3/2 Connecticut Huskies (19-1, 6-1 BE)

Results: Connecticut 76, Villanova 43
Player of the Game: So. Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (19p, 4r, 5a, 1b, 24m)
Def. Player of the Game: Fr. F Breanna Stewart (4dr, 2s, 3b, 21m)
Fr. Player of the Game: Fr. F Breanna Stewart (14p, 6r, 3a, 2s, 3b, 21m)
Stat of the Game: Pts. in the Paint: UConn 30, Villanova 14

Summary: UConn went more than 7 1/2 minutes without a field goal against Villanova and still beat the Wildcats by 33 points. UConn All-American candidate Jr. C Stefanie Dolson led the way with 20pts. and 8rebs as the Huskies easily routed Villanova, 76-43. UConn All-American candidate So. W Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis added 19pts., hitting five of her six 3-pointers. She now lead the nation in 3pt. FG percentage. UConn All-American candidate Fr. F Breanna Stewart chipped in 14pts. and 6rebs. off the bench for the Huskies.

Game notes (pdf) for today's game vs. ARV/ARV Villanova Wildcats (16-3, 5-1 BE).

Location: XL Center (Hartford, CT)
Time: 7:00pm (ET)
TV: SNY
Internet: SNY.tv
Radio: UConn Radio Network/WTIC
Live Stats: GameTracker

UConn All-American candidate Fr. F Breanna Stewart was named the Big East Freshman of the Week for the third time in her career after averaging 11.5ppg and 6.0rpg in a 2-0 week for the Huskies, which included a win over No. 4/4 Duke and a league victory at Cincinnati. Stewart had 13 points, five rebounds and three blocks while shooting 71 percent against the Blue Devils. Against the Bearcats, she had 10 points, seven rebounds and two assists.

3/2 Connecticut Huskies (18-1, 5-1 BE)

Results: Connecticut 67, Cincinnati 31
Player of the Game: Jr. C Stefanie Dolson (15p, 5r, 2a, 1s, 1b, 25m)
Def. Player of the Game: Jr. C Stefanie Dolson (4dr, 1s, 1b, 25m)
Fr. Player of the Game: Fr. F Breanna Stewart (10p, 7r, 2a, 1b, 22m)
Stat of the Game: Rebounds: UConn 49, Cincy 28 

Summary: Third-ranked UConn knew this was a bad matchup for one of its former players and coaches. Then again, anytime one of Geno Auriemma's former assistants tests the Huskies, it's a predictable outcome. Connecticut always wins. Stefanie Dolson scored 15 points in limited time on Saturday night, and Connecticut's tough, physical defense allowed only a season-low 9pts. in the first half, setting up a very easy 67-31 victory over Cincinnati. UConn is 8-0 all-time against Cincinnati, winning by 21, 10, 37, 31, 31, 34, 43, and 36 points. Cincinnati Head Coach Jamelle Elliott, a former UConn player and assistant to Auriemma, fell to 0-4 against her former team. Auriemma has never lost to a former player or coach.

Game notes (pdf) for today's game at Cincinnati Bearcats (8-10, 0-5 BE).

Location: Fifth Third Arena (Cincinnati, OH)
Time: 8:00pm (ET)
TV: SNY
Internet: SNY.tv
Radio: UConn Radio Network/WTIC
Live Stats: GameTracker

Today the U.S. Basketball Writers Association named UConn All-American candidate Jr. C Stefanie Dolsonas its Ann Meyers Drysdale Women's National Player of the Week for games ending the week of Sunday, Jan. 20. The USBWA's weekly honor will be handed out each Tuesday through Feb. 19 this season. As the BIG EAST Conference Player of the Week, Dolson was nominated for the weekly award, which was chosen by a representative of the USBWA board of directors from a list of Division I conference players of the week. Dolson averaged 20.5ppg , 8.0rpg and 4.5apg while shooting 60 percent from the field in two games. She had 16 points and nine rebounds in a 72-58 win over then-No. 15 Louisville while shooting 8-11 from the field in the first of two wins by the No. 3 Huskies. Dolson followed up with a career-high 25 points, added seven rebounds and dealt six assists against Syracuse while also becoming the 36th UConn player to reach 1,000 career points in the 87-62 win.

Today the UConn trio of All-American candidates Sr. G Kelly Faris, Jr. C Stefanie Dolson, and So. W Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis were named to the 2012-13 John R. Wooden Award Midseason Top 20 was announced today by The Los Angeles Athletic Club President Steve Hathaway. The #2/3 Connecticut Huskies were the only school to have three student-athletes placed on the list and the Big East Conference had the most candidates with six out of the 20 selections.

