Perhaps the most enduring image of last year's much-anticipated game is that I can't imagine a top five team could have a weaker offensive effort than Notre Dame did in the first 10 minutes.

The only points the Fighting Irish scored during that stretch came with help from UConn.
Exhibit A: Caroline Doty dribbed into a double team and none of her teammates came back into the backcourt to give her an outlet giving Ashley Barlow an easy steal and layup
Exhibit B: Tiffany Hayes misses a layup allowing ND to get out in transition. Barlow hit a mid-range jumper. Had Hayes scored, there's no way the Fighting Irish would have gotten the same offensive look.
Exhibit C: Nobody blocks out Erica Williamson on a missed layup by Brittany Mallory allowing for an easy putback for Williamson.

You'd have to think Notre Dame will be a little more effective offensively when the teams meet again on Mar. 1 in South Bend.

A part of the game which flew under the radar was that it leaves UConn with one more game at Gampel Pavilion this season. That will come against St. John's on Feb. 13, a game when Tina Charles will be inducted into the Huskies of Honor.

Although the Huskies have four regular-season games remaining at the XL Center and as many as three games in the Big East tournament, UConn coach Geno Auriemma lamented the fact that there won't be a chance to have more on-campus games.

"We were talking about it the other day when we were at Marquette," Auriemma said. "We have (13) games left and (eight) of them are on the road but that is kind of the way it fell. I hope we can do something about it next year. You hate not to have any games at home in February, one game in February at Gampel, in this environment maybe the best environment in women's college basketball. One game in February when it is the most important time of the year."