University of Connecticut Athletics
No. 1 Huskies Travel to Champaign to Face Illini
12/8/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
- Game Notes (.pdf)
TODAYS GAME
The Connecticut Huskies, ranked No. 1 in the country, face the Fighting Illini of Illinois in the 3rd meeting between the two teams in the sport of womens basketball. UConn owns a 2-0 lead, and is travelling to Champaign for the first time in the series. The teams last met in the 1999-2000 season, when the Huskies defeated the Fighting Illini, 100-79, before a sellout crowd in Gampel Pavilion. The game was UConn's second game of the season in Gampel. The first meeting was in March of 1997, when the teams squared off in the semifinals of the Midwest Regional Tournament in the Carver- Hawkeye Center in Iowa City, IA. The Huskies came out on top with a 78-73 victory, but eventually fell to Tennessee (91-81) in the Midwest Regional finals.
THE BIG 400
If UConn defeats Illinois it will be the 400th career win for UConn head coach Geno Auriemma. His record following the game would be 400-95 (.808). Auriemma would become the 30th coach in the history of the game to eclipse the 400 win mark, having done it in just 16th seasons. He becomes the second coach this season to go over 400 as just eight days ago (12/2/00) Villanova head coach Harry Perretta collected his 400th victory in a 60-55 win over Temple. Auriemma joins Perretta and Rutgers C. Vivian Stringer to give the BIG EAST three current head coaches on the 400-or-more win list.
STREAKS
Overall, the Holy Cross game was UConn's 24th consecutive win (since 2/2). For away regular season games, the Huskies carry a 16- game winning streak dating back to 2/13 when they suffered a 82-77 loss at Old Dominion. The Huskies are currently riding a 12-game home winning streak (including HCC games, not including exhibition games) dating back to the Tennessee game last season (2/2/00). In Gampel, the Huskies have won their last nine games (not exhib.) dating back to Feb. 2. The Miami game was UConn's 25th consective regular season BIG EAST win since the Huskies suffered a 78-66 loss to Boston College in Chestnut Hill on Jan. 23, 1999.
THE LAST MEETING
Swin Cash tied her career-high with 20 points (which she just hit again versus Miami last week), and Kennitra Johnson set a her career-high of 18 points. The Huskies used a 13-2 run at the beginning of the second half to pull away from the Illini. When Illinois took the lead six minutes into the first half, it marked the first time since the Kentucky game (over 91 minutes- 11/24/99) that UConn had ever trailed.
THE BIG 10-YEAR ANNIVERSARY
Its been 10 years since UConn has lost to a Big 10 team (12/1/90, Purdue, 89-87). Three of the Big 10s seven wins over the Huskies have come in the month of December. However, coming into the Illinois game, UConn has won 24-straight away contests.
THE OLYMPIC CONNECTION
UConn head coach Geno Auriemma and Illinois head coach Theresa Grentz have both coached the same team. This past summer, Auriemma represented the U.S. in Sydney at the Olympic Games as an assistant coach for the gold medal winning U.S. Olympic Womens Basketball team. Grentz was the head coach of the 1992 squad that won its first three contests by an average of 45.6 points at the Barcelona games before going on to earn the bronze medal.
THE COACHING CONNECTION
The similarities between the two coaches go further than just their Olympic success. During his career, Auriemma was an assistant coach at St. Josephs University (PA). After her graduation from Immaculata College in 1974, Grentz was hired as the head part-time coach at St. Josephs PA later that year.
THE ASSISTANT CONNECTION
Its not just Auriemma whose resume compares with that of Grentz. UConn associate head coach Chris Daily is a Grentz disciple as she played for Grentz at Rutgers before returning to her alma mater as the top assistant coach under Grentz from 1983-85.
THE OTHER ASSISTANT CONNECTION
Taking the coaching connections to the absolute limits, UConn student assistant coach Stacy Hansmeyer and Illinois recruiting coordinator Renee Reed are both Oklahoma natives. Hansmeyer led Norman High School to the states 6A title in 1999, while Reed was a four-time All-State selection in 1989 at Medford High School. However, the two arent the only sooner state standouts involved in the game. Illinois Brenda Blackburn played for Ardmore High School. The three cities are all lined up on I-35, which runs through central Oklahoma, there are 215 miles separating Ardmore from Medford with Norman right in the middle.
