PAT EATON-ROBB

Sports writer

Eaton-Robb has covered news and sports in Connecticut for The Associated Press since 1995. He has covered everything from 16 UConn men’s and women’s basketball championships to the tragedy at Sandy Hook. He has also served in roles including news supervisor, broadcast editor and acting news editor in the state.

Georgetown interim coach Darnell Haney gestures during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against UConn in the finals of the Big East Conference tournament at Mohegan Sun Arena, Monday, March 11, 2024, in Uncasville, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

Georgetown, after Big East Tournament run, in talks to make Darnell Haney permanent head coach

Georgetown forward Graceann Bennett took the microphone Monday night after the Big East championship game and broke the news that Darnell Haney would soon have the interim removed from his title as the Hoyas head coach.Haney took over Georgetown in October, following the death of head coach Tasha Bu

Georgetown guard Alex Cowan (4) reacts during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Creighton in the semifinals of the Big East Conference tournament at Mohegan Sun Arena, Sunday, March 10, 2024, in Uncasville, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

Georgetown upsets No. 21 Creighton 55-46 and will face No. 9 UConn for the Big East title

Kelsey Ransom scored 14 points to lead sixth-seeded Georgetown to a 55-46 upset of No. 21 Creighton in the Big East Tournament semifinals.

UConn guard Paige Bueckers makes a basket as Marquette guard Lee Volker, right, defends during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinals of the Big East Conference tournament, Sunday, March 10, 2024, in Uncasville, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

Bueckers scores 27 points and short-handed UConn beats Marquette 58-29 in the Big East semifinals

Paige Bueckers scored 27 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead No. 9 UConn to a 58-29 win over Marquette on Sunday in the Big East Tournament semifinals.

UConn guard Paige Bueckers (5) shoots over Providence Friars forward Olivia Olsen (31) during an NCAA college basketball game in the quarterfinals of the a Big East tournament, Saturday, March 9, 2024, at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. (Cloe Poisson/Hartford Courant via AP)

No. 9 UConn overcomes injury to Edwards, beats Providence 86-53 to advance in Big East Tournament

Paige Bueckers scored 29 points and No. 9 UConn overcame an injury to Aaliyah Edwards to beat Providence 86-53 and advance in the women’s Big East Tournament.

UConn guard Nika Muhl, right, battles South Carolina guard Bree Hall, left, for the ball during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Columbia, S.C., Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

UConn point guard Nika Muhl announces she won’t return next season

UConn point guard Nika Muhl says she will leave the Huskies at the end of the season, forgoing her extra year of eligibility.

Motorists pass through the town of East Hampton, Conn., Thursday, March 7, 2024. A small earthquake hit the small Connecticut town of East Hampton on Wednesday, but that's nothing new. Seismic sounds known as "The Moodus Noises" have been reported in the East Hampton area and the nearby village of Moodus for centuries. In fact, Moodus is short for Machimoodus or Mackimoodus, which means "place of bad noises" in the Algonquian dialects once spoken in the area. (AP Photo/Pat Eaton-Robb)

A small earthquake and ‘Moodus Noises’ are nothing new for one Connecticut town

A small earthquake hit the small Connecticut town of East Hampton on Wednesday, but that’s nothing new.

UConn guard Paige Bueckers (5) reaches for coach Geno Auriemma during senior night ceremonies after UConn defeated Georgetown in an NCAA college basketball game Friday, Feb. 16, 2024, in Storrs, Conn. (Cloe Poisson/Hartford Courant via AP)

UConn women sweep the Big East’s coach, player and freshman of the year awards

No. 9 UConn, which went undefeated in league play this season, has also swept the conference’s coach, player and freshman of the year awards.

UConn celebrates winning their first outright Big East regular-season title in 25 years after an NCAA college basketball game against Seton Hall, Sunday, March 3, 2024, in Storrs, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

No. 3 UConn routs Seton Hall 91-61 to earn first outright Big East regular-season title in 25 years

Donovan Clingan scored 19 points and pulled down 11 rebounds to lead a balanced attack and No. 3 UConn clinched its first outright Big East regular-season title in 25 years Sunday with a 91-61 rout of Seton Hall.

No. 10 UConn closes undefeated Big East regular season with 65-42 rout of Providence

Paige Bueckers scored all 17 of her points in the first half Saturday and No. 10 UConn completed an undefeated conference season with a 65-42 win at Providence.

Bueckers scores 31 points to lead No. 10 UConn over Villanova 67-46.

Paige Bueckers scored 31 points and Aaliyah Edwards put up her 16th double-double of the season as No. 10 UConn beat Villanova 67-46.

