The Huskies had a rough shooting half to open the game, but it didn't matter when the defense took over.
Azzi Fudd undoubtedly would have liked to have shot lights out on Senior Day, but with No. 1 UConn playing the way it did on Sunday afternoon against Providence, Fudd’s shooting numbers won’t be given a second thought.
The Huskies defeated the Friars 81-38 at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Conn., but instead of riding the offense, UConn was guided by its smothering defense.
In the first half, Providence (14-15, 7-11 Big East) turned the ball over 21 times – 13 of the takeaways coming on UConn steals. Even when the Huskies took a 21-5 lead at the end of the first quarter, their defense didn’t relent, continuing to trap the Friars and to chase loose balls in the second quarter.
UConn (29-0, 18-0) was up 40-14 at the half, despite Fudd scoring just two points on 1-of-8 shooting – 0 of 6 from 3-point range. The shooting woes weren’t limited to Fudd. Sharpshooter Allie Ziebell made just 2 of 7 shots – 1 of 6 from long distance in the half.
To mark Senior Day, underclassmen Sarah Strong and Ashlynn Shade took the bench at the outset as head coach Geno Auriemma started seniors Fudd, Serah Williams, Caroline Ducharme and Ayanna Patterson. And Auriemma stayed with an atypical lineup throughout the game, which was followed by a Senior Day ceremony.
After two closer-than-average wins for UConn against Marquette and Villanova, Auriemma had a chance with the big lead to substitute freely and get a look at some different combinations with the Big East tournament and the NCAA Tournament looming.
And the team didn’t miss a beat defensively. In the third quarter, the Huskies forced 12 more turnovers and outscored the Friars by 15 to lead 66-25 entering the final frame.
Freshman Kelis Fisher’s steal with 43 second left was the 39th turnover of the game by Providence. That tied UConn’s record for turnovers forced, set against Rhode Island in 1997.
UConn had a season-high 26 steals.
Fudd and Strong led the Huskies with 13 points each. Ziebell added 11 and Shade scored 10. Jana El Alfy pulled down a team-high 16 rebounds in 18 minutes, and KK Arnold distributed 10 assists.
Princess Moody was the lone scorer in double figures for Providence with 11 points.
UConn by the numbers
- This was the 40th consecutive win for UConn against Providence.
- Including Big East tournament games, the Huskies have won 65 straight league games.
- UConn has won 32 regular-season conference titles, including 25 as members of the Big East. That includes 13 consecutive regular-season titles.
- Since seniors Ducharme and Fudd were freshmen in 2021, the Huskies are 160-21 with a national championship, two title games and three Final Four appearances.
Next for the Huskies
UConn has two regular-season games remaining before the Big East tournament. They will host Georgetown on Thursday at the PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford and meet St. John’s in the season finale at Madison Square Garden in New York on March 1.
Quotable
Fudd, speaking to Fox Sports after the game, reflected on her time in a UConn uniform, starting as a freshman.
“I was so nervous. … I was definitely intimidated by all the banners, all the names and all the awards surrounded by me. And as I continued -- many years later -- I've definitely learned that having that around you is a privilege and getting to learn from that, getting to follow in their footsteps, to learn from the best, playing with the best every single day is such a privilege and you take advantage of that.”
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