The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Back in a groove
Walker scores 28 to lead Huskies in exhibition opener
STORRS — During his splendid coaching career at UConn, Geno Auriemma has learned not to put too much stock into exhibition games. He’s found it’s best to err on the side of caution when evaluating performances against schools that are highly, highly inferior to his.
But occasionally he’ll put his skepticism aside.
Megan Walker gave Auriemma a lot to like during Sunday’s tuneup against Division II Jefferson University. Calm and confident, the junior established herself early as the best player on the floor in an easy 10340 UConn victory at Gampel Pavilion before a crowd of 5,328.
“She’s playing physical, she’s in the right spots, she’s taking the right shots,” point guard Crystal Dangerfield said. “That’s something as a team that we’re going to need to do. Today was her day, and she showed out.”
Walker, a 6foot1 forward, was both productive and efficient, pacing the fifthranked Huskies with 28 points on 10of15 shooting. Even better, she did all of that damage in just three quarters.
Dangerfield noted that Walker, who also notched six steals, has looked like a different player during UConn’s first few weeks of practice. So, in that sense, nothing that Walker did in the Huskies’ first actual game of the 201920 season surprised her. Auriemma concurred.
The Huskies are trying to adjust to life without Napheesa Collier and Katie Lou Samuelson. Walker, a former No. 1 overall recruit, can potentially help them do that. She averaged 12.1 points and 6.7 rebounds across 36 starts as a sophomore while showing signs of breaking out.
“We talk all the time about 40 points we used to start every game with last year that now we don’t have. They’re going to have to come from somewhere,” Auriemma said. “Obviously, (Walker’s) taken a big interest in making sure we fill that void somehow. There’s a lot that Megan’s
going to be able to do going forward, even more so than today.”
Added Walker: “I feel like my work over the summer definitely paid off. Now I’m just more comfortable out there on the court.”
She might get some help, too. Sophomores Olivia NelsonOdoda and Christyn Williams scored 16 points apiece. NelsonOdoda also had 11 rebounds and five blocks. Meanwhile, Dangerfield chipped in six points, eight assists and five steals in her first game back from offseason hip surgery.
With only one player taller than 6foot, Jefferson of Philadelphia was both undersized and overmatched. The Huskies outmuscled the Rams in the paint (6220) and out
ran them in transition (385). Overall, they shot 52 percent and hit eight 3pointers. They led 5822 at halftime.
“We had some firstgame nerves from a lot of our new guys, but I think overall we saw some good things,” Dangerfield said. “Obviously we’ve got to go back to the drawing board for some things, but for the first game, I think it was pretty good.”
The team’s three newcomers — freshmen Anna Makurat and Aubrey Griffin and graduate transfer Evelyn Adebayo — all had their moments. Makurat was the most active of the trio, scoring nine points on 4of12 shooting in her first collegiate start. Griffin, one of five Huskies in double figures, contributed 10 points. Adebayo had two points and six rebounds.
Auriemma has already identified Makurat as an Xfactor, of sorts, for a team
with its eye on a 13th straight Final Four. He likes her poise, athleticism and, most of all, ability to shoot.
“I need another scorer out there,” he said. “The way we are defensively, we need as many scorers as we can get out on the court. It’s not going to be pretty.”
He’ll learn more when the Huskies wrap up their exhibition schedule Wednesday against Division II Trevecca Nazarene in Hartford. But so far, so good.
Camara sidelined: Batouly Camara will undergo surgery this week after tweaking her right knee in practice. The 62 senior forward will be out indefinitely, Auriemma said.
Camara sprained the same knee last season, limiting her to 25 games. She averaged 1.6 points and 1.2 rebounds. With Camara out, and Tennessee transfer Evina Westbrook currently ineligible, the Huskies are suddenly down to just nine
available players.
“I don’t know how long she’ll be out, which is not ideal for us,” Auriemma said. “We already don’t have enough bodies. She just physically couldn’t practice.”
Familiar visitors: UConn greats Breanna Stewart and Kaleena MosquedaLewis stopped by practice Saturday and even participated in a shooting drill. Both also attended Sunday’s game.
“There’s a fourminute shooting drill that she did with the team,” Auriemma said of Stewart, “and she was the only one that didn’t miss a shot that entire drill. The kids were just mesmerized, like how does she do that? When Kaleena was playing, she was just bullying everybody. People were just bouncing off of her.”