Geno Auriemma celebrates his birthday with one of UConn women’s best performances
STORRS – It was Geno Auriemma’s birthday Monday, falling, as it does every year, in the middle of March Madness. It was a low-key day as the Huskies prepped for their second round NCAA Tournament game Monday night at Gampel Pavilion. “We sang him ‘Happy Birthday’ and he nonchalantly said, ‘Thank you,’ ” UConn forward Serah Williams said.
There were no shirts with Geno’s face on them in the ...
STORRS – It was Geno Auriemma’s birthday Monday, falling, as it does every year, in the middle of March Madness. It was a low-key day as the Huskies prepped for their second round NCAA Tournament game Monday night at Gampel Pavilion. “We sang him ‘Happy Birthday’ and he nonchalantly said, ‘Thank you,’ ” UConn forward Serah Williams said.
There were no shirts with Geno’s face on them in the locker room like there were two years ago on his milestone 70th birthday. That day, Ashlynn Shade wore a shirt with Auriemma yelling from his younger days – “I think this shirt sums up Coach’s relationship with me,” Shade said that day. No gifts were exchanged Monday; the biggest gift the women could give their coach came on the Gampel court – a flawlessly executed first half in the NCAA Tournament game against Syracuse, and an 98-45 victory which propelled the Huskies to their 32nd straight Sweet 16.
Top-seeded and unbeaten UConn will head to Fort Worth, Texas to play No. 4 seed North Carolina in a regional semifinal game Friday at 5 p. m.