Huskies Soar Over Sooners, Move To No. 1

Olivia Nelson-Ododa came up huge on Sunday. The 6-5 sophomore
forward dropped in 27 points, grabbed 15 rebounds, and blocked
seven shots for good measure.

By Bob Phillips

Photos by Bill Harper

UNCASVILLE—No Geno? No problema! With the Hall of Fame coach out for the game recovering from a minor health issue, it was assistant coach Chris Daley’s turn to step up to the plate in steering the Husky rudder. And Geno Auriemma’s top lieutenant aid was more than up to the task of pinch-hitting for her boss, who was missing just the 10th game in his 35-year career.

Led by Olivia Nelson-Ododa, who game close to a triple double with a 27-point, 15-rebound effort and added seven blocked shots, the Huskies routed Oklahoma, 97-53, before 7,238 fans at the Mohegan Sun Arena on Sunday. Megan Walker added 17 points and 15 rebounds for the Huskies. Crystal Dangerfield finished with 19 points. The Sooners had no answer for them or Nelson-Ododa, who had a career-high in points.

Taylor Robertson scored 24 points, including seven dropped in from beyond the arc, to lead the Sooners, who had won three straight prior to this game. Ana Lianusa added 11 for Oklahoma, which fell to 7-5.

Auriemma, 65, was sidelined with diverticulitis—an inflammation of a herniating pouch (the diverticulum) within the wall of the intestine—most often, the colon. Before Sunday, Daily had most recently stepped in for Auriemma two times last season when Auriemma was ill.

“I think we played as close to a good 40 minutes as we had all year,” Dailey said. “Today there was no lull, that was a big step for this team. Really, really happy. Olivia played great; everyone played well. Great way to end this portion of our season and send kids home for holidays in good spirits."

Junior forward Megan Walker put up a double-
double (17 points, 15 boards) for the Huskies,
who moved to the No. 1 position in the AP poll.

The Huskies were not exactly en fuego early in the game, however. UConn led by just four points, 15-11, at the first turn. Then, up by five, 26-21, late in the second quarter, the Huskies stepped on the jets and closed out the half with an 8-0 run. Dangerfield dropped in a buzzer-beater on transition as an exclamation point, and Connecticut entered the locker room with an 13-point lead, 34-21, at intermission.

When the Huskies opened the second half with a 7-0 run and took a 20-point lead, the outcome of this contest became a mere formality.

With the win, the No. 2 Huskies improved to 10-0, and are poised to take over the No. 1 spot in the rankings as No. 1 Stanford lost at Texas on Sunday. Connecticut also improved to 13-0 all-time vs. the Sooners, who fell to 7-5.

“I don't know that we're the No. 1 team in the country,” continued Daily, underplaying the Huskies obvious position. “I haven't seen enough of a lot of people. I've known our team when they have been No. 1 and this team isn't there yet.”

But seriously…what does it matter? Being No. 1 in late December is the college basketball equivalent of being in first place on Mother’s Day in baseball. This reporter often got a kick out of many of his college classmates at Providence College in the mid-1970s, who would boast of the start their beloved Red Sox would get off to in the early, then be strangely quiet by the end of the school year.

“We're not worried if we're No. 1 now,” acknowledged Daily. ‘Give ourselves best chance to be in that position in March. Geno said it last week. He was shocked we're the No. 2 team. I think he'll be shocked if we're the number one team."


Worried or not, it happened on Monday as the Huskies ascended to the No. 1 spot in the AP Poll—the 243rd week the Huskies have been ranked No. 1 in their fabled history and nearly one year (Dec. 31, 2018) since they last held the top spot.
 

