Huskies Cruise Into AAC Semis With 94-61 Thumping of Temple

Freshman Aubrey Griffin came off the bench halfway through the first
half to spark the UConn Huskies to a 94-61 win over Temple in the AAC
quarterfinals at the Mohegan Sun Arena on Sunday.

By Bob Phillips

UNCASVILLE—The University of Connecticut Huskies, playing in their final American Athletic Conference women’s basketball championship tournament, rolled over the Temple Owls, 94-61, before 5,763 fans at the Mohegan Sun Arena on Saturday. Crystal Dangerfield led all scorers with 22 points. The 5-5 senior guard from Murfreesboro, Tenn., shot 53 percent from the floor (8-for-15) including a scorching 6-for-9 from beyond the three-point arc. She also added four rebounds and three assists for the Huskies, the No. 1 seed in the tournament (as they have been every year as a member of the American).

American Player of the Year Megan Walker scored 17 points, grabbed six boards, and dished out three assists, while 6-1 freshman forward Aubrey Griffin from nearby Ossining, NY, put up a double-double (15 points, 16 boards) for the victors.

Mia Davis led Temple with 21 points on 8-for-14 shooting and grabbed four rebounds. Ashley Jones scored 13 points and dished out six assists for the Owls, who fell to 16-15 overall, 7-9 in the conference.

 Temple opened the game with a 9-2 run, holding the Huskies scoreless for nearly three minutes. But sadly for Owl fans, that was as good as it got as UConn responded with an 8-2 run to pull within a point, 11-10 at the media timeout. Olivia Nelson-Ododa worked her inside-outside game to perfection after the time out, banking home a layup to give the Huskies their first lead of the contest, 12-11. Griffin drove the lane, got hammered, and converted a traditional three-point play at the end of the opening period to give the Huskies a 15-13 lead at the first turn.

“You can see it,” UConn head coach Geno Auriemma said of Griffin, his freshman star in the making who didn’t come into the game until a little over eight minutes in. Griffin, by the way, is without question a basketball blueblood. Her dad, Adrian Griffin, played for nine seasons in the NBA player and is currently and assistant coach with the Toronto Raptors.

“It's an energy level you don't see very often,” continued Aubrey Griffin’s Hall of Fame coach. “Her ability to pressure [on defense]; her ability to go get the ball when it comes off the rim. It's unique ... even when you think you got her boxed out. She's pretty good at getting in the lane.”

“She just came in and she changed the entire game,” Temple coach Tonya Cardoza said. “I think she gave them the energy they needed. She got some offensive rebounds and got to the free-throw line. She was the spark that they needed.”

“I just went out there and played hard, stayed aggressive,” said Griffin. “I don't know how I feel about (the postseason); I've definitely just got to go out there and play hard. I just went in there. Just kind of do my thing.”

UConn pulled away in the second quarter after Griffin poured in four straight points for the Huskies. Dangerfield nailed an uncontested trey at 3:17 of the second give the Huskies a 15-point lead at their home away from home.

Time out Temple.

Didn’t help much.

The Huskies kept the pedal to the metal and took a 19-point lead, 47-28, into the locker room at intermission.

Theo up the UConn lead to its largest of the game at 37-22 and force a Temple timeout. The Huskies kept the momentum rolling and carried a 47-28 lead to halftime.

The third quarter was all Connecticut’s. A jumper by Polish sharpshooter Anna Makurat (14 points on 4-for-8 shooting, including3-for-5 from downtown Norwich) late in the period gave the Huskies a 27-point lead.

Temple comeback?

Yeah, right.

Temple’s Alexa Williamson drew the foul on a layup in the final minute of the quarter but was unable to cash in from the charity stripe, and Christyn Williams chipped in a layup at the other as the Huskies took an insurmountable 73-64 lead at the third pole.

A trey by Dangerfield at the 6:29 mark of the fourth quarter staked the Huskies to an 80-52 lead.

