:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/45202518/usa-today-8317825.0.jpg)
Sunday in Dallas will be remembered for one thing – Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis.
Mosqueda-Lewis broke the UConn record for career 3-pointers made during the first four minutes of the game against SMU. She broke a tie with Diana Taurasi when she connected on her 319th career three.
As for the rest itself game, it was a joke. No. 2 UConn (14-1, 4-0 American) defeated the SMU Mustangs 87-28 in front of 2,606 at Moody’s Coliseum.
Breanna Stewart led four Huskies in double figures with 19 points and eight rebounds. Gabby Williams came off the bench to score 12 points and grab 16 rebounds. Moriah Jefferson scored 11 points and added 10 assists in front of her friends and family. Kia Nurse finished with 11 points.
Mosqueda-Lewis ended her day with only eight points.
The Mustangs (4-11, 0-4 American) scored only nine points in the first half. They were held scoreless for over 12 minutes. The Huskies had a lead of 65 points at 74-9 before the Under-12 minute timeout in the second half.
The Huskies opened the game with a slow start. They only had a 3-2 lead early in the game. They started off 1-for-7 from the field. They missed lay-ups, jumpers and three-pointers.
Then things started to click once Mosqueda-Lewis hit her record-breaking three. UConn caught fire and the Mustangs just disappeared. The Huskies scored the next 21 points before SMU hit another basket. Over the next 30 minutes, the Huskies went on a 54-5 run to take a 74-9 lead.
SMU tried to close the gap, finally hitting some 3-pointers in the final nine minutes of the game and closed the game outscoring UConn 19-13. The Huskies shot 54 percent from the field and had 51 rebounds.
The bench gave UConn some quality minutes. Williams and Saniya Chong played 21 minutes. Chong scored eight points and added two assists and two rebounds. Kiah Stokes played 22 minutes and had seven points, eight rebounds and six blocks.
The Husky defense held the Mustangs to 16 percent shooting for the game and forced 19 turnovers.
UConn will return to Gampel Pavilion Wednesday night to play Temple in more AAC action. This will be the Huskies first game in Storrs since Nov. 23 when they beat Creighton.