Though the series has been lopsided, UConn and DePaul are two of the signature programs in the history of Big East women’s basketball. They’ve combined for 26 of the conference’s 39 tournament titles and the rivalry features two of the greatest coaches in the history of the sport, Geno Auriemma and Doug Bruno. Despite all of the success that both teams have had as the two top teams in the Big East, they’ve been on very different paths this year.
DePaul is 12-17 and is 10th in the conference, a far cry from the exceptional level of play they displayed over the last handful of decades. As such, this year’s matchups were as uncompetitive as they’ve been in recent campaigns. The first one was an 88-51 beatdown in Storrs, CT. This time? Another 37 point loss right back in Chi-town.
It was an offensive masterpiece from the Huskies, who shot 58% from the field and didn’t even need solid three point shooting (27%). UConn turned the ball over just 10 times and scored 32 points off DePaul’s 18 giveaways. The Huskies also had a nice day on the fastbreak, scoring 24 points. Connecticut did well in drawing 25 fouls, which led to 28 free throws.
Paige Bueckers put together another masterclass, scoring 30 points on an efficient 15 shots. She also nailed 11 of her 13 free throw tries and only needed one three to achieve her total. It was a great display of the guard simply imposing her will inside the arc, not missing any attempts. She either put in a beautiful layup or drew a foul and will need to pour in more games like this as the season winds down.
Also sensational was Aaliyah Edwards, UConn’s All-American forward, She notched 23 points and grabbed 17 boards, also adding four steals. Similar to Bueckers, it only took her 14 shots to get there. Edwards is having a sensational senior season, partially aided by the lack of help at the forward position. She’s putting up better numbers than she did in her junior campaign, but hasn’t gotten the same recognition nationally for it.
In more extended minutes than she often gets, Ice Brady had a solid outing. In her 22 minutes on the floor, she added 7 points and four rebounds. Those numbers don’t look amazing on paper, but she made a few tough shots and showed some promise. The start of her career hasn’t been amazing, but if she can put the pieces together, that’ll be huge for the Huskies.
Though she didn’t quite have the same huge numbers that her teammates did, Nika Mühl really stuffed the statsheet. The point guard posted 10 points, eight assists and five rebounds. Though she didn’t quite flirt with a triple double, her unselfishness played a big role in some of UConn’s big runs. Like Brady, Mühl maximizing her role is critical for Connecticut when the opposition gets tough in the NCAA tournament.
DePaul started out with the game’s first four points as the Huskies tried to look for answers early. It didn’t take long to find them. KK Arnold and Edwards put through layups to help UConn string together a 9-2 run. They kept on running and by the end of the quarter, they were up by 10.
Throughout the period, it seemed that every bucket the Blue Demons made, the Huskies answered with two or three. DePaul managed just a dozen points on the quarter, as Connecticut closed on a 10-0 run, taking a 24-point advantage.
A solid third quarter from Kate Clarke, who finished with 24 points, helped keep the game from getting out of hand. But then came the Huskies, closing the period out with yet another 9-2 run. And the fourth quarter was no prettier. Over a three minute span, the Huskies scored 18 straight, effectively putting the game to bed.
It was a feel-good effort in a stretch that has been a bit of a slog. It felt like many of their recent games have been a bit closer than fans may have hoped due to the team’s fatigue. The six day rest definitely paid off, but they’ll have a shorter turnaround for their next one.
The Huskies will come back home for the final time this season, hosting Villanova on Wednesday.