The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Huskies open Big East play at Pirates
The UConn women’s basketball begins its second year back in the Big East at Seton Hall on Dec. 3.
The Big East released the 2021-22 schedule Friday morning, a slate that features 14 home games split evenly between Gampel Pavilion and the XL Center for the Huskies.
Face coverings for fans, regardless of vaccination status, will be required at both arenas. After a year apart because of the pandemic, UConn will welcome fans back to Gampel on Sunday, Nov. 7 in an exhibition game against Fort Hayes State at 1 p.m.
UConn will start conference play at Seton Hall and conclude conference play on Feb. 27 hosting Providence at Gampel.
FOX will have national coverage of the Huskies’ game against Tennessee (Noon or 1 p.m. on Feb. 6 at the XL Center) and their game at Marquette (Feb. 13 at 2:30 p.m.),
The Huskies will close out the conference schedule at the Big East Tournament, scheduled for March 5-7 at Mohegan Sun Arena.
DATES FOR UCONN’S BIG EAST MATCHUPS
Friday, Dec. 3: at Seton Hall at 7 p.m., SNY
Wednesday, Dec. 29: vs Marquette at 7 p.m. at the XL Center, SNY
Friday, Dec. 31: at DePaul at 2 p.m., SNY
Wednesday, Jan. 5: at Georgetown at 7 p.m., SNY
Friday, Jan. 7: at Villanova at 7 p.m., SNY
Sunday, Jan. 9: vs Creighton at Gampel Pavilion at 1 p.m., SNY
Wednesday, Jan. 12: at Butler at 7 p.m., SNY
Saturday, Jan. 15: vs
Xavier at the XL Center at noon, SNY
Friday, Jan. 21: vs Seton Hall at Gampel at 7 p.m., SNY
Sunday, Jan. 23: at St. John’s at TBD, SNY
Sunday, Jan. 30: at Providence at TBD, SNY
Wednesday, Feb. 2: at Creighton at 7:30 p.m., SNY
Friday, Feb. 4: vs Butler at Gampel at 7 p.m., SNY
Wednesday, Feb. 9: vs Villanova at the XL Center at 7 p.m., SNY
Friday, Feb. 11: vs DePaul at Gampel at 7 p.m., SNY
Sunday, Feb. 13: at Marquette at 2:30 p.m. on FOX
Friday, Feb. 18: at Xavier at 7 p.m. on SNY
Sunday, Feb. 20: vs Georgetown at the XL Center at TBD, CBSSN
Friday, Feb. 25: vs. St. John’s at XL Center at 7 p.m., SNY
Sunday, Feb. 27: vs Providence at Gampel at TBD, CBSSN
UCONN’S TOP 2021-22 OPPONENTS
South Carolina (Jan. 27 at 7 p.m. on ESPN): Depending on how the bracket shakes out in the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament in November, the Huskies may end up playing South Carolina twice this season. The past two meetings between the perennial title contenders have been shaky for the Huskies. In February 2020, UConn fell to a top-ranked South Carolina 70-52 in Columbia, S.C. before taking the Gamecocks to overtime in 2021 in Storrs for a 63-59 victory. South Carolina fell to eventual national champion Stanford, 66-65, in a down-to-the-wire Final Foul game last year. All-time series record: UConn, 15-9.
Tennessee (Feb. 6 at the XL Center at noon/1 p.m. on FOX): One of UConn’s all-time historic rivals will be making the trip to Storrs to end the Huskies’ nonconference slate. UConn defeated the Vols, 67-61, thanks to a standout performance from former Tennessee player Evina Westbrook last January in Knoxville. That was the team’s first trip to Tennessee since 2006. Tennessee, a No. 3 seed, was upset during the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2021, falling to No. 6 seed Michigan, 70-55. All-time series record: UConn, 37-13.
Louisville (Dec. 19 at Mohegan Sun Arena at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN): Despite beating UConn in the team’s first ever meeting in the 1993 NCAA Tournament, the Cardinals have only one other win against the Huskies (January 2019). The two last played in the 2019 Elite Eight , when UConn won to advance to its 12th straight Final Four. UConn was scheduled to host the Cardinals in 2020 but that game was canceled due to health and safety protocols. Louisville finished last season with 26-4, with a loss to Stanford in the Elite Eight. All-time series record: UConn, 18-2 .
Oregon (Jan. 17 in Eugene at TBD): UConn will be looking to avenge it’s 2020 home-court loss to Oregon when the Huskies travel to Eugene. The Ducks gave UConn its first home loss in seven years with a 74-56 win in February 2020. UConn will be facing a much different Oregon team in 2022 as only two players remain on the Ducks’ roster from 2020 — neither played that season due to injury and transfer rules. All-time series record: UConn, 3-1.
Notre Dame (Dec. 5 at Gampel Pavilion at noon on FS1): Notre Dame’s most recent wins over UConn have come on the Final Four (2018 and 2019). The longtime rivals last met in Storrs in December 2019, with UConn routing the Irish, 81-57. Since Notre Dame finished as national title runner-up in the 2019, the Irish have struggled with consistency finishing the 2020 season with a 13-18 record and missing the NCAA tournament in 2021 with a 10-10 record. All-time series record: UConn, 37-13.
UCLA (Dec. 11 at the Never Forget Tribute Classic in Newark, NJ. at 1 p.m. on ABC): UCLA will be debuting a new lineup this season after losing its top player and AP’s 2021 WNBA Rookie of the Year Michaela Onyenwere, who graduated last season. UCLA has yet to defeat UConn, although the Bruins lost 69-61 to the Huskies in the 2019 Sweet 16. UConn visited Pauley Pavilion in November 2017, earning a 78-60 win before a crowd of over 9,200 that included Kobe Bryant and his family. All-time series record: UConn, 6-0.
Arkansas (Nov. 14 at the XL Center at 1 p.m. on SNY): UConn’s lone loss last regular season came to Arkansas in Fayetteville. Even with just eight players available and the last-minute scheduling between the schools, the Razorbacks defeated the Huskies, 90-87. Before last season the only other time the two played was in 1998 with UConn winning 100-64. All-time series record: 1-1
DePaul: Coached by one of Geno Auriemma’s close friends in Doug Bruno, DePaul is one of UConn’s most consistent opponents both in the nonconference and conference slates. The Huskies swept DePaul, then a top-20 ranked team, last season in UConn’s first season back in the Big East. All-time series record: UConn, 18-1.