The game immediately following a loss to a bitter rival draws direct comparisons to walking into class the day after failing a test you spent hours studying for — you just want to redeem yourself.
The Huskies certainly did so.
The fifth-ranked UConn women’s basketball team (22-3, 13-0) defeated conference foe Providence (10-16, 3-10) 77-40 on Sunday afternoon at Amica Mutual Pavilion.
The Friars didn’t help themselves in a rematch with the Big East frontrunner, sinking just 13 field goals on 49 attempts and turning the ball over 25 times in the 37-point defeat.
Midway through the third period, Providence had 11 times as many turnovers (22) than made three pointers (2), and finished with nearly six times as many at the end of the fourth.
The Husky starters combined for 15 steals, with Sarah Strong adding three blocks in the defensive effort as UConn buckled down defensively after surrendering 80 points in a loss to Tennessee on Thursday.
The impetus for Connecticut’s hard-nosed defense stemmed from its full court press, which was instituted by Geno Auriemma as soon as the second possession of the game.
The Friars were able to get the ball in but turned it over shortly after getting ahead of mid-court, spelling the day’s most common theme.
The Huskies took advantage of early Providence miscues, jumping out to a 7-0 lead less than three minutes into the game. Kaitlyn Chen scored all seven, hitting each of her first three field goal attempts, including a decisive drive to the rim on the second Husky possession.
Redshirt freshman center Jana El Alfy was involved on the boards early, snaring the Huskies’ only offensive rebound of the half before dishing it out to Chen, who connected on a three. El Alfy finished with six points, four rebounds and three steals in 20 minutes of gametime.
Marta Morales was one of the few Friars to score in the early minutes, finding the team’s first basket off a mismatch in the paint on Chen. At the first quarter media break, Providence was 0/5 from the field as a team not counting Morales two makes.
Morales finished with 15 points – the only Friar to reach double digits.
Paige Bueckers got on the board with two free throws midway through the period. The redshirt senior’s first six points all came from the charity stripe, as Bueckers hit the locker room at the half with 12 points off just three made field goals.
Sophomore guard Ashlynn Shade was also involved early. Shade sank three of her first five field goal attempts, being the first Husky to reach double figures after coming off the bench as the sixth man.
Connecticut ended the first quarter on a 10-0 run over the final 2:36, while Providence went scoreless for the final 2:45. At the end of one period, the Friars had shot 28.6% from the field and had turned the ball over four times, in comparison to UConn’s marks of 46.2% and one turnover.
Bueckers hit her first field goal of the game on a turnaround jumper from the left elbow, which aided in the Huskies’ 9-2 run to begin the second quarter.
Sophomore KK Arnold facilitated two transition buckets by finding Chen and Bueckers on fast break opportunities, and the Huskies led 38-16 with a little under four minutes remaining in the quarter.
The Huskies took a 40-16 lead into the break, shooting 41.9% from the field while holding Providence to just seven makes on 27 attempts.
In what must’ve been a locker room mission from the Husky backcourt, Chen, Bueckers and Arnold started to find Azzi Fudd on the wing, who continually hit on her shots from the perimeter.
She hit so often, that Fudd complied a 17-point quarter behind a 100% mark from deep and 5/6 outing from the field. UConn began the third quarter on another double-digit run, scoring the period’s first 10 points en route to growing the lead to 34 points.
By the time Bueckers, Strong and Fudd had subbed out, the Husky lead was north of 40.
The fourth quarter saw surly efforts from the likes of Qadence Samuels, Allie Ziebell and Morgan Cheli — all of whom saw more than six minutes of action.
Top Dawg: Fudd’s third quarter performance.
Fudd’s 17-point, 5/5 three-point mark in the third period closed the game for the Huskies, who ended the quarter with a monstrous 37-point lead.
The Huskies will next be in action on Wednesday evening, hosting St. John’s in Gampel Pavilion at 7:30 p.m.