It’s another Football Sunday, and once again none of my fantasy teams are doing anything at this point. There is nothing more frustrating for a fantasy owner than watching your quarterback throw multiple interceptions against a bad secondary or see a team run play-action at the goal line instead of handing it to you running back of a punch-in. This must have been similar to what Rhode Island coach Tom Garrick was feeling sitting on the bench at the XL Center yesterday as his team was being taken apart by the Huskies. Right?
Actually, that wasn’t the case. Of, course, he would have liked to have gone home with a win. But that was not going to happen. Everyone in the building knew that before tip-off. We’re talking about the No. 1 team in the country against a team that was picked to finish 11th in the Atlantic 10 this season. Still, the experience is one that Garrick and the Rams, who called UConn to set up the game in the first place, can take away and learn some things.
“It’s an opportunity to up the level of intensity for our kids,’’ Garrick said. “I would play them every year. I’m not afraid to play anyone. Why not play the best, because you get to gauge where you are going forward in your season. You get to see where your kids are and they get to see another level of basketball and what they need to do to attain that level. You saw what the top level of talent in women’s basketball was so you should aspire to that. Come Tuesday (against Brown) we should be much better than we were (yesterday), and whoever we see should feel the brunt of that.’’
The Huskies took care of business against the Rams. Just as they should have. They didn’t lose focus. They executed at both ends just like they hoped they would. In doing the math, Rhode Island did not score for a stretch of 10:45 in the first half as UConn had runs of 17-0 and 24-0 to take a 51-9 lead with 3:33 left in the half.
Led by Tina Charles, who is firmly establishing herself as one of the elite centers in the country, and Renee Montgomery, who is already one of the top two points guards in the country, the Huskies shot 56.7 percent from the field and scored 22 points off of 14 turnovers to take a 53-16 lead at halftime.
The second half belonged to shining freshman guard Tiffany Hayes. She scored 10 of her season-high 17 points in just nine minutes. She can slash to the basket. She can shoot the 3-pointer. This is a player that is fun to watch, and one that is only going to get better from here on out.
“That left-handed game helps her a lot,’’ Garrick said. “She is kind of a herky-jerky player, but she is quicker than she reveals until she needs to use her speed, and she can shoot the heck out of the ball.’’
Garrick also left the game with no doubt in his mind that in a season that already seen its share of Top 5 upsets that UConn is the nation’s best team. Heading into their first road game of the season at BYU Tuesday, the Huskies have outscored the opposition by 34.3 points. They are averaging 90.7 points with six players averaging in double figures. And defensively, they have allowed 56.3 points and have forced an average of 24 turnovers.
UConn won’t face its first ranked opponent until next Sunday night when it hosts No. 2 Oklahoma at Gampel. But after three games their progression has been steady.
“They aren’t the biggest team, but technically they are so sound,’’ Garrick said. “Everybody on the team knows what it means to find a girl in the other color jersey and block out and then go get the ball. They create fastbreak opportunities for themselves and they execute in the halfcourt. That’s what the best team in the country looks like.’’
Rich
