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The UConn women's basketball team (18-5, 12-1) returns home this afternoon for the remainder of the regular season, beginning with a matchup vs. Georgetown (7-16, 2-13) at 2 p.m. ET in the XL Center. The game will air on CBS Sports Network (ignore the SNY logo at the bottom of the gameday pic) and the UConn Sports Network. The Huskies' game Sunday is the second of five games in 10 days to end the regular season.
UConn's final games of the regular season are at home. The Huskies take on Georgetown, Marquette and St. John's this week at the XL Center before hosting Providence next Sunday in the regular season finale. With Ducharme and Nelson-Ododa back, Friday was just the second time since Bueckers’ injury that the Huskies had an otherwise fully healthy roster. And now that Bueckers is back into the fold at practice and eyeing a return in the coming weeks, the optimism surrounding a team whose ceiling looks increasingly dangerous has never been higher. “It’s been a while since we’ve had this many people,” Ducharme said. “So it’s been exciting to see everyone getting healthy, finding their groove and being able to all actually play together.” Today versus Georgetown, the Huskies will get their next opportunity to see how they can put all that together.
Each available player scored at least five points against Xavier, 89-35, Friday. Five Huskies finished with double-digit points: Christyn Williams (13), Evina Westbrook (11), Piath Gabriel (11), Azzi Fudd (11) and Aaliyah Edwards (10). The Huskies went on a 37-0 run in the second and third quarters. UConn allowed its fewest points of the season vs. Xavier. UConn is 47-6 all-time vs Georgetown, including 24-2 in home games. The teams' game in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 5 was canceled due to COVID.
The Georgetown University women's basketball team are coming off a tough loss to the Marquette University Golden Eagles 64-57 Friday evening at McDonough Arena. The Hoyas fall to 7-16 on the season and 2-13 in conference play. Marquette jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead, but the Hoyas settled down and came right back on the play of freshman Ariel Jenkins. The rookie as well as sophomore Kelsey Ransom battled in the paint to keep it close, but a late run allowed MU to pull ahead 20-12. At the 7:51 mark, a pair of Golden Eagle free throws allowed MU to go up by 12, but free throws by graduate student Mary Clougherty and a jumper by classmate Milan Bolden-Morris stopped the momentum.
With every advance, Marquette always had an answer, and despite making In the end, the comeback would never materialize as GU fell 64-57. Bolden-Morris and Jenkins led the way with 12 points apiece, while Ransom added 10. Freshman Brianna Scott managed eight points to go along with a team-high seven rebounds. The Hoyas shot 38.2% (21-55) from the field and allowed 41.3% (26-63) shooting by the Golden Eagles. Georgetown was outrebounded by Marquette 39-34, and the GU defense forced 11 Golden Eagle turnovers. The Hoyas have two players averaging in double figures for the season as Bolden-Morris and Ransom have 12.9 and 12.8 ppg. Senior Jillian Archer and junior Graceann Bennett round out the top four averaging 8.4 and 7.2 ppg, respectively. Archer is also pulling down a squad-best 7.3 rpg.
Here’s what you need to know.
Time: 2 p.m. ET
Site: XL Center Hartford CT .
Series: UConn leads, 47-6
Last meeting: No. 2 UConn 64, Georgetown 40, Feb. 12, 2021, in Washington, D.C.
TV: CBS Sports Network (Jason Horowitz, Julianne Viani, Sherree Burruss)
Radio: UConn IMG Sports Network on 97.9 ESPN & The Varsity Radio App (Bob Joyce, Debbie Fiske) Pregame show begins at 1:30 pm
Georgetown Roster - Head coach James Howard (6th year)
Georgetown game notes & Stats
Georgetown probable starters, sixth man
Milan Bolden-Morris, G, 5-10, Gr.; Kelsey Ransom, G, 5-10, So.; Kaylin West, G, 5-7, Gr.; Brianna Scott, F, 6-4, Fr.; Jillian Archer, F, 6-2, Sr.; Ariel Jenkins, F, 6-3, Fr.UConn Roster - Head coach Geno Auriemma (37th year)
UConn game notes & stats
UConn probable starters, sixth man:Christyn Williams, G, 5-11, Sr.; Dorka Juhász, F, 6-5, Gr.; Nika Mühl, G, 5-10, So.; Aaliyah Edwards, F, 6-3, So.; Azzi Fudd, G, 5-11, Fr.; Evina Westbrook, G, 6-0, R-Sr.
Husky Bytes -
DUCHARME STEPPING UP • With a number of injuries on the UConn roster, freshman Caroline Ducharme has stepped up in her rookie season. • Through the first seven games of the season, Ducharme made six appearances and averaged 3.3 points and 1.8 rebounds per game. Ducharme has been a pleasant surprise for the No. 10 UConn women’s basketball team this season, assuming a larger role than even coach Geno Auriemma initially envisioned. After being sidelined for the previous four games with a head injury, Ducharme finally made her return Friday at Xavier, and reminded all what the team was missing without her.
Since Paige Bueckers’ injury in the Notre Dame game, Ducharme has made 11 starts in 13 games and is leading UConn in that time with 15.9 points per game while adding 4.4 rebounds per game. “I think that’s when we play our best, is when we are deep team, but we’ve been injured so much,” Ducharme said. “So having everyone there, everyone playing, everyone contributing, it’s been fun.” Ducharme was the No. 5-ranked recruit in the 2021 class.
Only Evina Westbrook and Aaliyah Edwards have played in all 23 games this season. Due to player absences, UConn has had nine different starting lineups this season. • The longest the Huskies have had the same starters was for the first six games of the season.
With the lineup changes, nine Huskies have started at least five games this year. Those nine players are averaging at least 22.5 minutes per game as well.
Paige Bueckers - “She’s not going to be ready for a little while,” Auriemma said. “You can’t take two months and have one day of practice and then be ready. It will still be awhile before she gets into a game. When that is? It’s going to have to be when she trusts it. When you have had an injury, it doesn’t matter what the medical staff tells you it’s when your mind is telling you, ‘When am I ready to play? When do I trust it?’ She’ll be the first to know. “I just like the fact that she’s back at practice for a couple of minutes every day. Those minutes will go up every day and she’ll get stronger every day. We’ll see where that takes us. It could have been worse. She could have been out for the whole season. Now there’s a light there that she’ll be able to play.”
UConn vs Xavier: Geno Auriemma on team's slow start, return of Caroline Ducharme, Paige Bueckers update | UConn Post Game
Up next for UConn
FEB 23 (WED) 7:00 PM ET
HARTFORD, CONN. XL CENTER
TV: SNY RADIO: UCONN SPORTS NETWORK
FAN APPRECIATION GAME
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