The seventh-ranked UConn women’s basketball team (11-2) scored 39 of its 67 points in the first and fourth quarters, downing Providence (7-8) 67-41 in the XL Center on Sunday afternoon.
Paige Bueckers scored 23 points, with all but three coming from inside the arc, as the redshirt senior lead all scorers while notching her ninth 20-plus point performance of the season.
Providence committed the first of its 31 turnovers on its opening offensive possession, as Jana El Alfy – who was making her first career start as a Husky – started the scoring by laying one in under the basket.
“You’ll see moments where it’s what it can be,” said Geno Auriemma on the potential of El Alfy. The Egypt native logged just south of 10 minutes of gametime, scoring once, grabbing two rebounds and swiping two steals while splitting time with Ice Brady.
Bueckers got on the board off a trademark catch-and-shoot jumper as the Friars turned the ball over three times before taking a timeout at the 7:07 mark down six. Kaitlyn Chen wrestled the ball out of the hands of Providence center Olivia Olsen on the possession prior, which led to the timeout after another Bueckers jumper.
Sarah Strong, Bueckers and Azzi Fudd fueled a 15-0 UConn run over 3:37, which saw two more Friar turnovers flip into a 17-2 Connecticut lead before Emily Archibald stopped the bleeding with a layup on the other end.
Fudd didn’t end her scoring there, burying a triple off Providence’s seventh turnover of the opening seven minutes. Fudd finished with eight points on 3/11 shooting, playing just over 23 minutes of gametime. Both Fudd and Bueckers sat most of the final period.
“It was good to get her back. When she gets her legs under her, things will be even better,” said Auriemma post-game. Auriemma admitted that Fudd played more than he had envisioned her to, setting her goal at 20 minutes in her second game back from an injury sustained against Louisville on Dec 7.
Providence turned the ball over 10 times in the opening quarter, which lead to 13 Connecticut points as the Huskies lead 28-6 after one frame.
A slow Husky start to the second quarter was something Emily Archibald took advantage of, hitting a three before grabbing an offensive rebound that led to an Olivia Olsen basket to close the gap to 17.
Grace Efosa scored her first points of the night off a Connecticut turnover, pulling the Friars within 15 before KK Arnold swung the momentum in UConn’s favor by drawing an offensive foul.
Strong converted on an and-one opportunity on the ensuing possession, and two additional Providence turnovers gave Connecticut a cushion on the offensive end.
Bueckers buried a three from the corner before Fudd snagged an offensive rebound from the hands of a falling Friar on the next possession to push the lead to 36-15.
Freshman Allie Ziebell checked in and scored five straight, including a three from the right wing which made it 43-16. Chen ended the first half on a driving layup with under five seconds remaining after Providence turned the ball over for a 17th time in 20 minutes.
Connecticut took a 26-point lead into the half along with a 11/4 assist/turnover ratio, which bested Providence’s 4/18 mark. Though the Huskies trailed in the rebounding department (-2 on the half), Connecticut edged Providence 24-7 in points off turnovers.
Both teams struggled – both in the first and second half – to hit from three. The Huskies cooled off from downtown following a blistering first quarter, finishing 7/29 (24.1%) overall. The Friars scored just twice from behind the arc, finishing 2/15 (13.3%) overall.
Providence reached 20 turnovers early in the third period, and Bueckers ended the second-half clapping at the 7:27 mark with a jumper from the baseline.
Only six points were scored at the mid-point of the third quarter, as Connecticut took a 20-point lead into the media timeout.
A lineup of Strong at center and the four-guard quartet of Bueckers, Fudd, Arnold and Shade was shot out after the break, as Auriemma opted to go small as he alluded to earlier in the week.
“It’s good when it’s what I want to do, it’s not good when it’s what I have to do,” said Auriemma.
Connecticut ended the final 1:56 of the third quarter on a 9-0 run, fueled by seven Friar turnovers as both teams pulled starters heading into the fourth period.
Qadence Samuels got on the board following a steal on the defensive end, the highlight of the final quarter as Connecticut pulled away to finalize the score at 67-41.
UConn will next be in action on New Year’s Day, traveling to Milwaukee to take on the new-look Marquette Golden Eagles in the third conference game of the 2024-2025 season.