They’re back: New face in charge: ⏩ One-sided rivalry:

⏩ UConn is playing its first home game since Dec. 8 against Seton Hall, a 99-61 victory at the XL Center in Hartford, and only its second this season at Gampel Pavilion. The Huskies opened their season in Storrs with an 85-53 win over Ohio State on Nov. 11.

“That’s unbelievable, right?” coach Geno Auriemma said following Sunday’s 81-61 win over Houston. “We’ve played everywhere in the country except at home. It’ll be good, it’ll be good to get on our home court.”

The Huskies, 12-1 and ranked No. 3 in the country, have traveled more than 7,000 miles since their last home game. They recently completed a two-game swing through Texas that included their first regular-season loss since 2014, a 6857 setback at Baylor.

“It was a long trip,” senior Napheesa Collier said. “I think we’re all a little tired. It’ll be good to get back playing in Gampel again, finally.”

Five of the Huskies’ final nine regular-season home games will be in Storrs.

“We have two games on campus (this week),” said Auriemma, whose team also hosts USF on Sunday. “That’s unheard of for us. It’ll be nice to kind of settle in before we head on the road the following week.”

⏩ It’s no secret Auriemma vehemently disagreed with Cincinnati’s firing of Jamelle Elliott in March. Auriemma ripped the decision on Twitter, calling it “positively disgraceful.”

Former Western Kentucky coach Michelle Clark-Heard was hired to replace Elliott, who has since returned to UConn in an administrative role.

Under Clark-Heard’s watch, the Bearcats have gotten off to a 9-5 start. They beat SMU 69-57 on Sunday in their American Athletic Conference opener.

“She’s a good coach. She’ll do a great job there, for sure,” Auriemma said of Clark-Heard. “They’ve got a new facility as well, and I think the team that she inherited was a pretty good team. She did a great job at Western Kentucky and she’ll do a great job at Cincinnati.”

Forward Ilmar’i Thomas, the reigning AAC Freshman of the Year, leads the team with 12.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.

History certainly won’t be on Cincinnati’s side against UConn. The Huskies are 19-0 against the Bearcats since 2006, including 2-0 last season. The closest of those wins was 10 points (70-60 on Jan. 30, 2007).