Given that UConn Huskies women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma had to abruptly end practice on Wednesday, you weren’t quite sure how the team would come out of the gates on Thursday night. Well they made sure he’d be happy with how they responded.
The Huskies put this one away early as they went on to an easy 93-40 win over the Fairfield Stags in front of 8,106 at Gampel Pavilion on campus in Storrs, CT.
UConn finishes the 2011 portion of their schedule at 11-1. The Stags fall to 7-4.
Tiffany Hayes led the way for the Huskies with 23 points and added five rebounds. Stefanie Dolson had perhaps her finest game of the season with 22 points and pulled down four rebounds. Freshman Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis and Brianna Banks both had 12 points off the bench while Bria Hartley had 10 points, six rebounds and four assists.
Kelly Faris might not have scored any points but she led the Huskies with eight rebounds and nine assists. For good measure, Caroline Doty added seven assists to go along with her seven points.
Fairfield was led by Desiree Pina who had 12 points. Alexys Vazquez added nine points while Brittany MacFarlane chipped in with eight. MacFarlane and Taryn Johnson led the Stags with three rebounds each.
UConn got out of the gates quickly and into the paint as Dolson scored the first eight points of the game. In fact, Dolson scored 16 of the first 19 points UConn scored.
With the Huskies up 25-14, they used a 9-0 run to make sure the Stags would have no chance of coming back.
Very solid performances all around for the Huskies. Coming off the Christmas break and what happened at practice on Wednesday, this is a good sign. The one thing UConn has lacked all season is an identity. Hopefully this is the start of something good for the Huskies as they prepare to jump back into Big East play.
The Huskies will be back in action next Wednesday night when they’ll host the West Virginia Mountaineers at the XL Center. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the game will be broadcast locally here in Connecticut on CPTV.
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Notes and musings:
Fairfield Stags @ UConn Huskies 12.29.11 box score
Here are the postgame quotes from UConn head coach Geno Auriemma and Fairfield head coach Joe Frager.
The 2002 National Championship team was inducted into the Huskies of Honor at halftime. Sue Bird, Ashley Battle and Maria Conlon were among those who made it back.
Former Husky Svetlana Abrosimova was also reinducted into the Huskies of Honor. She had previously been honored but wasn’t able to attend the first time.
The starters for the Huskies were Bria Hartley, Tiffany Hayes, Caroline Doty, Kelly Faris and Stefanie Dolson.
UConn shot 59.4% (38-64) from the floor while the Stags shot 33.3% (16-48).
The Huskies had 26 assists on their 38 made baskets.
UConn was 8-of-18 (44.4%) on three pointers. Fairfield was 8-of-26 (30.8%).
The Huskies were 9-of-14 (64.3%) at the charity stripe.
UConn dominated the glass as they outrebounded Fairfield 46-16.
The Huskies had 28 points off of 18 Stags turnovers. Fairfield had 12 points off of 10 UConn turnovers.
UConn outscored Fairfield 58-2 in the paint and 18-0 on the fast break.
The Huskies had 25 second chance points to just two for the Stags.
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Photo credit: Brad Horrigan – Hartford Courant (No. 12 in gallery)
