“You gotta have tough, mature players to be able to handle this”: Disappointed Geno Auriemma reviews UConn’s loss vs Tennessee

Geno Auriemma and the No. 5 UConn Huskies suffered a tough 80-76 defeat on the road to the No. 19 Tennessee Volunteers on Thursday.

The game featured both teams exchanging blows through 40 minutes. However, the Lady Vols made key plays on both sides of the ball to come out with the win and stun the Huskies. Tennessee won the rebounding battle 41-30, seeing UConn have a difficult time keeping up with their opponent's physicality on the glass.

Auriemma reflected on the loss during the postgame press conference on Thursday. He believed his team to have handled the pressure well but attributed the loss to not having the toughness and maturity needed to close out the contest with a win.

"I thought we handled it great. The pressure wasn't an issue but, you know, that's the beauty of playing like that. You just need a couple minute spurt, and it can change the game," Auriemma said at the 4:20 mark.

"So certainly, it's much more difficult to play down here than it was the last three or four years, and to win in these environments, you know you gotta have tough, mature players to be able to handle this."

What's next for Geno Auriemma, UConn

It's certainly a loss that Geno Auriemma and the No. 5 Huskies have to move on from, seeing their 11-game win streak come to an end.

UConn boasts a 21-3 overall record, staying perfect with a 12-0 display in conference play as the Tennessee game was a non-conference matchup. They are averaging 80.9 points on 51% shooting from the field and 37.5% from beyond the arc, blowing out opponents by a margin of 27.8 points per game.

Paige Bueckers leads the way with numbers of 18.7 points, 4.4 assists, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.9 steals on shooting splits of 53.2% overall and 41.6% from downtown. Sarah Strong comes next with 17.1 points and 7.8 rebounds, while Azzi Fudd contributes with 11.2 points and two rebounds.

Geno Auriemma and the No. 5 Huskies look to return to the win column, facing the Providence Friars at the Alumni Hall on Feb. 9 at noon ET.