It was emphatic, and It was extremely lopsided.
Paige Bueckers (27), Ashlynn Shade (27) and Sarah Strong (29) combined for 83 points as the No. 4 Huskies (10-1) defeated Iowa State (9-4) 101-68 in Uncasville on Tuesday night.
It was the first time in 25 seasons that three UConn players scored 25 or more points in a game, per Alexa Philippou of ESPN.
Shade exploded for 20 first quarter points, a mark met on 100% shooting from the field (6/6 from three), as the Huskies jumped out to an emphatic 36-10 first quarter lead.
After Iowa State’s Audi Crooks (22-6-1) found the first points of the game from the post, Shade scored eight straight, erasing the Cyclones’ only lead of the night after just 14 seconds.
Crooks’ 22 points met her average of 21.6 on the season, but the Iowa product was nailed defensively all night by the Huskies, who frequently collapsed on the frontcourt presence with the top of the key defender.
Crooks and Shade continued to go back-and-forth throughout the first quarter, as the two sophomores scored the game’s first 20 points before Sarah Strong broke the seal with a free throw to put the Huskies up nine midway through the period.
Bueckers started her scoring night from deep as the first media timeout saw the Huskies shooting 5/6 from deep and leading 18-6.
Rolling out of the break, Shade and Bueckers traded triples as Iowa State took a timeout down 24-6 as victims of a 16-0 Connecticut run.
The timeout only added to the fire that was the Husky deep attack. Bueckers teamed up with Strong this time as triples rained down on the Cyclones to extend the lead to 30-8 and 36-10 after one period. A 10/11 showing from deep and 67% mark from the field.
“I really didn’t expect this,” said Geno Auriemma post-game when asked about his team’s offensive performance. The program made a record 20 three-pointers on 58.8% shooting from behind the arc.
After five quick Bueckers points to open the second period, the Cyclones used another timeout to stop the bleeding. After 11 minutes of gametime, the Huskies had hit 11 three pointers and had plowed their way to a 41-14 lead.
After Strong plucked an Iowa State pass out of the air and took it to the rim on the ensuing possession to make it 45-19, the Cyclones strung together a slew of Sydney Harris threes as a part of an 11-0 run, pulling within as little as 14 points before Bueckers, Strong and Arnold found the hoop to swell the lead to 19 at the break.
Connecticut shot 60% (12/20) from deep in the first half, edging Iowa State by 27 points in that department, who shot just 3/15 (20%). The Cyclones’ momentum was deflated after a 3:06 scoring drought from the field to end the half.
Out of the break, Strong and Bueckers scored the Huskies’ first seven points of the half to extend the lead past 20. Iowa State never got back within 20 points as the lead grew to as many as 37 midway through the fourth.
The first of two neat assists on the benefit of Sarah Strong came from Ashlynn Shade, who threaded the needle to Strong on the block from the wing.
Bueckers one-upped Shade later in the quarter with a behind the head, no-look pass to Strong, who nailed a three from the right wing to extend the lead past 30.
Shade scored for the first time since her perfect first quarter on a jumper later in the period, adding seven fourth quarter points to meet her final total of 27.
Strong ended the third quarter by converting at the rim over Crooks, which ballooned the lead 27 at the end of three.
Kaitlyn Chen scored for the first time mid-way through the fourth quarter, adding a three pointer to her total on the next possession.
Morgan Cheli and Allie Ziebell both saw action in the fourth quarter, as well as sophomore Qadence Samuels, who’s one shot rattled off the rim from three.
Sarah Strong was awarded the game’s most outstanding player, finishing with 29 points, six rebounds and four assists on 28 minutes of gametime.
“I don’t really think you can put it into words,” said Iowa State head coach Bill Fennelly when asked about Strong as a player through 11 career games.
Strong’s career-high 29 points led the team in scoring to go along with her team-high in rebounds and second most assists.
The Huskies will next be in action on Saturday evening, as Southern California and scoring sensation JuJu Watkins come to Hartford for a heavyweight bout.