Game 5: Gophers V UConn in the Bahamas (11-20-21)

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Ignatius L Hoops

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Ghosts of Huskies Past

Quickly getting down to business, UConn (1-0) opened the season by avenging last year’s only regular season defeat. The Huskies jumped on the Arkansas Razorbacks with an opening 17-2 run on the way to a 95-80 victory. The win in Hartford was the Huskies only tune-up before traveling to the Bahamas to face Minnesota (3-1) in the first Huskie/Gopher match-up since the 2004 Final Four. Minnesota and UConn have played twice. Both times, Gino Auriemma’s squad has prevailed (85-60 in 1990 (Gino’s first Final Four team) and 67-58 in 2004).

Auriemma may have fonder memories of Minneapolis than he does of the Bahamas. That’s because UConn’s national championship run began at Target Center in 1995. With the NCAA Final Four returning to the City of Lakes, Auriemma expects to arrive in Minneapolis this Spring led by last season’s Player of the Year, Hopkin’s Paige Bueckers.

Bueckers played 40 minutes against Arkansas (Gino tends to keep his best players on the court). In the first quarter, the 5’11” guard launched one shot, which she missed. Then, over the next three quarters, Bueckers went 15-18 on her way to a career high 34 points. She also contributed 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 0 turnovers. Bueckers is entering Breanna Stewart and Diana Taurasi territory, or at least she can see the entry gate that will open to that territory if she can lead the Huskies to an NCAA title.

Bueckers, of course, has some help. 5’11” senior guard Christyn Williams scored 18 points and grabbed 8 rebounds in 36 minutes versus the Razorbacks and 6’-0” senior guard Evina Westbrook finished the game with 15 points and 8 rebounds in 38 minutes. And we are waiting for 5’11” freshman guard, Azzi Fudd to break into the starting five. Against Arkansas, Fudd came off the bench to provide 7 points and 3 rebounds in 19 minutes.

Upon her arrival in Storrs, Paige Bueckers, embracing the ghosts of Huskies past, famously said, “I want to win four”. Her first NCAA title was denied by upstart Arizona in the national semifinals. As a result, UConn is aiming at Minneapolis in seeking a title restoration. While the Huskies have not missed a Final Four since 2006-07, UConn hasn’t won an NCAA championship since 2015-16. It’s a non-title streak that generally only bugs UConn fans. For many of us, curating and expanding the Pantheon of Huskies Notables is not high on our list of endeavors.
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No change in broadcast team...

Justin went to the Bahamas, while Ron Johnson is taking his place in Bloomington on Saturday.
 

www.espn.com

Everything you need to know about the inaugural women's Battle 4 Atlantis

Your Thanksgiving tournament viewer's guide is here, complete with a look at a potential 1-2 South Carolina-UConn showdown in the Battle 4 Atlantis.
www.espn.com www.espn.com

This year, the inaugural women's Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas only enhances the quality of the nonconference schedule. The event, which tips off Saturday and features three top-10 teams, could provide the first of two regular-season matchups between the Gamecocks and Huskies. If both win their first two games of the eight-team, 12-game tournament, South Carolina and UConn could collide in the tournament championship on Monday (noon ET, ESPN2).

Both teams made news earlier this week, as the Gamecocks lost star freshman Raven Johnson for the season due to a knee injury, and freshman guard Saylor Poffenbarger announced she was transferring from UConn.

What can we expect from the country's top two ranked teams in Paradise Island? What other storylines are we watching in the Battle 4 Atlantis, where teams will play three games in three days? And which other tournaments are we keeping an eye on? We break down one of the most potentially impactful weeks of the regular season.

[...]

What are the key matchups and storylines we should be watching in Saturday's Battle 4 Atlantis openers?​

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Minnesota vs. UConn, noon ET: As D'Arcy pointed out, Nelson-Ododa, Edwards and Juhasz looked out of sorts at times against Arkansas. If the Huskies are going to be ready for South Carolina in the championship game, all three will have to find a rhythm against the Gophers, who have won three straight, including a road win at Arizona State, after losing to Jacksonville at home in the season opener. Against potential second-round opponents, UConn is 32-0 all-time vs. South Florida, and has won 25 consecutive games vs. Syracuse
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www.ctinsider.com

UConn’s Paige Bueckers facing an idol in Battle 4 Atlantis opener, Minnesota coach Lindsay Whalen

UConn will face a familiar coach when it opens the first Women’s Battle 4 Atlantis...
www.ctinsider.com www.ctinsider.com

Whalen retired from playing and took over at her alma mater in 2018. She attempted to recruit Bueckers away from UConn, but it was too late.

“I knew UConn was my dream school kind of since birth,” Bueckers said. “But obviously just supporting my home state, my hometown, I went to games growing up and obviously the Lynx as well.

“I watched (Whalen) a lot and Maya (Moore, a former UConn star) and that whole group that won back-to-back championships and almost went to the finals every year. I went to a lot of those finals games and I was a fan of hers for sure.”

Since leaving Minnesota, Bueckers has made history with the Huskies and within the sport, becoming the first freshman to sweep player of the year awards. The sophomore begins her second go-around on multiple award watch lists and she began her sophomore season with a career-high performance against Arkansas.
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It’s really too bad we have to be the team to give uconn their first loss on the year and they can’t go undefeated. 🤷🏼‍♀️ Go Gophers 😉
 






Minutes Played in first half: 47-35 UConn

18 Scalia
17 Sissoko
15 Winters
13 Smith
11 Helgren
9 Powell
6 Sconiers
5 Hubbard
3 LBK
3 Micheaux
 

Only down 12 at halftime seems good tbh ... let's see if Scalia and Winters can stay hot in the second half!
 

whalenfan said:
Uconns really good, their length is giving the Gophers alot of problems. Gophers raining 3's but cant stop Uconn.
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I was talking about MIN being down by only 4 at that time.

Also, what happened to Corbu? This guy sounds like the one from “Enough Said”.
 

47-35 UConn at the half

Williams 21 pts
Westbrook 12 pts
Bueckers not really needing to show up with the other guards going off:3 pts, 3 ast, 3 stl

Scalia 15 pts (5-7 three)
Winters 12 pts (4-7 three)

Gophers relying on the three. Suspect that will be taken away after the half.
 

Shades said:
I was talking about MIN being down by only 4 at that time.

Also, what happened to Corbu? This guy sounds like the one from “Enough Said”.
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Corbu is now doing St. Thomas football and men's basketball. And yes it is Justin Gaard.
 

Not a bad first half for the Gophers offensively, but UConn back-cutting the Gophers to death. Williams with 21 points at the half for UConn, mostly on layups. Scalia and Winters hitting treys. It's starting to look like Winters will get a lot more PT, probably at the expense of Hubbard.
 

The party’s over! Gopher’s down by 20.
 


When Whalen was still playing, Reeve used to compare her to a hockey player on the court. Well, apparently Whalen is now a hockey coach with complete line changes. :)
 


Shades said:
Only if Geno is showing mercy. The UConn bench is pretty deep with Fudd and Juhasz. Those two would be the star players if they were on the Gophers.
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Fudd would be the best player on like 99% of teams in the country, Juhasz was 1st team all big ten last year. Poor Geno sure has it rough.
 



Waffle said:
Keep it under 40 please
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Well, you got your low-bar wish.
88-58 UConn final

Williams 31 pts
12-14, 3-4 3P, 4-4 FT, 4 reb, 3 ast

Scalia 17 pts
6-11, 5-8 3P, 1 reb, 1 ast
 
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