Say good night, Gracie.

The top-seeded Huskies now advance to the semifinals where they will face the tourney’s No. 4 seed, USF, 64-50 winners over Tulane, on Sunday. Tip-off at the Mohegan Sun Arena at 4 p.m., and fans unable to attend can follow the action on ESPN platforms, including ESPN3, ESPNU and ESPN2. For full coverage of this week’s American Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Championship, visit theamerican.org/wbb and follow @American_WBB on Twitter.

—with staff reports

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

Makurat, Walker Earn AAC Accolades

Megan Walker (3) was named to the American Athletic Conference's
weekly honor roll. She was joined by Husky teammate Anna Makurat
who was named the conference's Freshman of the Week for the second
straight week. 

By Bob Phillips

PROVIDENCE—Heading into their final go-round in the American Athletic Conference (AAC) women’s basketball tournament, two UConn Huskies picked up honors for the week ending March 1. Anna Makurat was named AAC Freshman of the Week and Megan Walker was named to the conference’s weekly honor roll.

This was Makurat’s second straight Freshman of the Week award. The 6-1  Polish sharpshooter averaged 14.7 points and 3.7 assists per game performance during a 3-0 week for top-seeded UConn that clinched another undefeated league campaign for the Huskies.

Makurat shot 48.5 percent overall in triumphs at Cincinnati, at Houston and at home against USF, including an even 50.0 percent from beyond the arc. She hit 7-of-11 shots (4-of-5 from three-point range) to finish with 20 points and six assists in a blowout of Cincinnati. She followed up that performance with a 16-point, three-assist showing in only 28 minutes at Houston and scored eight points to go along with three assists and a pair of steals to cap the regular season against USF.

Walker averaged 23.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists while shooting 60 percent from the field in wins over Cincinnati, Houston and USF. The 6-1 junior forward from Chesterfield, Va.,  poured in 25 points on 66.7 percent shooting at Cincinnati, scored 21 points with  nine rebounds and four steals at Houston, and capped her week with a 23-point, seven-rebound, five-assist performance vs. USF.

Other AAC Weekly Honor Roll winners were:

Player of the Week

Kay Kay Wright * Sr. * G * UCF

Wright enjoyed a huge week for American Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Championship No. 2 seed UCF, averaging 26.7 points per game and 4.7 assists per contest in victories over Temple, Memphis and Wichita State. Wright shot 55.4 percent from the field over the three-game stretch, which included a 58.8 percent clip (10-of-17) from 3-point range. She played all 40 minutes in a home victory against Temple (Feb. 26), scoring 24 points on 10-of-17 shooting while pulling down three rebounds and adding two assists. Wright tallied 19 points, six assists, three rebounds and two steals in a road win at Memphis (Feb. 29) before saving her best scoring performance for the final game of the regular season. The senior guard notched a career-high 37 points after hitting 13-of-21 shots from the floor (61.9 percent), which included a 5-for-8 showing from beyond the arc, and six assists in a Monday win over Wichita State (March 2) to lock up the conference tournament’s second seed. Following the completion of the regular season, Wright ranked fourth in The American with 17.8 points per game and sixth with 4.0 assists per game.

Weekly Honor Roll

Krystal Freeman * Jr. * F * Tulane

Tallied 21 points and 10 rebounds in each game of a 1-1 Tulane week against East Carolina (Feb. 29) and Temple (March 2); hit 62.4 percent of shots from the field in the matchup with ECU and connected on an even 50 percent from the floor against Temple, including a late jumper to seal the game against the Owls

Antoinette Miller * Sr. * G * Cincinnati

Averaged 18.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game in a 2-1 week for Cincinnati to lock up the third seed in The American tournament; scored 17 points against UConn (Feb. 26), 15 points versus Wichita State (Feb. 29) and 22 points on Senior Night against East Carolina (March 2)

