PROVIDENCE — Late in the first quarter of Wednesday’s game at Providence, UConn women’s basketball star Sarah Strong took a heat check.
The sophomore was already 2-for-3 on 3-pointers when she got a contested look in the right corner, and she paused for just an instant to size up her defender before launching and draining her third outside shot of the game. Strong went on to sink another on the next possession from the left wing, putting her one make shy of a career high in made 3-pointers before the second quarter began.
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The No. 1 Huskies routed the Friars 90-53 at Amica Mutual Pavilion behind 17 points, seven rebounds and three steals from Strong, who finished 5-for-7 from beyond the arc to set a new season best. The team shot a combined 12-for-26 on 3-pointers, a particularly impressive feat against a Providence team that ranks second in the Big East in perimeter defense.
Starting point guard KK Arnold was ruled out of Wednesday’s game with a nasal fracture, but the Huskies’ backcourt stepped up in her absence. Azzi Fudd had a team-high six assists on top of her 18 points and four steals, and sophomore Allie Ziebell recorded a career-best three steals plus nine points on three 3-pointers making her first collegiate start in Arnold’s place. Ziebell also played a career-high 31 minutes.
UConn’s defense was as disruptive as ever, forcing 30 turnovers that in converted into 41 points, but it felt the absence of Arnold most strongly in its own offensive sloppiness. The Huskies had 21 turnovers, surpassing the previous season-high 17 against No. 6 Michigan. But they managed to keep the Friars from capitalizing, holding them to just eight points off turnovers.
The Huskies trailed for just the second time in Big East play at Providence, falling behind 4-3 for a total of 42 seconds before exploding on a 27-3 run over the final seven minutes of the first quarter. UConn scored it first nine points all on 3-pointers with a pair from Strong plus one from Ziebell, but the offense struggled early to find its rhythm without Arnold running the point.
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Once sophomore point guard Kayleigh Heckel and freshman forward Blanca Quinonez checked into the game out of the media timeout, the Huskies began to find the pace that has made them so dangerous for much of the season. The team quickly escalated its defensive pressure, forcing 10 turnovers during the first quarter run.
Quinonez scored seven consecutive points over a 44-second stretch to help extend UConn’s lead to 23 heading into the second quarter, and the Huskies’ onslaught didn’t slow down. After Providence scored five straight points to open the second, Fudd drained her first 3-pointer of the game on a wide-open look assisted by Strong, then added a layup before Strong sank a fifth 3-pointer to tie her career high. The Friars took a timeout after the star duo’s 8-0 run, but sophomore Ashlynn Shade added another make from beyond the arc as soon as the teams were back on the court.
The Huskies held Providence without a field goal for more than four minutes to end the half, though they outscored the Friars just 18-12 after the 30-7 first quarter. The team had more than half of its points off turnovers, but 15 of its 18 made field goals were assisted.
UConn utilized just eight players through the first three quarters with Arnold, redshirt senior Caroline Ducharme and redshirt junior Ayanna Patterson all out due to to injuries, and fatigue started to show in the second half for the Huskies with the shorter bench. UConn gave up 16 points in the third and shot just 35% from the field, but Quinonez injected some energy back into the team with a steal-and-score off an inbound play with just 1.4 seconds on the clock to end the quarter.
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Quinonez finished scoring in double digits for the fifth consecutive game with 11 points plus four rebounds, four assists and two steals, and it was a good day for the Huskies’ entire frontcourt. Despite fouling out late in the fourth quarter, senior center Serah Williams had one of her better performances of the season with eight points, six rebounds, three assists and five blocks, which tied her career high. Redshirt sophomore Jana El Alfy played a season-high 19 minutes and finished with 10 points and five boards shooting 5-for-6.
