Spring Break
This time, it counts
Huskies begin title defense Saturday against Northeastern
Chris Brodeur
Issue date: 11/13/09 Section: Sports
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As expected, the Huskies breezed through the preseason, beating Division II St. Rose 85-44 at Gampel on Nov. 5 before rolling Vanguard 98-68 at the XL Center Monday. The one hitch came when starting point guard Lorin Dixon exited less than five minutes into the second tune-up with a strained left hamstring.
With Dixon out of the lineup Saturday and her status uncertain for the team's trip to Texas on Tuesday, coach Geno Auriemma has had to weigh replacement options with a roster lacking in backcourt experience.
"Anybody can handle the ball that's played [point guard] in high school," Auriemma said. "It's just a matter of getting comfortable with what you're gonna do with the ball. Tiffany [Hayes] did that in high school. Caroline Doty did that in high school. It's just that they spent the first year here at Connecticut running to a spot, having somebody pass it to them and they shoot it."
Doty and Hayes, two sophomores who are both more suited to fill the shooting guard role, will see the most time at the point while Dixon heals. While Auriemma doesn't expect the change in roles to be perfect, he is confident in the two players' ability to adjust to the shift and run the offense with the team in a bind.
"They're in that kinda transition stage, where, `when do I shoot? When do I pass?" Auriemma said. "They're gonna get caught in that every once in awhile and it's gonna look a little bit choppy. It's not like they have to learn how to play that position, they don't have to learn what to do with the ball. They all know what to do with the ball it's just gonna be some decision-making that's gonna be a little bit rocky."
UConn does have the nation's best player to stabilize them offensively when things aren't going smoothly. Junior forward Maya Moore scored a combined 52 points in the two exhibition contests, including 33 against Vanguard. Moore, along with senior center Tina Charles, was named to the preseason All-America team and will once again be a favorite to win the Naismith National Player of the Year award - a distinction that was hers at the end of last season.
The Huskies on the other side are coming off a disappointing 12-19 campaign a year ago in the Colonial Athletic Association conference. They last played UConn in 1996 following the Huskies' first undefeated National Championship. The all-time series between the two programs stands at nine wins for UConn and 4 for Northeastern. Senior forward Kim Carr led the team in points, field goal percentage and blocks last year and East Hartford native Kendra Walton is second on the team in scoring with an 8.6 points per game average.
After they do battle with Northeastern, the Huskies hit the road to take on Texas, the No. 12 team in the AP top-25 poll.
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