A Look At UConn-Notre Dame I

By On 2013/01/04 · 8 Comments

No. 5 NOTRE DAME AT NO. 1 UCONN

Time: 4 p.m.

Where: Gampel Pavilion

TV: WFSB-3 (Don Criqui and Mary Murphy)

Radio: WTIC-AM 1080, WILI-AM 1400 (Bob Joyce and Debbie Fisk)

Series history: UConn, 29-8

Last meeting: Notre Dame, 83-75 (OT), NCAA national semifinal, Denver, April 1, 2012

Streaks:  Notre Dame W6; UConn W12

NOTRE DAME (11-1)

4 SKYLAR DIGGINS, G, 5-9, Sr., 14.5 – First team All-American; reigning Big East Player of the Week

23 KAYLA McBRIDE, G, 5-11, Jr.,15.3 – Just 4 of 22 from three-point range, but 95.5 free throw percentage

11 NATALIE ACHONWA, F, 6-3, Jr., 14.4 – Played for Canadian Olympic team this summer; leading rebounder (9.3) with seven double-doubles

32 JEWELL LOYD, G, 5-10, Fr., 12.8 – Team’s top three-point shooter (46.2 percent)

44 ARIEL BRAKER, F, 6-1, Jr., 7.2 – 18 blocked shots; 60.4 field goal percentage

34 MARKISHA WRIGHT, F, 6-2, So., 6.5 – Averaging 17.2 minutes; 20 points vs. St. Francis.

15 KAILA TURNER, G, 5-8, Sr., 4.3 – Has 26 assists, 22 steals

UCONN (12-0)

5 CAROLINE DOTY, G, 5-10, Sr., 4.8 – Career-high 12 rebounds against Oregon

30 BREANNA STEWART, F, 6-4, Fr, 15.2 – As many fouls (four) as points in Oregon win; has 18 blocked shots

14 BRIA HARTLEY, G, 5-7, Jr., 9.3 –Played only seven minutes at Oregon; 33 assists this season

31 STEFANIE DOLSON, C, 6-5, Jr., 11.9 – Tied with Stewart for rebounding lead (6.7)

34 KELLY FARIS, G, 5-11, Sr., 9.8  – Leads nation in assist/turnover ratio (47 to 10)

13 BRIANNA BANKS, G, 5-9, So., 9.1 – Averaging 19.3 minutes off the bench

23 KALEENA MOSQUEDA-LEWIS, F, 6-0, So., 16.9 – Shooting 52.3 percent from three-point range

WHAT TO WATCH

Irish Update

Notre Dame is off to an 11-1 start for the fifth time in six years and seventh time in school history. The Irish tied the school record for points in a game by scoring 128 against St. Francis (Pa.) on Dec. 31 in South Bend, Ind. It is the most points by an NCAA Division I team this season. It was Notre Dame’s third 100-point game of the season (all in the past six contests), marking the first time in school history the Fighting Irish have topped triple digits three times in one season. Diggins, who took only four shots in 17 minutes, set a career mark for assists with 14. The team had 38 assists with 10 turnovers.

Hot rival

No one knows how Notre Dame’s impending departure to the ACC will impact this intense rivalry. The teams have played eight times in the last two seasons; the Irish winning 3 of 4 last year, 4 of the last 5. Of course, Notre Dame has also defeated UConn in the last two national semifinals.

Back in the flow

Geno Auriemma used much of Monday’s 95-51 win over Oregon to get freshmen Morgan Tuck (knee) and Moriah Jefferson (illness) back into the flow. The pair combined for 50 minutes, while Hartley (seven) and Stewart (12) sat. … Kiah Stokes is likely to miss  her fifth straight game (stress reaction).

Unanimous No. 1

The Huskies play for the first time this season as the nation’s consensus No. 1. UConn was voted No. 1 in the Associated Press Top 25 shortly before the Oregon game began. That was followed by its ascension on Tuesday in the coaches’s poll.

JOHN ALTAVILLA/ jaltavilla@courant.com

 

 

 
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8 Responses to A Look At UConn-Notre Dame I

  1. CT_OR_Guy says:
    2013/01/04 at 11:30 am

    Here’s why *Notre Dame* fans should be cheering for UConn to win on Saturday. UConn clobbered Stanford last week, but then 3 days later Stanford won the Rose Bowl! Our UConn gals next destroyed Oregon, and yesterday Oregon won the Fiesta Bowl! So now our UConn women’s hoops greet ND — but ND fans, your football team is playing Alabama for the national championship! Pattern is clear — when the UConn women destroy you on the court, your football team wins a bowl game!!

  2. Dave says:
    2013/01/04 at 11:40 am

    Don Criqui doing play by play on Saturday. He’s a noted Notre Dame homer. Love’s the Irish.

    • fishpaw31 says:
      2013/01/04 at 12:57 pm

      DQ is also lousy at broadcasting women’s bball. Maybe since he’s been doing this early-January UCONN gig for a few years now he might be better, but I doubt it. He probably has no true interest in it; it’s a paycheck. His disinterest comes across loud & clear.

    • BKDad says:
      2013/01/05 at 5:38 pm

      Dave, are you ever right. The game is far from decided at the moment, and I’m just about to turn off the TV in favor of WTIC. This is one awful infomercial for CBS programming.

      I’m sticking with radio from now on.

  3. FREDDY UNKOOL says:
    2013/01/04 at 4:09 pm

    GOOD POST FREDDY–REAL POSITIVE. HOW TO GO.

  4. FREDDY UNKOOL says:
    2013/01/04 at 4:15 pm

    WAY TOO MANY OF THOSE BROADCASTING AUDIO OF THE GAMES (EXCEPT WTIC) SEEM TO HAVE LITTLE KNOWLEDGE OR INTEREST IN THE GAME IN FRONT OF THEM.
    I PERSONALLY LIKED BOB PICOZZI (? EXCUSE THE SPELLING), NOW HE IS DOING THE UCONN MEN.
    I LIKE TO KNOW THE SCORE, SHOT CLOCK, AND THE NUMBER OF FOULS ON THE PLAYER COMMITTING THE FOUL.

    • Village Idiot says:
      2013/01/05 at 8:25 am

      I think today you can throw the previous stats out the window. Big time players shall play big time. Weak knee’d sisters shall fade into the woodwork. This is not a rivalry for the faint of heart.
      It’s not really important for UConn to win this one–not much!!! Go Uconn women your fan complain but they love you.