The Huskies are now off for a week and will ring in the New Year by opening their last season in the American Athletic Conference on Thursday, Jan. 2, when they will host Wichita State at the XL Center. Tickets are available at the XL Center box office, or by clicking HERE. For those unable to attend the game, it will be televised live on SNY, streamed on ESPN3, and broadcast on the UConn/IMG radio network (ESPN Radio 97.9 FM locally). All UConn games are also available on TuneIn.
THE SKINNY

—with staff reports

#uconn / #uconnwbb / #uconnhuskies / #UConnNation / @uconnwbb

Reaffirmation for Newtown In State Title Game

The Newtown High football team was able to generate some joy for the
town and the state on a mournful day when the Nighthawks topped the
Darien Blue Wave to capture the 2019 Class LL state title.

TRUMBULL—Hey, Alex Jones… Eat THIS.

On a day that marked the seventh anniversary of the most horrific event in the history of this state, the Sandy Hook massacre, the town of Newtown was able to experience some small degree of resurrection when their beloved Newtown Nighthawks defeated the Darien Blue Wave, 13-7, to win the 2009 Class LL state football title in a game played at nearby Trumbull High on Saturday. The triumph completed the Nighthawks' first undefeated season since 1992.

In the game’s final seconds, Newtown quarterback Jack Street launched a soaring 36-yard pass to senior wide-out Riley Ward who carried the ball into the end zone as time expired. The crowd erupted in cheers as Ward threw his helmet in the air and took a celebratory sprint across the field. The stands cleared, and the young man was soon surrounded by teammates, coaches and a throng of supporters.

“I couldn’t have asked for anything more,” Ward told the Hartford Courant. “I love this town. I love everybody. I’m at a loss for words.”

It was a moment of pure athletic glory that lifted spirits in the town of 28,000 and rippled out into a nation where gun violence claims tens of thousands of lives every year.

Several of the team’s players attended Sandy Hook, and the brother of one of the linebackers, Ben Pinto, was among the children killed in the massacre.

“7 years ago in Newtown, CT was an unspeakably awful day. 7 years to the day, kids from that town and school did this,” tweeted veteran sportscaster Scott Van Pelt of ESPN. “Sports are amazing sometimes.”

“Amazing,” said Jimmy O’Brien, a popular sports video blogger.

“This is a movie,” wrote sportswriter Molly Knight of the Athletic.

Ahead of Saturday’s football game, many Newtown residents attended memorial services for the victims at local churches. Some expressed frustration that the country had made little progress in combating gun violence in the years since the shooting that upended life in the town, despite wave after wave of desperate calls for gun control.

At the game, Newtown supporters donned bold green, the Sandy Hook school color that has become associated with the push to end gun violence. Cheerleaders wore green bows, fans put on green face paint, and Newtown players wore green tape, as the Courant reported. Even some Darien fans showed up in green apparel.

The teams fought through thick fog for most of the game. At the 1-minute, the score was tied at 7-7. The daring, game-winning pass came with less than four seconds left on the clock.

“The whole town showed out on this special night,” senior Jared Dunn told Courant. “We knew we had to bring it home for our town.”

—Staff Reports

#sandyhook #prayfornewtown #sandyhookshooting #cthsfb

Eiselen, Matthaei Selected to HERO Sports All-America Teams

Dieter Eiselen (72) is one of two Bulldogs along with Spencer Matthaei
to be named to HERO Sports' All-American team. The South African
native was also named to participate in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl.

NEW HAVEN— Yale University football continues to receive accolades after its 2019 Ivy League Championship season as HERO Sports has recognized two Bulldogs as All-Americans. Senior offensive lineman Dieter Eiselen was tabbed to the All-America Second Team while senior defensive lineman and special teams standout Spencer Matthaei was selected to the Third Team.

Eiselen picks up his first All-America nod just five days after being the first Eli to make a Senior Bowl in seven years as he was selected to the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) Collegiate Bowl, next month at the Rose Bowl. Eiselen was also a New England Football Writers All-New England Team selection and an All-Ivy League First Teamer.

