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UConn Women’s Basketball Tackles Cincinnati, 106-65

The Huskies scored a stress-free victory on Super Bowl Sunday.

UConn’s Gabby Williams (15) blocks the shot of Cincinnati’s Shanice Johnson (21).
Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog

On the biggest sports day in America, the UConn women’s basketball team defeated the Cincinnati Bearcats with ease, 106-65.

Crystal Dangerfield sat out with shin splints and was replaced in the starting lineup by Azura Stevens, who finished with a double-double, scoring 20 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.

Despite not having their floor general, the Huskies still passed the ball well as they assisted on 32 of their 39 baskets.

Cincinnati started out hot with a trio of 3-pointers to keep the game tight at the first media timeout. But once the Bearcats iced up from deep, things went south for the visitors.

Kia Nurse drilled a three to notch her 1,500th career point, which sparked a 21-0 run from the Huskies. The defense stymied Cincinnati by disrupting the passing lanes and forcing easy turnovers, which UConn converted into points.

Geno Auriemma, Kia Nurse, Gabby Williams, Napheesa Collier postgame video

At the start of the second quarter, the Huskies ripped off a 10-0 run to extend their lead further. However, the Bearcats fought to keep the game within shouting distance and drilled a 40-foot buzzer-beater to reduce UConn’s lead to 22 going into the half.

However, the Huskies wouldn’t wait long to pull away. They out-scored Cincinnati 15-2 out of the break and followed it up with a 10-0 run later in the quarter. UConn reached the 100-point mark with over four minutes left in the fourth quarter and came away with an easy 106-65 victory.

The starting five carried the scoring load as the bench managed just seven points, most of which came in the final quarter. Kyla Irwin had a solid day though, finishing with five rebounds, five assists and five points.

Napheesa Collier lead the way with 25 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Nurse totaled 23 points on 4-for-9 shooting from three while chipping in four assists of her own. As per usual, Gabby Williams did everything for UConn as she earned a double-double with 13 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.

Next, the Huskies travel to Orlando to face off against the UCF Knights on Wednesday at 7 p.m.