The seventh-ranked UConn women’s basketball team (13-2, 4-0) will play host to the Xavier Musketeers (5-9, 0-3) this evening as the Huskies return to the XL Center for the lone home game amid a two week road trip.
Connecticut is fresh off a two game road stint that included wins over Marquette and Villanova – both of which were 30-point-plus victories – as the Huskies raced out to a fourth consecutive 4-0 start in Big East play since rejoining the conference in 2020-2021.
Xavier is 1-4 in its last five, defeating Fordham by nine points as its only win in that span. Losses to Cincinnati, Temple, Georgetown and DePaul all came between 12 and 15 points.
Second-year Musketeer head coach Billi Chambers continues to build a culture in Cincinnati, mixing a savvy group of veterans including the likes of Loren Christie and Tae’lor Purvis with explosive newcomers such as leading scorer Daniela Lopez.
Connecticut will be without star guard Paige Bueckers, who injured her left knee while diving for a loose ball in the team’s win over Villanova on Sunday.
“It’s a sprain, there’s nothing torn… the ankle is fine,” Geno Auriemma said Tuesday. “We’re hoping to have her back in a week.”
With Bueckers sidelined, the Huskies will look towards freshman Sarah Strong and veteran Azzi Fudd to carry the load offensively. Strong posted her sixth 20-point performance of the season against Villanova, sporting a final stat line of 21 points, five rebounds and four assists in the Huskies 31-point victory.
“I marvel at the composure she has – the way the game plays so slow for her,” Geno Auriemma said post-game.
The retooled Xavier starting lineup features prominent scoring threats such as Lopez, Christie and Meri Kanerva, all of whom average over 14 points per 40 minutes. In addition to being the team’s second leading scorer (10.4 ppg), Christie also bouyes the Musketeer rebounding attack, bringing in an average of 5.9 per night while leading the Big East in blocks per game with 2.2.
“We’ve taken a huge step from last year,” said Christie at Big East Media Day in October. “We’re a completely different team.”
The Xavier offense lives and dies by the three, with 39.5% of the team’s shots coming from outside the arc (in comparison to its 27.9% mark from inside the arc). The team shoots 31.4% from downtown on the season, which has limited its offensive ceiling, but has shot in the 95th percentile nationally in its last five (37%).
Connecticut will look to win on the boards and force Xavier to make shots on the first attempt. The Musketeers rank near the bottom of the country in second chance points per 40 minutes, with just a 4.5 (7.9%) PP/40 mark.
Exploiting the Musketeers lack of experience will also be key. Xavier has just two seniors on its roster, with the rest of its starting lineup being made up of two sophomores and a freshman.
Forcing Xavier into uncomfortable situations early will be key for building an early lead – something UConn has been able to accomplish in all games aside from its two losses to Notre Dame and USC.