The Butler Bulldogs came to the XL Center in Hartford looking to take a bone from the UConn Huskies. Unfortunately, the Bulldogs were barking up the wrong tree. Butler has an overall record of 12 – 12 but is only 2 – 9 in Big East play. UConn has now won 32 consecutive regular season games, and their effort against Butler was a good indication of why.
UConn scored the first eight points of the game with their trio of Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd, and Sarah Strong. UConn extended their lead but Butler never got closer than 8 points with the quarter ending 31 – 14. The second quarter proved equally devastating for Butler, with UConn outscoring them 28 – 12, going into the half leading 59 – 26.
Butler never stopped fighting. They were simply overwhelmed by the UConn defense, and the scoring for the Huskies looked like the kind of effort it will take to successfully move forward. UConn continued to dominate for the rest of the game and ended with a winning score of 101 – 59.
HUSKIES WIN@WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/m2WNZZPj6v
— UConn Women’s Basketball (@UConnWBB) February 2, 2025
Butler struggled, shooting only 36.2% and 12 – 27 free throws, their bright spot. UConn shot a blazing 64.5% and 11 – 19 from three. Kilyn McGuff led the Bulldogs with 17 points and Riley Makalusky scored 10 off the bench.
Bueckers led the Huskies with 18 points in 22 minutes of play, followed by Fudd and Ashlynn Shade with 13 each, KK Arnold with 12, Strong with 11, and Jana El Alfy with 10. UConn turned Butler over 22 times and scored 34 points, while Butler turned the Huskies over 10 times, scoring only 7. UConn dominated the paint with 48 points and had 19 fast break points to Butler’s five.
What’s Next For UConn?
UConn came out with a greater determination, which was immediately apparent in the play of Bueckers, who struggled in their last game against DePaul. This was the kind of game in which the Huskies needed to make a statement to themselves, and they did so with success.
That statement is going to need to be restated in their next few games, particularly at Tennessee on Feb. 6, and then ten days later at South Carolina. In between, they’ll go to Providence and then back home for St. John’s before heading to Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, SC. Butler will have a chance to right the ship when they welcome Villanova on Feb. 5.
UConn has eight games remaining. With two high-power opponents, the question is can they run the table? Can South Carolina be beaten? If history tells us anything, the answer is yes. From this vantage point, UConn is building upon a solid foundation. If the Huskies get past Tennessee, I’m going to say their chances of beating South Carolina will increase. We’ll have to wait and see how much.
And that, my friends, as they say, is that.’ — Martin Ruben.
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