The last time the University of Connecticut women’s basketball team played Georgetown at CareFirst Arena, the Paige Bueckers-less Huskies took over 15 minutes to shake off the upset-minded Hoyas.
Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong, forced by Bueckers’ injury into lead scoring roles, combined for over half of Connecticut’s points in the eventual 18-point win – the second closest Big East win of the season for the eventual national champions.
The Huskies (20-0, 10-0) were without Bueckers Thursday (this time for different reasons, of course), but once again leaned on the duo of Fudd and Strong in an 83-42 rout of Georgetown (11-8, 4-6).
The Big East’s two leading scorers combined for 44 points, 18 made field goals and 14 rebounds, which included the first 14 points of the night to put the game out of reach by the first media timeout.
Fudd’s 0-for-2 start from the field, both 3-pointers launched from the wing that caromed off the side of the rim, was remedied by six straight from the paint, including a signature elbow jumper to put the Huskies up 8-0.
The graduate wing, supported by over 125 family members and friends, finished with 19 points on 8-of-19 shooting, six rebounds (two offensive) and five assists in her final DMV homecoming game.
But it was Strong, the frontrunner for National Player of the Year according to ESPN, that catalyzed the Huskies’ dominant first half.
In 18 first half minutes, Strong recorded 21 points on 8-of-9 shooting, drilled 3-of-4 3-pointers, grabbed four rebounds, dished three assists and swiped a trio of steals.
Her four-point second half was punctuated by the fourth “kill shot” (or 10-0 run) for the Huskies; a transition lay-in off a KK Arnold steal.
Connecticut converted seven Hoya turnovers into 10 points before the first break, held Georgetown to a 0-for-5 start from the field and built a two possession lead within the first minute of the game – which it never surrendered.
By the time Strong hit the Huskies’ first 3-pointer of the night – snapping a 0-for-11 start from behind the line – Connecticut had already built a 14-point lead, relying on a slew of transition lay-ins and pull-up jumpers.
Outside of Strong and Fudd, who combined for 35 first half points, only Serah Williams (6 points) and Ashlynn Shade (4) scored more than one basket.
Still, Connecticut went to the half time break up 51-20, holding Georgetown to zero second chance points and only a single basket in transition.
The second half wasn’t as sterling; both teams combined to hit 2-of-16 field goals in the first five minutes of the third quarter and took nearly seven minutes to score on consecutive possessions.
Georgetown switched back to the same zone coverage that was sliced apart by Connecticut’s first quarter blitz and held the Huskies to a 1-of-10 start from the field.
That’s when Blanca Quiñonez, the six-time Big East Freshman of the Week, started carving out spots at the top of the key, hitting two consecutive jumpers to quench the Huskies’ dry spell from the field and space out the Hoya zone.
Then Allie Ziebell drained a 3-pointer from the left corner to stretch the lead and the Hoyas even further. Ayanna Patterson dropped one in from under the rim less than a minute later before Ziebell hit again from the corner.
Connecticut’s near 40-point margin of victory (38, to be precise) coming into the day was maintained by a fourth quarter kill shot that featured a slew of baskets topped off by a Strong lay-in at the six minute mark.
UConn doubled the Hoyas by the final media timeout and emptied the bench soon after, notching its 20th victory of the season and ninth by 40-plus.
On Deck:
Connecticut’s next game, originally scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 25, was moved to Saturday, Jan. 24 on Thursday due to inclement weather. The Huskies will travel to South Orange to take on Seton Hall in Walsh Gymnasium at 12 p.m. The game will air on Peacock and NBC Sports Network.