ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Less than five minutes into the first quarter of the UConn women’s basketball team’s season opener against No. 20 Louisville, it began to feel like the game was already over.
The No. 1 Huskies had 14 points on the board before the Cardinals hit a single field goal on Tuesday in the Armed Forces Classic at the U.S. Naval Academy. They held Louisville to just nine points in the entire first quarter, and by halftime they had a 20-point lead.
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But late complacency nearly cost UConn dearly, a clear sign that the team still has plenty of room to grow. Though the Huskies’ 79-66 victory was never truly in doubt, they gave up a 10-0 run in the final minutes of the fourth quarter that allowed the Cardinals to cut their lead to as little as 10 points before a steal and score by star forward Sarah Strong put the game back out of reach.
Four different UConn players scored in double digits in the win led by 21 points from Strong. The preseason Big East Player of the Year began her sophomore season on a near double-double, adding nine rebounds plus five assists, two blocks and two steals to her final stat line. Sharpshooter Azzi Fudd added 20 points going 9-for-20 from the field despite a quiet night from 3-point range, and junior guard KK Arnold added 13 points shooting 60%.
Sophomore guard Kayleigh Heckel was also a standout in her UConn debut after transferring from USC this offseason, logging 14 points on 6-for-12 shooting from the field.
Arnold and Fudd set the tone early, combining for 17 of the Huskies’ 25 first-quarter points. The backcourt duo hit back-to-back 3-pointers followed by back-to-back layups that set the team on its dominant 14-1 run, and they shot a combined 7-for-9 from the field.
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When UConn’s 3-point shooting began to cool off, Strong quickly found her offensive rhythm. The sophomore forward put up 11 points in the second quarter alone and entered halftime leading the team in both rebounds and assists, also adding a pair of blocks. Fudd went scoreless in the second, but she still made herself impactful with three assists and two steals, and she led the Huskies in plus/minus with a plus-25 at halftime.
The team went a combined 0-for-9 beyond the arc in the second quarter, but sophomore guard Ashlynn Shade ended their drought and her own with a make from the right wing early in the third. She then added a jump shot on the next possession for five straight points after she entered halftime 0-for-5 from the field.
UConn still struggled to find offense in the second half, hitting just 41% from the field and going 1-for-13 on 3-pointers, but it maintained its lead through the final buzzer thanks to a solid defensive effort. The Huskies held Louisville to just 34.4% from the field and scored 16 points off 12 forced turnovers including eight steals. Fudd also kept the Huskies’ scoring afloat with 12 points after halftime, though she was 0-for-5 from 3-point range.
The team’s biggest issue defensively was foul trouble, sending the Cardinals to the line 17 times for 14 points while taking just eight free throws themselves. The Huskies also struggled guarding the 3-point line: Louisville went 6-for-11 beyond the arc in the second half led by a trio from forward Laura Ziegler, who had nine points in the fourth quarter alone.
