Vickie Fulkerson

Bacon Academy’s Mia Hageman, left, and Northwest Catholic’s Elise Nicholas fight for the ball during a second-round game Monday in the Class M girls' soccer state tournament in Colchester. Northwest Catholic won the game 1-0 in penalty kicks. (Sarah Gordon/The Day) Buy Photo Reprints

“We always had to have a lot of energy with her practices for sure. There are a few times I’ve gone back to her because we talk a good amount. I mean, she’s always someone I can go talk to and she understands it probably more than anyone else I would know.”

Strong led the way for UConn on Thursday with 17 points, six steals, four rebounds and three assists, as four players finished in double figures, while redshirt freshman Jana El Alfy also impressed in her first game with the Huskies with 17 points and 11 rebounds.

UConn center Jana El Alfy, middle, looks to shoot between Boston University’s Ines Monteagudo Pardo, left, and Allison Schwertner in the first half Thursday in Hartford. El Alfy made her UConn debut with 17 points and 11 rebounds. (Jessica Hill/AP Photo)

Doug Sharples, center, retired from coaching cross country at the St. Bernard School in 2001, following 34 successful seasons. He coached for six more at East Lyme and later was inducted into the National High School Athletic Coaches' Hall of Fame. Sharples died last week at the age of 82. (Day File Photo)

East Lyme’s Taylor Kachinsky (16) pushes a ball over the net during the Class L semifinal match against Farmington at East Hampton High School Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (Sarah Gordon/The Day) Buy Photo Reprints East Lyme’s Abigail Parulis (8) comforts Natalie Knowlton (15) after an error during the Class L semifinal match against Farmington at East Hampton High School Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (Sarah Gordon/The Day) Buy Photo Reprints

UConn's women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma talks to reporters during Big East media day in New York on Oct. 23. Auriemma, who is celebrating his 40th anniversary in the position, can tie the all-time wins record for Division I men’s or women’s basketball Friday night with a victory over North Carolina. (Seth Wenig/AP Photo)

In this Jan. 9, 2020, file photo, UConn coach Geno Auriemma, left, is held back by associate head coach Chris Dailey as he argues a call during a game against Baylor at the XL Center in Hartford. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

“They really showed us what a great program can and should look like,” Auriemma said of that first meeting at Stanford. “When we left there, I didn’t go, ‘That’s us someday.’ I didn’t think that. But I knew that we’d be playing them again and I knew that we would be good enough someday to be playing at a higher level than we played that day.”

UConn head coach Geno Auriemma and associate head coach Chris Dailey receive recognition from UConn president Radenka Maric, left, during a pregame ceremony honoring Auriemma and longtime assistant Chris Dailey, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024, in Storrs, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)