University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
30-5,18-2Big East
Vermont
25-7,14-2America East
UConn opens March Madness run with 95-52 rout of Vermont
3/18/2023 6:30:00 PM | Women's Basketball
STORRS, Conn. (AP) — UConn coach Geno Auriemma was a bit concerned about how this group of Huskies might respond to the pressure of the NCAA Tournament.
He needn't have worried.
Few teams can match the strength and athleticism of Connecticut's front court and Vermont was not one of those teams.
Aaliyah Edwards scored a career-high 28 points, Dorka Juhasz added a double-double and the second-seeded Huskies routed the 15th seeded Catamounts 95-52 on Saturday, giving Connecticut a 29th straight win in the tournament's opening round.
"From the jump ball I knew personally, individually that I'd be able to dominate inside," Edwards said. "And I think Dorka held her own too and I think we just flowed together as a team."
Juhasz scored 15 points and pulled down 10 rebounds, the Hungarian's 13th double-double this season for the sixth-ranked Huskies.
Caroline Ducharme added 12 points, helping Connecticut (30-5) to its 26th 30-win season during Geno Auriemma's 38 years as coach.
Catherine Gilwee scored 14 points, while Emma Utterback and Maria Myklebust each had 13 for Vermont (25-7), which had its 17-game winning streak snapped.
UConn will play either No. 7 seed Baylor or 10th-seeded Alabama on Monday.
This was the fourth straight game the Huskies have had 10 available players, after spending much of the season with just seven.
"Having some of the wing players that we have now, when the defense runs back they have to run wide," UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. "When we didn't have them, the defense just ran back into the lane. "
Azzi Fudd (five points), who missed 22 games, including the final 14 of the regular season with knee injuries, made her first start since Dec. 4 and scored the first basket on a short jumper from the lane. That started a 7-0 run and the Huskies never trailed.
Edwards had 12 of her points in the first 10 minutes as the Huskies led 27-12 after a quarter.
UConn took its first 20-point lead at 32-12 and a fast-break layup from Aubrey Griffin made it 48-18. The Huskies shot 67% over the first 20 minutes (62% for the game) and it was 53-20 at halftime.
The Huskies extended that to as many as 46 in the second half.
