The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
No. 3 UCONN at EAST CAROLINA
When: Saturday, 1 p.m.
Where: Minges Coliseum, Greenville, N.C.
Records: UConn 17-1, 7-0 AAC; East Carolina 3-15, 0-5 AAC
TV: SNY/ESPN3
Radio: UConn/IMG Sports Network, 97.9 FM-ESPN Hartford, WAVZ-New Haven (1300 AM), WICC-Bridgeport (600 AM), WINE-Danbury (940 AM), WGCH- Greenwich (1490 AM)
KEEP AN EYE ON
Second-chance points: UConn collected 17 offensive rebounds (one shy of a season-high) on Thursday against Tennessee, which Geno Auriemma said was partly a product of poor execution. The Huskies shot only 31.5 percent — their lowest mark in a win since 2003. Regardless, Auriemma liked their energy and effort. “The shots weren’t going in. Instead of feeling sorry for ourselves, I thought we played harder,” the UConn coach said. “That was a great lesson for them. I’ve always said, how many shots you make should only determine how much you win by, not whether you win or not. You can still win games without making a lot of shots. It kind of sunk in that we don’t have to shoot 55 percent to win a game. You can shoot lousy and still win a game. You’ve just got to be willing to do all the other stuff.”
Griffin making strikes: At one point during freshman Aubrey Griffin’s 13-point effort against Tennessee, Auriemma turned to associate head coach Chris Dailey and told her: “We’ve got to really get her ready for the NCAA tournament because we’re going to need her.”
For Griffin, it was her second straight game in double figures and fourth this season. She also had seven rebounds (five offensive) and five steals.
“I feel like if I keep putting in the work and just keep working hard, everything will fall into place,” Griffin said.
Sinking to the bottom: East Carolina has lost 11 straight games and is the only team still without a win in American Athletic Conference play. The Pirates, coached by former Hartford coach Kim McNeill, have struggled mightily on offense, ranking 320th in the country in scoring (56.6).
Bright spots: East Carolina guard Taniyah Thompson has been one of the AAC’s top freshmen, averaging 11.9 points and 3.8 rebounds while starting all 18 games. Thompson attended Hamden High School, where she scored a school-record 1,877 points and was named to two All-State teams.
Her backcourt mate, Lashonda Monk, averages a teamhigh 15.1 points and also leads the conference with 3.8 steals per game.
History at a glance: UConn has won all 11 meetings against East Carolina by an average of 47.5 points.