The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Huskies hit another gear against Sooners
UNCASVILLE — Crystal Dangerfield stood there for a few seconds, dribbling the ball with one hand and motioning Kyla Irwin to set a screen with the other. The clock was winding down, but Dangerfield never lost her sense of time.
After carefully surveying the court, the nimble 5foot5 point guard drove left, then right before dashing into the lane and dropping a floater with 2.2 seconds left in the half. The bucket pushed UConn’s lead over Oklahoma to 13.
That sequence encapsulated much of what went right for Dangerfield & Co.
They were smart and methodical, calm under pressure, and opportunistic.
“We played as close to a good 40 minutes as we have
all year,” associate head coach Chris Dailey said after the Huskies trounced the Sooners 9753 Sunday at Mohegan Sun Arena.
The Huskies hit another gear in the second half, pouring in 63 points from the third quarter on. Sparked by a series of adjustments, they shot a ridiculous 67 percent during that stretch, including 16of20 in the fourth, and dished out 17 assists.
“We knew what we wanted to get,” forward Megan Walker said. “Going into halftime, they knew our plays really well. We had to adjust. … We stuck with the majority of the same plays, we just made different reads.”
And produced far better results. If that wasn’t UConn’s best half this season, it was pretty darn close.
Let’s look at what else went right for the Huskies in their lopsided victory over the Sooners.
OYes!: There’s a reason why Olivia NelsonOdoda is irreplaceable. Look no further than what she did Sunday: 27 points, 15 rebounds and seven blocks.
“We have her blocked out and she just jumps up over us and tips it or comes up with it,” Oklahoma coach Sherri Coale said.
At times, the 6foot5 sophomore’s presence alone was enough to stifle the Sooners. She clogged up the paint and turned easy shots into difficult ones. She held 61 forward Mandy Simpson (0for7) without a point.
Foul trouble has remained an issue at times for NelsonOdoda, but she managed to turn in 36 minutes against the Sooners.
“I think Liv’s going to hear that her whole career here … handchecking,” Walker said. “But she did a good job today of staying on her feet and blocking shots.”
He’s back … almost: After the win, Dailey received a text from Geno Auriemma that read, “Call me.” That made her a bit nervous.
“I went to Catholic school, so my first thought was like, ‘Oh my God, what did I do wrong?’ ” Dailey said, smiling.
Dailey, who was pressed into headcoaching duty because of Auriemma’s surgery, was relieved when the team connected with him via FaceTime. He complimented their performance, but threw in a few barbs for good measure. Typical Geno.
“I think Kathy (his wife) said he was starting to be annoying, so he’s almost back to normal,” Dailey said.
Auriemma should be back on the sidelines when the Huskies resume play Jan. 2, 2020 against Wichita State in Hartford.
Spark plug: Aubrey Griffin has a way of making it look easy. The freshman quietly filled up the box score, collecting 14 points, five rebounds and three steals across 13 minutes.
“She has a nose for the ball,” Dailey said.
Griffin is versatile enough that she could develop into a real weapon off the bench. She’s the kind of player who can keep the offense humming when Dangerfield, Walker or Christyn Williams need a breather.
On guard: The Huskies weren’t going to let Taylor Robertson beat them. The nation’s top 3point shooter was faceguarded and doubleteamed constantly.
Robertson finished with 24 points on 7of16 shooting (7of14 from 3point range). She had to work for nearly all of them.
“She’s a tremendous shooter,” Dailey said. “I don’t know there are that many players we’ve faced that can get their shot off the way she does. … I thought she had to work really hard to get them.”