How UConn's small-ball lineup sparked comeback bid

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Headlines

News

• Chasing Perfection: What to make of UConn after the loss to USC

• Notebook: Geno wants to extend series with USC; Ayanna Patterson’s recovery timeline revealed

USC coverage

• UConn women’s basketball’s comeback falls short against No. 7 USC, 72-70

• What went wrong (and right) in UConn's two-faced loss to USC

• UConn-USC billed as Paige vs. JuJu, but surrounding casts more likely to decide outcome

• Photos: UConn vs. USC

Last week’s Weekly

• UConn still searching for a consistent third scorer

How UConn's small-ball lineup sparked comeback bid

There’s a clear line of demarcation in UConn’s loss to No. 7 USC on Saturday night: At the 6:39 mark of the third quarter Morgan Cheli replaced Ice Brady. By swapping a post player for a big guard, the Huskies decided to play small-ball. The 6-2 Sarah Strong slid to the five while Cheli slotted in as a stretch-four alongside three other guards.

The difference was stark.

At the time of the switch, UConn trailed by 18. Afterwards, the Huskies out-scored the Trojans by 16 and mounted a comeback bid that fell just short over the final 16 minutes. They were -14 with Brady on the floor but +15 with Cheli.

Staring at such a large deficit, UConn needed offense from all five spots on the floor in order to get back into the game. The Huskies simply weren’t getting that from Brady and Jana El Alfy, who combined for two points on 1-3 shooting. Cheli had five points herself.

“If we're playing five against four because we can't get any offense out of them and we need offense, it's tough to play them,” Geno Auriemma said about his two post players. “I know they're both young and I know Jana is a freshman, but if we can find the way to get some consistency where we feel comfortable throwing the ball in the lane and we think [they] can get a basket, then that takes a lot of pressure off our guards. Right now, there's too much pressure on them. So I got to figure that one out, that’s on me and the coaching staff.”

While small-ball boosted the offense, UConn had to sacrifice size on the defensive end. To mitigate those shortcoming, the Huskies deployed a full-court press that proved highly effective. USC couldn’t take advantage of the mismatch because it struggled to even get the ball over half-court with seven turnovers in the third quarter and four more in the fourth.

Even when the Trojans got the ball inside, the Huskies made them work for their baskets. Kiki Iriafen finished with 16 points but did so with an 8-19 shooting performance. As a team, USC had just eight points in the paint against the small-ball lineup and totaled just 30 points in the second half after putting up 42 in the first.

This is now the second time in three games that putting Cheli at the four has provided a spark. When Brady and El Alfy struggled against Georgetown last weekend, the freshman stepped in and put together the best performance of her young career.

But sandwiched between Georgetown and USC, Brady was lauded by her coach for a stellar defensive performance against Iowa State’s Audi Crooks. She and El Alfy have been impactful at times, they just done so with any regularity.

Sooner or later, the Huskies are going to have to commit to their identity. Do they believe the young posts can make the necessary strides before March to justify sticking with them through the ups and downs? Or does small-ball — especially with Aubrey Griffin expected back in January — give them their best chance to win?

The answer will likely decide the fate of UConn’s season. But after Saturday night, the team is no closer to answering it.

Fudd returns

As UConn clawed its way back in the second half, it did so without Azzi Fudd. While the redshirt junior returned after missing the last three games with a minor knee sprain, she only played eight minutes — all of which came in the first half.

Auriemma said afterwards that it was a coach’s decision — likely due to a rust. He mentioned she’d only practiced once or twice ahead in the lead-up to the contest and she finished 0-4 from the field.

“I’d love to have her out there. I just chose not to today — for whatever reason,” he said.

Second guess

When UConn’s press defense terrorized USC in the second half, KK Arnold was at the center of it. Though she was only credited with one steal, she helped create plenty more giveaways and proved to be the spark plug that the Huskies desperately needed in that moment. Arnold even helped out on offense, finishing with five points and two assists.

“If you're struggling on the defensive end, like we were, I do think you’ve gotta change up the way the game is being played,” Auriemma said. “We've talked to KK a lot about that: One of her biggest roles should be to come in and disrupt the game and change the way the game is played. And I thought she did that.”

Yet Arnold didn’t see the court in the fourth quarter. Instead, Auriemma stuck with just five players: Bueckers, Strong, Cheli, Ashlynn Shade and Kaitlyn Chen. While Chen didn’t play poorly — she hit a big three and nabbed an important steal — it’s fair to wonder whether Arnold would’ve been more impactful. At the very least, the sophomore should’ve gotten some run over the final 10 minutes.

Quote of note

USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb on Sarah Strong: “Sarah Strong is going to make a lot more game-winning shots than she ever misses… That kid is so good.”

Best of social media

Everyone’s a big fan of Sarah Strong:

Paige being Paige:

At least Jonathan had a fun night: