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♦♦♦

Like the UConn men’s team did Monday at the XL Center, the Huskies held a pregame ceremony to pay tribute to the 26 people, including 20 children ages 6 and 7, who were murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary School last Friday. A combined 26 members of the UConn spirit squad, dance team and pep band formed a circle around the Huskies’ logo at midcourt and held a candle.

The 11 UConn players blended in with the candle-holders during a 26-second moment of silence.

“The boys did it the other day and just for us to do something the like that … That moment will definitely be stuck in my mind forever of just being there to support great people that were part of such a tragedy,’’ Dolson said. “So it was an emotional moment, definitely.’’

“Being out there for that pregame ceremony is something that I was really glad that we did as a team and just as a university because, obviously, the whole thing that happened in Newtown is really sad,’’ freshman Breanna Stewart said. “And we just want to show that we’re going to do whatever we can to try and help out.’’

Rich

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The Huskies have certainly had their health issues this season. Bria Hartley missed the first two games this season with an injured left ankle. Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis did not play against Colgate Nov. 28 due to a concussion. And Kiah Stokes (stress reaction right shin) and Morgan Tuck (right knee bone bruise) did not play tonight against Colgate.

It appears that Stefanie Dolson avoided injury in the second half tonight when she significantly rolled her left ankle at the defensive end. She fell to the ground and was forced to leave UConn’s 97-25 win with 13:56 remaining.

Dolson did not return. But she was seen laughing on the bench as she slid a brace on her ankle. After the game, she brushed off the incident and said that she could have gone back into the game if needed.

“I’m an uglier faller,’’ said Dolson, who finished with nine points, six rebounds and four blocks. “At least it looked bad. I felt it crack. But maybe it just needed to be a nice little cracked ankle. No, it’s fine. Just a little tweak.’’

Rich

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It might have taken longer than UConn junior guard Bria Hartley would have liked. But she rediscovered her All-American form Wednesday against Oakland.

Hartley scored 19 of her season-high 21 points in the first half and had six rebounds, four assists and five steals to lead the second-ranked Huskies to a 97-25 victory before 8,325 at the XL Center. She had reached double figures in scoring in just one of her first six games.

The Huskies (9-0) wore patches on their jerseys in recognition of the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School last Friday. The 26 victims, including 20 children ages 6 and 7, were honored during a moving pregame ceremony in which a combined 26 members of the UConn spirit squad, dance team and pep band held a candle in a circle around the Huskies logo at midcourt. The 11 members of the Huskies blended in with the candle-holders during a 26-second moment of silence.

Breanna Stewart, who came off the bench for the first time this season, added season-highs of 21 points and 13 rebounds (eight offensive) for UConn. Brianna Banks had 18 points and six rebounds.

Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis had 14 points, nine rebounds, three assists and two steals for the Huskies. Stefanie Dolson finished with nine points, six rebounds and four blocks. But she was forced to leave the game with 13:56 remaining after rolling her left ankle at the defensive end.

Dolson was later laughing on the bench.

Elizabeth Hamlet had 14 points for Oakland (5-6). The Golden Grizzlies shot 14.9 percent from the field (7-of-47) and committed 24 turnovers.

STAR OF THE GAME: Hartley. She scored 12 points in the first 4:25 en route to her most prolific game this season.

KEYS TO THE WIN: The Huskies scored the game’s first 14 points as part of a 26-4 run. … They led 61-
12 at halftime, shooting 66 percent from the field (9-of-18 3-pointers). … Oakland did not make a field goal for a stretch of 8:50 in the first half. The Golden Grizzlies were 2-of-25 in the half. … Stewart recorded her second double-double. … Sophomore Kiah Stokes (right shin stress reaction) and freshman Morgan Tuck (right knee bruise) did not play.

NEXT: Saturday at Hartford, 1 p.m. (SNY)

Rich

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Bria Hartley scored 19 points and Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis added 10 for the Huskies. UConn shot 66 percent from the field (9-of-18 3-pointers).

Oakland is just 2-of-25 from the field and had 13 turnovers.

The Huskies are wearing patches on their jerseys in recognition of the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School last Friday. The 26 victims, including 20 children ages 6 and 7, were honored during a moving pregame ceremony. A combined 26 members of the UConn spirit squad, dance team and pep band held a candle in a circle around the Huskies logo at midcourt, while the 11 members of the Huskies were interspersed among them.

Rich

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♦♦♦

• WHEN: Tonight, 7
• WHERE: XL Center, Hartford (16,294)

STORY LINES

REMEMBERING: The Huskies will conduct a special pregame ceremony to honor the victims of Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy. Fans are asked to be seated by 6:50 p.m.

