No. 1 UConn Rains Threes in Dominant 104-39 Rout of Xavier

Huskies Tie Season High with 18 Three-Pointers, Six Players in Double Figures

Cincinnati, OH – Allie Ziebell knocked down five three-pointers and scored 16 points to lead No. 1 UConn to a commanding 104-39 blowout of Xavier on Sunday afternoon at Cintas Center. The defending national champions tied their season high with 18 three-pointers and had six players reach double figures in their Big East opener.

The Huskies (7-0, 1-0 Big East) shot 50% from beyond the arc and finished just two treys shy of the program record of 20 set against Iowa State last December. UConn improved to 10-0 all-time against Xavier and extended their winning streak to seven games to start the season.

Ziebell Leads Three-Point Barrage

Ziebell was nearly perfect from distance, connecting on five of seven attempts from three-point range in just 16 minutes of action. The sharpshooter scored all 16 of her points from beyond the arc and added two rebounds while committing just one turnover.

“She knows who she is,” said UConn head coach Geno Auriemma. “She knows this is what I do, man. I’m aggressive with the ball. The worst thing is, you come to practice, you go to a game, and you don’t even recognize the person that you are playing because you’ve completely lost who you are. To Allie’s credit, for the most part, she knows who she is.”

Ziebell connected on four consecutive three-pointers in the third quarter to help extend UConn’s already comfortable lead. Her performance came after consistent shooting in practice had coaches anticipating a breakout game.

“I don’t necessarily know if I knew it was coming, but I’m usually a pretty consistent shooter,” Ziebell said. “I feel like I’ve been struggling with that a little bit this year. So just finding a rhythm, it was going to happen eventually.”

Balanced Scoring Attack

Ashlynn Shade added 14 points on four three-pointers, while Sarah Strong also scored 14 points with a game-high eight assists. Strong shot 6-for-12 from the field and added six rebounds, two steals, and six blocks in 24 minutes.

Azzi Fudd, the reigning Associated Press national player of the week, contributed 12 points on four three-pointers in 23 minutes. The junior guard has been on fire from distance, continuing her hot shooting streak in the Big East opener.

Serah Williams recorded a double-double with 10 points and six rebounds, while Kayleigh Heckel came off the bench to score 10 points and grab a team-high seven rebounds in 21 minutes.

Fudd Finds Her Rhythm

Fudd’s performance was particularly impressive after a brief adjustment period early in the game. Auriemma pulled her out approximately four minutes into the contest to give her a breather, and she returned energized.

“I don’t know what I started with. I don’t know what that was, but I caught my second wind as soon as I sat down for a second, so I just needed that quick breather,” Fudd said. “I felt like I played with more confidence than what I’ve been playing with. I think partially that’s confidence in myself and my playing abilities, but also confidence in my knee. So I just felt a lot freer on the court tonight.”

Fudd, who has battled injuries throughout her career, is finding her groove two games back from her latest absence. She credited the mental adjustment of trusting her knee again as a key factor in her improved play.

“The biggest thing is I feel like I’m building confidence in my knee again and being able to trust myself,” Fudd said. “Not just wanting to stay on the three-point line and shoot, but being able to attack and drive and be aggressive. I think that also just helps everyone else around me be more of a threat.”

Dominant First Quarter Sets Tone

UConn jumped out to an early lead, holding Xavier without a field goal until MacKenzie Givens scored with 3:19 remaining in the first quarter. Strong made a three-pointer and had two steals leading to layups to help the Huskies build a 12-point advantage midway through the opening frame.

The Huskies shot 43.8% from the field and 27.3% from three-point range in the first quarter, while Xavier managed just 18.2% shooting overall and 16.7% from distance. UConn led 22-9 after 10 minutes.

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Second Quarter Surge

UConn extended its lead to 49-25 at halftime behind a blistering 58.3% shooting performance from three-point range in the second quarter. The Huskies knocked down seven of 12 attempts from beyond the arc and shot 52.6% overall in the period.

Xavier improved to 46.2% shooting in the second quarter but couldn’t keep pace with UConn’s offensive explosion. The Musketeers went 2-for-2 from three-point range but managed just 16 points in the frame.

Third Quarter Explosion

The Huskies began the third quarter with a 14-4 run to blow the game wide open. UConn shot an incredible 85.7% from three-point range in the period, connecting on six of seven attempts while shooting 57.1% overall.

Ziebell’s four consecutive three-pointers highlighted the third-quarter onslaught, as UConn outscored Xavier 35-11 in the frame to take an 84-36 lead into the fourth quarter.

Xavier struggled mightily in the third, shooting just 16.7% from the field and 25% from three-point range while managing only 11 points.

