UConn vs. Maryland rating, takeaways: Huskies, Paige Bueckers control Terrapins in victorious recover

The No. 8 Connecticut Huskies got better from their very first loss of the season with an 80-48 win over No. 20 Maryland. This video game was the ideal poking the bear story, and Paige Bueckers was the bear.

After a sluggish offending start for both groups, the Huskies took control of and completed the 2nd quarter with a 20-4 run in the last 5 minutes. Bueckers was a huge factor for this, and all of it began after she was mistakenly poked in the eye by a Maryland gamer late in the very first quarter.

“I was quite fired up,” Bueckers stated after the video game. “I desired it to look more black and blue so it can look how it felt.”

Just her 3rd video game after not betting 584 days due to an ACL injury, however she appeared prepared to make a declaration. Bueckers was playing strongly and entered into the break with 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field. She was likewise getting it done on the other side of the flooring with one take and 4 blocks.

UConn continued that momentum in the 3rd quarter with a 30-6 go to retreat from the Terps. Huskies required 9 turnovers in the 3rd and held the Terps to simply 2-14 from the flooring.

Maryland wasn’t able to discover a response in the 4th and UConn left with a strong triumph. The Huskies had actually entered this season as the No. 2 group in the country however dropped to No. 8 previously today after the 92-81 loss to a then-unranked N.C. State group. They looked sharper on Thursday. As a group, the Huskies were moving the ball a lot much better and using protective pressure. They held Maryland to 26 percent shooting from the field, while they shot 52 percent through the night.

“We simply approached the video game, I believe, with a various frame of mind,” stated head coach Geno Auriemma

UConn controlled the paint 46-18 and signed up 29 points off of Maryland’s 27 turnovers. Bueckers completed the day with 24 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks and 6 takes. Aaliyah Edwards and KK Arnold contributed with 12 points each, and Ashlynn Shade included 10 more.

“I simply hope they do not go, ‘See? Revealed you,’ and after that return to hibernation,” Auriemma stated about his group’s focus and protective effort. “I hope this ends up being the standard now, due to the fact that undoubtedly it remains in there. Our program has actually constantly been based upon that.”

Here are the 3 primary takeaways from UConn’s win over Maryland:

UConn’s defense looks better

Even Maryland head coach Brenda Frese herselfexplained UConn’s defense as “astonishing” after the video game. The 48 points scored by Maryland was the least the Terrapins have actually installed in a video game given that Dec. 3, 2012– when they likewise lost to UConn (63-48) according to ESPN Stats & & Info.

UConn used pressure and held Maryland to 26% shooting as the Terps went 15 of 58 from the field, indicating Frese’s team had substantially more turnovers (27) than basket on Thursday.

As a group, the Huskies got 16 takes– 6 originating from Bueckers and 5 from freshman Arnold. Even Auriemma was happily amazed by this stat. For point of view, the Huskies balanced 6.9 takes per video game last season.

“Effort,” he stated. “It may be the very first time in I do not understand the number of years that we’ve had that lots of takes.”

There was a lot more effort and much better interaction than there protested N.C. State. Throughout the postgame media conference, Bueckers stated Thursday’s efficiency had to do with pride and having more discipline.

“We were extremely ashamed with our protective effort. I can’t keep in mind the last time a UConn group slow down 92 points,” Bueckers stated.

Paige Bueckers is returning to her old self

Bueckers signed up 8 points throughout her very first video game back. She’s gotten rid of a great deal of the rust. Thursday was her 2nd successive video game with more than 20 points. Going back to the court after an ACL injury is difficult, however Bueckers is looking much better every day.

The 6 takes she signed up versus Maryland connected her own career-high, which took place versus South Carolina throughout the freshman season when she was the nationwide gamer of the year.

Her statistics were excellent, however she was doing a great deal of the little things that made her group much better and accepted a physical design of play. Her energy, Auriemma stated, was what triggered UConn’s dominant win.

“She ended up being that lightning arrester that simply began the entire thing,” the head coach stated.

The freshmen will become part of the group’s depth

As Auriemma put it, “there is constantly something” when it concerns UConn. Junior guard Azzi Fudd did not play due to the fact that of an injury she suffered Tuesday throughout practice.

Injuries have actually been a regrettable pattern with UConn, which has actually offered the group no other alternative than to require everybody to step up. Senior forward Aaliyah Edwards, who set up 12 points on Thursday, has actually done an excellent task accepting a management function, particularly when Bueckers was out. The young skill is likewise currently making more playing time.

Versus Maryland, 2 freshmen saw double digits for the very first time in their college professions. Arnold contributed with 12 points, 2 rebounds, 5 helps and 5 takes on Thursday. Ashlynn Shade included 10 points in simply 15 minutes.

“We take a great deal of pride when we get the opportunity to show to our upperclassmen, to everyone, that we’re capable of making plays and defending them too,” Arnold stated.

Auriemma explained that a person UConn’s finest runs in the video game had Arnold, Shade and redshirt freshman Ice Brady on the flooring.

“We are going to provide those guys minutes,” he stated. “They are going to get a possibility to play. That’s the only method they are going to get much better. I was definitely delighted at the method they managed themselves.”