Defense sparks rout of Cincinnati
STORRS — It was a classic rout.
The smooth, free-flowing offense, the suffocating defense, the infectious energy — it was all vintage UConn.
Cincinnati was overmatched Wednesday. It showed on the Gampel Pavilion scoreboard, as the Huskies, playing their first game since dropping to No. 3 in the Associated Press poll, rolled to an 82-38 victory over the Bearcats.
The Huskies (13-1, 2-0) improved to 103-0 all-time in American Athletic Conference play. Like so many of the previous 102 victories, this one was never in doubt. The Huskies opened with a 17-0 run and were up 22 after 10 minutes. And the Bearcats never recovered.
Here’s five takeaways on UConn’s easy win over Cincinnati:
⏩ DRIVEN BY DEFENSE: The Huskies put their stamp on the game early, holding Cincinnati without a point for the first six-plus minutes. During that stretch, the Bearcats went 0-for-7 from the floor, committed six turnovers, and were outscored 17-0.
Game over.
The Bearcats couldn’t match UConn’s energy or intensity on defense. They committed 20 turnovers, including eight in the first quarter, and shot only 29 percent.
⏩ NOW THAT’S MORE LIKE IT: Be aggressive, coach Geno Auriemma told them. Attack the basket. Don’t pass up open shots.
Clearly, there was no hesitancy from the Huskies on offense. They shot
47 percent and matched a season-high with 12 3pointers (St. Louis, Seton Hall). They were not only efficient but also balanced, as four players — led by Katie Lou Samuelson’s 23 points — scored in doublefigures.
⏩ DANGERFIELD CALLING THE SHOTS: Auriemma doesn’t care how many points Crystal Dangerfield scores so long as she helps the offense in other ways. Case in point: Dangerfield scored only 11 points on 4-of-11 shooting but matched her career-
high with 10 assists.
The Huskies will take that performance from their point guard more times than not.
⏩ WELCOME TO THE AAC: Cincinnati’s performance didn’t inspire much hope for the rest of the AAC. The Bearcats, who were picked fifth in the conference and had started 9-5 under new coach Michelle
Clark-Heard, didn’t stand a chance against the Huskies.
What does that mean for the rest of the conference? Well, nothing we didn’t already know.
USF, which will visit UConn Sunday (1 p.m. in Storrs), is down to just nine healthy scholarship players, five of them freshmen, after opening the season in the Top 25.
To make matters worse, Bulls coach Jose Fernandez announced after Tuesday’s 62-49 loss to UCF that guard Laura Ferreira is out this weekend because of an unspecified illness.
⏩ COLLIER CHIPS IN: Lost in all the fun for UConn was this showing by forward Napheesa Collier: 14 points, nine rebounds and six assists in 28 minutes.
Collier’s line speaks to just how deep and balanced the Huskies’ performance truly was.