The No. 1 UConn women delivered a message to the rest of the Big East.

Just ask Xavier.

Allie Ziebell scored 16 points and five other players reached double figures in scoring as the Huskies pummeled the Musketeers 104-39 in the Big East opener for both teams on Sunday in Cincinnati.

The Musketeers saw the full force of what the Huskies can do.

UConn (7-0, 1-0) held Xavier (4-3, 0-1) to just 10 field goals, half of them from 3-point range. The Musketeers shot just 22% (10 of 46) and turned the ball over 31 times, leading to 42 points off turnovers for the Huskies.

Meanwhile, UConn was 35-of-72 shooting, including 18 of 36 beyond the arc.

Balanced scoring

No one expected this game to be competitive. The Huskies are the defending national champions and have won every Big East title since they re-entered the Big East ahead of the 2020-21 season.

The Musketeers have not won double-digit games since they finished 11-19 in the 2018-19 season. Entering the 2025-26 season, Xavier’s Big East record was 1-55.

In their most recent meeting, UConn defeated Xavier 81-27 on Jan. 8.

Head coach Geno Auriemma used all 13 available players for the Huskies on Sunday, with Morgan Cheli (ankle) and Ice Brady (knee out).

Joining Ziebell in double figures were Ashlynn Shade and Sarah Strong (14 points each), Azzi Fudd (12) and Kayleigh Heckel (10). Ziebell was 5-of-7 shooting from the 3-point line.

"I have a lot of confidence in her because I think she's not just a great 3-point shooter. I think she's a really good basketball player,” Auriemma said of Ziebell, a sophomore. “And, you know, for her, it's a matter of believing it. She's been told a lot, both in high school and here, and she's starting, I hope, starting to believe it."

Strong led with eight assists and Heckel with seven rebounds.

Gandy Malou-Mamel, a freshman center from Ireland, scored her first points in college.

For Xavier, Vivien Nejasmic scored 12 points, the only member of the Musketeers in double figures.

UConn held Xavier to single digits in the first quarter, taking a 22-9 lead. The Huskies went up by 24 following an 11-0 run early in the second quarter, then increased the lead to 27. UConn took a 49-25 advantage at halftime, and Xavier never got closer.

The Huskies return to action on Tuesday against South Florida in Tampa.

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