3/2 Connecticut Huskies (17-1, 4-1 BE)

Results: Connecticut 79, Duke 49
Player of the Game: Sr. G Kelly Faris (18p, 12r, 6a, 2s, 31m)
Def. Player of the Game: Sr. G Kelly Faris (5dr, 2s, 31m)
Fr. Player of the Game: Fr. F Breanna Stewart (13p, 5r, 3b, 22m)
Stat of the Game: 2nd-half Pts. Off TOs: UConn 17, Duke 0

Summary: The rest of the country finally got to see what UConn fans have known all along tonight. That despite her stats, UConn All-American candidate Sr. G Kelly Faris is, without question, UConn's heart & soul and the team's MVP. And despite UConn's lofty record, Geno Auriemma admitted something has been missing from his team. The Huskies may have finally found it. UConn turned a 2-pt. halftime lead over the previously unbeaten 4/4 Duke Blue Devils into a rout playing a nearly flawless second half. Faris was everywhere, finishing with 18 points, 12 rebounds and six assists to lead UConn to a 79-49 victory over the Blue Devils. The senior guard seemed to get her hand on every loose ball and also shut down Duke All-American candidate Jr. PG Chelsea Gray. Auriemma gave Faris a giant hug when he took her out of the game with 1:36 left. Usually that show of emotion is saved for the end of the season. The Blue Devils were the last unbeaten team in men's or women's Division I basketball. The last time the Blue Devils came up to Connecticut two years ago they were also unbeaten and the Huskies had one loss. UConn won that game 87-51.

"The last 20 minutes of the game was as much fun as I've had in a long, long time," Auriemma said. A fiery halftime speech from the Hall of Fame coach seemed to have sparked his team. "Tonight the frustration came out of me in the locker room. Kelly (Faris) turned all that frustration into concentration and aggressiveness that helped us find a little bit of what was missing. ... Now the key is holding on to it and adding to it. There have been some legends wearing that Connecticut uniform," Auriemma said. "I don't know if anyone represented that uniform, herself, her family the way that kid did tonight. I know there are a lot of players out there that are really good. I know there are a lot of All-Americans who have played here. That was one for the ages right there."

UConn All-American candidate Jr. C Stefanie Dolson was named the Big East Player of the Week for the first time in her career after averaging 20.5ppg, 8.0rpg and 4.5apg while shooting 63 percent from the field, in a 2-0 week for the Huskies. Dolson had 16 points and nine rebounds in a win against No. 15/13 Louisville, connecting on 8-of-11 from the floor. She had a career-high 25 points, adding seven rebounds and dishing out six assists in a win against RV/23 Syracuse. She reached the 1,000-point plateau in the first half against the Orange.

Game notes (pdf) for today's game vs. 4/4 Duke Blue Devils (16-0).

Location: XL Center (Hartford, CT)
Time: 7:00pm (ET)
TV: ESPN2
Internet: ESPN3 (subject to blackout)
Radio: UConn Radio Network/WTIC
Live Stats: GameTracker

3/2 Connecticut Huskies (16-1, 4-1 BE)

Results: Connecticut 87, Syracuse 62
Player of the Game: Jr. C Stefanie Dolson (25p, 7r, 6a, 2s, 2b, 35m)
Def. Player of the Game: Jr. C Stefanie Dolson (5dr, 2s, 2b, 35m)
Fr. Player of the Game: Fr. F Breanna Stewart (20p, 6r, 22m)
Stat of the Game: Assists: UConn 22, Syracuse 13

Summary: UConn All-American candidate Jr. C Stefanie Dolson had a career-high 25pts. and scored her 1,000th career point as she led UConn to a 2nd half blowout of Syracuse, 87-62. Dolson, who hit nine of her 17 shots, became the 36th player in UConn history to reach 1,000 points for her career all while holding Syracuse's leading scorer Sr. C Kayla Alexander (20ppg) to a season-low 4pts. UConn All-American candidates So. W Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis and Fr. F Breanna Stewart added 25pts./9rebs. and 20pts./6rebs., respectively for the Huskies. Stewart came off the bench after missing the past two games due to an ankle injury (sprain).

Game notes (pdf) for today's game vs. ARV/23 Syracuse Orange (15-1, 3-0 BE).