Madison Griggs * Fr. * G * Memphis

Accounted for 18.0 points per game, 4.5 rebounds per game and established an American single-season record for made 3-pointers by a freshman during Memphis’ week against UCF (Feb. 29) and SMU (March 2); scored 15 points and chipped in three assists against UCF and scored 21 points to go along with eight rebounds at SMU

Elena Tsineke * Fr. * G * USF

Logged a 16.0 points per game and 3.0 rebounds per game average in a 2-1 week for USF; scored 19 points on 6-of-15 shooting (4-for-7 from beyond the arc) against East Carolina (Feb. 25) and added 21 points and three boards against SMU (Feb. 29) to highlight the week

The UConn Huskies, who have never lost a game in regular season or postseason championship tournament play throughout their tenure in the AAC, open their final American run on Saturday. The Huskies (26-3 overall, 16-0 AAC) will take on the winner of the ECU-Temple game in a quarter-final matchup at the Mohegan Sun Arena at 2 p.m. The game will be streamed on ESPN3. Assuming they advance to the semi-finals and finals, both will be played at the Mohegan Sun Arena (on Sunday and Monday respectively), and will be televised on ESPN2. Saturday’s and Monday’s games can also be heard on ESPN Radio 97.9 FM, while Sunday’s game will be broadcast on The River 105.9 FM.

—with staff reports

Reed Commits To Travelers

HARTFORD—The Travelers Championship today announced that Patrick Reed, the 2018 

Patrick Reed, ranked No. 9, becomes the fourth Top 10 golfer to join the
Travelers Championship field. The Travelers will be played June 22-28 at
TPC River Highlands in Cromwell.

Masters champion whose recent victory at the WGC-Mexico Championship gave him eight career wins on the PGA TOUR, has committed to play in the 2020 tournament. Ranked No. 9 in the world, Reed joins three other players Top 10 players in the current Official World Golf Ranking—No. 1 Rory McIlroy, No. 4 Justin Thomas and No. 6 Patrick Cantlay—to commit to the Travelers.

“With multiple TOUR wins, a major championship and appearances on the United States Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup teams, Patrick’s record speaks for itself,” said Travelers Championship Tournament Director Nathan Grube. “We’ve loved having him in our field over the years, and we’re excited that his 2020 schedule will include a stop in Connecticut.”

Reed has played in the Travelers Championship every year since making his debut in 2012. His best finish in eight starts at TPC River Highlands was a tie for fifth in 2017. With at least one PGA TOUR victory in seven of the past eight seasons, Reed has established himself as one of golf’s most consistent players. He has qualified for the season-ending TOUR Championship—reserved for only the top 30 in the FedExCup points standings—each of the past six years. That included 2018, when Reed won the Masters for his first major championship. He’s also won two World Golf Championship events and two PGA TOUR playoff tournaments.  Additionally, Reed has been a mainstay for the United States in team competition, having played in the past three Ryder Cups and past three Presidents Cups. He also competed in the 2016 Olympics for Team USA.

“Patrick is a passionate player striving to be the best in the world,” said Andy Bessette, Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer at Travelers. “He’s been good to us over the years by playing at TPC River Highlands, and I know he’ll be coming to win the tournament in June.”

The 2020 Travelers Championship, a premier event on the PGA TOUR, will be held June 22–28 at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell and is part of the FedExCup series. Named by the PGA TOUR in 2017 and 2018 as the recipient of the “Players Choice” award, the Travelers Championship proudly supports the TOUR’s Tradition of Giving Back by donating 100% of net proceeds to charities. For tickets or for more information, visit www.TravelersChampionship.com.

—Staff Reports

#travelerschampionship / #pga / @TPCRH

Huskies Crush Cougars

Megan Walker (3) and Anna Makurat (24) led the No. 6 Huskies to
a 52-point victory over the Houston Cougars on Sunday.

