UConn Defeats Tennessee With Strong Second Half
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The UConn Huskies struggled in the first half, but played great out of halftime and ended up with a blowout win, 96-66 over No. 15 Tennessee at PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford.
UConn improves to 23-0, marking their best start since they were 37-0 ahead of the 2018 National Championship Game.
Tennessee falls to 14-5 overall and makes it back-to-back losses, as they fell to Mississippi State at home, 77-62 on Jan. 29.
The Huskies also improved to 18-10 in the all-time series vs. the Lady Volunteers, getting revenge after losing 80-76 last season in Knoxville, Tenn. on Feb. 6, 2025.
UConn Takes Early Lead in First Quarter, but Tennessee Sticks Around
The Huskies got off to a great start, with an 18-3 run through the first six minutes of the first quarter, shooting 7-for-11 from the field, while the Lady Volunteers made just one of their first 10 shots.
Huskies graduate guard Azzi Fudd scored the first seven points on the run with a 3-pointer, a layup and a mid-range jumper, while sophomore forward Sarah Strong and junior guard Ashlynn Shade each made a 3-pointer and a basket.
Tennessee stuck around with UConn, ending the first quarter by outscoring them 16-7, trimming the deficit to six points, 25-19.
Six different players scored for Tennessee, making six of their seven field goal attempts, with senior forward Zee Spearman scoring four points.
Tennessee Takes Second Quarter Lead, UConn Keeps it Level at Halftime
Both teams traded baskets for the first five minutes of the second quarter, before the Lady Volunteers went on a 10-0 run in less than three minutes, taking a 40-36 lead with 2:32 remaining.
Spearman scored another four points for Tennessee, while freshman guard Jaida Civil made a 3-pointer and a foul shot on the run.
UConn scored six of the next eight points to tie the game up at halftime, with Strong making two free throws, sophomore guard Kayleigh Heckel scoring a layup and Fudd making a jumper.
Strong and Fudd led the Huskies in the second quarter, scoring six points and five points, respectively. The Huskies struggled from the field, shooting just 7-for-17 in the second quarter, 41.2%, and making just one of their four 3-point attempts.
Huskies Blow Past Volunteers Late in Third Quarter, Get Win
UConn found themselves in a close game for the first time in quite a while and Tennessee kept it close early on.
Tennessee held the lead twice in the third quarter, including 48-47 in the first two minutes, as Spearman added two layups.
UConn then went on a 10-0 run over the next two minutes, with Fudd making two baskets and then both Strong and Shade hitting from deep.
The Lady Volunteers got it back to just a four-point deficit at 57-53, with a 3-pointer from freshman guard Mia Pauldo and a layup from Spearman, but the Huskies countered that with a great finish to the period.
UConn closed out the third quarter with a 14-0 run, giving them a 71-53 lead at the end, as Tennessee missed all 11 shots during that time.
Strong converted an and-one opportunity off a layup, senior forward Serah Williams and Heckel made two layups each and sophomore guard Allie Ziebel made a 3-pointer for the Huskies.
UConn not only held onto their lead in the fourth quarter, but made it even bigger, outscoring them 25-13 to make it a 30-point victory.
Fudd led with eight points in the period, while Ziebell added seven points, Strong scored six points and Williams scored four points.
Players of the Game
Fudd had one of her best games of the season, leading the Huskies with 27 points against the Lady Volunteers.
She shot 11-for-17 from the field and 5-for-8 from 3-point range, while grabbing seven rebounds, dishing out seven assists and making four steals.
Strong continues establishing her case for National Player of the Year, as she scored 26 points for the Huskies in the victory. She shot 10-for-18 from the floor, made two 3-pointers and grabbed nine rebounds, one shy of a double-double.
UConn had a great shooting performance overall, shooting 58.5% from the field, 11-for-22 from 3-point range and 9-for-11 from the foul line.
