MHOC Preview: Uconn Set to Face BU This Weekend
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Friday, February 19, 2021 • DailyCampus.com 12 Men’s Basketball: Huskies head to No. 10 Villanova by Jorge Eckardt ranks third in the league and STAFF WRITER 38.2% from 3, which ranks first. [email protected] The Huskies are shooting 43.4% from the field and 35.5% from After a commanding win over 3, and rank seventh and fifth in Providence on Tuesday, the UCo- those areas, respectively. nn men’s basketball team is head- Sophomore forward Jeremiah ed down to Pennsylvania to take Robinson-Earl leads the charge, Villanova in the two schools’ averaging 15.6 points per game long-awaited first matchup of the this season on 50% shooting season. from the field and 32.1% shooting UConn (10-5, 7-5 Big East) has from 3. He’s also the team’s best had a bit of a roller coaster of a rebounder, as his 7.3 boards per season so far, largely due to in- game also lead the Wildcats. juries to multiple key pieces. In Senior point guard Collin Gilles- fact, it’s actually worked out re- pie is right behind him, averag- ally well for UConn from a com- ing 14.1 points per game on 41.2% petitive standpoint that their shooting from the field and 37.6% first two matchups vs. Villanova from 3. Gillespie is the team’s pri- were postponed, because they mary distributor, leading the team would have been without James with 5.1 dimes a game, a mark that Bouknight and Andre Jackson is second in the conference only to for both of them. Now, though, Xavier’s Paul Scruggs. the team is relatively back to full Sophomore guard Justin Moore strength, so the Huskies will get is second in the assists depart- to run out their best possible ment with about 3.2 per game and lineup. third in scoring with 13.4 points Villanova (13-3, 8-2 Big East) is per game. He does so on 43.3% doing its usual thing, pacing the shooting from the field and 33.7% Big East and remaining one of from 3. the best teams in college basket- Senior forward Jermaine Samu- ball. They are, however, actually els is fourth in the scoring depart- coming off of a loss, but it was ment with 11.4 points per game, to Creighton, the team in second doing so shooting a clean 50% place in the Big East, so it’s not from the field and grabbing 6.4 totally crazy that happened. One boards, the second most on the interesting note though is that team. While he’s taken the fewest Villanova hasn’t lost back-to-back amount of 3s of the starting five conference games in over a cal- this season, he’s hit them at the endar year, so UConn is going to James Bouknight makes a pass during a home game in May of 2020. Bouknight and the Huskies will head highest clip, shooting 46.2% from have its work cut out for them if down to face the No. 10 ranked Villanova Wildcats on Saturday. PHOTO BY MAGGIE CHAFOULEAS, ASSOCIATE PHOTO EDITOR/THE behind the arc. they want to break that streak. DAILY CAMPUS Redshirt junior guard Caleb The Wildcats aren’t a partic- in the conference — and no one gory, lead the conference on a per and all five starters are averaging Daniels rounds out the starting ularly tall team, with no one on on their roster is even in double game basis by over a block a game. over 10 points per game. They sit five, averaging 10.9 points per their roster standing taller than digits. For comparison, the Hus- However, what Nova lacks in at third in the conference with game on a really solid 45.7% from 6-foot-9, and only two of them kies have six players on their ros- height they make up for in scoring. 78.6 points per game as opposed the field and 43.1% from 3. have gotten minutes. They also ter who are 6-foot-9 or taller, and The Wildcats are led by a starting to UConn’s 71.3 which ranks sev- Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m., have a combined 25 blocks on the Isaiah Whaley by himself has 44 lineup that has stayed consistent enth. They’re also efficient, shoot- and the game can be watched on season — a mark that is dead last blocks. The Huskies, in that cate- for 15 out of 16 games this season, ing 46.1% from the field which FOX. MHOC Preview: UConn set Women’s Basketball to face BU this weekend UCONN LOOKING TO by David Sandoval STAY HOT DURING HOME STAFF WRITER [email protected] STRETCH AS THEY UConn looks to