UConn forward Aaliyah Edwards, right, drives to the basket against South Carolina forward Chloe Kitts, left, during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Columbia, S.C., Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

UConn’s Aaliyah Edwards signs NIL deal in Canada, but can’t talk about it in the US

UConn forward Aaliyah Edwards signed a big name, image and likeness contract this week with Adidas Canada, but wasn’t allowed to speak with reporters about it for fear that promoting the deal might jeopardize her student visa.

UConn guard Cam Spencer (12) reacts in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Villanova, Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024, in Storrs, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

Spencer scores 25 points, Newton has a triple-double and top-ranked UConn beats Villanova 78-54

Cam Spencer tied his season high with 25 points, Tristen Newton recorded his fourth career triple-double and top-ranked UConn bounced back from its first loss since December with a 78-54 win over Villanova.

FILE - Fairfield coach Carly Thibault-DuDonis speaks with Kendall McGruder (1) and Izabela Nicoletti Leite (10) during an NCAA college basketball game against Marist, Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024, in Fairfield, Conn. Thibault-DuDonis is in her second year as a head coach, leading Fairfield to a 22-1 record and a 20-game winning streak. (Cloe Poisson/Hartford Courant via AP, File)

Thibault-DuDonis, carrying on the family business, has Fairfield on a 20-game winning streak

Fairfield coach Carly Thibault-DuDonis had trouble sleeping as a child, so she would often get up and go downstairs to sit with her dad, now-former NBA assistant and WNBA head coach Mike Thibault, who seemed to be always awake and breaking down game film.

Bueckers, Edwards lead No. 15 UConn over No. 21 Creighton 73-53 to secure the Big East’s top seed

Paige Bueckers scored 24 points, Aaliyah Edwards added 20 and No. 15 UConn beat No. 21 Creighton 73-53 on Monday afternoon to secure at least a share of the Big East regular-season championship and the top seed in the conference tournament.Ashlynn Shade added 15 points and nine rebounds for the Husk

UConn center Donovan Clingan dunks behind Marquette guard Tyler Kolek (11) in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, in Hartford, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

Top-ranked UConn uses a balanced attack, routs No. 4 Marquette to take control of the Big East

Donovan Clingan had 17 points and 10 rebounds to help top-ranked UConn rout No. 4 Marquette 81-53 and take control of the race for the Big East regular-season title.

UConn guard Paige Bueckers (5) reaches for coach Geno Auriemma during senior night ceremonies after UConn defeated Georgetown in an NCAA college basketball game Friday, Feb. 16, 2024, in Storrs, Conn. (Cloe Poisson/Hartford Courant via AP)

Paige Bueckers and Geno Auriemma both announce they will spend at least one more year at UConn

UConn star Paige Bueckers and coach Geno Auriemma both say they will be back at the school next season.

UConn guard Cam Spencer (12) drives as DePaul guard Keyondre Young, left, guard Jalen Terry and center Churchill Abass, right, guard during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Chicago, Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

UConn players are putting winning over statistics and hoping the NBA will notice

Top-ranked UConn doesn’t have a superstar on its roster and is instead being carried this season by a group of NBA hopefuls who are banking on the idea that winning will do more for their draft prospects than putting up big individual numbers.

UConn head coach Geno Auriemma gestures to his team in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Seton Hall, Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024, in Hartford, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

Auriemma reaches 1,200 wins, joining exclusive group of coaches

Geno Auriemma becomes third Division I coach to win 1,200 games. Auriemma joined former Duke men’s coach Mike Krzyzewski and Stanford’s Tara VanDerveer, who received widespread acclaim last month when she became the winningest coach in college basketball history.

Butler center Andre Screen, left, and UConn center Donovan Clingan wrestle for the ball in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024, in Hartford, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

Clingan leads top-ranked UConn to its 11th straight win, 71-62 over Butler

Donovan Clingan had 18 points and 14 rebounds to lead top-ranked UConn to its 11th straight win, 71-62 over Butler.

FILE - Flags with a marijuana leaf wave outside the Connecticut State Capitol building, April 20, 2021, in Hartford, Conn. A year after Connecticut legalized recreational marijuana use, cannabis retailers are experiencing a shortage of product, while just across the border in New York growers have had to deal with an excess of supply. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill, File)

One state has a shortage of marijuana and its neighbor had too much. Here’s why

Cannabis retailers in Connecticut are experiencing a shortage of marijuana, while just across the border in New York growers recently dealt with an excess.

