As the 12th national championship banner was unveiled in the Gampel Pavilion rafters on Sunday afternoon, a video of Geno Auriemma walking alongside the program’s dozen NCAA championship trophies played on the video board.
He spoke to what it takes to win a championship at Connecticut; playing hard but relaxed and stressing the need to be intelligent, sound basketball players.
Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong were that on Sunday and then some. The two preseason All-Big East selections combined for 44 points, 16 made field goals, nine assists and a plus/minus of +65 in the 32-point drubbing of the Seminoles.
“Whenever we’re drawing up a play in the huddle, one of the first two words out of my mouth is either ‘Azzi’ or ‘Sarah,’” Auriemma said. “They’re going to be involved – in one way or another – in whatever we’re doing.”
In the early going of the top-ranked Huskies’ (2-0) 99-67 win over Florida State (2-1), however, Auriemma’s squad played anything but sound and relaxed.
The opening possession served as a synopsis of the first frame for Connecticut. Four shots and three second-chance opportunities all bounced off the apparent lid on the rimbefore the Noles cashed in on the other end to draw first blood.
Twelve points off turnovers and seven offensive rebounds kept Connecticut afloat in what was an otherwise forgettable first period.
The Huskies shot a woeful 35% from the field and turned the ball over four times – but still managed a ten point lead at the break. Florida State kept pace with three first quarter triples and an early penchant for breaking the Husky press.
The Noles closed the gap down to six early in the second period behind three pointers from Sydney Bowles and Emma Risch on consecutive possessions.
And then the Huskies woke up.
A 22-4 avalanche to close out the half, catalyzed by a slew of turnovers and transition baskets, gave the Huskies a 24-point lead in less than six minutes. Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong set the net on fire with 20 combined points while the Husky defense forced eight turnovers and pressed baseline to baseline.
“It started on defense,” Strong said post-game. “Picking up the pressure kind of messed them up and Azzi took advantage of what they were giving her.”
Fudd scored all 13 of her second quarter points in those five-and-a-half minutes, which included a catch-and-shoot triple and interception-turned-lay-in on the other end on back-to-back plays. The fifth-year senior also added two jumpers from the elbow – including one to beat the buzzer – to close out the half.
But the graduate guard filled out the stat sheet with more than just points on Sunday. Five assists, two steals and three rebounds (two of which were offensive) gave Fudd one of the most complete stat lines of her career.
“That was a big thing, we [the coaching staff] were talking about it on the bench,” Auriemma said of Fudd’s performance. “Azzi is known as a great shooter and scorer, but, little by little, she’s starting to get comfortable with some of the other stuff.”
Strong added seven of the other nine points while Kayleigh Heckel added a lay-up in the process for what acted as the dagger for the Huskies.
“I try not to think of it as pressure,” Strong said of the expectations she shoulders as a scorer. “I’m just playing basketball out there.”
Auriemma told the media on Saturday that the team had a “serious look” in its eye the whole week about rectifying the mistakes from Louisville. Those mistakes included an improvement from behind the arc and a firm grasp over a late-game lead.
The Huskies checked one of those boxes on Sunday – they still shot under 37% from three.
Connecticut went on second half runs of 15-3, 6-0 and 7-3 enroute to an 18-point advantage through the final two quarters. Forty-two points off turnovers, 24 fast break points and 23 turnovers forced helped right a wobbly first quarter ship.
Heckel continued to find her spots in the second half and finished with 12 points and three assists in 21 minutes, becoming the third and final double-figure scorer for the Huskies.
All 12 Huskies who checked into the game scored, including Ayanna Patterson, who saw her first official action in 960 days. Carolina Ducharme banked in a three pointer and Ice Brady got to the line for an and-one opportunity.