UConn women’s basketball opened 2026 with an 84-48 victory over the Seton Hall Pirates on Saturday at PeoplesBank Arena.
After missing the last contest with nasal fracture, KK Arnold re-took her spot in the starting lineup and finished with a game-high five assists as well as five points. Caroline Ducharme also returned after being sidelined for three games with a shoulder injury and got in for eight minutes in the fourth quarter.
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Sarah Strong led the Huskies with 18 points to go along with eight boards, four assists and four steals while Azzi Fudd followed up with 16 points. Allie Ziebell went 4-6 from three en route to 12 points while Jana El Alfy reached double-figures for second straight game — the first time she’s done so in her collegiate career — with 10 points.
Turnovers continued to plague UConn. The Huskies coughed the ball up 17 times — tied for their second-highest total of the season after setting a new mark with 21 against Providence on Wednesday. A third of Seton Hall’s points (16) came off those mistakes.
UConn started hot, jumping out to an immediate 6-0 lead before later pulling ahead 11-2. Then the Pirates answered back, ripping off a 9-0 run while holding the Huskies scoreless for 4:29.
From there — as it’s done over the last few games — UConn took off. The hosts scored the next 15 points before Seton Hall gained a brief foothold with back-to-back baskets, only for the Huskies to pile on another 12 straight points.
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At the half, UConn lead 38-18.
The Huskies continued to score in bunches in the third quarter. After managing just five points through 3:50, they exploded for a 20-0 burst that pushed the gap past 40. Even though the Pirates won the fourth quarter, UConn still walked out with a 36-point victory.
With the win, the Huskies improve to 15-0 on the season and 6-0 in the Big East. Next up, they’ll host St. John’s in Hartford on Wednesday. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on truTV.
