The second-seeded UConn women’s basketball team (32-3) trounced the 15th-seeded Arkansas State Red Wolves 103-34 inside Gampel Pavilion on Saturday afternoon, catapulting itself into the Round of 32 on Monday against No. 10 South Dakota State.
Graduate guard Azzi Fudd led all scorers with 27 points, hitting on six three pointers and 10 overall field goals in 22 minutes of game time. Fudd also notched seven assists, six steals and two blocks in the dominating Husky win.
The latter of those two were both career highs for Fudd, who poured into the 41-point fast break bucket for Connecticut.
“This year — I just feel like from the beginning – Coach kind of challenged me take more risks,” Fudd said post-game. “That’s what I’ve been trying to do, and I’ve gotten more comfortable with it.”
Comfortable can serve as the perfect word to describe the Husky defense today.
Aside from acting as a passing lane poltergeist, Fudd also contributed to the team’s stifling perimeter defense and surehanded glass attack.
Connecticut forced 20 turnovers and cashed them in for a collective 34 points, 27 of which came in the first half. The team also recorded nine blocks and 11 steals as a part of a dominating first 20 minutes.
The Huskies ran the Red Wolves out of the paint, claiming a 40-point advantage down low (46-6) and allowing just six field goals to hit from two-point range.
Arkansas State, who coming into the game ranked among the top teams in the country in three point attempts per game, got 40 shots off from beyond the arc – over 57% of the team’s attempts came from three-point land – but sank just six in the dismal 34-point showing.
In fact, the Red Wolves shot over its per game average from deep (32.5 attempts per game, 49.5% of shots), but chopped its average three-point percentage in half, sliding from 32.4% on the season to 15% on Saturday against the Huskies.
Arkansas State quickly had to rely on the three pointer to stay in the game, as after Crislyn Rose scored the game’s first points off a no-switch screen by the Huskies, the Connecticut powder keg exploded for 22 consecutive points over the next five minutes, hitting on four three pointers (Fudd hit on three) while shooting a scintillating 65.2% from the field.
Freshman forward Sarah Strong catalyzed the Husky run, scoring the team’s first points of the day off a baseline out of bounds set before knocking down a three on a fast break opportunity to swiftly put UConn in the lead.
Strong also showcased her penchant for blocking opponent’s shots, doing so five times (three times from behind the arc) in 21 minutes of game time.
The sensational freshman recorded a March Madness debut stat line of 20 points (90% from the field), 12 rebounds, five assists and five blocks.
“It was a lot of fun being out there with my team,” Strong said post-game. “Everything was pretty much going our way.”
That it was. The Huskies allowed just two first quarter field goals, hitting on 15 of its own while winning the rebounding, assist and turnover battles.
The second quarter wasn’t entirely different. The Red Wolves sank the period’s first field goal – a triple from Wynter Rogers – before UConn rambled off a 12-point run to nearly claim its first 40-point lead of the afternoon.
The Huskies went into the break up 50 points, claiming a 66-16 lead over Arkansas State. Connecticut shot 68% from the field in the first 20 minutes, hitting on 28 of 41 field goals.
The second half was made up of a lot of experimenting. Caroline Ducharme and Aubrey Griffin saw meaningful time (18 combined minutes, respectively), and Geno Auriemma set out lineups combining key reserves such as KK Arnold, Ice Brady and Ashlynn Shade with starters Jana El Alfy and Kaitlyn Chen.
Shade finished with 20 points, the third Husky to reach that mark in the win. Ducharme also was true on three field goals across 11 minutes, coming one point short of a season-high.
The Huskies now face the challenge of college basketball’s hardiest mid-major squad. The South Dakota State Jackrabbits notched win number 30 in the second game of the day, defeating No. 7 Oklahoma State 74-68 after a big third quarter.
Tip off between the two 30-win ball clubs is scheduled for Monday inside Gampel Pavilion — times will be announced in the coming hours