The Guru Report - National Edition: UConn Emerges For Old Times Look in Tennessee Rout While Michigan Continues Historic Season

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

Months of struggles with injuries and COVID protocol problems transformed back into whipping time Sunday afternoon by tenth-ranked, soon-to-rise higher, Connecticut against a reversed suddenly sliding Tennessee squad 75-56 in the third straight win against no losses since the annual highly-anticipated rivalry was renewed for the 2019-20 season.

It’s not only that the Lady Vols lost to the Huskies. It’s the second straight blowout defeat following Florida’s 84-59 beatdown Thursday in a Southeastern Conference game, the worst back-to-back affairs since a 31-point loss to Texas followed by a 17-point defeat to Louisiana Tech in games played in the 1984-85 season.

And it’s the third loss in four games including an SEC loss to Auburn and the one win came in a comeback overtime triumph of Arkansas.

On the upside for UConn, which is still eagerly awaiting the return of star player Paige Brueckers from a knee injury in December, was the first better later on than never performance from highly-regarded freshman Azzi Fudd.

On UConn’s side children have been born and grown up to be teenagers since the Huskies went through such woes as losing to a then-unranked team (Georgia Tech), nearly departed with a then-167 straight conference win streak until a game-saving shot before time expired (DePaul), added to a mock-assigned third seed and shipped out west to Spokane, Wash., while one of the other regionals is to be held in Bridgeport, Conn., in the NCAA committee’s first reveal that at the time placed Tennessee with a long-absent No. 1 seed.

All this, plus a chance to have a second shot for redemption playing at No. 1 South Carolina called off, with what had been a Tennessee revival potentially helpful for returning to old times with a win loomed in a do-or-die affair.

And before the opening tip came more stomach-churning news for the rabid fan base that freshman Caroline Ducharme, the one bright spot in months of misery, wads being held out as a precautionary measure off a head injury.

Not to worry.

Popping an opening three-pointer, Fudd, playing the delightful newcomer role of Bueckers last season, went on to score 25 points and look like all the selling points that existed from the day she announced UConn was the one.

At one point, all those victims of past UConn (15-4) beatdowns had quips such as retired Villanova coach Harry Perretta, “It’s nice to see that he is getting to experience and see what life in the world is like for the rest of us.”

He is Hall of Fame coach Geno Auriemma, owner of an NCAA men’s/women’s record combo 11 national titles who would be otherwise a little closer to Hall of Fame Stanford coach Tara Vanderveer’s NCAA Women’s Division I record 1,143 wins than the nine victories separating the two.

Auriemma, who grew up in Norristown in the Philly northwest suburbs, affirmed the suffering in the postgame press conference.

“There was a time I think when it was, ‘Are we going to ever see the other side of this?’” he said. “But with each person that came back, the feeliong just got better and better.

“It’s a shame we did it without Caroline, so if we can get accomplished what we got accomplished today, knowing that Caroline and Paige weren’t there to play, I think that’s a lot of confidence going forward.”

That’s not what Villanova, which has been on a roll, needs to hear heading into their first Big East meeting of the year Wednesday night in Hartford.

Fudd had only played eight games to date, due to a foot injury, and during her recent return Auriemma had been on her for being passive with the ball.

Sunday, she tried it his way right off the opening shot.

Sixteen of Fudd’s 25 points came in the second half during which she was a perfect 6-for-6 from the field, four of which came from beyond the arc.

“The game plan was not to leave Azzi Fudd open,” said Tennessee coach and alum Kellie Harper, who, until the recent slide, had guided the Lady Vols back towards the high position of prominence they enjoyed under the legendary late Pat Summitt. “That was not the game plan.”

Fudd’s stat line also had four rebounds, four assists, a blocked shot, a steal, and, as far as ball handling, she was turnover free.

“If you had watched the game, you would’ve thought she was an upperclassman playing out there, that she was a senior,” Auriemma observed. “Eight games into her freshman career, that was pretty good, huh? If that’s the worst she ever looks, she’s going to be pretty good.”

Also enjoying the fun, Aaliyah Edwards had 14 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Reserve redshirt senior Evina Westbrook, a Tennessee transfer to UConn two seasons ago, also had 14 points.