UConn guard Stephon Castle (5) dunks the ball in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Providence, Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, in Storrs, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

Castle scores 20 as top-ranked UConn beats Providence 74-65 in foul-filled game

Freshman guard Stephon Castle scored a season-high 20 points and top-ranked UConn held off Providence 74-65 in a foul-filled Big East battle.

UConn center Donovan Clingan (32) drives to the basket as Xavier forward Abou Ousmane defends in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Sunday, Jan. 28, 2024, in Hartford, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

Tristen Newton scores 22 and No.1 UConn routs Xavier 99-56 for its eighth straight win

Tristen Newton scored 22 points and top-ranked UConn won its eighth straight game, rolling over Xavier 99-56 on Sunday.

Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo (3) and teammates celebrate a win over UConn in an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024, in Storrs, Conn. (Cloe Poisson/Hartford Courant via AP)

Freshman Hannah Hidalgo scores 34, lifts No. 15 Notre Dame past No. 8 UConn 82-67 on the road

Freshman sensation Hannah Hidalgo scored a season-high 34 points and No. 15 Notre Dame beat No. 8 UConn 82-67 on Saturday night.

FILE - WWE chairman and CEO Vince McMahon speaks to an audience during a WWE fan appreciation event, Oct. 30, 2010, in Hartford, Conn. A former WWE employee filed a federal lawsuit Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, accusing McMahon and another former executive of serious sexual misconduct. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill, File)

Former WWE employee files sex abuse lawsuit against the company and Vince McMahon

A former WWE employee has filed a federal lawsuit accusing executive Vince McMahon and another former executive of serious sexual misconduct.

This combination of self portraits, provided Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, shows Natalie Kastner, a 39-year-old disabled veteran from Texas. The Transgender American Veterans Association filed a lawsuit Thursday seeking to force the Department of Veteran Affairs to begin providing and paying for gender-affirming surgeries. (Courtesy of Natalie Kastner via AP)

Transgender veterans sue to have gender-affirming surgery covered by Department of Veteran Affairs

A group of transgender veterans filed a lawsuit Thursday seeking to force the Department of Veterans Affairs to pay for and provide them gender-affirming surgeries.

FILE -Connecticut's Caroline Ducharme shoots during UConn's men's and women's basketball teams annual First Night celebration, Friday, Oct. 15, 2021 in Storrs, Conn. UConn guard Caroline Ducharme will miss the remainder of the season with ongoing head and neck problems, the school announced Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill, File)

Caroline Ducharme becomes the fifth UConn women’s player to be lost for the season

UConn women’s basketball has announced that guard Caroline Ducharme will miss the remainder of the season with ongoing head and neck problems.

Connecticut State Police Sgt. Kevin Duggan shows a blood-like stain found on a zip tie seized from a trash can on Albany Avenue in Hartford as he testifies on day eight of Michelle Troconis' criminal trial at Connecticut Superior Court in Stamford, Conn. Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024. Troconis is on trial for charges related to the disappearance and death of New Canaan resident Jennifer Dulos. (Tyler Sizemore/Hearst Connecticut Media via AP)

‘Gone Mom’ prosecutors show shirt, bra, zip ties they say link defendant to woman’s disappearance

Prosecutors in Connecticut’s infamous “Gone Mom” case presented evidence Tuesday that they say links defendant Michelle Troconis to the 2019 disappearance of her boyfriend’s estranged wife, Jennifer Dulos.

Freshman Ashlynn Shade scores 21 to lead No. 9 UConn to a 12th straight victory, 88-51 over DePaul

Freshman Ashlynn Shade scored 21 points, Paige Bueckers had 20 and No. 9 UConn routed DePaul 88-51 Saturday for its 12th straight win.

Michelle Troconis listens to arguments at the start of her trial, Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024, in Stamford, Conn. The trial of Troconis, charged in the 2019 killing of mother-of-five Jennifer Dulos, has begun in Stamford Superior Court with a six-person jury hearing the case.(Richard Harbus/Dailly Mail via AP, Pool)

A juror who compared the case of a missing mom to the plot of ‘Gone Girl’ has been dismissed

A judge on Friday dismissed a juror in the trial of a Connecticut woman accused of helping her boyfriend cover up the murder of his estranged wife.

UConn center Donovan Clingan (32) blocks a shot by Creighton guard Trey Alexander (23) in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024, in Stores, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

Newton scores 16 points, Clingan returns from injury, No. 1 UConn beats No. 18 Creighton 62-48

Top-ranked UConn welcomed back star center Donovan Clingan from injury and used a stifling defense to beat No. 18 Creighton 62-48.