No. 10 UConn women’s basketball team facing Xavier with renewed energy and willpower, especially on defense

UConn women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma was so pleased with the effort his seniors came out with in the Huskies’ 92-47 win Wednesday over Butler that, midway through a season with more curveballs than a baseball game, he dared aspire that “hopefully [the seniors’ performance] is the beginning of a beautiful thing.”

If Auriemma gets his way, the Butler game could be the beginning of something great in more ways than that. Yes, Butler was an inferior opponent, but the Huskies brought an energy and willpower, especially on defense, that allowed them to dictate the game from start to finish, a tenacity they haven’t had much this season.

The next step is to ensure that this becomes more of a pattern than a one-off, and that they bring that same passion regardless of the opponent. UConn’s next opportunity to do so comes Saturday at noon, when the Huskies (8-3, 3-0 Big East) host Xavier (6-8, 1-4) in Hartford. It is also its final tune-up before a tough nonconference matchup Monday at Oregon. The Musketeers’ sole conference win this season was a 22-point victory over Butler.

Here’s what else you need to know about the matchup.

The basics

UConn vs. Xavier

Time: Noon ET, Saturday

Site: XL Center, Hartford

Series: UConn leads 3-0

Last meeting: No. 1 UConn dominated Xavier 83-32 on Feb. 20, 2021, in Cincinnati, Ohio

TV: SNY (Allen Bestwick, Meg Culmo, Maria Marino)

Live Stream: In-market SNY viewers with access to the network can watch via the NBC Sports app: stream.nbcsports.com/rsn/sny. Out-of-market viewers can watch on the Fox Sports App or at www.foxsports.com as well as on the FOX Now app or at www.fox.com/sports. The games might not appear on those sites until right around tipoff.

Radio: UConn IMG Sports Network on 97.9 ESPN (Bob Joyce, Debbie Fiske)

Xavier (6-8, 1-4) probable starters, sixth man

Ayanna Townsend, F, 6-2, R-Jr.; Mikayla Hayes, C, 6-3, Gr.; Shaila Beeler, G, 5-7, Jr.; Kae Satterfield, G, 6-0, Jr.; Mackayla Scarlett, G, 5-10, So.; Shelby Calhoun, G, 5-11, So.

UConn (8-3, 3-0) probable starters, sixth man

Christyn Williams, G, 5-11, Sr.; Olivia Nelson-Ododa, F, 6-5, Sr.; Dorka Juhász, F, 6-5, Gr.; Caroline Ducharme, G, 6-2, Fr.; Nika Mühl, G, 5-10, So.; Evina Westbrook, G, 6-0, R-Sr.

The matchup

UConn’s offense: Their last time out, UConn’s seniors had their best collective performance in some time, with Williams and Nelson-Ododa scoring 19 points apiece and Westbrook chipping in 13 off the bench on 3-for-7 shooting from the arc. The Huskies are looking for more of that to create a balanced offensive attack that will make them that much tougher to beat.

UConn’s defense: The defense is UConn’s strong suit this season, especially without Paige Bueckers. The Huskies forced turnovers on one-third of Butler’s possessions Wednesday, in part spurred by Mühl presence. They’ll look to bring that pressure and intensity early and often moving forward.

Xavier’s offense: Xavier is averaging 67.4 points per game on 41.5% shooting. Its top scorer this season, Nia Clark (14.1 points per game), hasn’t taken the court since Dec. 19, missing the last three games. Her status for Saturday is unknown. Calhoun and Satterfield are the Musketeers’ other top scorers at 10.7 and 10.1 points per game.

Xavier’s defense: The Musketeers allow more points on average than they score, with opponents putting up 71.1 points per game on 40.5% shooting. Satterfield and Townsend collect 13.2 rebounds per game combined, but UConn should have the advantage on the glass, especially offensively.

UConn keys: The Huskies had arguably their most complete game of the season Wednesday versus Butler and were able to dictate the way the game was played from start to finish. Can they replicate that effort this weekend?

Players to watch: Auriemma liked what he saw from starting Mühl and, for the first time in her UConn career, bringing Westbrook off the bench. Assuming he goes with that lineup again, will it continue to serve both players and the team as a whole well?

About Xavier’s coach: Melanie Moore is in her third season at Xavier, her first stint as a head coach, and entered 2021-22 with a 8-37 record. Her previous stops on the coaching trail included Michigan and Princeton.

Xavier’s mascot: D’Artagnan, Blue Blob.

Famous alumni: Former politician John Boehner, former NBA player Tyrone Hill and U.S. Permanent Representative to NATO Julianne Smith.

Alexa Philippou can be reached at aphilippou@courant.com