Legendary UConn players were at Gampel Pavilion to watch the current team dominate.
No. 1 UConn welcomed members of the Huskies teams that won the 2015 and 2016 NCAA Tournament titles on Thursday, giving them a chance to mingle with program royalty.
And maybe this group of Huskies is on the way to claiming its own dynasty.
The Huskies are seeking back-to-back championships this season – that 2016 group actually won four straight – and continued to show their worthiness Thursday night at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Conn. UConn defeated Villanova (14-4, 7-2 Big East) 99-50.
Villanova entered the game in second place in the Big East but was no match for UConn (18-0, 9-0). The Huskies won their 35th consecutive game and 56th in a row in the Big East, including postseason tournament games.
This squad could be on a mission to match that 2016 team, which went 38-0 behind first-team All-Americans Breanna Stewart and Moriah Jefferson, along with star freshman Napheesa Collier.
This year, substitute in the names Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong and freshman Blanca Quinonez.
Strong led UConn with 24 points, nine rebounds, four assists and five blocks. Fudd scored 14 points and had two steals in 28 minutes, the same playing time as Strong. Quinonez added 13 points, four rebounds and two steals. KK Arnold contributed 13 points, seven assists and four steals.
All 11 players scored for UConn.
Kennedy Henry led Villanova with 12 points. Brynn McCurry scored 12 points and had a team-high five rebounds.
UConn by the numbers
The Huskies took a 45-27 lead at halftime, built in part on a 14-3 run to end the first half. In the second half, UConn outscored Villanova 54-23, holding the Wildcats to just six points in the fourth quarter. Runs of 10-0 and 13-0 in the fourth put Villanova away.
For UConn, it was its 10th game of the season with at least 90 points and seventh win by 40 or more points.
UConn moved to 48-18 all-time against Villanova
UConn played stifling defense against Villanova, holding the Wildcats to 27.7% shooting and forcing 26 turnovers, including 16 by the steal. UConn tallied 36 points off turnovers and scored 58 points in the paint – more points than Villanova scored for the game.
Next up for Huskies
UConn will host No. 23 Notre Dame on Monday. The Irish (12-5, 4-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) will be coming off a 79-66 loss to No. 9 Louisville on Thursday.
They are led by Hannah Hidalgo, who averages team highs in points (25.1), assists (5.5) and steals (5.9) per game.
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