"Don't expose Sarah to that for too long": Geno Auriemma says Jana El Alfy can help UConn star freshman in trouble vs UCLA
Geno Auriemma and the UConn Huskies started strongly against the UCLA Bruins in their Final Four showdown on Friday night, building a commanding 42-22 lead after the first half at Amalie Arena. Auriemma discussed the importance of Jana El Alfy in helping Sarah Strong contain the UCLA bigs during an interview with ESPN's Holly Rowe in the opening half.
Rowe asked Auriemma about Sarah Strong, who picked up one foul in the first quarter while playing the center position in UConn's small lineup. The Huskies built a 23-13 lead over the Bruins after the opening period.
"Foul No. 2, that’s a big problem," Auriemma said. "We’re going to have to mix and match. Get Jana back in. Don’t expose Sarah to that for too long."
Geno Auriemma added that the UCLA Bruins have problems of their own in trying to contain Sarah Strong on the other end of the floor.
"But you see, they got a problem because they’re not gonna be able to guard Sarah down at the other end. We’ve got to kind of play cat and mouse here and see how it goes," Auriemma said.
The tactic worked for Geno Auriemma, who saw the Huskies double their advantage in the second quarter. Jana El Alfy punctuated UConn's dominant first-half performance with a steal in the final 11 seconds to preserve the Huskies' 20-point lead.
Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong step up for Geno Auriemma in the first half against UCLA
Azzi Fudd led all UConn scorers in the first half of their Final Four clash against UCLA, dropping 19 points. She shot 7-for-11 from the field, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc.
She was automatic from the free-throw line, knocking down both of her attempts from the charity stripe. Fudd was also a menace on the defensive end, racking up three steals against the Bruins.
Sarah Strong also stepped up for Geno Auriemma in the first half, scoring eight points on 3-of-6 shooting. The majority of her points came from the 3-point area, with the freshman star going 2-of-4 from deep. She also had three rebounds, one assist and one steal.
Paige Bueckers, who has scored at least 30 points in her previous three NCAA Tournament games, only had six points in the first half against UCLA. She shot 3-for-10 from the floor, including 0-for-3 from the 3-point area.