Geno Auriemma Details UConn’s Postseason Challenge
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The Huskies are unbeaten this season with a 26–0 overall record and 15–0 in Big East play. They’ve won 42 straight games, extended their Big East regular-season winning streak to 53, and are winning by at least 30 points for a program-record 14th consecutive game.
Despite the win, as March approaches, the Huskies have shifted their focus from ‘how much’ UConn is winning to ‘how.’ In their last game against Creighton, the Huskies won 94–44. The margin was overwhelming; however, Geno Auriemma isn’t letting numbers ease the Huskies into postseason mode.
The Huskies shot a season-high 53.8% from three, forced 22 turnovers, and outscored Creighton 27–11 in points off turnovers. They also had a bench battle 39–17 and finished with 36 points in the paint. By the third quarter, Creighton had made just one of 16 shots, and UConn was firmly in control.
Still, when Auriemma was asked postgame whether the team’s attention is now on March, he had something interesting to say.
“This is game number 26 for us. After 26 games, you start to realize this is who we are as a team,” Auriemma said. “There are things that I can fix, and there are things that can’t be fixed… my job is to fix what I can and hide what I can’t.”
UConn finished with 20 assists on 36 made field goals and committed just 10 turnovers. One of the major issues was offensive rebounding. Against Creighton, UConn finished with just three offensive rebounds and four second-chance points.
As Auriemma puts it, “In the first half, I went into the locker room and said that we didn’t even attempt to get an offensive rebound. We shoot the ball, and everybody jogs back on defense. I said, “I don’t understand. You don’t need any talent to be an offensive rebounder. All you need is that when the ball leaves somebody’s hand, you automatically put yourself in a position to chase it down.”
UConn had zero offensive rebounds in the first quarter and just one in the second. The Huskies improved slightly after halftime, but still relied almost entirely on shot-making. UConn is shooting nearly 54% from three; it’s easy to mask that issue. However, in a postseason game, it could mean trouble.
“Next, I want to make sure that we don’t commit silly fouls and put ourselves in those situations. I thought, for the most part, we got better at that today….I’m looking for rhythm and flow to our offense, and we seemed to get a little bit of that, for the most part, today,” Auriemma added.
Huskies Have Five Games to Fix What They Can
The Huskies have five more games to close out their regular season. Next up, the Huskies face Marquette. The Huskies hold a 23–1 all-time advantage and won the most recent meeting 89–53, leading 73–29 after three quarters.
After Marquette, the Huskies take a road trip to Villanova, followed by home games against Providence and Georgetown. Then comes the finale at Madison Square Garden against St. John’s.
-fd44250df32912986cc6690f0b8bfa32.png "Shivani Menon")
Shivani Menon is a sports journalist with a background in Mass Communication and a passion for storytelling. She has written for EssentiallySports, College Sports Network, and PFSN, covering Olympic sports like track and field, gymnastics, and alpine skiing, as well as college football, basketball, March Madness, and the NBL Draft. When she's not reporting, she's either on the road chasing sunsets or getting lost in the rhythms of electronic soundscapes.