Prized freshman Sarah Strong keeps rolling along, plays major role in UConn’s NCAA opener

STORRS – On Friday, UConn women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma was asked if freshman Sarah Strong might get nervous about playing in her first NCAA Tournament game.

Absolutely not, Auriemma said. She had looked out of sorts maybe once, at Tennessee.

“She had five turnovers, I thought she was horrendous,” he said. “That fact that she got 18 points and nine rebounds has nothing to do with it. If that’s her (bad) game, then I’m pretty good going into (Saturday).”

Strong, who had three double-doubles in UConn’s Big East Tournament run, kept the streak going on Saturday in the Huskies’ first-round 103-34 win over Arkansas State in a first-round NCAA Tournament game at Gampel Pavilion with 20 points and 12 rebounds, five assists and five blocks.

Second-seeded UConn (32-3) will face the winner of Oklahoma State and South Dakota State in an NCAA Tournament second-round game Monday at Gampel Pavilion, a day after the UConn men play top-seeded Florida in a second round NCAA Tournament game at 12:10 p.m.

Azzi Fudd, who missed the NCAA Tournament last season due to injuries, led the way for the Huskies with 27 points, seven assists and six steals Saturday and sophomore Ashlynn Shade came off the bench to contribute 20 points. Twelve Huskies saw time in the game, which UConn led 66-16 at halftime.

Strong was efficient: she shot 9 for 10 from the field, 2 for 3 from the 3-point line, all in 22 minutes. She had 15 points in the first half.

“It was a lot of fun being out there with my team,” she said. “Everything was pretty much going our way, so that really helped. Excited for the next one.”

And as her coach predicted, her demeanor was the same, even though she was playing in her first NCAA Tournament game.

“You would never know,” Fudd said. “You wouldn’t be able to tell, the way she carries herself.”

Shade agreed.

“For her to be a freshman coming in and to have this much composure, this much maturity, is something really special,” Shade said.

“She’s very even keeled and grounded. She knows what she’s good at and executes it every time she steps on the court. She doesn’t get too high or too low. You always know what you’re going to get out of Sarah and it’s usually pretty good.”

Strong, who was named the Big East Freshman of the Year, has scored in double figures in 32 of UConn’s 35 games this season. And her stats rank up there with UConn greats their freshmen seasons.

With 563 points, she is ranked fourth among all-time UConn freshman scorers, behind Maya Moore (678), Paige Bueckers (581) and Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (569). She moved ahead of Moore (296) in freshman rebounding and now is the rebounding leader with 298. She is tied with Moore for fourth place among freshmen in blocks (59).

“It’s what she’s done all year, but it still never fails to amaze you,” Fudd said. “You get excited seeing her perform on both ends, what she does is incredible. I wish I could do what she does.”

And the higher the stakes, the better Strong has performed this season, which will serve her well as the NCAA Tournament progresses.

“I think the moments that mean the most have been her biggest,” Auriemma said. “I think she’s mature beyond what I expected on the court, and it’s come out in the biggest moments.”

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