Three points to look at as No. 9 UConn women’s basketball resumes Large East play in opposition to Seton Hall
UConn women’s basketball resumes Large East play with a mid-day matchup in opposition to Seton Hall on Wednesday sooner than the Christmas break.
With Nika Mühl (concussion) and Dorka Juhász (broken left thumb) once more from injury, the No. 9 Huskies obtained once more inside the win column with an 85-77 victory over Florida State inside the Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase closing Sunday. Now they deal with the Pirates, who’ve started the season 9-3, already with conference wins over Xavier and then-No. 24 Marquette — their first victory over an AP Excessive 25 workers since 2019.
“We’re not able to look earlier anybody. Seton Hall is a extraordinarily good workers,” UConn affiliate head coach Chris Dailey talked about after Sunday’s recreation. “They’ve gained I imagine seven video video games in a row. They’re a superb workers. They’re bodily. … Will probably be very like what we merely carried out. They put quite a lot of stress on you because of they want to get to the rim. And we now have had our fingers full with them to this point, so it’s going to be an superior matchup.”
Listed below are three points to look at:
Does Aaliyah Edwards preserve her scorching streak going?
Stepping into this season, the phrase for Aaliyah Edwards was consistency. She’s lived as a lot as that expectation as a gradual drive inside the frontcourt for UConn all yr, nonetheless at present the junior forward has been doing way more.
Edwards has been on a scorching streak for the Huskies as of late. She’s scored 51 components on 66.7% capturing from the sector over the previous two video video games, setting back-to-back occupation highs. She had 25 components, eight rebounds and seven assists to supply her workers a chance on the freeway in opposition to then-No. 20 Maryland (now No. 15) on Dec. 11 after which adopted it up with 26 components, seven rebounds and two assists inside the win over Florida State.
“Aaliyah, I indicate, she was great instantly, nonetheless I actually really feel like she’s been at that diploma since we started the season,” Mühl talked about after the win over the Seminoles. “Seeing her bounce once more from closing season when she wasn’t on the diploma that she’s imagined to be and that she’s preparing frequently for, I’m great completely satisfied along with her and we’re all so fully completely satisfied to have her on our workers. She’s an actual chief and he or she does the little points and the huge points for us, an unlimited energy man. And I actually really feel like she stepped up huge time instantly for us and he or she’s an unlimited motive that we gained instantly.”
Over the yr, Edwards is averaging 16.9 components, good for third on the workers, along with 9.4 rebounds and a few.6 assists per recreation. She’s capturing 62.3% from the sector, which leads all UConn players who’ve taken in any case 15 makes an try.
“She’s making quite a lot of truly good selections,” Dailey talked about. “I imagine he’s drawing quite a lot of fouls and having fun with by means of contact. She’s making open air soar footage. She’s merely doing just a bit little little bit of the whole thing, and that’s what we would like. In each recreation irrespective of we now have needed she’s been able to current.”
Will Geno Auriemma be once more on the sidelines?
Spherical 10 minutes sooner than closing Sunday’s recreation, UConn launched that head coach Geno Auriemma wouldn’t be on the sidelines in opposition to Florida State. He started feeling unwell with flu-like indicators after the shootaround and decided to not coach out of warning.
Affiliate head coach Chris Dailey took over head educating duties and led the Huskies to victory. She has stepped up in Auriemma’s absence 14 situations all by means of the duo’s stint in Storrs collectively, going undefeated in these video video games.
“He’s okay,” Dailey talked about of Auriemma postgame. “I imagine it’s flu-like indicators correct now and dehydration. Nevertheless you might’t low price the reality that it has been a heck of each week, every from a having fun with standpoint and the number of video video games we now have had, after which to bear the sentiments of dropping his mom. So I’m optimistic it’s a combination of quite a lot of points. Nevertheless he’s feeling increased and we’re wanting forward to seeing him.”
Now the question turns into whether or not or not Auriemma may be once more on Wednesday. As of Tuesday morning, a workers spokesperson did not have any updates on Auriemma’s standing.
Can the Huskies clear up turnover factors?
Taking excellent care of the ball has flip into an issue for the Huskies as of late. They’ve devoted 69 turnovers over the previous three video video games.
UConn turned the ball over 27 situations in opposition to Princeton on Dec. 8, allowing its opponent to realize 28 components off these errors. Practically all of those obtained right here as quickly as Mühl went down with a head injury early inside the third quarter. The following recreation at Maryland, with Mühl out with a concussion and solely seven players accessible, the Huskies coughed the ball up 22 situations and allowed their opponent to realize 21 components from these turnovers.
It appeared as if these troubles could also be solved with Mühl once more at degree guard in opposition to Florida State, nonetheless UConn nonetheless devoted 20 turnovers and allowed its opponent to realize 21 components off these. Can the Huskies clear points up in opposition to Seton Hall?
“The turnovers, we had decrease than we did the other day so I suppose that could be a constructive, nonetheless we won’t merely give the ball up,” Dailey talked about after the win over Florida State. “We’re capturing almost 50% from the bottom. And if we give the ball away [20] situations, that’s quite a lot of additional components that we’d be capable to positioned on the board which will give us that gap. So we truly wish to deal with taking excellent care of the basketball. It isn’t one thing that we now have not targeted on, nonetheless it is an important half. You don’t want to lose a recreation because you flip the ball over.”
That is what else that you could know for the game.
Web sites: XL Center
time: 12 p.m
Assortment: UConn, 55-10
closing meeting: No. 9 UConn 71, Seton Hall 38 at Gampel on Jan. 21, 2022
TV: SNY; Allen Bestwick (pxp), Meghan Culmo (analyst), Maria Marino (sideline)
Stream: SNY app
Radio: UConn Sports activities actions Group on 97.9 ESPN
