UConn’s El Alfy and Quinonez among star international players set to hit the court in March Madness
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Monthly Digital Subscription
$1 per week for 24 weeks*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Billed as $4.00 plus GST every four weeks. After 24 weeks, price increases to the regular rate of $19.95 plus GST every four weeks. Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.
Monthly Digital Subscription
$4.99/week*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Billed as $19.95 plus GST every four weeks. Cancel any time.
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Free Press access to your Brandon Sun subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
*Your next subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $16.99 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $23.99 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
STORRS, Conn. (AP) — When Geno Auriemma took over the struggling UConn women’s basketball program in the mid-1980s, the rosters were loaded with players from New England and the tri-state area for the first decade.
As the years have passed, Auriemma and his staff have relied more frequently on international players. This season is no different, with Blanca Quinonez and Jana El Alfy two of the most productive reserves for the top-ranked Huskies.
El Alfy, a redshirt sophomore from Cairo, Egypt, averaged 5.3 rebounds in six NCAA Tournament games last season. She welcomed UConn’s latest international product to campus. El Alfy and Quinonez are roommates in addition to being the first two frontcourt options off the bench for UConn as the Huskies begin their March Madness title defense with a Saturday matchup with UTSA. Iowa State plays Syracuse in the second game.
“It has been fun seeing her grow and become more comfortable in the person she is,” El Alfy said. “We are really close, we are roommates and we get to celebrate a lot of things together. We are both internationals, so we know what it is like being away from home, being able to adjust to (living) here.”
Quinonez, who hails from Milagro, Ecuador, is the third-leading scorer for UConn. Some of her best games came against fellow NCAA Tournament teams.
“I remember the first time I came here, she cooked for me,” Quinonez said. “She is a super great person. She is a great teammate, she is always there for us, so to have that kind of person as a teammate that is always cheering for you is amazing.”
Auriemma said the international players he has coached are usually ready for the challenge and willing to sacrifice being away from home to play for one of the premier programs in the country.
“It has been challenging, you have a lot of stuff to learn about this program, this culture,” said Quinonez, who is averaging 9.9 points in 19.8 minutes per game.
UConn has always had a reach far beyond the Connecticut border. Now, fans in Ecuador and Egypt are checking out the games.
“I think this past year, people have been more aware of women’s basketball, especially back home where it is mostly about men’s soccer,” El Alfy said. “Just being that person that kind of opens up that door for people to be aware of that is huge. I feel very honored to be in that position right now.”
El Alfy and Quinonez are not the only international players set to take the court in the subregional at Gampel Pavilion.
The leading scorer for Syracuse is Uche Izoje, a freshman from Nigeria. Australian guard Sophie Burrows is in her second season as a starter for the Orange. UTSA’s top scorer is senior forward Cheyenne Rowe, a native of Ajax, Ontario.
Matchup In The Middle
The game within the game in the first-round matchup between No. 8 seed Iowa State and No. 9 seed Syracuse is the showdown between Iowa State second-team All-American Audi Crooks, who is second among Division I women’s players with an average of 25.5 points per game, and Izoje, who is fourth nationally with 2.65 blocked shots per game.
“When you play somebody who really looks to block shots, you have to be able to play through that contact,” said Crooks, who averaged 26.3 points and 7.5 rebounds in four career NCAA Tournament games. “If you can get a shot blocker in the air, you are going to have a good night so that is the strategy.”
Izoje, who is averaging 17.9 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks over her last 14 games, is ready for the challenge of defending Crooks.
“We will see how it goes,” Izoje said. “Just play free, play my game and don’t worry it and just be me.”
Darius Out For Tournament
Syracuse will be without one of its top players in the NCAA Tournament. Senior guard Dominique Darius, one of four double-digit scorers for the Orange, injured her hand in a win over Cal in the ACC tournament.
Darius leads Syracuse with 106 steals and is the third-leading scorer for Syracuse.
___
AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness