No. 2 UConn (1-0) won their season opener against Boston University (1-1) at the XL Center with an impressive 86-32 victory over the Terriers.
Here are the takeaways…
-The Huskies roared out of the gate in this game to the tune of a 15-2 run, aided by numerous Boston University turnovers, to set the stage for the night. They would win the opening quarter 31-6 with freshmen Morgan Cheli drilling a three-pointer just before the buzzer.
-Fellow freshmen Sara Strongthe No. 1 recruit of the class of 2024, had a great game in her Huskies debut, even scoring UConn’s first points of the season with an under-the-rim layup. She finished with 17 points, four rebounds, three assists and xxxx steals.
-Back for her final season at Storrs, Paige Bueckers was also heavily involved in the victory. Bueckers started the night as a passer, but still finished with double figures in passing, along with seven assists and four rebounds. She also added an emphatic block in the first quarter.
-It was much the same in the second quarter for the Huskies, who continued to take turnover after turnover and convert them into points, outscoring Boston University 29-7 and heading into halftime with a 60-13 lead.
-The Terriers had no answer for UConn’s head coach Gen. Auriemma‘s fast pace in which he continually eliminated players. In fact, all 10 players saw significant minutes and made at least one basket in the game.
-It looked like it would be a long night for the Terriers, but the Huskies started the second half on a 7-0 run. Then the offense stalled and Boston University – which struggled to get anything going offensively in the first half – went on a 9-0 run on its own. Qadence Samuels ended with a three.
-Yet UConn’s offense in the second half was nothing like the first half, where everything came easily. They remained strong defensively, but only scored 12 points in the third quarter.
-With a convincing lead, Auriemma gave the fourth quarter to his bench and players happily Jana El Alfy And Allie Ziebelltwo more talented freshmen, delivered. El Alfy tied Strong for a game-high 17 points along with a game-high 11 rebounds in just 17 minutes and Ziebell had six points, two rebounds and an assist.
-The Huskies finished with 25 steals and four blocks and shot 54.5 percent from the field. Of the 36 field goals made, 28 were assisted as UConn moved the ball very well.
Game MVP: Sarah Strong
The freshman showed why she was the nation’s top 2024 recruit, scoring at will and also had a knack for stealing.
Highlights
What’s next
The Huskies welcome South Florida to the Gampel Pavilion on Sunday at 4:30 p.m.
