UConn-South Florida Game Preview
UConn (25-0, 14-0) vs South Florida (13-10, 8-4 AAC)
Sunday, February 16, 4:00 pm
USF Sun Dome, Tampa FL
CBSSN
Probable Starters
UConn Huskies
| #4 Moriah Jefferson | 5-7 G, So | 10.4 pts | 5.3 asst | 2.9 reb |
| #14 Bria Hartley | 5-10 G, Sr | 15.7 pts | 4.5 asst | 3.5 reb |
| #23 Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis | 6-0 F, Jr | 12.2 pts | 2.4 asst | 4.6 reb |
| #30 Breanna Stewart | 6-4 F, So | 19.4 pts | 3.1 asst | 8.0 reb |
| #31 Stefanie Dolson | 6-5 C, Sr | 12.6 pts | 3.5 asst | 9.3 reb |
Other Key Players
| #13 Brianna Banks | 5-9 G, Jr | 4.8 pts | 1.5 asst | 1.8 reb |
| #41 Kiah Stokes | 6-3 C, Jr | 5.1 pts | 0.8 asst | 7.2 reb |
| #12 Saniya Chong | 5-8 G, Fr | 5.7 pts | 1.8 asst | 1.8 reb |
South Florida
| #10 Courtney Williams | 5-8 G, So | 15.7 pts | 2.3 asst | 6.8 reb |
| #31 Laura Marcos Canedo | 5-8 G, RFr | 5.2 pts | 0.5 asst | 2.7 reb |
| #13 Inga Orekhova | 6-2 G, Sr | 9.0 pts | 2.4 asst | 4.3 reb |
| #24 Alisia Jenkins | 6-1 F, So | 9.6 pts | 1.4 asst | 10.3 reb |
| #32 Akila McDonald | 6-4 C, Sr | 6.5 pts | 0.2 asst | 6.0 reb |
Other Key Players
| #03 Tamara Taylor | 5-10 G, Jr | 7.5 pts | .4 asst | 1.4 reb |
| #11 Ariadna Pujol | 6-1 G, Fr | 6.6 pts | 1.3 asst | 2.4 reb |
| #45 Katelyn Weber | 6-5 C, Fr | 2.6 pts | 0.3 asst | 2.3 reb |
| #01 Ivana Vuletic | 6-3 F/C, Jr | .7 pts | 0.04 asst | 0.8 reb |
Overview
The Huskies are once again facing USF, this time on the Bulls’ home floor in Tampa (…where I wish I was today). The last game saw UConn beating USF 81-53 but not before struggling with for the first 10 minutes of the game. A 23-7 run gave the Huskies a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
The Bulls were led by sophomore guard Courtney Williams who scored 23 points on 11-25 shooting (1-2 from the arc). Three point sharp-shooter Inga Orekhova was held in check as she made only two shots in the game, both from beyond the arc.
Since that January 26 game, USF has won three games (vs Houston, Memphis, and UCF) and lost one, at Louisville, by 20 points. USF is winning mostly due to its defense, holdinig opponents to an average 60.5 points and allowing them to make only 36% of their shots. Scoring has been an issue for the Bulls, though, as Williams is the only player on the USF roster that averages double digit scoring.
Orekhova has been struggling with a knee injury since the beginning of the season and missed a couple of games in December. Her season has been understandably uneven but she seems to be getting back to form and she managed 16 points against Louisville. The Huskies need to keep her in check as she can go off from the perimeter.
The Bulls have managed to win games because someone has stepped up to become a second or third scoring option. Williams has led the team in scoring in almost all games, but Orekhova, Alisia Jenkins, Ariadna Pujol, and Akila McDonald have all had good games recently. The problem for USF is that they don’t have these games on the same night or have them consistently.
Bottom Line
The Huskies have actually gotten scarier lately. They’re now #1 in these categores:
and in the Top 10 in these categories:
and just outside the Top 10:
This despite having Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis recovering from an injury, Brianna Banks missing games with a sore ankle, and Morgan Tuck out for the season. What will it take to derail the Huskies?
Unless all of those USF players that have stepped up at separate times put together their best efforts in the same game, we probably won’t see the derailment on Sunday. Williams is a terrific player but she won’t be able to beat the Huskies by herself. Orekhova will need to get hot from the perimeter and Jenkins or McDonald will need to assert themselves in the post. That would be great for scoring, but it doesn’t answer the question of how the Bulls will guard UConn or, more specifically, Breanna Stewart. USF has a very good defense but the guard-oriented team doesn’t have anyone that can stop Stewart. That’s no knock on the Bulls since I can’t think of any team that has a good matchup for Stewart.
The last UConn-USF game was a 28 point Husky win. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a similar margin Sunday.
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