NO. 1 UCONN AT NO. 4 MARYLAND

• When: Thursday, 6 p.m. • Where: XFINITY Center, College Park, Md. • Records: UConn 11-0; Maryland 12-0 • TV: ESPN2 • Radio: WTIC-1080; WELI-960 • Internet: KEEP AN EYE ON • Guarded optimism: If UConn senior guard Saniya Chong’s name were to come up in the word association game, likely the first thing to be mentioned could be the 3-pointer she hit with 40 seconds left to play the last time UConn and Maryland squared off. Maryland cut a 12-point second-half lead to four before Chong’s key basket. Back healthy after missing two games earlier this month due to a concussion, Chong is expected to get the start. Freshman Crystal Dangerfield will resume her role as the top guard off the bench and she said she got the message loud and clear when UConn coach Geno Auriemma didn’t play her in the second half against Nebraska. • Huskies thrive on the road: If the Huskies emerge with the victory, it would be the 30th straight road victory. According to the

ESPN3

NCAA record book, that would tie the mark set by UConn when Maya Moore was the Huskies’ resident superstar and matched by Notre Dame from 2011-12 to 2014-15. UConn is still waiting for clarification from the NCAA because when Diana Taurasi was at UConn, the Huskies won 34 road games in a row. • No introductions necessary: When the news broke about UConn and Maryland agreeing to play games during the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons, an interesting story angle was the fact that former Connecticut state player of the year Kiah Gillespie of Meriden was going to Maryland and Maryland’s Gatorade Player of the Year De’Janae Boykin signed with the Huskies. Boykin is now playing at Penn State but Gillespie has scored in double figures twice during her sophomore season and had 13 rebounds in 20 minutes against UMBC. Gillespie is averaging 5 points and 3.2 rebounds in 46 career games. There still is a Maryland connection at UConn as intern Chloe Pavlech is a former guard at Maryland. UConn coach Geno Auriemma said he didn’t feel it was appropriate to put Pavlech in a position where she needed to divulge tendencies about her former teammates and he has not put her in that uncomfortable situation in the days leading up to the game. Pavlech had five points and nine assists in last year’s UConn/Maryland game. • Huskies’ draw a crowd: UConn’s appearance helped Kansas State sell out its game against the Huskies earlier this month. Now Maryland has announced that this game will be the third sellout for a women’s game with the other two taking place during the 2006-07 season. PROBABLE STARTERS UCONN Player Pos. PPG Saniya Chong G 5.0 Kia Nurse G 13.5 Katie Samuelson G 20.6 Gabby Williams F 10.4 Napheesa Collier F 19.6 MARYLAND Player Pos. PPG Destiny Slocum G 10.7 Kristen Confroy G 5.0 Shatori Kmbrogh G 16.5 Kaila Charles F 8.5 Brionna Jones F 17.5