monday, 7 p.m.
Where: Alamodome, San Antonio
Records: UConn 27-1 (21-0, Big East); Baylor 28-2 (20-1, Big 12)
TV: ESPN
Radio: Radio: UConn Sports Network (97.9 FM-ESPN Hartford, WAVZ 1300 AM, WICC 600 AM, WINE 940 AM, WGCH 1490 AM, WILI 1400 AM)
Streaming: Available via the WatchESPN app (WatchESPN.com)
KEEP AN EYE ON
Edwards emerging: UConn freshman guard Nika Muhl is expected to miss her third straight game with a right ankle sprain. Muhl, a starter for 15 games, suffered the injury in a first-round win over 16th-seeded High Point.
In her absence, the Huskies will likely go to a bigger lineup including 6-foot-3 freshman Aaliyah Edwards, whose emergence has been huge. Edwards is averaging 18 points and 6.6 rebounds in the NCAA Tournament.
“Having someone like Aaliyah,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said, “that’s an element we didn’t have last season. That allows [Olivia Nelson-Ododa] to … be more of a distributor for us and be someone who can occupy one of [Baylor’s] defenders at the high post, and gives us some defensive flexibility.”
Nelson-Ododa said Edwards’ confidence seems to be at an “all-time high.”
“Going into the game tomorrow, she’s tough, she’s physical and she’s going to bring that into every game she plays,” Nelson-Ododa said.
What’s at stake: With a win, UConn will extend its record streak of Final Four appearances to 13. Baylor has gone on to win the national championship each of the last two times it’s advanced that far (2012 and 2019).
“It’s two talented teams,” Baylor coach Kim Mulkey said of her meeting with UConn. “I wish it was for the national championship and not a chance to get to the Final Four because I think both programs are just elite. It’s a shame somebody has to lose.”
‘Impose their will’: The Lady Bears are 13th in the country in scoring defense, holding opponents to an average of 54.4 points per game. What makes them so good on that side of the floor?
“They’re long, they’re athletic, they’re physical, they really try to intimidate you and impose their will on you defensively,” Auriemma said. “They rebound the ball. They get involved with their hands, with their feet, with their arms.”
Statistically, UConn has been even better on defense, ranking fourth (51.5). Both teams are also top-five offensively.
History lesson: