The Huskies continued their perfect non-conference run on Wednesday, cruising past Seton Hall in dominant fashion.
The first quarter was a back-and-forth battle, with Seton Hall finding their rhythm early. However, UConn quickly responded, closing the quarter strong to take a 22-15 lead into the second.
However, the second quarter presented challenges for UConn’s offense, as they went more than five minutes without a field goal, allowing Seton Hall to close the gap. Despite this, each time the Pirates threatened to take control, the Huskies responded, regaining their rhythm and expanding their lead once again. Heading into the break UConn had a comfortable 41-26 lead.
Paige Bueckers led the way in first-half scoring with 13 points with 6 rebounds. Kaitlyn Chen was the next highest scorer for UConn, contributing 9 points on a highly efficient 4-of-5 shooting from the field.
The biggest scare of the first half came when star guard Paige Bueckers appeared to be injured after securing the final bucket. Following her converted floater, she immediately grabbed her knee in pain. Just moments earlier, she had her foot stepped on, leading to an awkward bend of her leg that seemed to contribute to the discomfort. Hopping on one leg, Bueckers made her way to the locker room.
To the relief of Husky fans, Paige Bueckers returned for the second half without any visible limp or discomfort. She quickly found her rhythm, taking control of the third quarter and scoring 10 points to reach double digits in just that period alone. Bueckers also achieved a significant milestone during the quarter, surpassing Diana Taurasi to become the ninth-highest scorer in UConn history. UConn outscored Seton Hall 30-13 to turn this game from competitive to a blowout. The fourth quarter saw much of the same en route to the Huskies 91-49 domination of the Pirates.
A highlight from UConn came from their bench production. Aubrey Griffin, whose parents are both Seton Hall graduates, shot a perfect 5-5 from the field with 15 points. Ashlynn Shade also tacked on 14 points off the bench.
UConn improves to 15-0 in conference play and 25-3 on the season. The Huskies are on a roll, riding a four-game win streak, which includes a dominant victory over women’s basketball powerhouse South Carolina just one game ago.
UConn will head to Indianapolis for their next game against the Butler Bulldogs on Thursday, February 22nd, aiming to keep their perfect conference record intact as the season winds down before conference tournament play.