THE STRETCHING IT A BIT CONNECTION
The similarities between the two schools arent just with the coaching staff. From 1980-83, UConn Director of Athletics, Lou Perkins, served as the Associate Director of Athletics at the University of Pennsylvania. Earlier in his career, Michael Aiken, Chancellor for the University of Illinois served as the University Provost at Pennsylvania. Furthermore, both received masters degrees from SEC schools.
A YOUTHFUL SQUAD
Illinois is one of the youngest teams UConn will have to face this season. The Illini start one junior, one sophomore, two freshmen, and one redshirt freshman.
THE LAND OF LINCOLN
The trip to Champaign, IL will be the first for the Huskies, although they have traveled to the Land of Lincoln on one other occasion. In 1995-1996 UConn got past San Francisco, 72-44, in the Sweet 16 and Vanderbilt in the Elite eight, 67-57. Both contests were held at the Rosemont Horizon in Rosemont, IL.
THE LONG STRETCH
The Illinois game will wrap-up a six-day stretch in which the Huskies have played three games, two of which were on the road. From this point until the New Year begins Connecticut will only have two games in the next 23 days. On the 22nd UConn will face Wake Forest in Storrs, CT, before squaring off against Tennessee on the 30th in the Hartford Civic Center.
HOMECOOKING
58 percent of the Illini roster is made of up natives of the state of Illinois, while only 12.5 of UConns roster hail from Connecticut.
OVER THREE GRAND
UConns Svetlana Abrosimova and Shea Ralph along with Illinois Allison Curtin all have scored over 1,000 points in their careers. Curtin became the quickest Illinois player to score 1,000 points, doing so in just the first game of her junior season. By the time Abrosimova played in her first game as a junior she was well beyond that point as she netted 1,102 in just two years in Storrs.
THE GREAT ONE
A combined six athletes from both teams cite Michael Jordan as their favorite athlete. Illinois Shavonna Hunter, had the opportunity to play #23 in a game of one-on-one as she was selected from a group while at a camp at Elmhurst College. Not too surprisingly, Jordan won.
RANKED FROM THE START
Since 1990-91, the Huskies have been ranked nationally at the start of the season. UConn earned the AP No. 1 spot at the beginning of the 1995-96 season, the 1999-2000 season and at the start of this season. UConns lowest preseason ranking over the last 10 years was No. 24 by the AP in 1990-91. Since an AP ranking of No. 4 to start 1994- 95, the Huskies have not opened the year lower than No. 6 (1997-98).
TRUE INCUMBENTS
Including the week of 12/4, the Huskies have been nationally ranked in the Top 25 for 136 consecutive polls dating back to November 23, 1993 (seven seasons). UConn has been ranked No. 1 in the polls since preseason of 1999 making their stay 24 consecutive weeks at the top; a school record for consecutive rankings.
WIRE-TO-WIRE-TO-WIRE?
UConns remarkable journey to the national championship in 1999- 2000 started with a preseason No. 1 ranking and ended with the same. The hype currently surrounding this years squad expects nothing less than a repeat. LaTech is the only school in history to hold the No. 1 spot for two consecutive seasons, 1980-82, when they won back-to-back championships. The last time a team was ranked wire- to-wire was Tennessee in 1997-98. Prior to that season, Texas was ranked No. 1 all through the 1985-86 season. (AP Rankings).
HEAD COACH GENO AURIEMMA
Head Coach Geno Auriemma is in his 16th season at the helm for the Huskies. Entering the Illinois game, he is 399-95 (.806) overall in his career, and has two national championships at Connecticut (1995,2000). Auriemma is third among active Division I coaches in winning percentage. He was also the first Division I coach (men or women) in basketball history to earn five consecutive 30-plus winning seasons. Auriemma has taken UConn to the 1995 and 2000 National Championship, four Final Four appearances, seven Elite Eights and eight Sweet Sixteen games. During his tenure, the team has also won 10 regular season BIG EAST titles and nine league tournament championships, including the last seven consecutive titles in each regular season and postseason.
UCONN'S LAST GAME- HUSKIES CRUISE PAST CRUSADERS
STORRS, Conn. (AP) (Dec. 7) -- Swin Cash scored 16 points as No. 1 Connecticut cruised to a 92-32 victory over Holy Cross on Thursday night.