HOUSTON—Led by a 21-point, nine-rebound effort from Megan Walker, the University of Connecticut Huskies romped to a 92-40 victory over the Houston Cougars before 2,936 fans at Fertitta Center on Sunday. Anna Makurat added 16 points, while Olivia Nelson-Ododa added a double-double (14 points, nine rebounds), Crystal Dangerfield chipped in 10 points and seven assists and Christyn Williams had 12 points and seven rebounds for the No. 6 Huskies. UConn shot 56 percent from the field, including on 10-for-26 from beyond the 3-point arc.

The Huskies forced Houston into 20 turnovers, which they converted into 23 points and held a 52-22 advantage in points in the paint.

Tatyana Hill had 11 points, and Dymond Gladney had nine points for Houston (12-17, 5-10), which lost its sixth straight. The Cougars shot 24 percent from the floor.

UConn outscored Houston 34-7 in the first quarter, which included at 25-0 run. Walker had 12 points and Makurat added eight in the period. The Huskies took a 55-20 lead into the locker room at intermission behind 17 points from Walker and 14 points from Makurat. Overall, UConn had 24 assists on 37 made field goals.

With the win, the Huskies improved to 25-3 overall, 15-0 in the American Athletic Conference, and remained a spotless 135-0 all time in AAC regular season and postseason tournament play. The Huskies have won 209 straight games against unranked opponents dating back to Feb. 2012.

The Cougars, who previously lost 91-51 fell to 0-10 all-time vs. Connecticut. Houston lost 91-51 at the XL Center in January.

Next up the Huskies will concluded the regular season by hosting South Florida on Monday night at the XL Center. Tip-off is at 7 p.m., and the game will be televised on ESPN2.

—Staff Reports

Sound Tigers Blanked by Phantoms

The Sound Tigers fought valiantly, but ultimately came up on the short
end of a 1-0 decision to the Binghamton Devils on Sunday.

BRIDGEPORT—The Bridgeport Sound Tigers wrapped up a three-in-three weekend series by dropping a 1-0 decision to the Binghamton Devils before 4,133 fans at the Webster Bank  Arena on Sunday.  This was the fifth time the Sound Tigers have been shut out this season. It also concluded the two-game season series between the teams won by the Devils two  games to none.

Devils goaltender Zane McIntyre stopped 36 shots in his Binghamton debut after being acquired by the New Jersey Devils from Vancouver prior to the NHL trade deadline last Monday. It was his first shutout of the season, while another Devils newcomer, Janne Kuokkanen, scored the night’s only goal on a five-on-three power play in the second period. Kuokkanen was traded to New Jersey from Carolina on Monday as well.

Indeed, both goaltenders had outstanding games—Sound Tigers netminder Christopher Gibson (7-8-5) stopped 27 of the 28 shots the Devils took at him—and this was particularly true in the opening frame when each goaltender stopped eight shots in a scoreless first period. Bridgeport had two power-play opportunities in the first frame that came up short and Jeff Kubiak rang a shot off of the post.

In the second stanza, Kieffer Bellows was called for holding at 7:27 and Robert Carpenter aired a clearing attempt into the stands for a delay of game penalty nearly 10 seconds later. The Devils took advantage of the two-man advantage and recorded the game’s only tally at the 9:04 mark when Kuokkanen settled Chris Connor’s pass and fired home his 14th goal of the season on a wrist shot below the hash marks.

McIntyre kept the visitors out front with several highly-athletic saves the rest of the way, including a lateral stop on Ryan Bourque’s rebound chance following Colin McDonald’s blast off the pads. The Sound Tigers outshot Binghamton 28-20 in the final two periods, but failed to tie the game.

Bridgeport went 0-for-4 on the power play and 3-for-4 on the kill. Nick Schilkey, who played with Koukknen on the Calder Cup champion Charlotte Checkers last season, had a team-high five shots-on-goal for the Sound Tigers. Overall, Bridgeport outshot Binghamton 36-28. With  the win the Phantoms improved to XXXX while the Sound Tigers fell to 20-32-5-2.

