The UConn Huskies welcomed the Xavier Musketeers to the XL Center in Hartford last night and summarily dominated in an 81-27 victory. Xavier scored the first bucket of the game, a three-pointer. They did not score again until 4:28 in the quarter on a layup by Tae’lor Purvis and one free throw at 2:30 by Loren Christie. They were held to four points in the second quarter and 17 points in the second half of the game.
Without Paige Bueckers on the floor, UConn’s Azzi Fudd gave us a performance that showed us some of what we were used to seeing. Fudd ended with 23 points in 20 minutes. Sarah Strong added 15 points, 7 rebounds, and five steals. After missing an easy layup, Jana El Alfy found some composure and ended with a good performance of 11 points, three boards, and three assists. Consistency will make El Alfy a dominant inside player, and watching the development is exciting.
A Standout Effort By Ziebell Led The Way For UConn
However, it was the play of freshman Allie Ziebell that showed what could be another important part of UConn’s future. Ziebell scored 17 points in 18 minutes, going 5 – 9 from three. We’ve seen Morgan Cheli play well, and although she did not score in this game, her on-court presence does not have the freshman hesitation that we can see from first-year players.
HUSKIES WIN@WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/7iNshb4ud8
— UConn Women’s Basketball (@UConnWBB) January 9, 2025
Both Ice Brady and KK Arnold, while not scoring much, were an important part of the defense. Ashlynn Shade did not shoot a three but went 4-6 adding eight points. The Huskies forced 32 Xavier turnovers, scoring 42 points off of them.
A Long Night For Xavier Against UConn
Needless to say, this kind of thrashing can be quite demoralizing. Xavier has yet to win a conference game. It is difficult to pinpoint exactly what coach Billie Chambers needs to do to bring her team into the win column in conference play. Three of their five non-conference wins were by decent scores.
Two of them were not, so obviously getting the ball in the hoop is a primary concern, as is not turning the ball over. Dealing with UConn’s defense is a hard enough task, but control of the ball was a real issue for the Musketeers and must be improved.
Coach Geno Auriemma had a chance, although not one he wanted, to see his team play without Bueckers. He was treated to a very good showing, particularly seeing Fudd make a big impact and Ziebell demonstrating her potential. Strong continues on her blistering path, and the team is looking as though their road to recovery from the Notre Dame and USC losses is becoming a little less bumpy.
Up next for Xavier is a home game against St. John’s on Saturday. The Huskies hit the road for a Saturday day game at Georgetown.
And that, my friends, as they say, is that.’ — Martin Ruben.
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