Asjha Jones and Svetlana Abrosimova each had 13 points for UConn (6-0). Abrosimova also had a team-high six boards as UConn outrebounded the Crusaders 41-35.
The Huskies overwhelmed the Crusaders (4-5) from the start with smothering defense and a high-powered transition game.
Kristin Popovics had seven points to lead Holy Cross, which made 35 turnovers - the most by a UConn opponent this season.
The Huskies missed their opening shot - a 3-point attempt - then quickly raced out to a 24-2 lead with less than half the period gone. Five players scored in that run, including Abrosimova who keyed the spurt with a 3-pointer.
UConn didn't need any long-range help as most of the Huskies' points were uncontested layups made in transition. UConn had 28 points off the fast break and 44 from turnovers.
Jones had five of the Huskies' 27 steals in a game that was a sharp contrast to the defending national champs' last outing. UConn beat Miami 77-53 on Tuesday, but committed a season-high 24 turnovers.
Holy Cross shot 22 percent and were held scoreless for up to seven minutes during one stretch. By halftime, Holy Cross had used up all but one timeout.
Holy Cross scoring leader Jeanette Paukert was held to four points, 10 below her average.
NUTMEGGERS RULE
With UConn's win over Holy Cross, the Huskies have not lost a game to a non-league opponent from New England since 1987.
LOTS OF POINTS- LOTS OF SCORERS
The Holy Cross game was the first game of the season in which only three players scored in double digits. Prior to Holy Cross, UConn had averaged four players in double figure scoring. However, the game was also the first game of the season in which every player who saw action scored at least two points.
HOT TICKET
The 1,516 fans that packed the Knight Sports Complex in Coral Gables was a sell-out and the second highest crowd in history at the Knight Complex. The Huskies drew 6,098 fans to the opening night of the Key Bank Arena in Seattle, WA., when UConn defeated UW, 90- 63, setting a precedence for women's games in the arena (the men drew 6,313 the following night). UConn drew record crowds on the road in four different arenas in 1999-2000.
TRAILBLAZERS
During its last outing against Holy Cross, UConn never trailed. This has happened on three other occasions this season. The Huskies have only trailed, albeit briefly, in two contests.
THE BENCH FACTOR
For the first time this season, the UConn bench was outscored (31-17) during Tuesday nights game against Miami. The last time an opposing bench bettered that of the Huskies was during last seasons BIG EAST Conference Tournament final against Rutgers. Thanks to a 13-point effort from Usha Gilmore, the Scarlet Knights bench edged UConns, 22-20. Last season, it was Holy Cross who was the first team whose bench outscored UConns, as the Crusaders amassed the same number of points as did Miami, 31-30.
DOUBLE TROUBLE
Much of UConns success can be attributed to the fact that four players are averaging double-digits in points. Svetlana Abrosimova is leading the team with 100 points and 31 assists per game. She has paced the Huskies in scoring in three of the last six contests. Abrosimova is shooting a solid 67 percent from the field (39-58) and 71 percent from the charity stripe (15-21).
THE CLAPPERS
A longtime tradition at UConn home games, Husky fans stand and clap until Connecticut score its first points of the first and second half. So far this season the Connecticut crowds have stood for a combined 5:23 seconds. The longest theyve ever had to wait to be seated was 2:26, the shortest 14 seconds. Five times a UConn player has allowed their supporters to get settled in less than a minute into a half. On average the fans are standing for 32.3 seconds. At two claps per second the Husky faithful have clapped only 646 times to date.
SCORING FRENZY
This season, the largest majority of UConn's points have come in an attempt to put the opposing team away early. From the start of the game until the 15-minute mark in the first half, the Huskies have tallied 84 of their 556 to -date. Only one other stretch of time approaches what the Huskies are able to do during this span. From the 15-minute mark to the 10-minute mark in the first half, the Huskies have tallied 82 points. Combined the opening 10 minutes of the game is where the Huskies pick up 29 percent of its points.
"HAIRY" START
Much has been made about the appearance of Svetlana Abrosimovas hair, including an SI feature story, but have the longer locks impacted her performance? So far this season, she has led UConn in points in three of five contests with a team leading 100 points. She is also topping the squad in steals (17) and assists (31). The chart below shows her combined average of the past three years with the shorter do six games into a season along with where her averages stand at this point in 2000:
Pts. 3Pt. FT Reb A Stl2000 16.7 1.2 2.5 5.8 5.2 2.81997-99 14.8 0.8 3.2 6.6 3 2.5
RIGHT ON PACE
Listed in nearly every pre-season publication as the odds on favorite to repeat and defend the national title, an early check in (see graph below) shows that through six games the Huskies are right where they need to be when compared to the championship seasons of 1994-95 and 1999-00:
Stats are through the first six games of each season. Bold indicates which year leads.
