After their dominant run in the Baha Mar Hoops Championship, the UConn Women’s Basketball team will return to play in front of their home fans to face Holy Cross on Tuesday.
The Huskies are coming off a strong performance in the Championship game against Ole Miss, where graduate students Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd combined for a total of 47 points.
“We have a long way to go, but I think in the short term they have continued the path they were set on,” Head Coach Geno Auriemma said to media personnel on the team’s status this season.
“I think if you’re gonna come play in Connecticut you better have a lot of confidence, or you’re gonna get exposed,” Auriemma said.
However, despite these tough matchups, having them in the middle of the season is beneficial for the squad as they build their identity.
“We came back in that fourth quarter and showed something and that’s going to go a long way,” Auriemma said when asked about the game against Ole Miss. “We’re going to need to do it again at Barclays, at Notre Dame, at Iowa State, at Georgetown and USC. Christmas can’t come fast enough.”
The last time these two New England foes faced each other was more than a decade ago in November of 2011 for their season opener. The Huskies ended up taking the dub 77-37. Contributing to the Crusaders’ 40-point deficit were UConn Alums Bria Hartley and Tiffany Hayes who scored 17 and 16 points, respectively.
A player Connecticut will have to look out for on the Crusaders is guard Simone Foreman. In her junior year campaign, the Maryland native has averaged a 14-point average in her seven games played so far this season.
Another game means another chance for Fudd to play after returning to the court on Nov. 20 after being sidelined for a year from an ACL tear.
“It’s another addition, it’s exciting,” sophomore KK Arnold said on what the addition of Fudd brings to the offense. “It’s another added on piece that we needed. She [Fudd] brings a lot to the floor and we’re very proud of her, especially during the Ole Miss game, you could see her old self.”
To see Fudd and the Huskies in action on Tuesday, tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. from Gampel Pavilion. Husky fans can tune in on SNY, if they cannot make it to Storrs.