HARTFORD — Blanca Quiñonez checked in to a standing ovation from the PeoplesBank Arena crowd at the 6:33 mark of the first quarter during UConn women’s basketball’s 100-35 stomping of Cornell University Monday.
Quiñonez, who replaced Jana El Alfy as UConn’s second post player, immediately joined UConn’s full-court press and stonewalled the Big Red’s ball handler at mid-court, forcing a Cornell turnover — the fourth of 29 Big Red giveaways.
Seconds later, Kayleigh Heckel spelled Ashlynn Shade — joining both KK Arnold and Jovana Popovic on the floor — and instantly drew an offensive foul that left the Huskies’ bench unglued.
Allie Ziebell got in on the blitz when she checked in just before the first quarter ended and beat the buzzer on a driving layup.
In total, 12 of the 13 Huskies played (Morgan Cheli was kept out with an undisclosed injury) and all but one, Gandy Malou-Mamel, scored.
“It’s a crazy thing,” said Auriemma, who noted Saturday how difficult it can be to find the best possible lineup early in the season. “You might think, ‘Wow, this group would look really, really great together,’ and that’s not always the case. Tonight, we wanted to try and see a number of combinations, see what they’d look like.”
UConn will need to find that lineup during its next four games, which include three away tilts at No. 5 Michigan, No. 18 Ohio St. and No. 7 Louisville sandwiched in between the Gampel Pavilion opener against No. 10 Iowa on Nov. 8.
“Thursday (against Michigan) may give us some idea of how the process will go,” Auriemma said. “But Thursday won’t look anything like tonight, I would assume.”
Monday’s opener was never close — UConn added 28 points in the paint and 27 off turnovers before Cornell scored 10 total — but it wasn’t designed to be anything more than a tune up, a rare “buy game” hidden amongst UConn’s gauntlet of a non-conference schedule, Auriemma used to test out different lineups.
Aside from the starting lineup, which played together until Quiñonez checked in 3:27 into the game, no five-player configuration was together for more than two consecutive dead balls.
There were moments when Quiñonez, freshman Olivia Vukosa and Sarah Strong shared the floor; other lineups featured Arnold, Popovic, Heckel and Shade together.
Strong (19 points in 21 minutes) and Popovic (19 points, 23 minutes) led the team in scoring and minutes, but seven other Huskies hit on multiple field goals while nine others recorded 10-plus minutes.
UConn’s efficiencies seldom dropped regardless of what combination of players was on the court: UConn averaged 1.32 points per possession and forced 29 turnovers, which it cashed in for 43 points, while pouring on 52 points in the paint and 37 off the bench.
But not all 13 players will factor into UConn’s usually tight-knit rotation; there are only 40 minutes to distribute every night, after all.
“Whoever it ends up being that isn’t going to get as many minutes, they have to be realistic and say, ‘Why aren’t I, and what am I willing to do to put myself in that situation?’” Auriemma said. “’What’s more important to (me)? Yes, I want to play, but yes, I want us to win. The more we win, the more chances I’m going to get to play.’”
Auriemma didn’t enter Monday believing he’d find his best possible combination of five players on the roster — again, that’s not what a 65-point steamrolling of Cornell is designed to do — but to have all 12 healthy players make meaningful contributions in a regular season game is a testament to the depth the Huskies have cultivated all off season.
“Contrary to what players think,” Auriemma quipped, “Coaches don’t wake up in the morning and go, ‘I’m going to play these eight players. Or these nine players. Or these 10 players.’ Because there comes a point where they have to understand, the players, that they are the ones deciding whether they play or not.”