The No. 1-seed UConn Women’s Basketball team shot 2-19 on three-point attempts, their worst performance from downtown since their latest loss. The No. 8-seed St. John’s Red Storm, meanwhile, shot a slightly better 7-28 from long range.
Presented without any further context, one might assume that the Huskies suffered a monumental postseason upset at Mohegan Sun Arena.
But add more information, and No. 3-ranked UConn comfortably advanced to their 37th straight conference tournament semifinals with a 71-40 victory over St. John’s.
UCONN BASKETBALL MESSAGE BOARD | THE HUSKY HOUSE FORUM | UCONN BASKETBALL 2025 RECRUITING CLASS | UCONN FOOTBALL RECRUITING
The Huskies made fewer than 30 field goals for the first time since their last meeting with the Red Storm in February. Rather than relying on their offense, Connecticut clamped the Johnnies. The Huskies held the Red Storm to a 28.6% clip from the floor for the second time in three games. UConn also played disciplined basketball; their four turnovers committed marked a season low.
It took the Huskies nearly two minutes to score their first points via a Jana El Alfy second-chance layup. A free throw and a second layup from the 6-foot-5 center sparked a 22-0 run that quickly and permanently put Connecticut in command.
“That is pretty much the story of the game,” head coach Geno Auriemma stated postgame. “It does not matter what it looks like this time of the year, just move on to the next one.”
Back-to-back Big East Player of the Year Paige Bueckers had half as many points as the Red Storm did at 20. The two-time WBCA Coaches’ All-American played aggressively and efficiently; she complemented her scoring with five rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals.
Big East Freshman of the Year Sarah Strong finished a rebound away from a double-double when the Huskies last played in Uncasville in December. Although not the leading scorer, Strong achieved that feat for the seventh time with 11 points and 14 rebounds. The Big East All-First Team forward fortified her presence in the post with a steal and three ferocious rejections.
That multifaceted mix makes Strong what Johnnies head coach Joe Tartamella described as “a matchup nightmare.”
“She reminds me of some of the players UConn has had in the past where the versatility is really difficult to match up with,” Tartamella remarked about the 2024 McDonald’s All-American Game co-MVP afterward. “She has got all of the tools.”
Auriemma is equally impressed with Strong’s abilities, especially because of her “high IQ.”
“The way she impacts games sometimes does not even show up on the box score,” the co-Big East Coach of the Year commented. “She is able to see things before they develop. She knows exactly where the ball is going all of the time.”
Graduate guard Azzi Fudd had one of Connecticut’s two triples while scoring 11 points and collecting two steals. El Alfy and Kaitlyn Chen rounded out the starters with six points apiece. Chen dished out four assists, the same number that KK Arnold had in 26 minutes off the bench. The Egyptian native hauled in seven rebounds and blocked a shot despite dealing with foul trouble.
Big East Defensive Player of the Year Lashae Dwyer had just two points and two field goal attempts in the first half. The Miami transfer went on to score 10 points and grab five rebounds. Dwyer made one three-pointer; Arianna Vanderhoop and Kylie Lavelle had the other six. Vanderhoop, a day removed from her eight-point performance, picked up 11 points with three triples off the bench. Lavelle also had 11 points and one of the team’s three blocks in her 23rd start.
Ber’Nyah Mayo’s only points of the game helped the Red Storm strike first 90 seconds into the contest. El Alfy responded with a second-chance layup, sparking an 18-0 run that lasted the rest of the opening quarter. Connecticut’s defense forced the Red Storm to miss 10 consecutive shots and commit three turnovers in that stretch.
Vanderhoop ended St. John’s 11-minute scoring drought (and the Huskies’ 22-0 run) with a three-pointer early in the second quarter. Lavelle followed with the Red Storm’s next eight points before the Monmouth transfer landed another jumper. But UConn had a response almost every time the Johnnies pulled the game closer. Whether it came from Fudd or Ashlynn Shade (eight points off the bench), the Huskies always stayed ahead by at least 13.
Bueckers ended the first half with Connecticut’s last four points; she built on that in the third quarter. All four of the redshirt senior guard’s field goals in the period came from around the same area near the paint. Strong and Ice Brady primarily complemented Bueckers on offense with nine of the team’s 19 points in the frame.
Shade doubled her total offense in a final quarter where Dwyer and the Virginia native each crossed double figures. Brady received a rousing applause when she entered the game in the second quarter. So too did redshirt junior Caroline Ducharme in just her third game back. The 6-foot-2 guard landed a layup for her first points in nearly 16.5 months as the Huskies won their 34th consecutive conference tournament contest.
UConn’s quest for a 23rd Big East tournament championship continues tomorrow afternoon against the No. 5-seed Villanova Wildcats. Tip-off in the tournament semifinals is at 2:30 p.m. EDT on FOX.
--------------------------------------------------------------
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