1994-95 1999-00 2000-01Points Scored 555 538 556Points Allowed 297 384 335Avg. Margin of Victory 43 25.7 36.8FG 212 198 211FGA 405 379 3933FG 32 26 313FGA 71 71 83FT 99 116 103FTA 146 159 156Rebounds 332 269 253Assists 134 115 142Blocks 44 29 34Steals 71 69 106
HOT SHOOTING SVET
Senior two-time All-American Svetlana Abrosimova opened the year with a bang. The forward scored a game-high 18 points, dished a game and career-high 11 assists, and grabbed a total of seven rebounds, all without a turnover, en route to being named the ESPN/Tip-Off Player of the Game in UConns season opener versus Georgia. Versus Pepperdine, her performance didnt miss a beat scoring a game-high 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting and adding three assists, four rebounds and five steals. She saved her best shooting performance against Washington, going 10-of-11 from the floor and pulling down six rebounds, and she hasn't cooled off yet. Overall entering the Illinois game, she is 39-of-58 (.672), from the floor.
IT'S NOT SVET'S TURN
Abrosimovas season turnover totals have dropped steadily since her freshman year, and five times in her career did she finish a game with no turnovers, including three this season alone- Georgia, George Washington and Holy Cross. So far on the season, Svet has only five turnovers in 149 minutes of play. She is currently leading the BIG EAST in field goal percentage (.672) and assist/turnover ratio with an astounding 6.20 assists per turnover.
STEADY FLOW OF CASH
Swin Cash has been UConns most consistent player on the boards. The junior forward leads the team with 46 total rebounds (7.7 rpg). Cash opened the year with her seventh career double-double over then-No. 3 Georgia and had the second of the season and eighth of her career versus Miami with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Cash, a starter at forward, is also averaging the third most minutes per game on the team (23.7 mpg).
AID FROM ASJHA
Asjha Jones started her first game of the regular season, and first since her freshman year, against Pepperdine on Nov. 21. She is currently third in scoring for the Huskies averaging 11.7 ppg. Jones has improved her scoring average from last season by 2.8 ppg. She has already recorded a career-high of five assists versus Washington, and a career-high five steals versus Holy Cross. In just six games, the forward/center has had 10 steals and 14 assists. Last season she finished the year with 20 steals and 33 assists.
WILLIAMS ON THE MOVE
Tamika Williams picked up from where she left off last year with a stellar 7-for-7 shooting performance versus Pepperdine, finished 5-of- 7 against Washington, was 4-of-4 versus George Washington and 2- of-3 versus Miami. The junior forward led the league last season with a .714 clip (115-161) and is currently shooting 26-of-35 in six games (.743) to lead the team. Williams scored a season high 15 points versus Pepperdine.
ABROSIMOVA AND SHEA STILL CLIMBING
Entering the Illinois game, Svetlana Abrosimova (1,698) is currently ranked No. 5 in UConns all-time career scoring list- 435 points behind No. 4 Rebecca Lobo (2,133). Shea Ralph (1,438) entered the top 10 passing Peggy Walsh (1,413 points) at No. 9. Cathy Bochain holds the No. 8 spot with 1,534 points.
HERE IS THE ALL-TIME TOP TEN SCORERS UP-TO-DATE:1. Nykesha Sales 2,1782. Kerry Bascom 2,1773. Kara Wolters 2,1414. Rebecca Lobo 2,1335. Svetlana Abrosimova 1,6986. Wendy Davis 1,5527. Jennifer Rizzotti 1,5408. Cathy Bochain 1,5349. Shea Ralph 1,43810. Peggy Walsh 1,413
ONE TOUGH GAME AFTER ANOTHER
The 2000-2001 season is going to provide another tough schedule for the Connecticut Huskies. The Huskies will face six schools ranked in the preseason top 12 in both the AP and ESPN polls, including No. 2 Tennessee who they will face twice. The Huskies will also see action against No. 22 (ESPN) Boston College and No. 24 (ESPN) Illinois, while George Washington, Pepperdine and Virginia Tech all received votes between the two polls. UConn will play 11 schools who competed in the NCAA tournament last season, including two 1999- 2000 final four teams (Tennessee, Rutgers), two final eight schools (Georgia, LaTech), two sweet sixteen schools (Notre Dame, Old Dominion), three second round schools (Boston College, George Washington, Illinois) and two first round teams (Holy Cross, Pepperdine). UConn adds ACC school Wake Forest to the schedule as well as Virginia Tech, the newest member of the BIG EAST conference.
