STORRS, Connecticut. No. 2 UConn defeated Fairleigh Dickinson 85-41 on Wednesday night, giving Geno Auriemma his 1,217th victory and making him the most successful coach in NCAA college basketball history.
For the most victories ever, Auriemma broke a tie with Tara VanDerveer, the former Stanford coach. With 1,202, former Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski is the men’s record holder. Auriemma started playing for UConn in 1985 and has a career record of 1,217-162. His first season with the Huskies was the only one he has lost.
More than 60 alumni attended the Huskies’ (4-0) celebration of Auriemma and assistant head coach Chris Dailey’s 40 years at the university, including former UConn greats Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, and Rebecca Lobo.
Paige Bueckers, the newest star at UConn, led the way with 16 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists. Sarah Strong, a freshman, scored 20 points.
Before UConn scored nine of the last 11 points of the quarter, FDU (4-2) stayed around for the opening few minutes and only fell behind 14–12. The remainder of the way, the Knights failed to come inside single digits.
Takeaways
FDU: For the first time in thirty-three years, the Knights have won their first four games of the season.
UConn: Auriemma will have a deeper bench as the season goes on because the Huskies are finally beginning to recover.
Key moment
After missing the previous season due to a right knee injury, Azzi Fudd made her comeback to the UConn team. With 3:39 remaining in the first quarter, she checked in. When she entered the game, the audience gave her a standing ovation.
Key stat
Stephanie Gaitley, the coach at FDU, is two wins away from 700 and ranks 24th on the NCAA wins list.
Up next
On Saturday, FDU will host Saint Peter’s, and UConn will go to the Bahamas to participate in a tournament. On Monday, the Huskies will play their first game against Oregon State.
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