Final: UConn Women’s Basketball Blows Past Memphis on Senior Day, 91-48

The Huskies sent their seniors off in style for their 103rd consecutive win.

By Daniel Connolly@DanielVConnolly Feb 25, 2017, 8:09pm EST

Katie Lou Samuelson puts up two of her 23 first half points.

In front of a full crowd for Senior Day at Gampel Pavilion, the UConn women’s basketball team came away with a 91-48 romp over Memphis.

While the seniors were honored before the game, it was all about the sophomores after the opening tip.

After struggling offensively for the last few weeks, Katie Lou Samuelson bounced back in a big way. The sophomore dropped a game-high 29 points on 11-of-14 shooting, but the it was her performance from three that was needed. Samuelson hit 5-of-8 from deep, returning to the form after hitting just 13-of-40 shots from behind the arc over the last three games.

Samuelson got herself going early with a four-point play on the opening possession and followed it up by scoring the next five points for the Huskies. After a three from Memphis that brought UConn’s lead to just three, the Huskies went on a 16-0 run that put the game away early.

The run was sparked by Napheesa Collier, who continues to UConn’s most reliable player. She scored 19 points on 9-of-13 from the field and put her shooting touch on display, hitting a few impressive shots off the glass with a defender draped all over her.

Together, Katie Lou Samuelson and Napheesa Collier have put together two of the best sophomore seasons in recent Husky history. In just one year, Samuelson went from a three-point threat to the Huskies’ best all-around scorer. Collier, meanwhile, has turned into one of the top post players in the country after only playing limited minutes off the bench last season.

However, Saniya Chong wasn’t going to let the underclassmen steal all the thunder on Senior Day. She dished out her typical seven assists but added 14 points on 5-of-8 from the field.

After the Huskies early 16-0 run, the Tigers never got close again. The lead quickly grew to over 20 and UConn went into the break up 31.

The second half was much of the same as Memphis simply could not stop the Huskies’ on either end of the floor. UConn would eventually run away with this one to the tune of a 91-48 victory, #103 in a row.

While Katie Lou Samuelson held down the three-point line and Napheesa Collier controlled the paint, Gabby Williams cleaned up on the boards. She finished with 10 rebounds, while also chipping in eight points and five assists.

As bad as the team tried, they were unable to get Tierney Lawlor a basket. She had four chances, including one at the buzzer but just couldn’t hit it. However, she did lay out for a loose ball with a minute left when her team was up 46.

Next, the Huskies wrap up their regular season at South Florida with the chance to earn their ninth undefeated regular season. They play on Monday at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.