The Stellenbosch, South Africa, native anchored an offensive line that paced a unit that ranked sixth in the nation with 38.7 points per game as well as the No. 4 passing offense in the country and No. 4 team in time of possession.

Matthaei adds to his impressive career as he earned All-Ivy League Second Team honors three weeks ago. It is the second-straight season that he has garnered All-Ivy second teamer status, starting the 24 of the past 30 games for the Bulldogs.

Not only did the Bayville, N.Y., native serve of the lynchpin of the defensive line with 32 tackles and 9.0 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks, but also starred on special teams. Matthaei ranked second in the nation with three blocked kicks this season.

The Bulldogs boast a No. 23/22 national FCS ranking, a 9-1 overall record, a 6-1 mark in conference play and a second Ivy League Championship in three years. HERO Sports provides news and rankings for every college sports team, covering college sports news of NCAA, NAIA, and NJCAA teams at all divisions.

Eiselen Named to NFLPA Collegiate Bowl

In addition, Eiselen was selected to participate in the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) Collegiate Bowl  at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., on Jan. 18, 2020. The game will be televised live on NFL Network with kickoff set for 7 p.m. ET. Eiselen is the Bulldogs' first senior bowl participant since Patrick Witt `12 competed in the inaugural NFLPA Collegiate Bowl.

A First Team All-Ivy League and New Football Writers All-New England Team selection, Eiselen started every game at left guard this season as has made 34 starts in his Yale career. The senior economics/political science major is now a three-time All-Ivy honoree.

The lineman's work in the trenches anchored an offense that ranked sixth in the nation with 38.7 points per game as well as the No. 4 passing offense in the country and No. 4 team in time of possession.
 

This year the teams will be coached by former Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis and former Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson. Founded in 2012, the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl gives prospective players the best opportunity to showcase their talents to potential employers and fans. Nearly 200 scouts, player personnel staff, general managers and head coaches from all 32 NFL teams are expected be in attendance to watch live practices, conduct player interviews and review tape. Former head coaches have included Dick Vermeil, Herman Edwards, Dennis Green, Mike Homlgren, Mike Martz and Chuck Pagano.

—Staff Reports

#yalefootball @Yale_Football @yalefootball #Bulldogs #GoBulldogs #ivyleague #BulldogBuilt

Huskies Take On No. 16 Blue Demons

Christyn Williams and the No. 2 UConn Huskies will travel to Chicago
where they will take on the No. 16 DePaul Blue Demons Monday night.
The game will be televised nationally on FS1.

STORRS—The No. 2-ranked UConn women's basketball team will face No. 16 DePaul (9-1) in the Huskies' first matchup against a ranked team this season Monday. The teams will tip at 8 p.m. at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, and the game will be televised to a national audience on FS1 and broadcast on the UConn IMG Sports Network on 97-9 ESPN.

The 8-0 Huskies are coming off a dominant 81-57 win over arch rival Notre Dame last Sunday. Junior Megan Walker paced the Huskies with 26 points and 13 rebounds against the Fighting Irish while sophomore Olivia Nelson-Ododa also posted a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. For her efforts last week, Walker was named the American Athletic Conference and espnW Player of the Week.

The Huskies are 15-1 all-time vs. the Blue Demons, and have won the last 15 games after losing the first contest between the two teams in 1983. In the last meeting with DePaul last November, UConn came away with a 99-63 victory.

Since the 1993-94 season, the Huskies have posted a 287-24 (.922) record in non-conference play. UConn's final game of 2019 will come next Sunday, Dec. 22 against Oklahoma in the Hall of Fame Showcase at Mohegan Sun Arena. Tickets for the game are available at the Mohegan Sun box office or by clicking HERE.

The 10 Days of Husky Holiday Sales is going on now. Check in HERE every day for a new deal on UConn basketball and hockey tickets.

—Staff Reports

 #uconn #uconnhuskies @UConnWBB #uconnnation #huskies #BleedBlue #fs1 #foxsports @fs1