BACK IN THE GAME: The Huskies will play for the first time in 14 days after taking time off for final exams.

INSIDE POWER?: The Huskies have been outrebounded in back-to-back games for the first time since facing Seton Hall Feb. 28, 2009 and Rutgers March 2, 2009. They had a plus-14.5 rebounding advantage through the first six games.

• RECORDS: Oakland (5-5), UConn (8-0)
• ON THE AIR: SNY (Andrew Catalon and Meghan Culmo); WTIC-AM 1080 (Bob Joyce and Debbie Fiske)
• UP NEXT: Saturday at Hartford, 1 p.m. (SNY)

OAKLAND

• Elizabeth Hamlet, G/F, 5-11 Jr.: 3.0p (2-of-9 FG), 2.0a last two games
• Shelby Herrington, F, 5-11 Sr.: 5.2p on 12-of-17 FG last five games
• Elena Popkey, G, 5-5 Fr.: 11.0p (9-of-24 FG), 6.0r, 3.5a last two games
• Zakiya Minifee, F, 5-9 Jr.: 5.0p, 5.0r, 3.0s last four games
• Victoria Lipscomb, F/G, 5-7 Jr.: 11.0p, 5.0r, 4.5a, 3.0s in 177 min. last four games
• Annemarie Hamlet, G, 5-6 Fr.: 6.3p (7-of-32 FG) last three games
• Olivia Nash F, 6-1 Fr.: 11.8p, 10.1r this season; Missed last two games (leg)

UCONN

• Bria Hartley, G, 5-7 Jr.: 8.0p (7-of-26 FG), 3.7r, 3.7a last three games
• Kelly Faris, G, 5-11 Sr.: Leads the nation with a 4.50 assist-to-turnover ratio
• Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, F, 6-0 Soph.: Leads team in scoring (16.1) and made 3-pointers (19)
• Stefanie Dolson, C, 6-5 Jr.: 12.0p, 6.3r, 2.3a last four games
• Caroline Doty, G, 5-10 Sr.: Played season-low seven minutes vs. Penn State Dec. 6
• Breanna Stewart, G, 6-4 Fr.: 10.0p (5-of-15 FG), 6.5r last two games
• Morgan Tuck, F, 6-2 Fr.: Will not play due to a right knee bruise
• Moriah Jefferson, G, 5-7 Fr.: 2.0p, 0.0a in 7.5 minutes last two games
• Brianna Banks, G, 5-9 Soph.: 13.7p (14-of-24 FG) in 20.7 min. last three games
• Kiah Stokes, C, 6-3 Soph.: Will not play due to a stress reaction in right shin

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The latest dagger in the back of the Big East was officially delivered last Saturday when the seven Catholic, non-FBS schools – DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, St. John’s, Seton Hall and Villanova – announced that they will be next to abandon the conference.

This will bring the total to 13 schools that have decided to bolt from the Big East in roughly the last 15 months. Here are the thoughts of UConn coach Geno Auriemma on the latest departures …

“I think everybody has their own ideas,’’ Auriemma said. “Everybody has their own theories. Everybody wants to live in a nostalgic world. What does Garrison Keillor say? `All the women are strong, the men are good looking and all the children are above average.’ Lake Wobegon. Everybody wants to live in that world where the nine original Big East schools live and play against each other forever. And I think as it started happening and football became the driving vehicle, you’re either at the big boy table playing poker or you’re not.

“I think the Catholic schools did a really good thing. They stayed at the table as long as they could make as much money as they could, and then when they saw that the money was running out, they decided, `Let’s go play somewhere else.’ And had they voted appropriately, some of them, in the last 10 years, we wouldn’t be in the situation we’re in. So they did what was best for them, just like a lot of Catholic schools do. And a lot of people always used to always the state schools are the big bad guys, and we certainly had our share of that in our conference. And at this point in time, they probably felt like this is the best time for us to make our move.’’

Per Big East bylaws, the Catholic schools are required to remain affiliated with the conference until June 30, 2015. Auriemma is hoping that they leave much sooner than that.

“I hope they leave tomorrow, but they can’t because we have to play out the schedule,’’ Auriemma said. “But I hope as soon as the season’s over they go and do what they need to do just like everybody else. Just like Syracuse. Just like West Virginia did. I think West Virginia did it the right way. `I don’t want to be in this conference any more. I’m leaving. See you. What do I owe you? I’m out of here.’ And I hope everybody takes that approach. Whether or not that’s going to happen, I don’t know.

