Back on February 6, the then-No. 5 UConn Women’s Basketball Team battled the then-No. 19 Tennessee Lady Volunteers in Knoxville. First-year Lady Vols head coach Kim Caldwell consistently utilized substitutions reminiscent of a hockey line change that fooled the Huskies in a four-point defeat.
No. 2-seed UConn faced that same personnel style in their first-round matchup against the No. 15-seed Arkansas State Red Wolves. Differences in talent aside, the Huskies were more prepared for those changes on Saturday afternoon.
“One of the things we talked about was ‘do not foul.’ If they do not get to the free-throw line, the clock does not stop, they cannot sub,” head coach Geno Auriemma expressed afterward. “It is tough on your matchups, but we switch a lot on defense, so they are constantly guarding somebody different anyway.”
That was one way UConn topped an Arkansas State team making their NCAA Tournament debut. Azzi Fudd scored 27 points and the Huskies shot nearly 60% from the field as they walloped the Red Wolves 103-34.
“The ball was moving really well today,” Fudd said postgame. “People were open and shooting when they were open. It was a lot of fun seeing everyone have confidence.”
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The graduate guard had 14 points the last time she played in a March Madness game nearly two years ago. Fudd almost doubled her offense versus Arkansas State while knocking down six three-pointers and 10 of her 13 shots. The All-Big East First Team guard said she had “so much fun” in front of the Gampel Pavilion crowd; that applied offensively and defensively. Fudd dished out a season-best seven assists, had two blocks and matched a career high with six steals.
“Before … I played very reserved,” the three-time Gatorade Washington, D.C. Player of the Year explained. “This year, I just feel like from the beginning, coach challenged me to take more risks, try to get in the passing lane more. That is what I have been trying to do, and I have gotten more comfortable with it.”
Sarah Strong was equally ferocious on defense with five blocks and 11 rebounds that ended a Red Wolves possession. Similar to her last three postseason contests, Strong posted a double-double with 20 points (at an efficient 9-10 clip) and 12 boards. Ashlynn Shade took shots without hesitation and went after every rebound off the bench. Shade’s relentless energy helped her match the Big East Freshman of the Year with 20 points on 8-11 shooting while grabbing three rebounds.
All of this happened with Paige Bueckers dropping only 11 points. Just because she was not one of Connecticut’s three leading scorers does not mean Bueckers was not getting involved. The three-time Big East Player of the Year consistently fired deep court-to-court passes that only Joe Burrow or Josh Allen could replicate. It accounted for at least two of Bueckers’ four assists, which went along with her two steals and two blocks.
Connecticut’s flagship institution usually hosts their block party on the Saturday before the first day of classes. Steps away from where those sanctioned social gatherings typically occurred, the Huskies hosted another. UConn turned away nine shots in the first half and a tournament-record 13 the entire afternoon; four different players had multiple rejections. For reference, the Huskies’ previous season-high for swats was nine, which they had against the St. John’s Red Storm last month.
Connecticut’s defense also added another chapter to their book of lockdown performances. Arkansas State posted season lows in points, shooting percentage, three-point shooting percentage and assists.
Nine different Red Wolves got on the board, but no one scored more than seven points. Just three of those nine players had multiple field goals. Sophomore guard Crislyn Rose had the most at three, which she had on 13 attempts, and led Arkansas State’s offense with seven points. Wynter Rogers, head coach Destinee Rogers' younger sister, dropped six points and had the team’s lone rejection. Senior Kyanna Morgan, meanwhile, had five points and six boards.
Strong quickly countered Rose’s layup with one off an inbounds play. That two-pointer, which knotted the game at two, sparked a 22-0 run from her and Fudd that lasted almost six minutes. In that span, the Huskies blocked four shots and scored 10 points off five Red Wolves turnovers.
Not even an Arkansas State timeout could stop UConn’s all-around attack. Morgan ended the Red Wolves’ scoring drought with a wide-open three-pointer, but the Huskies picked up the first quarter’s last 12 points.
Both East Coast natives had 13 points after 10 minutes; Shade had that many by halftime. While Fudd maintained her hot hand, the Big East Sixth Player of the Year nailed two buckets from downtown and had a three-point play.
Yet no applause from the Connecticut crowd was louder than when Caroline Ducharme checked in with three minutes until the intermission. Griffin buried a three-pointer right at the buzzer before halftime, but that only trimmed the Red Wolves’ deficit to 50. An injury scare arose on that play as Bueckers limped into the locker room after the senior wing’s steal.
Huskies fans swiftly sighed when the Minnesota native returned and knocked down a three-pointer 2:06 into the second half. Aubrey Griffin and Caroline Ducharme combined for six points in the final frame as UConn crossed the century mark for the fourth time.
Even with a 69-point victory in the first game of their 36th consecutive NCAA Tournament, it would not have been considered perfect. From “turnovers” to “silly fouls,” the 5-foot-11 guard highlighted some areas where the Huskies could improve as the tournament progresses.
“There are still things that we need to work on; things we need to clean up,” Fudd noted. “It is March. It is not a time to get complacent. … It is the little things that cause you to lose in big games.”
Connecticut’s March Madness run continues against the No. 10-seed South Dakota State Jackrabbits. Tip-off from Storrs on Monday is at a time that will be determined later tonight.
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