Stewart Leads Huskies In Rout!

UConn Women’s basketball team took on the Nebraska Cornhuskers Saturday looking for their 40th consecutive win. UConn came into the game 2-0 following a 44-point win over Ohio State and a 40-point win over Kansas State. Nebraska’s (4-0) offense came into the game red-hot averaging 91 points per game. Nebraska has a solid young lineup with Jessica Shepard, the top recruit in Nebraska history and Rachel Theriot a two time All Big Ten Senior. If UConn could take advantage of their size and depth against Nebraska, it would be an advantage as Nebraska comes in playing three guards and two freshmen forwards. UConn also has some depth coming off the bench, led by Napheesa Collier, Saniya Chong and Katie Lou Samuelson.

Game Recap

Similar to the Kansas State game, UConn forced two quick fouls, but were not immediately able to take advantage of it like they did on Monday night. Nebraska spread the floor early and hit open deep shots with a three from Kyndal Clark and a 15-foot jumper from Theriot to take a 7-3 lead. A basket and a foul committed on Rachel Blackburn kept the game in Nebraska’s favor early, but a three pointer by Brianna Stewart tied the score at 10-10 at the media timeout. Stewart backed down Shepard for UConn’s first lead since 1-0. UConn was just 6 of 16 with a minute to go in the first quarter, but Gaby Williams’ two steals created more opportunities for the Huskies. Brianna Stewart hit an open three with seconds remaining to extend the lead to 19-14 at the end of the first quarter. Stewart finished the first 5-5 with 10 points.

The Huskies came out flying in the second with a three from Morgan Tuck and another layup from Stewart to force a quick timeout from Nebraska at 8:54 with a 24-14 lead. Theriot made a great move to the basket, but UConn came back quickly with great drives and easy baskets from Chong and Collier forcing a second timeout from the Nebraska bench with UConn leading 30-14. UConn creates a lot of turnovers, Nebraska did not limit turnovers, and out of the timeout the Cornhuskers threw the ball away and led the Turnover count 7-0. The Huskies committed offensive fouls on consecutives plays and Nebraska’s Shepard hit back-to-back hoops to cut the lead back to 10. However UConn continued to put pressure on the tiring Nebraska team with baskets by Tuck and Stewart forcing another timeout with a 36-20 UConn lead. It was clear UConn had the size advantage over the Cornhuskers, as Nebraska dumped it down low the Huskies would create turnovers and utilize the fast break to take a lead into the half. UConn led at the half 40-24 with 18 points from Stewart.

Both teams came out from halftime cold, after four missed baskets to start the second half, Stewart took the ball herself and scored her 20th point of the game. After another minute, Moriah Jefferson chipped in with a 3 pointer. A minute later, Nebraska finally got onto the board with a basket by Romeo. UConn then turned it on, rebounding and pushing the ball on a 7-0 scoring run with baskets by Stewart and Collier to take a 54-28 lead at the third quarter media break. A missed wide-open fast break layup by Clark then led to a three pointer by Samuelson. Nebraska unfortunately had no answer to UConn’s relentless offense and was outscored 23-6 in the third period. UConn on top 63-30.

Nebraska’s Shepard with eight points so far had been averaging 23.0 points per game coming into this matchup, but to start the 4th quarter she learned it’s much tougher to score on the best team in the nation. UConn continually double teamed Shepard and even with a lead in the 4th she was double teamed again. A three pointer by Romeo kept the lead consistent. Chong hit a three of her own to extend the lead to 40 points a minute later. A fast break by Romeo to Theriot showed Nebraska’s speed and cut the deficit to 73-35 at the media break. Anya Kalenta came off the bench for the Cornhuskers scoring five late in the game, but the freshman Samuelson showed just how good she will be for the Huskies scoring in double figures for the first time in her career. The Huskies finished the job with an 88-46 win.

Reaction

This is the third win this season for the Huskies, all by 40 plus points. Although this happens early in the season for many top teams, UConn isn’t beating local Division 1 AA teams; they’re beating Big Ten and Big 12 teams that are solid teams in Division 1. Teams facing UConn must find a way to score with them, today UConn shot 58%, Nebraska just 34%. Not only did the Huskies hit the shots they were given, but also they were given more opportunities due to the 22 Nebraska turnovers. UConn heads to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga on Monday who recently lost by 2 points to the #4 ranked Tennessee.