The loss of DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, St. John’s, Seton Hall and Villanova will not mean much when it comes to the level of competition on UConn’s schedule. The Huskies are a combined 198-34 (.853) in 27-plus seasons under Auriemma. And since the start of the 1994-95 season, they are 139-3 (.979), losing to Villanova March 11, 2003 and Feb. 28, 2004 and to St. John’s Feb. 18, 2012 during this stretch.

UConn has currently won 28 straight games against Seton Hall, 27 straight against Georgetown and Providence and 28 of 29 against St. John’s. The Huskies have also won nine straight against Villanova and are undefeated against DePaul (9-0) and Marquette (7-0).

“Our job here at Connecticut is to have the best basketball program in the country,’’ Auriemma said. “And I think department-wise it is to have the best athletic department in the country. Fifteen years ago or whenever it was we played in Minneapolis in the Final Four, we were called the University of Connecticut, and we played in the Big Least Conference. That Connecticut was the only good school in the league and that all the other conference schools were terrible. And I think we may have gotten like two teams in the NCAA tournament or something like that. And then 15 years later, we got nine and we were recognized as the best conference in the country. Well that’s over. It’s gone. So maybe it’s time for us to build another conference, just like we built the Big East.

“So the new Big East … We’re going to create the best women’s basketball conference in the country if we can. That’s my goal right now.’’

Rich

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UConn coach Geno Auriemma was named a co-recipient of the 2012 USA Basketball National Coach of the Year award, USA Basketball announced today. He shared the award with Duke men’s coach Mike Krzyzewski.

Both coaches led the U.S. to a gold medal in the London Olympic Games and undefeated exhibition records in 2012.

“The opportunity to coach the Olympic Team is an amazing opportunity that you are very fortunate to have and all you want to do is a great job while putting the players in a position to be successful,’’ Auriemma said. “I thought our entire coaching staff, Doug Bruno, Marynell Meadors, Jen Gillom and everyone associated with our team from (Women’s National Team Director) Carol Callan on down, were outstanding. We got all the resources and support that we needed, and I think I owe a debt of gratitude to all of them, along with (USA Basketball Executive Director/CEO) Jim Tooley and (Chairman, USA Basketball Board of Directors) Jerry Colangelo for what they do.

“So, I don’t know that it was me as much as the support group we had around us and the great group of athletes I had the opportunity to coach. They were just unbelievably committed to winning, and I don’t know if I’ll ever be around a group like that ever again.’’

This is the second USA Basketball National Coach of the Year award for Auriemma, who also shared the honor with Krzyzewski in 2010.

The U.S. women’s gold medal was an unprecedented fifth-straight Olympic gold, a feat never before accomplished in any women’s traditional team sport, while under Krzyzewski’s hand the USA men captured a second-consecutive Olympic gold.

“Our two coaches built outstanding teams for USA Basketball that our country was proud to cheer on in London,’’ Tooley said. “From the start of their involvement with our national team programs, Coach K and Geno have exemplified the qualities they stressed to our players, including commitment, selfless service and excellence.’’

The USA Basketball Board of Directors is responsible for selecting USA Basketball’s annual awards.

The National Coach of the Year award was established in 1996 to recognize a USA Basketball head coach who, during the year of the award, made significant impact on the success of individual athlete and team performance at the highest level of competition.

In addition to Auriemma and Krzyzewski, previous winners include Jennifer Rizzotti (2011), Jamie Dixon (2009), Anne Donovan (2008, 2007), Gail Goestenkors (2005), Van Chancellor (2004, 2002), Larry Brown (2003, 1999), Jim Boeheim (2001), Nell Fortner (2000), Clem Haskins (1998), Mo McHone (1997) and Tara VanDerveer (1996).

In the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England, Auriemma led the USA women to an 8-0 record and piloted the USA Women’s National Team to a 5-0 record during exhibition play in 2012.

“Coach Auriemma led the way, and he was never satisfied,’’ said Diana Taurasi, a three-time Olympic gold medalist and 2012 co-captain. “He always wanted more from us as individuals and as a unit. It was more than just winning a gold medal, it was about playing basketball the right way.’’

Under Auriemma’s leadership, the U.S. won by an average of 34.4 points per game during the Olympics and ranked No. 1 in 15 of 19 major statistical categories among the 12-team field, including scoring (90.6), field goal percentage (.484), rebounding margin (plus-17.2), blocked shots (41), assists (185), steals (84) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.67).

