The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
QUINNIPIAC at No. 1 UCONN
When: Monday, 6:30 p.m..
Where: Gampel Pavilion, Storrs
Records: Quinnipiac 24-9; UConn 33-0
TV: ESPN2
Radio: WTIC-1080; WELI-960; WILI-1400; WGCH-1490, WQUN-1220
Internet: ESPN3
KEEP AN EYE ON
⏩ Nutmeg State finale: While UConn seniors Kia Nurse and Gabby Williams were already honored before the Huskies final regular season home game, this will be their final collegiate game in the state of Connecticut. UConn is 80-0 in games played in the Nutmeg State in their four years, including 59-0 at Gampel Pavilion. Nurse ranks in the top 10 on UConn’s career charts in 3-point percentage and games started and will move into the top 10 in minutes played. Williams is in the top 10 in rebounds and steals.
⏩ Immediate impact: Azurá Stevens had 26 points in UConn’s first round win, the most for a player making her NCAA tournament debut with the Huskies. It should be noted that Stevens did play in three games at the 2015 NCAA tournament when she was a freshman at Duke. Megan Walker came two points shy of joining Jamelle Elliott, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis and Katie Lou Samuelson as the only UConn freshmen with 20 points in their first NCAA tournament game.
⏩ Matchup concerns: UConn set the tournament singlegame record with 69 rebounds in Saturday’s opening round win. Quinnipiac beat Miami without using a player taller than 6-0, so limiting UConn to just one shot will be a significant concern especially when the 6-foot-6 Stevens is on the court with All-Americans Napheesa Collier and Williams. UConn coach Geno Auriemma is expecting Quinnipiac to scrap as it did in the opening round and knows the Bobcats won’t be utilizing St. Francis’ strategy of pushing the ball up the floor, jacking up more than 50 3-pointers and failing to get back on defense.
⏩ Bobcats defy the odds again: While outrage from UConn’s 140-52 win over St. Francis (Pa.) drew most of the attention, it should be noted that Quinnipiac was one of nine lower seeds to win in the first round. That ties the record for the most lower seeds to advance to the second round since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1994. Nine teams also made it to the second round in 1998 and 2000.