NO. 1 UCONN VS. NO. 9 PROVIDENCE

Location: Mohegan Sun Arena

Tip: Noon (FS1)

Records: Providence 13-19, UConn 26-5.

Last game: Providence beat No. 8 Butler in the Big East tournament first round, 75-60, Friday; UConn beat Providence in the regular-season finale, 65-42, March 2.

Last game’s starters: Providence, 6-1 G/F Marta Morales Romero (7.5 ppg, 2.2 apg), 6-3 F Olivia Olsen (14.0 ppg, 8.8 reb, 1.7 bpg), 6-0 F Emily Archibald (4.5 ppg, 5.1 rpg), 5-11 G Grace Efosa (12.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg), 6-0 G Brynn Farrell (10.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 2.1 apg). UConn, 5-9 G KK Arnold (8.9 ppg, 3.2 apg, 2.4 spg), 6-3 F Aaliyah Edwards (17.9 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 2.1 apg, 1.7 spg), 6-0 G Paige Bueckers (20.7 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 3.7 apg, 2.1 spg), 5-11 G Nika Muhl (7.1 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 6.4 apg, 1.2 spg), 5-10 G Ashlynn Shade (11.2 ppg, 1.6 apg).

Noteworthy: UConn coach Geno Auriemma said Friday he doesn’t expect anything to come easily this weekend, with the short-handed Huskies needing to win Saturday, Sunday and Monday to earn the Big East tournament title. Last season, UConn was also missing several key players (this year they’re missing five who are out for the season with injuries), but Auriemma said this is different. “Last year we had Lou (Lopez Senechal), who was a fifth-year senior, and Dorka (Juhasz) was in her fifth year, guys that have played a lot of basketball, been around a lot, knew how to do all that stuff,” Auriemma said. “It’s the same but it’s not the same this year. This is a little more tricky this year . ... You take each game and treat it individually and ‘let’s just win that one.’ That’s all you can do, you go out and you try to win that game.” ... UConn closed the regular season at Providence on March 2, a 65-42 win. In that game, Paige Bueckers led UConn with 17 points, all in the first half, as the Huskies led 37-16 at halftime . ... Auriemma called the Friars, under first-year head coach Erin Batth, one of the best defensive teams in the league. Providence holds opponents to 37.8% shooting, 27.8% from 3-point range. “As long as you can do that, you can be in every game,” Auriemma said . ... Batth joked about having to play UConn, ranked ninth in the nation, three times in her first season. “We’ve played them just seven days ago and so they are fresh on our minds,” Batth said. “It’s a team you don’t forget about at all, ever. I know it’s a great big challenge but we’re up for it. I think it’s a positive. I love it. Let’s go.” ... UConn’s Amari DeBerry (concussion protocol) will miss today’s game, leaving the Huskies with eight available players.