Semifinal Preview: UConn survives injury scare in postseason opener

How to watch

Date: Sunday, Mar. 10

Time: 2:30 p.m. ET (remember the clocks shift ahead an hour)

Location: Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, CT

TV: FS1

Stream: FoxSports.com/live

Radio: UConn Sports Network (97.9 Fox Sports and affiliates)

Marquette Golden Eagles

Record: 23-7 (11-7 Big East)

Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Head coach: Megan Duffy (fifth season)

Seed: 5

UConn survives injury scare in postseason opener

While UConn won its opening game of the postseason with an 86-53 drubbing of Providence, it lost a key player in the process. Aaliyah Edwards went down with a bloody nose injury in the third quarter and did not return.

While she came back to the bench from the locker room during the fourth quarter with both her nostrils plugged, there’s no clear timetable for her going forward.

“Our team doctors are here. They'll do some tests afterwards. Judging by the looks of it, her nose looks like it's been through a fight,” head coach Geno Auriemma said. “So what that means for the rest of the tournament, I don't know. We'll probably know by sometime this evening for sure.”

Losing Edwards for any extended period would be a major blow for UConn considering how well she’s played over the last month and how little depth the team has in the frontcourt. Not only is Edwards’ status up in the air, even the little-used Amari DeBerry is currently out with a concussion.

That leaves the Huskies with just one remaining big: Ice Brady.

So if there were a silver lining to Edwards’ injury, it’s how Brady performed in her absence. The redshirt freshman struggled in the first half with three fouls in seven minutes but in the second half, she recovered to put up eight points on 3-4 shooting, two rebounds and a block in 16 minutes. She led all Huskies at +27 while on the floor.

Brady didn’t just hold down the fort, she excelled.

“Once Aaliyah got hurt, I think the light went off and she looked around and went, ‘There is no other option. I'm the only option,’” Auriemma said. “I wish she would treat herself like that more often and play with that kind of mindset. Well, certainly we're going to need her now depending on what happens with Aaliyah.”

That performance helped UConn out-score Providence 41-18 once Edwards went out. Of course, it helps to have someone like Paige Bueckers, who scored 29 points on the day — 13 of which came after Edwards’ injury.

The Huskies will be hoping Edwards doesn’t miss any time. But in the short term, they learned a lot about themselves without her.

“Sometimes you're put in situations where you have no choice, which I kind of love because it brings out the best of you, the best in all of us,” Auriemma said. “It's a lot, but it gives you an opportunity to show what you've got.”

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