In its first game in eight days, UConn women’s basketball poleaxed the Butler Bulldogs at Hinkle Fieldhouse, 94-47. The Huskies shook off a slow start to cruise to their 29th straight victory overall and
51st consecutive win in Big East play.
Sarah Strong led the team with 15 points while also putting up seven assists, six rebounds and three steals. Azzi Fudd chipped in with 13 points while Blanca Quiñonez added 12 points — her fourth-straight game in double-figures. Jana El Alfy and Allie Ziebell each scored nine points each as well.
In her home state, Noblesville, Indiana native Ashlynn Shade played a team-high 27 minutes and finished with six points and three assists in front of over 100+ friends and family. Ayanna Patterson — who hails from Fort Wayne, Indiana — set season-highs in points (five), rebounds (four) and minutes (10).
Kayleigh Heckel went down with an apparent upper-body injury with two minutes left an exited the contest, though she remained on the bench and went through the postgame handshake line.
Despite how the scoreline ended up, UConn didn’t look ready to come back from the holiday break in the early going. The Huskies came out sluggish and sloppy, which put them in a 10-6 hole just over three minutes in.
Then they woke up. UConn scored the final 20 points of the first quarter, then piled 19 of 21 points to open the second quarter. The defense provided the spark, forcing turnovers on eight of Butler’s final 11 possessions of the initial frame.
By the midway point, the Huskies had turned their slow start into a distant memory, taking a 54-22 lead into the locker room.
Out of the break, UConn scored 13 of 14 points to push the gap past 40. The Bulldogs answered with 3-pointers on three consecutive possessions, though Quiñonez eventually extended the Huskies’ lead to 45 with a triple as the third quarter expired. The final period was largely inconsequential as UConn came away with a 47-point victory.
With the win, the Huskies improve to 13-0 on the season and 4-0 in the Big East. Next, they’ll put a bow on 2025 with a New Year’s Eve matchup at Providence.
