Azzi Fudd scores career-high 34 to lead UConn women’s basketball in 78-40 blowout over St. John’s

STORRS, Conn. – The UConn women’s basketball team remained undefeated in Big East play with a 78-40 rout of St. John’s at Gampel Pavilion on Wednesday night behind a career performance from star guard Azzi Fudd. Fudd led the No. 7 Huskies with 34 points, shooting 59% from the field, and she hit a career-high 8 for 14 from 3-point range. It was her first 30-point performance since November 2022 and her first scoring 20-plus in nearly a month. It was also Fudd’s third game hitting at least five shots from beyond the arc this season. “That’s the object in sports, right? To be aggressive, be the aggressor, to be the more assertive team, and it’s been evident that when we are like that, a lot of great things happen for us,” coach Geno Auriemma said. “When we come out like we did today, having Azzi do that makes the game very, very difficult for the other team. It looked like she was on a personal quest to try to be impactful every time she touched the ball.”

Redshirt senior Paige Bueckers added 16 points shooting 6 for 9 and did a little bit of everything for the Huskies finishing with six rebounds, four assists, five blocks and four steals. UConn briefly fell behind 4-2 in the opening minutes but responded immediately with a 14-3 run behind 10 points in six minutes from Fudd. The star guard had her best start of the season logging 13 points shooting 5 for 9 with three made 3-pointers in the opening quarter, and she combined with Bueckers to account for all but three of UConn’s points in the first. Bueckers was an immediate force on the defensive end with three blocks in the quarter, and she added a team-high three defensive rebounds.

The team extended its offensive dominance into the second, beginning the quarter by hitting five straight field goals to open up its first 20-point lead of the game. Fudd kept the hot hand, adding another four points to end the half with a team-high 17, but the Huskies’ other contributors also found opportunities before halftime. No individual player had more than four points in the second quarter, but UConn outscored St. John’s 21-7 to take a 25-point lead at the end of the first half. Bueckers joined Fudd in double-digits with 12 points, and she tied her career-high five blocks in just 18 minutes on the court.

After leading the Huskies in the first two quarters, Fudd became truly unstoppable in the third. She accounted for 17 of UConn’s 23 points out of halftime and shot 5 for 6 from 3-point range, missing just two field goal attempts in the entire quarter. Around her offensive production, the Huskies’ defense completely shut down St. John’s with seven turnovers after entering halftime with 10. UConn held the Red Storm scoreless for nearly six straight minutes to end the quarter on a 15-3 run that gave them a 36-point lead entering the fourth. “It was really fun to watch just as a basketball fan,” Bueckers said. “It almost felt like we were all just watching Azzi have a night. For her to be confident, be aggressive, it’s what we all want from her and what we know is in her.

After getting out-rebounded in their last two games, UConn took control of the paint against St. John’s even with forwards Ice Brady (shoulder) and Morgan Cheli (ankle) both out due to injuries. The Huskies beat the Red Storm 38-25 on the boards and outscored them 28-6 in the paint, anchored by sixth-year senior Aubrey s and led the team with nine rebounds plus three blocks and two steals. “It’s imperative that we get great contributions from the bench, and Aubrey is going to get those minutes,” Auriemma said. “Little by little, I hope that it becomes more evident how much Aubrey can impact the game. For how long I’m not sure, but we’re zigging and zagging again. That’s what we do here at Connecticut. We’re pretty good at zigging and zagging and trying to figure it out.” Despite having the lowest-scoring game of her rookie campaign with two points, freshman Sarah Strong added seven rebounds and three steals. The Griffin. In her sixth game back from an ACL tear suffered last season, Griffin logged a season-best 10 pointHuskies finished with 35 points off of 22 turnovers forced against St. John’s including 14 steals, and they also scored 22 points on the fast break.