Spring Break
Huskies expect to remain undefeated against Friars
Brittany Perotti
Issue date: 2/18/09 Section: Sports
For some teams, going from a game against a ranked adversary to a match against an opponent who has lost four of its last five games is a letdown. In some ways, it's anti-climatic. Others take each game in stride.
Maybe that is the reason why the No.1 women's basketball team holds a 25-0 record, including four wins against ranked opponents, as it heads into tonight's game at Providence (9-15, 3-8 Big East) at 7 p.m.
"It just says we're focused," Renee Montgomery said after Sunday's win against No. 19 Pittsburgh. "You know, a lot of people are expecting us to get lackadaisical, be content with where we're at and how we're playing, and we're just continually trying to get better and I think that shows."
On Monday, Tiffany Hayes was announced Big East Freshman of the Week for her efforts against St. John's and Pittsburgh. This is the second time she was awarded the honor.
So where does the team go from here?
In the face of questions about what the Huskies have to compare themselves, to coach Geno Auriemma said that it was more about the way the game is supposed to be played, rather than a focus on a specific opponent.
To him, the team needed to be ready to play at the best of its ability each night, regardless of the other team's record.
"If you compare yourself to somebody else - what if they're lousy?," he said Sunday. "So what'd you compare yourself to? So you compare yourself to the game and how the game's supposed to be played, then the only way you can win is to play perfect … so that's the goal, it's always been like that. The game demands that you do this. Forget what the other guy's doing."
The coaching staff perpetually aims to maintain the focus that Auriemma has credited with UConn's success thus far.
Perhaps now, as the Huskies face the Friars, that focus will become more integral than at any point during the regular season,.
As of late, Providence has struggled to build momentum and piece together back-to-back wins. In fact, the Friars' last consecutive wins came in December.
Maybe that is the reason why the No.1 women's basketball team holds a 25-0 record, including four wins against ranked opponents, as it heads into tonight's game at Providence (9-15, 3-8 Big East) at 7 p.m.
"It just says we're focused," Renee Montgomery said after Sunday's win against No. 19 Pittsburgh. "You know, a lot of people are expecting us to get lackadaisical, be content with where we're at and how we're playing, and we're just continually trying to get better and I think that shows."
On Monday, Tiffany Hayes was announced Big East Freshman of the Week for her efforts against St. John's and Pittsburgh. This is the second time she was awarded the honor.
So where does the team go from here?
In the face of questions about what the Huskies have to compare themselves, to coach Geno Auriemma said that it was more about the way the game is supposed to be played, rather than a focus on a specific opponent.
To him, the team needed to be ready to play at the best of its ability each night, regardless of the other team's record.
"If you compare yourself to somebody else - what if they're lousy?," he said Sunday. "So what'd you compare yourself to? So you compare yourself to the game and how the game's supposed to be played, then the only way you can win is to play perfect … so that's the goal, it's always been like that. The game demands that you do this. Forget what the other guy's doing."
The coaching staff perpetually aims to maintain the focus that Auriemma has credited with UConn's success thus far.
Perhaps now, as the Huskies face the Friars, that focus will become more integral than at any point during the regular season,.
As of late, Providence has struggled to build momentum and piece together back-to-back wins. In fact, the Friars' last consecutive wins came in December.
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