A glowing recommendation from the Big East Defensive Player of the Year winner twice.
“I know how much everyone that we play against dislikes it, because when KK first arrived here, I was like, ‘I detest playing against players like her,'” Muhl said with a laugh.. “Those obnoxious small defenders who are constantly around and extremely noisy and aggressive throughout the entire game… Few freshman appear to be working so hard and being so knowledgeable about defense. She will undoubtedly continue to improve and irritate me more.
With a game-high 13 assists and 10 points, Muhl recorded her third career double-double versus the Friars. She had an outstanding night overall. She added three rebounds, one steal, and another assist.
With four points from Arnold and six from Muhl on back-to-back 3-pointers, No. 13 UConn (13-3, 4-0 Big East) took control of the game early on. After being limited to only eight points in the first quarter, Providence (8-9, 2-2) had to call a timeout less than three minutes into the contest.
“We definitely wanted to set a specific tone with the way we opened the game,” Auriemma said. “With the lineup we have, it is how we must play. It’s actually the only option available to us to play that way. Although we won’t guarantee a turnover every time, we will do all in our power to control the game’s tempo, including forcing you to pick up the pace and extend the shot clock.
With Aubrey Griffin sidelined for the whole season, redshirt freshman Ice Brady played at least 20 minutes for the second straight game, and her growing confidence was evident.
“For many players, the only opportunity to influence the outcome of the game is when the ball is in the basket,” Auriemma remarked. “Paige is a skilled defensive player. She’s aware of the best place to obtain a rebound. She never stops studying and tries to determine where she needs to go.
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