The team also recorded 2012 Olympic single-game highs for points scored (114), field goals made (52), field goals attempted (90), field goal percentage (.627), rebounds (62), assists (33), steals (15) and blocked shots (11), and set U.S. Olympic single-game records for points (tied), rebounds, field goals made, field goals attempted (tied), assists and blocked shots.

The 2012 squad also set U.S. Olympic competition records for field goals attempted (597), rebounds (404) and blocked shots (41).

Additionally, as part of USA Basketball’s Hoops for Troops program, Auriemma and members of the USA Women’s National Team conducted a clinic for approximately 50 children of military members on July 14 at the D.C. Armory in Washington, D.C.

Rich

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Here is a letter that UConn President Susan Herbst sent out to all UConn fans this morning regarding the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School and conference realignment …

“It is difficult to write to you about athletics or any other conventional university items in light of the Newtown tragedy. We will never understand it; hopefully there will be some healing in the future, although that seems very far off right now. I ask that you consider giving one of the greatest gifts of all to the survivors of Sandy Hook Elementary: the opportunity to attend a top research university like ours. Please make a gift to a young child, so that he or she might have the honor of being a Husky some day. CLICK HERE

As you know, conference realignment continues at a rapid pace and UConn has new challenges we must face. I do not know when or how things will settle; no one does. There is more change to come that will reshape the landscape yet again. I assure you that the Big East presidents are both unified and optimistic, working to strengthen the conference in imaginative ways that will see us through to a bright future for our students, coaches, and fans. Commissioner Mike Aresco is an outstanding leader at an extraordinarily complex time, and our university partners represent powerful, high-quality institutions that we are proud to join with in this conference.

I realize that this is aggravating to hear, but as in all things, we can only affect what is in our control. As a result, we strive for excellence at UConn daily across all departments, something very much in our control. We stand tall at UConn and we need not beg, plead, nor despair. That is not who we are, and my reading of our university history — from 1881 to today — conveys the pride of every generation, in good times and bad.

There are profound concerns about the future of collegiate athletics of course. I speak often to presidents across the nation, and we are hardly alone in our worries. Even many seemingly “secure’’ universities are fearful of the changes to come, not only in the realm of realignment, and hope for a long-term stability that seems elusive right now.

We here at UConn have incredibly powerful and compelling teams, decades of accomplishment, joyful traditions at games, and great plans in the works, such as our men’s ice hockey team entering Hockey East in 2014, the top conference in the nation, and our new building projects, like the UConn Basketball Development Center.

I know that it is difficult to read much of the internet content right now about athletics, which seems to be dominated by negativity. Many bloggers, journalists, and even fans from elsewhere would like to see UConn hurt, and hence write with a cynical tone. This flip discourse is again, not in our control. The truth is that this is a top national research university with a terrific athletics program that will flourish, no matter what conference we are in and no matter what the media chatter looks like.

I wish you could see my mail and answer my phone, to get a true sense of how dedicated and upbeat our best fans are. Far from being depressed or dragged down by negativity, they are more committed than ever before, and know that it is their very commitment that will determine our future. They know that we will be more than fine, even if there are months and maybe even years of conference uncertainty ahead. We still get to play and we still get to win. Our true fans and supporters so love our coaches and students, and enjoy their tremendous efforts on the field and court. That is what I appreciate, and what all university presidents hope for.

When it comes to athletics, I normally write to you – so often these volatile days! – about student-athletes and our need to focus on them. Again, there is much cynicism around this topic. I cannot speak for other institutions, but here at least, focusing on our students guides what we think and what we do. We care deeply about student academic success, and the pride that we feel about all of our sports is both immense and genuine.

So, Huskies: Let’s all hang tough and please keep some perspective, as hard as it is in a time of great change. Win or lose, conference struggles or not, UConn is a research university. So if you are feeling low, just head to our university home page and glory in the amazing new faculty we are hiring at a rapid pace, our incredible student successes across disciplines, scientific awards and invention by our faculty, and all that matters most at your flagship university.

I was hired because I’m an optimist, and I cannot help being just that. I never see the productive value in cynicism and negativity, when there is so much to be proud of. It’s a tough world out there, but you can count on me to be the Number One Cheerleader for this superb place I call home. I hope to see you at many games this year – basketball, hockey, and spring sports are not too far off, despite the temperatures out there! Support our beloved university, our outstanding coaches and students, and all really will be well.

I realize that it is difficult to have a truly happy holiday if you are at all close to Newtown or are simply touched by it, as so many are, around the world. But do please have a safe and restful break, and be thankful that we are so tightly bound to each other by this great university community.”

Susan Herbst
President

Rich