Makurat proving to be a difference maker
STORRS — Sometimes, one change makes a world of difference.
UConn coach Geno Auriemma plugged Anna Makurat back into the starting lineup, and the Huskies’ offense thrived, rolling to a 94- 55 victory over Memphis on Friday.
“She’s a great facilitator,” Olivia Nelson- Ododa said of the freshman from Poland. “She’s only going to continue to get better at that. Her court vision is great, too, in terms of being able to see those openings and people that are wide open.”
The fourth- ranked Huskies ( 20- 2) had one of their most productive outings of the season, shooting 59.4 percent and hitting 11 3pointers. Only twice this year have they scored more points.
Senior Kyla Irwin had started 16 straight games, but wasn’t offering much. Frustrated with the offense’s lack of production, Auriemma replaced Irwin with a superior ball- handler and passer in Makurat.
“That decision was made at some point during the game ( against Oregon) Monday night. We realized that we couldn’t get the ball
moving enough. We got stuck moving too many times,” Auriemma said.
“We were starting the game at a disadvantage. We kept starting games slow and we needed to speed up the offense a little bit.”
It essentially gave the Huskies another point guard on the floor. Makurat scored only two points, but she did have 11 assists ( two shy of the school’s singlegame record) across 32 minutes.
“It gives Crystal a break,” sophomore Christyn Williams said, referring to Crystal Dangerfield.
Makurat, who also started four games in November, is third on the team in assists with 65.
“I just like when my team wins and when we play well and when we have fun out there,” Makurat said. “Nobody likes to lose, and nobody likes to play a bad game. It was finally a good game for us.”
Here’s four other takeaways following a resounding victory over Memphis.
Practice makes perfect: Auriemma said Nelson- Ododa is “one of the most horrendous” practice players he’s ever had because she tends to shut down when things don’t go her way. But this week, she surprised Auriemma with how hard she worked.
That effort carried over into Friday. The 6- foot- 5 post player was efficient, scoring 19 points on 9- of- 9 shooting and collecting seven rebounds and three blocks, all while playing just 17 minutes.
Williams bounces back: Williams had been in a shooting slump, going 26- of- 75 from the field over her last six games. Outside of a 26- point outburst against East Carolina, she had struggled to score.
So it was encouraging to see Williams look like her usual self Friday. Williams — who had only practiced once during the week because of the flu — was dialed in from the start, attacking the basket with confidence. She scored 16 of her 20 points in the first half and finished shooting 7- of- 12.
Remarkable run: UConn hit the 20- win plateau for the 27th straight season, a streak that predates the school’s first national championship. The Huskies will soon clinch their 27th straight 25- win season. They also have 14 consecutive 30- win campaigns, an NCAA record.
Owning the paint: Auriemma challenged his team to be tougher, and they responded by grabbing 43 rebounds and scoring 46 points in the paint against a Memphis team that’s, well, pretty tough.
As impressive as that was, they’ll need to bring even more intensity Monday against No. 1 South Carolina. The Gamecocks rank first in blocks and second in rebounds, and are holding opponents to 33.2 percent shooting.