Fudd, Auriemma return as UConn finally gets healthy after rough stretch

NEW YORK (AP) — UConn is starting to finallyget healthy.

The fourth-ranked Huskies welcomed back coach Geno Auriemma andstar guard Azzi Fudd on Wednesday night in a 30-point rout of St.John’s. The Huskies had to postpone a game a few days earlieragainst DePaul when they didn’t have the seven healthy scholarshipplayers required to play the contest.

It’s been that kind of a year for UConn, which has only had twoplayers play in all 16 games this season with the others missing atleast a game with an injury, illness or travel problems.

They also have missed their Hall of Fame coach for four gamesdue to an illness he’s been dealing with for a month. He was backon the bench against St. John’s after he had missed the Huskies’previous two games because he wasn’t feeling well. He also missedtwo games while sick last month. The 68-year-old coach is alsogrieving the death of his 91-year-old mother in early December.

“Obviously, we really missed him,” senior forward Dorka Juhászsaid of Auriemma. “They did a great job while he was gone, butobviously having the whole coaching staff is amazing. It’s good tosee him smiling, laughing, and I think it was a good little restfor him, I hope he rested enough and he feels great. But I mean forus, we’re just happy to have him back.”

Associate head coach Chris Dailey, who has been filling in whileAuriemma has been away, said that she didn’t know for sure he wasgoing to be back until he got on the bus for the trip to New Yorkon Tuesday.

“He said he was coming on the trip, that’s when I knew,” shesaid. “I just wanted to make sure he was in a good place and heshould come back and he was ready to come back. He assured me hewas.”

Fudd missed eight games after injuring her right knee againstNotre Dame on Dec. 4. She was cleared to resume basketballactivities two weeks ago and had gone through warmups a few timesbefore playing Wednesday.

“I had to go into the game and just remind myself to stayaggressive,” said Fudd, who scored 14 points in 20 minutes in the82-52 win. “I’ve been out for a while, so I felt like I did a goodjob of kind of shaking the rust off. But I know that my reactiontime and all that will get better as we keep playing.”

UConn was still missing Caroline Ducharme and Ayanna Patterson,who are in concussion protocol. Paige Bueckers (ACL tear) andfreshman Ice Brady (dislocated patella) are out for the year.

“I think once we get (Caroline Ducharme) back and Ayanna in themix it’s just going to add to what we’re working towards,” Daileysaid. “So I just think everybody’s in a good place now.”

The Huskies have a busy stretch coming up with six games over 14days and having a full roster would make that a little easier.

“We’ve tried holy water. We’ve tried sage burning. None of themseem to work,” Dailey said after a win over Xavier last week. “It’sjust something we have to deal with. Whoever we have, we feel likewe have enough.”