In its tightest game of the season from start to finish, UConn women’s basketball used a big fourth quarter to pull past the Marquette Golden Eagles 71-56 on Saturday at the Al McGuire Center.
The Huskies trailed for the first five minutes and found themselves tied at 20-20 midway through the second quarter. UConn used a 16-2 run to take a 12-point lead into the half, but Marquette cut the deficit back to single-digits with less than three minutes remaining in the third quarter. Finally, the Huskies opened
the final period with an 8-0 run that pushed the gap past 20 and put the game away.
Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong each dominated a half. Fudd put up 17 of UConn’s 36 points in the first half behind a 5-8 start from three while Strong shook off a 1-9 start from the field to drop 19 points in the second half.
Fudd finished with a game-high 25 points while Strong totaled 22 points. Beyond the pair, KK Arnold set a career-high with nine assists to go with 10 points and six rebounds in her home state of Wisconsin. UConn’s six other players managed a combined 14 points.
The Huskies saw two different streaks snapped. They recorded just 17 assists, the first time they failed to surpass the 20-assist mark since the season opener versus Louisville — 25 games ago. UConn had also won their previous 21 games by at least 25 points.
As a team, the Huskies’ 71 points are their lowest output of the season while the 15-point margin of victory is their narrowest in Big East play.
UConn got off to another slow start, failing to score in the first 4:21 of the contest while falling into a 5-0 hole. Fudd finally got the Huskies on the board with a 3-pointer, which sparked an 8-0 run. At the end of the first quarter, UConn held a narrow three-point lead.
The Huskies built the advantage up to eight, only for Marquette to pull even with 5:12 left in the half. UConn answered with a 16-2 run and went into the locker room up 36-24.
After the break, the two teams battled back and forth. The Huskies jumped ahead by as many as 15 before the hosts ripped off seven straight points to narrow the gap to eight. Strong was unstoppable, scoring 15 of UConn’s 21 points in the quarter.
Entering the final frame, the Huskies delivered the kill shot. They scored the first eight points, extending their lead past 20 for the first time. The defense sparked the run, forcing a turnover on three straight possessions at one point. While Marquette scored 12 of the final 16 points, it didn’t matter as UConn came out with a hard-fought 16-point victory.
With the win, the Huskies improve to 27-0 overall and 16-0 in Big East play. Next, they’ll travel to face second-place Villanova on Wednesday, where they can clinch a share of the Big East regular season crown.