turn things around in their weekend matchup against TRAVEL TO FACE XAVIER No. 11 Boston University after their by Benjamin Berg her hot scoring stretch against heavy 4-0 defeat against Providence, STAFF WRITER Xavier and has a good chance to ending their three-game win streak. [email protected] do so. The icebus will make one last stop on UConn’s leading scorer, fresh- the road on Friday before returning man guard Paige Bueckers (21.1 to the Freitas Ice Forum for Satur- Saturday, Feb. 20, the No. 1 points-per-game) is also in day’s rematch. ranked UConn Huskies (17-1, 14-0 the midst of a prolific scoring According to head coach Mike Ca- Big East) will travel to Ohio to stretch. Bueckers has scored at vanaugh, he acknowledges that the take on the Xavier Musketeers (4- least 19 points in eight straight Huskies (8-8-2) will have to put out a 6, 1-5 Big East) in the first of their contests, shooting an incredible valiant eff ort against BU (8-2). final four games of the season. 60% (27/45) from 3-point range. “It’s gonna be a tremendous chal- The only previous meeting Against Xavier, Bueckers previ- lenge for our team this weekend,” Ca- between UConn and Xavier re- ously scored 19 points with nine vanaugh said. “They’ve been playing sulted in a 106-59 victory for the assists in the win. great hockey, taking series from Bos- UConn beats UNH 7-4 in the Xl Center on Feb. 1, 2020. The Huskies will host the Boston University Terriers this weekend. PHOTO BY KEVIN LINDSTROM, Huskies earlier this season. UCo- Defensively, UConn’s top prior- ton College and UMass … They’ve PHOTO EDITOR/THE DAILY CAMPUS nn has won seven straight games ity will be to slow down redshirt been very consistent. They’re gonna while the Musketeers find them- freshman Nia Clark, who’s aver- be certainly a formidable opponent, as O’Brien will be fresh off a hat-trick between the goal, Vladislav Firstov selves on a three-game losing aging 14 points-per-game on 44% and we’re gonna have to be on top of in the same game, Kaufman assisting is certain to miss out in the week- streak. 3-point shooting. Xavier is averag- our game, for sure.” two of the goals. end series, Cavanaugh confi rmed, Following a two-game stretch ing an impressive 66.9 points-per- Looking at the opponents, the Ter- As for the Huskies, they’re only following a knock he picked up in during which she scored only game for the season, but luckily riers currently sit in the No. 2 spot in two places underneath the Terriers last week’s game. Another player he six total points, junior guard for UConn, they are in the midst of the Hockey East Power Index. Host- in the Hockey East Power Index, but doesn’t expect to go on the ice this Christyn Williams has scored a a brilliant defensive stretch. In the ing the Huskies at the Walter Brown with a 6.08 HEPI diff erence between weekend is Hudson Schandor, but combined 40 points in her past past three games, the Huskies are Arena, BU look to keep their three- the two schools. Aside from Jonny Cavanaugh said it will be a “game day two games while playing excel- allowing an average of 40 points- game win streak, their most recent Evans continuing his form, leading decision” if the freshman forward is lent defense. The last time these per-game and haven’t allowed an victory being 5-1 against Vermont. the team with 12 goals and 10 assists fi t enough to play. two teams met, Williams led all opponent to score 60 points since Sophomore and graduate forwards and leading with 22 points this sea- Both games will start at 4 p.m. on players with 24 points and hit a Feb. 3 against St. John’s. Jay O’Brien and Max Kaufman, re- son, and the commendable eff orts Friday. The game can be heard on season-high four 3-pointers. Wil- The game will begin at 3 p.m. spectively, will be players that UCo- of Jachym Kondelik with 16 assists ESPN 97.9 FM, and Saturday’s home liams will be looking to extend Eastern. nn’s defense will want to look out for, and Tomas Vomacka being a wall match will be televised on CW20. UCONN SCOREBOARD UPCOMING GAMES Benjamin Berg @bergywergy3030 Men’s basketball vs. BREAKING: the New York Yankees Saturday Men’s Hockey, Sunday, 4 p.m. and OF Jacoby Ellsbury have come to an Freitas Ice Forum agreement on a 7 year contract extension worth double his previous annual salary.