Redshirt senior Paige Bueckers scored her 2,000th point as a Husky during UConn’s 60-point win over conference-rival Seton Hall on Sunday afternoon.
Bueckers took a pass from Ashlynn Shade to the free throw line before pulling up and knocking down a jumper to put the Huskies up 32-9 over the Pirates early in the second period. The 2,000 point mark took Bueckers only 102 games to meet, making her the fastest Husky to 2,000 points in program history.
The point guard’s career milestone wasn’t the only impressive feat accomplished during Sunday’s win.
The 60-point margin of victory was the Huskies’ largest since Jan 2021, when Olivia Nelson-Ododa led the way with 18 points in a 103-35 beatdown of Butler.
Freshman Sarah Strong followed up her only single-digit scoring performance of the season last Wednesday with a first half double-double (16 points, 10 rebounds), and ended the game with a stout 23 points on 9/11 (81.8%) shooting from the field.
Veteran forward Aubrey Griffin made her long-awaited return to the court as well, checking in mid-way through the second period to a standing ovation from the crowd.
“I thought she had fun,” said Geno Auriemma post-game. “I was just happy to see her out there.”
Griffin got on the board with a free throw, knocking down one of two at the line before checking out for Morgan Cheli after four minutes of game time. Griffin checked back in mid-way through the final period and scored her first basket on a fast break layup.
Seven Huskies finished with a +/- higher than 30, including impressive +42 and +40 margins for Bueckers and Strong, respectively.
Connecticut led wire to wire, starting with a Bueckers-to-Strong under the basket layup after Jana El Alfy won the tip-off.
On the ensuing possession, Kaitlyn Chen found Strong for the same shot as the Huskies raced out to a 4-0 lead. The Pirates banked in a three-pointer to get on the board offensively, hitting its first attempt before going 3/25 the rest of the afternoon.
The Pirates had open looks, but could not convert early, falling behind after failing to match the Huskies’ three-point barrage from the likes of Bueckers, Strong and Azzi Fudd. Fudd started the afternoon 2/3 from deep and gave Connecticut its first 10-point lead with her second make.
The Huskies maintained the edge on the boards throughout the first quarter, edging Seton Hall 13-9 on the glass and 12-0 in paint points. UConn shot an efficient 10/18 from the field and 4/8 from deep, blasting the Pirates’ marks of 3/18 and 1/7 while taking a 26-7 lead into the second period. The Huskies ended the period on an 8-0 run, holding Seton Hall scoreless through the final 3:17.
The Pirates’ leading scorer, Faith Masonius, got on the board early in the second quarter after an 0/6 start from the field in the first. The star forward scored just eight points on three made field goals, being held nine points below her average after notching her second single-digit game of the season.
“Today was a really, really good day,” Auriemma said post-game. And that it was, as the Huskies turned the ball over just four times in the first half while forcing ten and taking a +10 advantage on points off turnovers into the break.
After Bueckers broke the 2,000-point threshold mid-way through the second period, Shade and Fudd charged a scoring spurt that vaulted the Huskies up 31, which forced a Pirates timeout.
Connecticut ended the half on a 24-2 run over the final 7:38, holding Seton Hall scoreless for an additional 3:16 while shooting over 60% from the field. The Huskies took a 40-point lead into the locker room, aided by Strong’s double-double and Fudd’s 15-point half.
After Strong’s lay-in to start the third, Bueckers, Strong and Fudd went on a four possession streak of sinking triples as the Huskies built a 50-point lead mid-way through the third.
El Alfy was given an and-one opportunity on the next possession, and when the free throw missed off the back rim, Strong snared it and put it back up to once again hold a 50-point advantage.
The starters were pulled shortly thereafter, which prompted Auriemma to plug in freshmen Allie Ziebell and Morgan Cheli alongside Qadence Samuels, Shade and KK Arnold.
Riding the momentum built by the starters, Ziebell’s three-pointers and Cheli’s nifty paint work finalized the score at 96-36.
The Huskies will next be in action on Wednesday, hosting Villanova at 7 p.m. at Gampel Pavilion.