STORRS — It took 20 full minutes for Sarah Strong to smile.
She looked miserable for the first 19 — mostly because No. 2 UConn was struggling to pull away from No. 10 Iowa Sunday as the same, ugly scene that unfolded in the Huskies’ 77-66 loss at Michigan last Thursday was playing out again in Gampel Pavilion.
Iowa was smothering UConn on the glass for most of the first half and, much to head coach Geno Auriemma’s chagrin, Connecticut was relying primarily on (up to that point) an inefficient 3-point shot to keep pace with the Hawkeyes offensively.
Only after her buzzer-beating triple fell to end the second quarter, her ninth field goal in 18 minutes and the exclamation point of UConn’s end-of-half blitz that pushed its lead to 15, did Strong — momentarily — eke out a grin.
“She was really upset about what happened and how it happened — how the whole thing evolved,” Auriemma said, referencing the Michigan game. “She had a different look about her at practice. She had a resolve in the ways she was talking to the players and the example that she was setting.”
Strong’s career-high 39 points, 10 rebounds and three assists were the catalyst in UConn’s (2-1) separation and eventual 91-79 win over Iowa (2-1), but the normally reticent superstar’s career day was emblematic of the Huskies’ need to respond after Thursday’s demoralizing loss.
“I’ve been watching last game,” Strong said postgame, “and knowing how I just didn’t show up at all, I wanted to make an impact from the start.”
Strong certainly made an early impact, forcing Iowa’s linchpin, Ava Heiden, to the bench with two fouls in the first five minutes while carving out space in the paint with a wide array of elbow jumpers and off-the-glass hook shots.
Perhaps most importantly, though, after every Hawkeye basket, it was Strong who implored her teammates to run down the court on offense. It was Strong who emphatically ran the in-game huddles.
“Personally, I know I messed up in every aspect of the Michigan game,” Strong said. “Coach told me that and I knew I had to be better for my team.”
How has she balanced being a leader with her role as the team’s undisputed No. 1 option?
“You don’t really think about it, you just do it,” Strong said. “I just play basketball.”
Strong and sophomore wing Blanca Quiñonez combined for 60 of UConn’s 91 points as Connecticut, buoyed by a 52.4% mark from 3, forced 12 turnovers, out-rebounded Iowa 38-22, scored 30 points in the paint and 15 on fast breaks.
There is still room for improvement, though: UConn was outscored in the paint, 36-30, and turned the ball over 17 times while allowing 30 field goals and 79 total points.
“We came back from the trip (to Michigan) and there was a lot of, ‘I have to be better,’” Auriemma said, taking his glasses off and rubbing his eyes. “But all of these things are things you have to be intentional about. Like, ‘I have to be better at what?’ We have a long way to go with our defense. My eyes hurt.”
Nonetheless, Connecticut responded — albeit for less time than Auriemma would’ve liked — following a deflating loss in the first week of the season thanks to Strong’s herculean effort and leadership. Now the Huskies have to string 40 full minutes of championship-caliber basketball together against a top-shelf opponent. Thursday’s trip to Columbus, Ohio for a date with No. 18 Ohio State is good chance to prove just that.
“We’re a weird team,” Auriemma said. “Remember I said Thursday, we won two of the four quarters. Well, today, they scored 14 [points in the first quarter], 23, 14 and 28. So, we’re schizophrenic, a little bit.”