The UConn women’s basketball team defeated the College of the Holy Cross, 88-52, on Tuesday night inside of Gampel Pavilion. The win notches UConn’s seventh consecutive victory to start 2024.
Forward Sarah Strong was the wire-to-wire best player on the floor, scoring 22 points on 9/12 (75%) shooting while grabbing seven rebounds and dealing two assists in her 24 minutes of game action. The freshman set career highs in points scored, field goal percentage and three pointers made.
Graduate transfer Kaitlyn Chen started the scoring with a three point field goal, with Holy Cross’ Simone Foreman knotting things up with a triple to begin the Crusaders’ scoring. Chen finished her best offensive game as a Husky with 14 points and seven assists, notching her second double-digit scoring performance of the season.
Both teams struggled to produce on the offensive end early, with Connecticut finding the basket just three times in the first eight minutes of game action. The Crusaders jumped out to a 10-6 lead, aided by Foreman’s second three pointer, as the Huskies started 1/8 from the field after Chen’s initial three pointer.
A 5-0 run across the final 1:40 — aided by a Jana El Alfy layup and Morgan Cheli three pointer – gave the Huskies a one point lead as the first quarter expired. Connecticut shot 27% from the floor and missed on seven three point jumpers, as Paige Bueckers – playing the whole 10:00 – missed both of her first quarter field goal attempts.
But even when Bueckers (11 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists) had an off-night scoring, the Huskies still found sanctuary through the efforts of Strong, Chen and KK Arnold.
The Crusaders started the second quarter with a turnover, which swiftly led to Bueckers’ first points of the night on a catch and shoot three pointer off a pick. Chen’s triple widened the Husky lead to seven which was followed by another Crusader turnover and Chen basket.
Following a Kaitlyn Flanagan basket, Strong started a 10-3 run for the Huskies – scoring all 10 of the Connecticut points herself across a span of two and a half minutes.
“She seems to know what we need at what moment. You can see it, when she gets comfortable, she thinks that any shot she takes is going in,” Auriemma said post-game.
Simone Flanigan scored five straight for the Crusaders, who closed the gap from ten points to five entering the final media break of the half. Strong scored again, this time under the basket on a second chance opportunity to put the Huskies up by seven with just north of a minute left in the half.
Flanagan held the ball for the final shot and was fouled on her way to the basket, knocking down one of two free throws as the half ended with a six-point Husky lead. Connecticut scored ten points off turnovers in the first half, gapping the Crusaders by nine points in that department as the Huskies took a 33-27 lead into halftime.
Strong started the second half scoring for the Huskies, knocking down a three before a Bueckers layup gave the Huskies a 38-32 lead.
Chen laid in a down court pass to widen the lead to 11 as the Crusaders, victims of a 7-0 Husky run over a 1:27 time span, called the first timeout of the second half.
A Bueckers no look pass to KK Arnold on the block gave the crowd life, as Arnold, scoring again on the next Connecticut possession, stretched the lead to 17 points.
Arnold’s eight points were all down low, physical paint points as the hardy guard grabbed two rebounds and dished one assist in her 17 minutes of game action.
The Huskies took a 57-39 lead into the fourth quarter, which saw very little game action from Strong who checked out after the first 1:30. Ice Brady, Ashlynn Shade and Qadence Samuels all got going in the fourth quarter, scoring a combined 15 points and grabbing three rebounds as the Huskies pulled away from the Crusaders with 31 fourth quarter points to reach the 88-52 final score.
Connecticut will next be in action on Saturday against Louisville, traveling to Brooklyn for a 9 p.m. tip off with the Cardinals as a part of the Champions Classic.