THE SKINNY

The Sound Tigers are now off until Friday night when they will travel to Allentown, PA, to open their second straight three-in-three weekend vs. the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. First puck drops at the PPL Center in Allentown, Penn., at 7:05 p.m. The game can be heard on the Sound Tigers Radio Network or seen on AHLTV beginning with the pre-game show at 6:45 p.m.  

—Staff Reports

#soundtigers / @TheSoundTigers / #AHL / @TheAHL

UConn Comes Up Big at ECU

Christian Vital (1) scored a season-best 27 points to lead the Huskies
over ECU on Saturday, improving their postseason chances.
(Photo by Stephen Slade)

GREENVILLE, N.C.—Nothing could be finer than to be in Carolina for the UConn Huskies on Saturday as Christian Vital had a season-high 27 points to lead all scorers as UConn cruised past East Carolina 84-63 before 5,003 fans at Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum. James Bouknight chipped in with a double-double (19 points, 10 boards), while Isaiah Whaley had 16 points and seven rebounds and  Brendan Adams added 11 points off the bench for the Huskies, who improved their National Invitation Tournament  (N.I.T.) position by upping their record to 17-12 overall and 8-8 American Athletic Conference play. In order to realistically be considered for the N.I.T., a team needs to be above .500 overall, and at least at .500 within its conference.

Tristen Newton scored a season-high 25 points for the Pirates while Charles Coleman added 12 points.

The Huskies led wire-to-wire, scoring the game's first five points and built a 42-30 lead at intermission, closing out the first half with a 12-4 run. The 42 first-half points represented the Huskies season-best.

ECU (11-19, 5-12) trailed by 10 with 8:30 remaining in the first half. But the Pirates sliced six points off the Huskies' advantage and were down only four, 30-26, with just under five remaining in the first half. UConn the scored 10 unanswered points, bookended by 3s from Vital and Bouknight, for 14-point lead before securing a 12-point cushion at intermission.

Although UConn maintained a double-digit lead the majority of the second half, ECU made a run midway through the stanza, going on a 16-8 run to pull within six, 62-56, with 9:50 to play. However, the Huskies were not phased and pushed their lead out to 17 points with 4:16 remaining, outscoring the Pirates 14-3 over a five-minute stretch.

"I'm disappointed in a number of things," ECU Head Coach Joe Dooley said. "It was probably the first time in a while we've given in a little bit. We had a number of things go wrong today and we couldn't offset it. We didn't play like ourselves today. A lot of that is attributed to UConn. They made a lot timely shots and obviously Vital was terrific.

Freshman Tristen Newton scored a season-high 25 points for the Pirates while fellow freshman Charles Coleman reached double figures for the first time this season with 12 points.

Both teams shot 43 percent from the field, but UConn made 10 3s compared to two by the Pirates. The Huskies were also plus-12 on the backboards and scored 19 second chance points off 16 offensive rebounds.

Sophomore Jayden Gardner failed to score double figures for the first time this season as the UConn defense limited him to just nine points. ECU junior guard JJ Miles was ejected from the game after his was assessed a technical foul after slapping the ball out of the hands of UConn guard Alterique Gilbert.

The Huskies were dominant of the boards, out-rebounding the Pirates by a 39-27 margin, including 16-11 off the offensive glass. Those led to 19 second-chance points for the Huskies.

The Huskies now return home on Thursday with a game vs. Houston (22-7 overall, 12-4 AAC) at Gampel Pavilion on Thursday. Tip-off is at 7 p.m., and the game will be televised on the CBS Sports Network. The Huskies will close out the regular season on Sunday when they travel to New Orleans to take on Tulane (12-17, 4-13) at Devlin Fieldhouse. That game tips-off at 4 p.m. and will be televised on ESPNU.

—Staff Reports

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