UConn women’s basketball rode a record-setting performance to a 101-68 win over the Iowa State Cyclones in the Women’s Hall of Fame Showcase at Mohegan Sun Arena on Tuesday night.
The Huskies set a single-game program record with 20 made 3-pointers and finished with its highest point total of the season. Ashlynn Shade surpassed career marks in points (27) and made 3-pointers (seven), Sarah Strong recorded a new high with 29 points while Kaitlyn Chen had eight assists, the most she’s dished out in a UConn uniform.
Paige Bueckers (27 points), Strong and Shade combined for 83 of UConn’s 101 total points.
Shade came out on fire and the rest of the team followed suit. The sophomore scored UConn’s first 14 points without missing a shot en route to a 7-for-7, 20-point first quarter. Bueckers wasn’t far behind, totaling nine points on a 3-3 effort from behind the arc in the opening 10 minutes.
As a team, the Huskies missed just one of their first 11 triples in the quarter and flew out to a commanding 36-10 lead.
In the second period, UConn couldn’t sustain the hot shooting while Iowa State showed some fight down the other end. The Huskies’ lead, which was as high as 27, dwindled down to 14 before Bueckers stopped the bleeding with a jumper. That sparked a quick 7-0 burst to keep the Cyclones at arm’s length and UConn went into the locker room with a 19-point lead.
The Huskies righted the ship after the break. They scored 20 of the first 27 points to push the gap past 30. Strong took over the third and matched Iowa State with 17 points in the quarter. UConn eventually came away with a 33-point victory.
Next, the Huskies will take on JuJu Watkins and No. 7 USC in their final game before the Christmas break. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. on Saturday at the XL Center in Hartford.
