Huskies top DePaul Auriemma within win of tying Summitt
STORRS — UConn and DePaul have played the last seven seasons, though Tuesday’s meeting at Gampel Pavilion was the first since the Huskies returned to the Big East.
Per usual, the Huskies won. But it didn’t come without difficulty.
Both teams were a bit rusty, as was to be expected after a holiday layoff. The fourth-ranked Huskies, playing their first game in a week, struggled to get their offense in gear, but ultimately did enough to beat No. 18 DePaul, 75-52.
Freshman Paige Bueckers paced the Huskies with 18 points while Olivia Nelson-Ododa added 16 points and 14 rebounds. Christyn Williams (14), Aaliyah Edwards (11) and Evina Westbrook (10) joined the duo in double-figures. Darrione Rogers led DePaul with 20 points.
UConn led 57-43 after three quarters, then used a 10-0 run to pull ahead for good. DePaul went more than four minutes without scoring during that stretch, and finished with a season-low in points. The Blue Demons (5-3) came in averaging 88.8.
The Huskies improved to 6-0 this season and 18- 1 all- time against DePaul. The Blue Demons’ lone victory came in the team’s inaugural meeting in 1983 — prior to Geno
Auriemma’s arrival in Storrs.
DePaul jumped ahead 14-12, but UConn answered with a 16-3 run to push its lead to double digits for the first time. And it mostly stayed that way, though the Huskies didn’t do themselves any favors with their shot selection.
The Huskies seemed
intent on trying to beat DePaul at its own game, settling for 3- pointers when they more easily could’ve been crashing the paint with NelsonOdoda and Edwards. The Huskies were just 4-of-15 from beyond the arc in the first half ( 1- of- 11 not including Bueckers).
At halftime, with the Huskies leading 38-27, Auriemma voiced his frustrations once again during an interview with SNY, calling this the
worst shooting team he’s had at UConn.
Auriemma also specifically implored Bueckers, the star freshman, to shoot more. And that she did, finishing with a team-high 15 attempts from the floor.
The Huskies finished shooting a modest 41 percent, but just 8- of- 27 from 3.
AURIEMMA NEARING MILESTONE
Auriemma earned his 1,097th career win, moving within one of Tennessee legend Pat Summitt for second all-time
among women’s coaches. He can match Summitt when the Huskies visit No. 7 Baylor on Jan. 7. Stanford’s Tara VanDerveer holds the record with 1,101 victories.
Notes: Williams became the 49th Husky to score 1,000 career points on a first-quarter layup. … Former Husky — and reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year — Crystal Dangerfield was in attendance and announced UConn’s starting lineup from the student section.