And when a seven-point lead ballooned into a 21-point advantage, Nika Muhl and Chrystn Williams had key plays during the run.

The UConn defense held Tennessee (19-4) to 29 percent from the field.

“If you have a breakdown defensively, she’s going to knock it down,” Harper said. “You can’t have mental lapses against a player like Fudd. They do a great job within their offense of finding her. They’re such great passers, so if you do have a breakdown, they capitalize on it.”

Jordan Horston had a team-high 26 for the Lady Vols.

Acknowledging flaws still existed, with a potential soon return of Bueckers, Auriemma could look to the near future with less worry.

“To win the way we did with not all the pieces functioning like you’d like, we could be a good team in March,” he said.

Fudd echoed the outlook.

“It’s going to be really scary, and definitely scary for our opponents,” Fudd said. “We’re going to be a nasty team with everyone  healthy.”

Harper noted that Tennessee’s problems began when Keyen Green suffered a season-ending knee injury last month on Jan. 3.

“When we lost Keyen Green, and we have just not recovered from that yet,” the Tennessee coach said. “I think right now, the team is still searching.

Auriemma noted Tennessee still has its own promise despite it’s recent problems.

“Tennessee is a good team,” he said. “They didn’t play their best game by far. I think our defense had something to do with it, but we didn’t exactly play our A+ game either. I think there’s a lot of growth for their team and our team probably.”

Said Harper, “Obviously, we wanted to come in and compete better than we were able to do. You’re shooting 28 percent from the field, it’s not going to keep you in the game with Connecticut.

“We had some effort, but we had too many breakdowns, defensively with our focus and offensively we just missed too many shots.

“We’ve got to be able to find confidence in what we’re doing and that right now is the biggest drop-off for us in the last two weeks. We were playing with great confidence and great belief and gresat energy and great focus — and now we’re not. That is what we have to find. That is what we have to get bad.”

Before the Green injury, Tennessee had been on top of the Southeastern Conference but are now back to trailing top-ranked South Carolina again with the meeting with the Gamecocks still to come.

Michigan Withstands Clark’s Big Night With Iowa: A week ago, Michigan reached its highest ranking in Associated Press women’s poll history at sixth and then went out and beat No. 5 Indiana with a chance to rise higher when the new poll is released Monday afternoon.

On Sunday, the Wolverines won their program-record eighth straight Big Ten game and withstood sophomore Caitlin Clark’s career-high 46 points, 33 in the second half, triumphing 98-90 over No. 21 Iowa at home in Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor.

Michigan was able to hold off what had been a comeback from a 25-point deficit by the Hawkeyes (15-6, 9-3 Big Ten). 

Clark also had 10 rebounds, while Iowa’s Monika Czinano had 13 points, while Kate Martin scored 11,

Naz Hillmon had 26 points and 10 rebounds for Michigan (15-6, 9-3) while Laila Phelia had a career-high 24 points, Maddie Nolan scored 17, and Emily Kiser scored 10.

“That was exciting,” said Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico. “I have a lot of energy left at the end of the night. I thought we were pretty unbelievable.”

Elsewhere Cameron Brink had a career-high 26 points and 14 rebounds as No. 2 Stanford in Los Angeles beat Southern Cal 83-57 to keep the defending NCAA champions unbeaten in the PAC-12 (18-3, 9-0). Jordyn Jenkins had 20 for the Trojans (9-11, 2-8).

Completing a home-and-home weekend, No. 9 Baylor made it a sweep winning 63-55 at No. 13 Texas in a Big 12 game in Austin at the Longhorns’ Frank Erwin Center.

Joanne Allen-Taylor had 18 points for Texas (15-6, 5-5 Big 12), while NaLyssa Smith scored 28 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for the visiting Bears (17-5, 7-3).

No. 19 Oregon in the PAC-12 was upset at Arizona State 55-49 after losing at No. 8 Arizona on Friday.

In the Atlantic Coast Conference Florida State held off a rally from an 18-point deficit by No. 20 Notre Dame to beat the Irish 70-65.

In the Southeastern Conference, Florida topped host No. 14 Georgia 54-51, claiming a fifth victory against a Top 25 team for the first time since the 2005-06 season. The Gators had lost nine straight in the series.

And that’s your national report.