Location: XL Center (Hartford, CT)
Time: 4:00pm (ET)
TV: SNY
Internet: SNY.tv
Radio: UConn Radio Network/WTIC
Live Stats: GameTracker

3/2 Connecticut Huskies (15-1, 3-1 BE)

Results: Connecticut 72, Louisville 58
Player of the Game: Jr. G Bria Hartley (16p, 7r, 1a, 1s, 33m)
Def. Player of the Game: Sr. G Kelly Faris (2dr, 2s, 2b, 36m)
Fr. Player of the Game: Fr. G Moriah Jefferson (6p, 2r, 3a, 1s, 20m)
Stat of the Game: 3pt. FGM: UConn 9, Louisville 4

Summary: UConn All-American candidates Jr. C Stefanie Dolson and Jr. G Bria Hartley each scored 16 points to lead the Huskies to a hard-fought 72-58 win over Louisville. Fellow UConn All-American candidates Sr. G Kelly Faris added 13 points and seven assists while So. W Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis had 12 for the Huskies (15-1, 3-1 Big East). Hartley showed no ill effects of a sprained left ankle she suffered in the first half against Marquette on Saturday.

Game notes (pdf) for today's game vs. 15/13 Louisville Cardinals (14-3, 2-1 BE).

Location: XL Center (Hartford, CT)
Time: 9:00pm (ET)
TV: CBS SportsNet
Internet: none
Radio: UConn Radio Network/WTIC
Live Stats: GameTracker

UConn All-American candidate Sr. G Kelly Faris made the Big East Weekly Honor Roll after she shot 71% in a 2-0 week for the Huskies. She had 15 points, four rebounds, four assists, two blocks and five steals at Georgetown. At Marquette, she had 11 points, eight assists, five steals and five rebounds.

3/2 Connecticut Huskies (14-1, 2-1 BE)

Results: Connecticut 85, Marquette 51
Player of the Game: Jr. C Stefanie Dolson (20p, 5r, 2a, 1s, 1b, 20m)
Def. Player of the Game: Fr. G Moriah Jefferson (1dr, 4s, 30m)
Fr. Player of the Game: Fr. F Morgan Tuck (7p, 9r, 5a, 23m)
Stat of the Game: Steals: UConn 18, Marquette 9

Summary: UConn All-American candidates So. W Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis and Jr. C Stefanie Dolson scored 24pts. and 20pts, respectively, to help the Huskies cruise to an 85-51 win over Marquette on Saturday. Mosqueda-Lewis scored nine points and Dolson six during a 21-3 run to open the game for the Huskies who improved to 8-0 all-time against Marquette. Coming into the game, all the victories, save one, were by an average of 29.7 points. UConn All-American candidate Sr. G Kelly Faris scored 11pts., had 8asts. and 5stls. and So. G Brianna Banks came off the bench and added 12pts. for the Huskies. UConn lost guard Bria Hartley after she rolled her ankle in the first half. She played five minutes and is questionable for Tuesday's game against Louisville. The Huskies also played without star freshman Breanna Stewart, who sprained her left ankle in practice Friday. Fr. F Morgan Tuck added 7pts. and grabbed a team-high and career-high 9rebs for UConn off the bench.

Game notes (pdf) for today's game at Marquette Golden Eagles (8-6, 0-1 BE).

Location: Al McGuire Center (Milwaukee, WI)
Time: 4:00pm (ET)
TV: SNY
Internet: SNY.tv
Radio: UConn Radio Network/WTIC
Live Stats: GameTracker

Geno/Taurasi/Team USA honored

UConn Head Coach Geno Auriemma was selected as co-recipient of the 2012 USA Basketball National Coach of the Year award along Mike Krzyzewski (Duke) after each led the USA to a gold medal in the London Olympic Games and undefeated exhibition records in 2012. In the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England, Auriemma led the USA women to an 8-0 record and piloted the USA Women’s National Team to a 5-0 record during exhibition play in 2012. Under Auriemma’s leadership, the USA topped teams by an average of 34.4 points per game during the Olympics and listed No. 1 in 15 of 19 major statistical categories among the 12-team field, including points averaged (90.6), field goal percentage (.484), rebounding margin (+17.2), blocked shots (41), assists (185), steals (84) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.67). The team also recorded 2012 Olympic single-game highs for points scored (114), field goals made (52), field goals attempted (90), field goal percentage (.627), rebounds (62), assists (33), steals (15) and blocked shots (11), and set U.S. Olympic single-game records for points (tied), rebounds, field goals made, field goals attempted (tied), assists and blocked shots. The 2012 squad also set U.S. Olympic competition records for field goals attempted (597), rebounds (404) and blocked shots (41).

“Coach Auriemma led the way, and he was never satisfied,” said Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury), three-time Olympic gold medalist and 2012 co-captain. “He always wanted more from us as individuals and as a unit. It was more than just winning a gold medal, it was about playing basketball the right way.”

