Williams Shines As UConn Topples Notre Dame
The Story: There will be a new No. 1 team in women’s college basketball. UConn wiped out rival Notre Dame 89-71 at the Purcell Center on Sunday behind 28 points from freshman Christyn Williams.
A STAR IS BORN: If you want to be a star in women’s college basketball, you should come to UConn. Williams, in a No. 1 vs. No. 2 game, lit up Notre Dame as the Huskies rolled. The No. 1 recruit in the nation last year, she put on a legendary performance. Not hyperbole. This is a game that fans are going to remember for a long time. Perhaps it will be the first time we remember watching Williams play.
There are three All-America candidates in Katie Lou Samuelson, Crystal Dangerfield and Napheesa Collier. Notre Dame has five others who could make an All-America team, led by Arike Ogunbowale. The best player on the floor was a freshman.
Williams was 11-of-16 shooting in the first 20-plus-point game of her career and what surely will not be her last. Williams is a 5-foot-11 guard out of Little Rock, Arkansas.
IRISH DON’T ACKNOWLEDGE WILLIAMS: The game recap on the Notre Dame website is devoid of Williams’ 28 points. While they did admit that UConn won the game, there is no mention of Williams’ scoring or any Huskies highlights for that matter. It truly is a work of art.
Maybe the Irish didn’t know who they were playing. Apparently, they announced Notre Dame playing the University of Kentucky.
UCONN OWNS THE PURCELL CENTER: UConn has won each of the last three times it has played Notre Dame in South Bend and is the only one to beat the Irish at home in years. The Huskies also own the all-time series with a 37-12 advantage.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE: UConn held Notre Dame to 40 percent shooting and, in the second half, held the Irish to 10-of-34 shooting (29.4 percent).
DEPTH IS OVERRATED: Who needs a bench? UConn played six players, with only Olivia Nelson-Ododa coming off the bench for 16 minutes. Williams and Dangerfield each played 40 minutes.
WHAT DID GENO SAY? “[Williams] adds a really big dimension to our team. With Notre Dame, you have to match their aggressiveness, and you have to attack their defense the way they attack yours. And Christyn does that. She’s fearless and you saw that. I was upset we didn’t give [the ball] to her more in the second quarter. She was carrying our team.” — UConn coach Geno Auriemma on Williams.
UP NEXT: UConn is at Saint Louis (not St. Louis) on Tuesday.
An Opportunity Not Taken For UConn Men
The Story: A packed house at the XL Center, a national audience, and a game ripe for the taking — except the Huskies didn’t take it, losing an entertaining, fun and ultimately frustrating 76-72 game on Sunday.
Brandon Randolph led Arizona with 20 points while Jalen Adams had 21 for the Huskies.
MISSED OPPORTUNITY: Want to know the culprit? Those turnovers that UConn escaped with early in the season came back to haunt it. UConn’s 19 turnovers led to 16 points for Arizona (which isn’t a full-court pressure team). There was lackadaisical passing and too much one-on-one play for the Huskies, who managed only 12 assists in 28 baskets. Christian Vital, who had 11 points on only six shots, nevertheless had seven turnovers and was sloppy and out of control. Alterique Gilbert, who took a nasty fall early in the game, was ineffective with eight points on 3-of-12 shooting. Adams even had five turnovers for the Huskies.
The overdribbling and sloppy play allowed Arizona to get out on the break and left the floor unbalanced on defense. Transition defense is a problem, not only on turnovers but on missed baskets.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE: Arizona did not score a field goal over the final 6:43 of the game. UConn, however, could not rally all the way back and was outscored 19-8 at the foul line. The Wildcats shot 19-of-22 from the free throw line to put the game away.
DISAPPEARING ACT: Josh Carlton was in foul trouble and had only one shot in 15 minutes and zero points. Tarin Smith had five points and one killer foul on a 3-pointer late in 30 minutes of action.
DIDN’T EXPECT THAT! Sidney Wilson had an embarrassing 5-minute debut against UMass-Lowell, which included him getting hung on a dunk. It was brutal.
On Sunday, he had seven points, including a 3-pointer, and looked like someone who is going to be a part of the rotation this season. Wilson also had two rebounds in 12 minutes. We are back on the hype train.
BIG-GAME COBB: Carlton and Eric Cobb seem to take turns standing out, and Cobb was stellar Sunday with 12 points and 10 rebounds. There were 21 NBA scouts in attendance, including former UNC standout Antawn Jamison, representing the Los Angeles Lakers, and three Boston Celtics front-office personnel.
(Side note on on Jamison: Really? Former max contract player scouting a college game? Man must love basketball.)
Scouts would be wise to note that the 6-foot-9, 250-pound Cobb was running up and down the floor with energy and bounce and plays with a big degree of physicality. He’s real. Who would have thought? His motor (to use a scouting term) is terrific. He’s always moving. We here at The UConn Daily love him!
WHAT DID HURLEY SAY? “There’s a lack of crispness with our passing. Just with good teams, the ball moves on a line. Our habits aren’t where they need to be if you want to have a really good team across the board.” — UConn coach Dan Hurley on UConn’s troubles.
NEXT UP: UConn (6-2) will play Lafayette on Wednesday at the XL Center before heading to the Prudential Center in New Jersey to take on Flroida State on Saturday.
Morning Read
AKOK COMING; KWINTIN GOING? Akok Akok, who was at Sunday’s game against Arizona behind the bench, is happy to join the team. Kwintin Williams isn’t happy. Williams put out a cryptic tweet on Sunday afternoon about his hoops future. (Hartford Courant)
SOUR MOOD FOR HUSKIES: The loss to Arizona left a bad taste in the mouth of UConn players. (The Day)
WOMEN’S HOCKEY KNOCKS OFF PC: The UConn women’s hockey team beat No. 8 Providence on Saturday, the 100th career win for Chris MacKenzie. (UConnHuskies.com)
ADAMS WITH 3 INTS: Former UConn safety Andrew Adams had a career day for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with three interceptions off the Carolina Panthers’ Cam Newton. (Tampa Bay Times)
