Summing up No. 5 UConn's 64-54 win at Providence Wednesday
Feb. 2—No. 5 UConn 64, Providence 54
Summing up
The fifth-ranked Huskies made it 14 straight wins Wednesday by holding off a pair of second-half runs by Providence for a Big East victory at Mullaney Gymnasium. UConn (21-2, 13-0) led 37-26 at halftime. After the Friars (13-11, 4-9) cut a 15-point deficit to six late in the third quarter, the Huskies responded with a 13-2 spurt to take their biggest lead at 17. PC got it back to eight with 3:23 to go but UConn got the next two baskets to ice it.
Player of the game
Dorka Juhász recorded her eighth double-double of the season for the Huskies with 19 points and 17 rebounds in 38 minutes. The graduate student center was 8-for-12 shooting from the floor and is averaging a double-double of 15.0 points and 10.4 rebounds for the season.
By the numbers
2 — Total points (1), rebounds (0), and assists (1) in 26:11 of action compiled by UConn reserves Ayanna Patterson, Amari DeBerry, and Inês Bettencourt.
193 — Season assists for Nika Mühl. She had nine assists Wednesday and is No. 8 on UConn's single-season assist list. Moriah Jefferson (195 in 2013-14) is No. 7 while the record is held by Sue Bird (231 on 2001-02).
What they said
—"She is trying really hard. Her effort is really, really good. She goes and rebounds the ball over here, over there and doesn't let the rebounds come to her. She is much more patient in the lane on the offensive end in giving herself more opportunities. She is finishing better and I think her confidence is really, really high right now because she is playing well, and she is somewhat healthy considering." — UConn coach Geno Auriemma on Juhász.
—"We're stepping up for each other. We're stepping up for (Auriemma) and he's stepping up for us. We're going to get through this. That stretch is over. We'll be fine." — Mühl.
Up next
UConn entertains top-ranked South Carolina in a rematch of the 2022 national championship game Sunday at the XL Center in Hartford (FOX, noon).
For coverage of all sports in the JI's 18-town coverage area, plus updates on the UConn women's basketball team and head coach Geno Auriemma, follow Carl Adamec on Twitter: @CarlAdamec, Facebook: Carl Adamec, and Instagram: @CarlAdamec.