Former UConn All-American and current WNBA Phoenix Mercury Star G Diana Taurasi was tabbed at the 2012 USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year. Taurasi is a three-time Olympic gold medalist who helped lead the USA women to a fifth-straight Olympic gold medal as well as an undefeated exhibition schedule in 2012. This is the fourth consecutive year the UConn women’s basketball program has been represented in the naming of this award (Tina Charles 2009, Taurasi 2010, and Breanna Stewart 2011). Taurasi, who was named a tri-captain of the U.S. Olympic squad, started in all eight Olympic wins and averaged a team-high 12.4 points per game to go with 3.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists per contest in the 2012 London Olympics. She also shot 45.5 percent from the field and team-bests of 42.9 percent from 3-point and 96.0 percent from the free throw line.

“Twelve years ago I wore my first USA jersey, and the feeling of honor and excitement never diminishes,” said Taurasi, who also earned USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year award in 2010 and 2006. “I had the opportunity to learn from the best, play with the best and be coached by the best. This honor is very special because it is in recognition of everyone who has played for our county.”

USA Basketball named its 2012 U.S. Men's and Women's Olympic National Teams as co-recipients of the 2012 USA Basketball Team of the Year Award. University of Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma and six former Huskies were all part of Team USA women's basketball which went on to win the gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics. Former UConn standouts Sue Bird, Swin Cash, Tina Charles, Asjha Jones, Maya Moore and Diana Taurasi were all part of the gold medal Team USA. While the USA men stood atop the podium for a second-consecutive Olympic Games, the USA women captured an unprecedented fifth-straight Olympic gold medal.

"Winning a gold medal during an Olympic year, as far as USA Basketball is concerned, is the culmination of four years of hard work," said USA women's head coach Geno Auriemma. "So, for our men's and women's teams to be the team of the year is a reflection on the work USA Basketball does with all our partners. Every day, there are people working to make sure those four years end with a gold medal. I want to pass along congratulations to Coach K and the men's team. They are just a bunch of super guys, and it was an honor and a thrill to be in London and watch them perform."

3/2 Connecticut Huskies (13-1, 1-1 BE)

Results: Connecticut 75, Georgetown 48
Player of the Game: Sr. G Kelly Faris (15p, 4r, 4a, 5s, 2b, 30m)
Def. Player of the Game: Sr. G Kelly Faris (3dr, 5s, 2b, 30m)
Fr. Player of the Game: Fr. G Moriah Jefferson (9p, 6r, 2a, 7s, 27m)
Stat of the Game: Pts. Off TOs: UConn 30, Gtown 11

Summary: It was ugly; which means it was a game against Georgetown. Led by UConn All-American candidate Sr. G Kelly Faris and her hot shooting, UConn bounced back from their Big East opening loss to Notre Dame and overcame a sloppy first-half to easily defeat the Hoyas, 75-48. UConn Fr. G Moriah Jefferson easily had the best game of her career finishing with 9pts., a career-high 6rebs., 2asts., and a career-high 7stls., in a career-high 27mins. off the bench. UConn All-American candidate Fr. F Breanna Stewart overcame a very rough first-half all by herself to nab her 3rd career double-double finishing with 12pts. and 13rebs. off the bench. With the win, UConn has 707 straight games without consecutive losses. The Huskies have also beaten the Hoyas 28 consecutive times.

Game notes (pdf) for today's game at Georgetown Hoyas (10-4, 1-0 BE).

Location: McDonough Arena (Washington, DC)
Time: 7:30pm (ET)
TV: SNY
Internet: SNY.tv
Radio: UConn Radio Network/WTIC
Live Stats: GameTracker

1/1 Connecticut Huskies (12-1, 0-1 BE)

Results: Notre Dame 73, Connecticut 72
Player of the Game: Jr. G Kayla McBride, Notre Dame (21p, 3r, 3a, 37m)
Def. Player of the Game: Jr. F Ariel Baker, Notre Dame (4dr, 2b, 19m)
Fr. Player of the Game: Fr. G Michaela Mabrey, Notre Dame (11p, 21m)
Stat of the Game: Free Throws: UConn 11-14, Notre Dame 17-24

Summary: Different scenary, different actresses, same story, and same result. Notre Dame keeps it close, hits a big bucket late, UConn misses a big bucket late, Notre Dame wins by 1 (f**king) point. Nuff said.

Game notes (pdf) for today's game vs. 5/5 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (11-1, 0-0 BE).

Location: Gampel Pavilion (Storrs, CT)
Time: 4:00pm (ET)
TV: CBS
Internet: None
Radio: UConn Radio Network/WTIC
Live Stats: GameTracker