Bench Provides Spark

UConn’s bench outscored Xavier’s reserves 45-15, with Heckel leading the way with 10 points and seven rebounds. Kelis Fisher added six points in just six minutes, while Ayanna Patterson and Blanca Quinonez each contributed four points.

The depth allowed Auriemma to rest his starters and get extended minutes for players fighting for rotation spots.

“When you play the way Allie played today, you shoot it the way she shot it today, it certainly gives the coaching staff something to think about, something to consider, and that’s always a good thing,” Auriemma said. “I always knew she could do what she did today. That’s why we recruited her. I’ve seen her do that to everybody that she’s ever played: good teams, great teams, bad teams, EYBL, state tournaments. She does that to everybody.”

Strong’s Defensive Dominance

While Strong’s offensive numbers were solid, her defensive impact was equally impressive. The freshman recorded six steals and six blocks, consistently disrupting Xavier’s offensive flow and igniting UConn’s transition game.

“She makes plays that are not necessarily teachable plays, and she does things that only people who have tremendous basketball instincts can do,” Auriemma said. “She has a tremendous feel for the moment. I don’t worry about Sarah. I think she’s just a young kid who’s playing a game that she’s always played, and she doesn’t let anything get in the way of it.”

Strong’s defensive energy helped UConn score 35 fast-break points compared to just eight for Xavier. The Huskies also dominated points off turnovers 42-8 and second-chance points 17-8.

Strong is looking ahead to Saturday’s game at Georgetown with particular excitement, as her mother played for the Hoyas.

“I’m very excited. This will be my first time actually getting to play at Georgetown or even just at home,” Strong said. “I’ve been out for all of those, so I’m super excited to get to play with all my family and friends and the crowd. I played on that court, actually, at my high school state championship game, so it’s kind of just like a cool little flashback moment, like full circle moment.”

Xavier Struggles Offensively

Vivien Nejašmić led Xavier (4-3, 0-1 Big East) with 12 points on 3-of-8 shooting. MacKenzie Givens and Mariyah Noel each added nine points for the Musketeers, who shot just 21.7% from the field and 25% from three-point range.

Xavier was particularly cold in the fourth quarter, making just one of 16 field goal attempts (6.3%) and one of eight three-pointers (12.5%) while scoring only three points in the final 10 minutes.

The Musketeers committed 31 turnovers, leading to 42 UConn points, and were outrebounded 45-30. Xavier managed just 10 points in the paint compared to 32 for the Huskies.

Full-Court Pressure Creates Havoc

UConn’s full-court press forced Xavier into numerous turnovers and rushed possessions throughout the game. The aggressive defensive approach has become a staple of the Huskies’ identity this season.

“Actually, I’m surprised sometimes that teams turn it over because I don’t know that it’s great,” Auriemma said. “We play hard, and we try hard, and we take some risks. But what we’re getting is it forces them to play with a lot of energy, and it forces them to extend themselves. And I like that. And it carries over into everything else that we’re doing.”

Game Summary

• Final Score: UConn 104, Xavier 39
• Location: Cintas Center, Cincinnati, OH
• Attendance: 3,536
• Game Time: 2:30 PM
• Game Duration: 1:55
• Officials: Denise Brooks, Meadow Overstreet, Kaz Beverley

Scoring by Period

Team Statistics

• Field Goals: UConn 35-72 (48.6%), Xavier 10-46 (21.7%)
• Three-Pointers: UConn 18-36 (50.0%), Xavier 5-20 (25.0%)
• Free Throws: UConn 16-22 (72.7%), Xavier 14-18 (77.8%)
• Rebounds: UConn 45, Xavier 30
• Assists: UConn 26, Xavier 8
• Turnovers: UConn 10, Xavier 31
• Steals: UConn 20, Xavier 4
• Blocks: UConn 4, Xavier 3

UConn Leaders

• Points: Allie Ziebell 16, Ashlynn Shade 14, Sarah Strong 14
• Rebounds: Kayleigh Heckel 7, Sarah Strong 6, Serah Williams 6
• Assists: Sarah Strong 8, KK Arnold 5, Azzi Fudd 3

Xavier Leaders

• Points: Vivien Nejašmić 12, MacKenzie Givens 9, Mariyah Noel 9
• Rebounds: MacKenzie Givens 6, Petra Oborilova 4, Lucía Martínez López 4, Vivien Nejašmić 4
• Assists: Meri Kanerva 3, Mariyah Noel 2

UConn improves to 10-0 all-time against Xavier and 7-0 on the season. The Huskies will travel to Georgetown on Saturday for their next Big East matchup.