UCONN VERSUS THE FIELD
Of the 23 scheduled teams UConn will face this year, none hold a winning record against the Huskies. With UConns win over Georgia, the Huskies moved to 2-1 in that series. LaTech and Wake Forest come the closest though. The LaTech series is tied and the Wake Forest meeting will be the first between the two in the sport of womens basketball.
ANOTHER FIRST FOR THE HUSKIES
The University of Connecticut womens basketball team will have another first to talk about this year. Every single regular season UConn game will be televised during the 2000-2001 season. Thats more television coverage received than any other womens team in the nation, ever. Along with the national games telecast by Fox, ESPN, ESPN2 and CBS, UConn will have the rest of the games in the 2000-2001 season televised by Connecticut Public Television. CPTV has been covering the UConn womens program since the 1993-94 season. During the past six years, 106 UConn games have been televised regionally by CPTV. WTIC Radio will broadcast all the womens basketball games for the 2000-2001 season as well.
UCONN BASKETBALL - AN ADVANCE SELLOUT
Connecticuts entire 16-game home schedule (14 regular season games, 2 exhibitions) in the Harry A. Gampel Pavilion (10,027 capacity) and the Hartford Civic Center (16,294 capacity) is an advance sellout.
UCONN TO HOST 2000-2001 BIG EAST TOURNAMENT
The University of Connecticut will serve as host for the 18th BIG EAST Womens Basketball Championship, March 4-7, 2000, at the Harry A. Gampel Pavilion in Storrs... UConn has hosted the 13-team tournament on five previous occasions: 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, and 1997... Connecticut was awarded the 2000 and 2001 tournaments by a vote of conference Directors of Athletics... The 2001 league championship will be held March 3-6.
ABROSIMOVA, RALPH EARN ALL-AMERICA HONORS
Seniors Svetlana Abrosimova and Shea Ralph received recognition as preseason First-Team All-America members by The Associated Press. Abrosimova and Ralph are the fourth pair of teammates, second from Connecticut, to make the preseason team since it started in 1994, following Catchings and Semeka Randall last season, Catchings and Holdsclaw in 1998 and Connecticuts Jennifer Rizzotti and Kara Wolters in 1995.
BIG EAST DEBUTS A NEW LOOK - WELCOME THE HOKIES
The BIG EAST Conference will continue its 16-game regular season league schedule during the 2000-2001 season and invites Virginia Tech into the mix... Each team will play three conference opponents twice (home and away) and will have five additional league home games and five road games... The Huskies have drawn home-and- away games with the following teams: Miami, Villanova, Syracuse... UConn will host Georgetown, Providence, Rutgers, St. Johns, West Virginia... The team will travel to Boston College, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Seton Hall and Virginia Tech.
HUSKIES HANDLE ELITE TEAMS
The Huskies ended the Georgia game 38-9 overall versus ranked opponents over the past five seasons and are now 19-8 versus Top 10 opponents in that span. All-time, UConn is now 54-28 versus ranked teams and 26-17 against Top 10-ranked teams. The Huskies finished the 1999-2000 season 16-1 versus ranked opponents and an astounding 10-1 vs. Top 10 foes. Four of the nine occasions that the Huskies reached the century mark in 1999-2000 were against ranked teams. UConn boasted an average margin of victory of 20.0 points over ranked opponents (and a margin of defeat of 1.0 points).
INJURY UPDATE
Senior center Kelly Schumacher has still not been cleared to practice after suffering a stress fracture in her right foot. She is listed as day-to-day. Freshman forward Ashley Battle tore the UCL (Ulnar Collateral Ligament) in her left elbow versus Miami. She is having surgery on Friday, Dec. 8, to repair the ligament. She will be sidelined for up to eight weeks.
