WASHINGTON D.C. — Before Thursday night, Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong hadn’t set foot on the court during a fourth quarter in Big East play outside of an overly enthusiastic celebration for a teammate from the bench.
But in the UConn women’s basketball team’s 83-42 win over Georgetown at CareFirst Arena, both of the Huskies’ stars were still in the game as the team entered the final 10 minutes with a 32-point lead.
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The decision from coach Geno Auriemma was surprising given the Hoyas’ comfortable deficit, but it made sense after a dismal third-quarter performance from the entire team. After shooting 62% with five made 3-pointers in the second, the Huskies went 4-for-15 from the field and gave up three turnovers to outscore Georgetown just 9-8.
Keeping Fudd and Strong in the game wasn’t meant to be a punishment. Auriemma could feel his stars getting frustrated during the third when they combined for two points and two turnovers on 1-for-10 shooting, and he wanted to give them the opportunity to work through the funk. Fudd went on to put up five points on 100% shooting over five minutes in the fourth, and Strong added two points plus a pair of assists.
“They were really pressing a little bit because shots weren’t going in for them,” Auriemma said. “I thought if I could just give them a couple of more minutes to find their way out of it, that was mainly it. … We have this big thing at school that, when we’re doing shooting drills or whatever we’re doing and three people in front of you miss, you’ve got to be able to step up and make one, and that’s what you’re looking for; not that they’re all going to go in.”
Auriemma is also making a point to ramp up Fudd’s and Strong’s minutes in the home stretch of the regular season as the Huskies plan for a lengthy run in the NCAA Tournament. Strong averaged just 23.2 minutes through the first six games in Big East play, but that number increased to 28.5 over the last four, and Thursday was her first time playing more than 30 minutes against a conference opponent. Fudd’s playing time took a nearly identical jump from 23.8 minutes through the first six Big East games to 28.5 over the last four, and she also crossed the 30-minute threshold for the first time at Georgetown.
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Auriemma is going to need more minutes out of his stars during March Madness, especially in the later rounds. Fudd has spent more than 35 minutes on the court three times this season in UConn’s three matchups with top-10 opponents: No. 8 Louisville, No. 7 Michigan and No. 10 Iowa. Strong played a full 40 minutes in the Huskies’ thrilling 3-point win over Michigan, but her only other game playing more than 35 was against Louisville.
“I’m trying to get them around the 30-minute mark every game,” Auriemma said. “If I don’t, I don’t think I’m being fair to them, and I’m also getting them ready for the post season as well. That was No. 1 … It still came down to 30 minutes even though they played in the fourth quarter a little bit.”
UConn has a quicker turnaround than expected after its game at Georgetown as it continues on the road to Seton Hall. The Big East matchup was moved up 24 hours because of the major winter storm sweeping across the country this weekend, but even the a shortened prep time shouldn’t slow the Huskies down in their rematch with the Pirates. UConn routed Seton Hall 84-48 when the teams met on Jan. 3 in Hartford with Fudd and Strong combining for 34 points playing just 25 minutes apiece, so another blowout feels imminent.
The biggest goal for the Huskies will be to break a three-game shooting slump from beyond the arc. The team ranks second in the country in 3-point percentage averaging 39% but had three of its four worst performances of the season in the last three games, hitting a combined 27.4% from the perimeter.
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Fudd, usually the centerpiece of UConn’s outside dominance, is still scoring at her usual clip, but she too has struggled from 3-point range. She went 0-for-4 for just the second time this season in the Huskies’ win over Notre Dame on Monday, and she started 0-for-7 at Georgetown before finishing 3-for-12.
But Auriemma isn’t concerned about Fudd’s production, even with her shots not falling. The Huskies coach is just as impressed by the redshirt senior’s ability to continue making an impact on both ends of the court amid the slump. She led UConn in assists agains the Hoyas with five on top of six rebounds, two steals and a block, and she has also shot 70% inside the arc over the last three games.
“She’s not shot the ball the way she’s normally shot … and when she was younger I think it would get to her and she would put a lot of pressure on herself,” Auriemma said. “Right now, she’s found a lot of other things to do on the floor. I think she’s expanded her vision of who she is as a player … I don’t think her going 3-for-12 from the 3-point line made her happy, but she was happy that she was able to have a tremendous game otherwise.”
How to watch
Site: Walsh Gymnasium, South Orange, N.J.
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Time/date: Noon, Saturday
Team records: UConn 20-0 (10-0), Seton Hall 14-5 (8-2)
Series record: UConn leads 62-10
Last meeting: 84-48 UConn, Jan. 3 at PeoplesBank Arena
TV: NBC Sports Network
Streaming: Peacock
Radio: UConn Sports Network/The River 105.9
