UConn went into Wintrust Arena looking to secure their 20th win and to stay unbeaten in the Big East. Unfortunately for DePaul, they did just that.
Let’s get this out of the way; yes, Paige Bueckers had an off night tying her season low in scoring, eight points. Let’s also say that aside from Jorie Allen and Taylor Johnson-Matthews, who each scored 19 points, no one else scored more than 4 points for DePaul. It was Azzi Fudd and Kaitlyn Chen who scored 17 apiece for UConn, and Sarah Strong who scored 11 points.
Compared to the Huskies game against Creighton, where they went 4 – 20 from 3, UConn scored 12 – 22, a 54.5% clip. DePaul shot 7 – 17 from three for 41.2%, which wasn’t bad, but not enough. UConn also turned the Blue Demons over 20 times and scored 21 points, while DePaul only forced 10 turnovers, scoring 7 points. UConn had 32 paint points compared to 18 for DePaul. The UConn defense was for the most part on point. This was a true team effort.
DePaul is not a bad team; they are a young team. They outscored UConn 8 – 1 from late in the first quarter into the second, but then UConn went on a 17 – 4 ride, ending the half at 40 – 24. The Huskies added another 10 points to their lead in the third and traded points in the fourth to finish 84 – 58.
HUSKIES WIN@WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/L8PaQvXMXZ
— UConn Women’s Basketball (@UConnWBB) January 30, 2025
The State of UConn Entering February
The scoring gaps that UConn has experienced are troublesome, particularly with two massive games coming up; Tennessee on Feb. 6 and South Carolina on Feb. 16, both on the road for the Huskies. Do they have what it takes to win both of these games? Yes. To do so, they are going to have to play flawless basketball.
Like any team, both the Lady Vols and the Gamecocks have weaknesses and UConn is going to have to exploit those weaknesses with consistency coupled with much better shooting. Everyone will have to bring their A-game, without exception.
DePaul can still salvage a decent season. They stand at 10 – 11 overall but 6 – 4 in the Big East. UConn, while clear of Creighton by 1.5 games can’t let up if they want another conference title and Big East tournament title.
They also have a good chance at running the table in conference play. Whether they can finish the regular season the same way will depend on the two non-conference games. Losses would significantly impact their standing and seeding chances. The next month has a lot on the line for the Huskies.
And that, my friends, as they say, is that.’ — Martin Ruben.
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