CHICAGO —
In an impressive display, Kaitlyn Chen and Azzi Fudd both scored 17 points, helping the No. 6 UConn women’s basketball team to a decisive 84-58 victory over DePaul on Wednesday night. This win marks UConn’s tenth consecutive victory and extends their Big East regular-season winning streak to 31 games.
Freshman Sarah Strong made significant contributions with 11 points and eight rebounds. The Huskies (20-2, 11-0) dominated the third quarter, executing scoring runs of 10-0 and 18-2 to pull ahead decisively.
Despite being the leading scorer with an average of 19.6 points per game, Paige Bueckers was held to just eight points, matching her lowest point total of the season. The experienced player had the opportunity to rest as UConn’s coach, Geno Auriemma, utilized the bench during the second half.
On the opposing side, Jorie Allen and Taylor Johnson-Matthews each managed to score 19 points for DePaul (11-12, 6-4). The game drew a record crowd of 8,305 at Wintrust Arena, which has a seating capacity of 10,387, as noted by interim coach Jill Pizzotti.
UConn has established a strong dominance over DePaul, winning 26 consecutive matchups and boasting a lifetime record of 26-1 against them. The only time DePaul triumphed over the Huskies was back in their inaugural meeting in December 1983.
Key Highlights:
UConn’s depth proved crucial in their commanding performance. Strong’s physical style of play and defensive intensity set the tone early on, complemented by timely scoring opportunities. Although DePaul fought valiantly at the start, they struggled to compete with UConn’s size and strength. This game followed DePaul’s resilient comeback to a 76-67 overtime victory against Butler on Sunday.
A pivotal moment came when DePaul scored eight points to just one from UConn over a span of five minutes, closing the gap to 23-20. However, UConn responded decisively, ending the second quarter with a 17-4 scoring run.
Regarding performance metrics, UConn had a shooting accuracy of 46.2% (30 of 65) overall, with an outstanding 54.5% from beyond the arc (12 of 22). Chen was perfect from three-point range, going 3 for 3, while Fudd shot 4 for 7.
Looking ahead, UConn will face Butler in their next matchup on Sunday, whereas DePaul is set to host Seton Hall on Saturday.
