WOMEN’S BASKETBALL GAMEDAY
UCF at No. 3 UConn
When: Sunday, 4 p.m.
Where: XL Center, Hartford
Records: UCF (17-2, 6-0 AAC); UConn (17-1, 6-0 AAC) TV: ESPN2
Radio: UConn/IMG Sports Network — 97.9 ESPN-Hartford, WINE 940 AM-Brookfield, WGCH 1490 AM-Greenwich, WICC 600 AM-Bridgeport, WAVZ 1300 AM-New Haven, WXLM 980 AM-New London, WATR 1320 AM-Waterbury, WILI 1400 AMWillimantic
KEEP AN EYE ON
Battling on the boards: Geno Auriemma remains adamant that his team needs to rebound better.
“That’s the one area that I worry about,” the UConn coach said Wednesday, following a 79-39 win over SMU. “We’ll keep working on it, and hopefully it’ll be something we can use along the way.
“Sunday, we’re playing a team that really rebounds the hell out of the ball. We’re going to be really tested.”
While UCF doesn’t possess a lot of size — Nyala Shuler (6-0) is the tallest among the regular starters — the Knights do have a reputation for playing physical in the post.
“I think we really need to learn how to box out better,” said senior Napheesa Collier, who is averaging a team-high 10.1 rebounds per game and is 11 shy of 1,000 for her career. “We just try to go get the ball, and we’re not big enough to do that. We’ve got to box out. That’s something that we’re not doing right now.”
UConn is averaging 40.2 rebounds per game (tied for 43rd nationally), slightly ahead of UCF’s 38.8.
Waiting on Mikayla: Sophomore Mikayla Coombs insists her shot is going to eventually fall. Auriemma, however, seems tired of waiting.
The former McDonald’s All-American has scored just 12 points and grabbed 29 rebounds while averaging 10.6 minutes per game this season.
“I’ve been working on it a lot,” Coombs said Saturday following practice at the Werth Center. “I think it’s just mainly me having the confidence to take it in games. I think once I get in that mindset, it’s going to be fine.”
Coombs is only 3-of-20 from the floor this season and 13-of-51 for her career, including just 1-of-15 on 3-point attempts.
“I think sometimes … I’ll pass up an open shot to drive and kick to somebody,” the 5-8 guard said. “I think it’s just finding the thin line of when to shoot and when to drive. That’s what I’m trying to figure out right now.”
Auriemma didn’t seem interested in discussing Coombs’ struggles Saturday, saying he’d “rather talk about guys that are going to play a lot.”
Familiar face: It’ll be a homecoming for UConn legend Nykesha Sales, who is in her third season as an assistant at UCF under Katie Abrahamson-Henderson.
Sales — who was a freshman on UConn’s first national title team in 1994-95 — is currently tied with Kaleena MosquedaLewis for fourth on the Huskies’ all-time scoring list (2,178 points).