Auriemma, Famed Jockey, Hold Court in Italy

STORRS, CT — An Italian-American basketball legend met an Italian horse racing legend this week on a tour of Italy by the University of Connecticut women's hoop squad.

UConn women's coach Geno Auriemma, who has 11 national championships to his credit, met with famed jockey Andrea "Aceto" Degortes, who is the the modern-day record holder for the most number of wins in the Palio di Siena race with 14 victories between 1965 and 1992.

Degortes is now 74. Auriemma, 63, was born in Montella, Italy, about four-and-a-half hours by car from Siena.

According to Wikipedia, The Palio di Siena known locally as "Il Palio," is a horse race staged on July 2 and Aug. 16 of each year in Siena. The jockeys ride bareback and the horses circle the Piazza del Campo, on which a thick layer of dirt has been placed. The three-lap race traditionally lasts no more than 90 seconds and the jockeys are often thrown off their horses while navigating the treacherous turns in the piazza.

There has been game action as well. UConn beat a Netherlands national team 68-52 and 88-66.

Check out some on-court highlights if UConn's Italian trip here. Fans can follow the tip via #HuskITALY in Twitter.

Photo Credit: UConn Athletics