The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Collier’s huge game adds to her player of the year resume
Doug Bonjour’s Takeaways
HARTFORD — Geno Auriemma & Co. seem to be ready for March.
No. 4 UConn added a marquee win to its resume Monday, downing No. 11 South Carolina 97-79 at the XL Center. It was the Huskies’ first victory over a current Top-25 team since Dec. 2 (Notre Dame) and just the second this season.
Here’s five takeaways on the Huskies’ statement win:
⏩ SAME PHEESA, SAME RESULTS: Amid a frantic start, one marked by near perfection from South Carolina, there was Napheesa Collier, appearing unfazed by everything surrounding her. Nothing was going to rattle the cool and collected Collier, not on this night.
The senior provided a calming presence, particularly during a stretch that saw South Carolina hit 10 of its first 11 shots and build a 10-point lead. She scored 10 points in the first quarter and 31 for the game, another notch in her candidacy for national player of the year.
Collier, who’s averaging 19.8 points and 10.1 rebounds, doesn’t play with much flair or drama. And that’s one of the most admirable aspects of her game. She just goes out and takes care of business.
⏩ ONE-SIDED AFFAIR:
This must be getting old for Dawn Staley, right?
Eight times her Gamecocks have played UConn. Eight times they’ve lost.
None of the games have been particularly close, either. The Huskies have beaten the Gamecocks by an average of 25.8 points, including 94-65 in last season’s Elite Eight in Albany, N.Y.
South Carolina will get another crack at the Huskies next season at home.
⏩ SHARING MINUTES:
Geno Auriemma surveyed his roster before the season and came away with this conclusion: “I said,” the UConn coach told reporters Monday, “‘How in God’s name are we going to get to 80, 85 (points) because I don’t see it.’ I thought Pheesa, (Katie) Lou (Samuelson) and Crystal (Dangerfield) all have to get 20 every night. If we can get 60 from those three, then we’ve got a chance.”
The Huskies got 60 from just Collier and Samuelson against South Carolina. Dangerfield chipped in 10 points, helping lead the Huskies to their 89th straight home win.
Auriemma didn’t turn to his bench until 1 minute and 46 seconds into the third quarter, when Olivia Nelson-Ododa replaced Megan Walker. NelsonOdoda proceeded to play nine minutes, serving as a valuable presence in the paint.
There are nights when the Huskies will be able to win almost solely on the strength of their starters. This happened to be one of those, as four players logged 38 minutes.
⏩ OUT AND RUNNING: The Huskies owned the third quarter, outscoring South Carolina 29-12 to push their lead to 18. Considering the opponent, Auriemma thought it was the Huskies’ best quarter this season.
During that dominant 10-minute stretch, the Huskies excelled at getting out in transition and to the free-throw line (9-of-10). All 10 of the Huskies’ field goals came from within the arc.
⏩ SNEAK PEEK: Though the calendar still says February, the Huskies now have a better idea where they could stand on Selection Monday.
The first of two Top-16 “reveals” — released at halftime of Monday’s game — had UConn as a No. 2 seed in the Albany (N.Y.) Regional, opposite Mississippi State.
The Huskies (22-2, 10-0 AAC) being a No. 2 seed — and fifth overall behind Baylor, Louisville, Oregon and Mississippi State — shouldn’t create any angst. And that’s with the Huskies having a better RPI (6) and strength of schedule (26) than the Bulldogs (7, 41).
Whether they’re a No. 1 or a No. 2 seed doesn’t really matter. Either way, under this scenario, they’d likely find All-American center Teaira McCowan and the Bulldogs waiting in the Elite Eight.