HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Sarah Strong had 29 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists, five steals and three blocked shots and Azzi Fudd added 19 points and seven assists as top-ranked UConn defeated Ohio State 100-68 on Sunday.
Freshman Blanca Quinonez came off the bench to score 18 points and Serah Williams added 12 for the Huskies (4-0).
Jaloni Cambridge had 17 points and six rebounds for Ohio State (2-1), which trailed by only one point late in the first quarter but was outscored 52-27 in the second and third quarters. Strong had 21 points, five assists and four steals during that stretch.
Fudd, who missed all five of her shots in the first quarter, connected on three 3-pointers in the second quarter. Ohio State didn’t have a field goal in the final 6:06 of the first half and committed nine turnovers in the final 5:03. The Huskies scored the first eight points of the second quarter and ended the half on an 11-0 run.
The Buckeyes made four of their first five 3-pointers before missing seven in a row. By the time T’yana Todd ended the drought, the Huskies still led by 28 points.
Ohio State won the previous matchup, in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, to snap UConn’s streak of 16 consecutive Elite Eight appearances and 13 straight trips to the Final Four.
Jose Fernandez of the Dallas Wings, Rachid Meziane of the Connecticut Sun and Sandy Brondello of the expansion Toronto Tempo were among the WNBA head coaches in attendance.
Up next
Ohio State: The Buckeyes are home against Kent State on Wednesday.
UConn: The Huskies play No. 14 Michigan on Friday in the Basketball Hall of Fame Showcase at Mohegan Sun Arena.
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