Homecoming Night In Storrs

If you'd like to join TigerBlog this afternoon at 5:27, you'll find him on Cocoa Beach in Florida.

Why such an exact time? That's when there will be a lift-off from the Kennedy Space Center, which is about five miles north of where TB is staying. Apparently, the beach is the place to watch the lift, something that TB finds quite fascinating.

By the way, if you're flying to Orlando at this time of year, you're likely to encounter a planeload of families with little children on their way to Disney (as opposed to someone on his way to the IMCLA lacrosse convention and NCAA men's lacrosse rules committee meetings). There are even those dressed in matching family outfits, with the words "Disney Christmas 2022" on them and then "Mom," "Dad," Grandma" or the kid's name on each person's individual shirt.

There was a baby two rows in front of TB on yesterday's flight out of Trenton, one who howled a lot — and loudly. There's a child with a future in opera. The screaming didn't bother TB. He more felt sorry for the two parents, who were trying everything, bless their hearts.

Back on July 15, TigerBlog wrote that Dec. 8 was a date to circle on your calendar. He didn't realize at the time that for him, this would mean watching a rocket take off while standing on a beach near sunset. 

No, that was the day that it was announced that the Princeton women's basketball team would be playing at UConn, with tip tonight at 7 in Storrs.

The game matches Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma against one of his former players, current Tiger head coach Carla Berube. While at UConn, Berube put up 1,379 career points and 678 career rebounds while shooting almost 40 percent from three-point range.

UConn went 132-8 in Berube's four years there, including a perfect 35-0 her sophomore year of 1995, which ended with the NCAA championship. Since graduation, Berube has kept up the winning ways she inherited from her coach, with an emphasis on defense and winning championships.

In fact, here is Berube's record:

A a player: 132-8
As head coach at Tufts: 384-96
As head coach at Princeton: 56-8

That adds up to 573-112. That means that as a player and head coach, Carla Berube has won 84 percent of her games. That seems pretty good.

TB has been trying to think of examples of other times when a Princeton coach has gone against the coach after winning a national championship under that coach as a player. The first two who jump to mind are field hockey coaches Carla Tagliente and Dina Rizzo, who won an NCAA title under Missy Merharg and now have coached against her every year at Princeton.

The matchup tonight at UConn has the 5-2 Tigers taking on a UConn team that reached the NCAA final a year ago (falling to South Carolina) and is coming off its first loss of this season, a 74-60 loss to Notre Dame in South Bend this past Sunday.

Princeton and UConn have never met, but this will be the 29th game between the Huskies and an Ivy team. The record? UConn has a 19-9 edge. If that surprises you, consider that all nine Ivy wins predate 1980, that Auriemma has never lost to an Ivy team and that none of his games against Ivy teams have been particularly close.

Princeton almost got to play UConn last year in the NCAA Sweet 16, but the Tigers fell by a point at Indiana in the second round, after beating Kentucky in the first round. 

As you know, Berube has built her teams around defense. The challenge tonight is a simple one, get her team to play to its motto of "Get Stops," as opposed to having UConn play to the motto of the Princeton men ("Make Shots"). 

And UConn makes shots as well as anyone, as the team ranks second in the country in three-point shooting percentage at 43 percent and third in the country in overall field goal percentage at 51.6 percent. UConn is also third in the country in assists per game, and the Huskies' Nika Muhl is Division I's leader in assists per game.

TB told you nearly five months ago to circle this date. Now it's here, and he was right with what he said back then.

Regardless of what happens, it'll be a fantastic experience for the Tigers, and a special night for their coach.