No. 1-seeded UConn Huskies stomp UTSA 90-52 in Round of 64
The No. 1 UConn women’s basketball team (35-0, 15-0) defeated the No. 16-seeded UTSA Roadrunners (18-16, 5-9) 90-52 to advance to the Round of 32 of the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
In the Huskies’ 48-point victory, four players reached double figures. Paving the way, Sarah Strong contributed 18 points, five rebounds, four assists and five steals. In 28 minutes, the star forward went four-for-four from the floor, two-for-seven (28.6%) from deep and four-for-seven (57.1%) from the free-throw line.
Behind the sophomore, Blanca Quiñonez posted 15 off-the-bench points, five boards, two assists, two blocks and three steals. In 19 minutes, the Ecuadorian native went five-for-five from the field, splashed just one of six (16.7%) triples and nailed two of five (40%) free throws.
Alongside the duo, Ashlynn Shade registered 14 points, seven rebounds and two assists. In 29 minutes, the guard sank four of five (80%) two-pointers and two of seven (28.6%) threes. As for Kayleigh Heckel, the USC Trojan transfer ended the night with 11 points, four boards, five assists and three takeaways.
“You can’t think that nothing is ever going to get in the way. Fouls get in the way, injuries get in the way,” said Auriemma. “Things happen and we’re very fortunate to be able to have Kayleigh [Heckel] come off the bench.”
Defensively, Connecticut converted 27 of UTSA’s mistakes into 35 points, with 21 fastbreak points and 19 second-chance points.
Overall, the Huskies hit 28 of 38 (73.7%) field goals, 13 of 22 (59.1%) free throws, but faced challenges from the three-point line. In total, the squad landed just seven of 33 (21.2%) attempts.
“Over the years, I’ve seen how many times the first game looks kind of wonky,” said Head Coach Geno Auriemma. “It took us a little while to get going and obviously, we shoot the ball great, but I thought for the most part, we did what we needed to do.”
Compared to the Roadrunners, three players earned double figures. To conclude the contest, Ereauna Hardaway, Damara Allen and Cheyenne Rowe tied for the most points, with 11 apiece.
Collectively, UTSA connected on 14 of 33 (42.4%) field goals, six of 16 (37.5%) tries from beyond the perimeter and six of nine (66.7%) free throws.
To kick off the Huskies’ run to their 13th championship, neither offense looked stellar. In the first two and a half minutes of the first quarter, the two programs missed a combined total of seven shots. At the time, Serah Williams was the only player with points after making a layup for UConn.
This allowed UTSA to stay in the fight, as they trailed just 8-4 at the three-minute mark. However, UConn’s slump did not last long. With slightly under seven minutes remaining in the opening frame, the Roadrunners experienced a two and a half minute scoring drought.
With the help of three UTSA turnovers in two and a half minutes, the Huskies branched off and captured an 11-2 run. By the end of the first quarter, the squad owned a 19-6 margin, which was the beginning of the end for the Roadrunners.
It is worth noting that with a little under two minutes left, Azzi Fudd picked up her third personal foul of the match. This forced Auriemma to bench her for the rest of the first half.
“It was a lot of fun to watch my teammates go out and play the way they did and I’m so proud of them,” said Fudd when discussing the Huskies’ depth. “There’s never a doubt in my mind, any moment, any game, that I know they’re going to take care of business.”
Heading into the second period, the reigning national champs continued their dominance and left nothing on the table. After UTSA drained two paint shots at the start of the second frame, the team struggled to find a field goal for five and a half minutes.
With the help of the Roadrunners’ six miscues in nearly six minutes, the 2026 Big East Champions notched an impressive 19-3 run. During this time, UTSA suffered a detrimental scoring drought, lasting almost three minutes. Going into halftime, Connecticut led 48-14.
Coming out of the break, Fudd saw the court for the first time since the end of the opening period and did not disappoint. In nine minutes, the 23-year-old recorded her first points of the game. The senior went two-for-two from inside the arc and one for four (25%) from downtown.
Right out of the gate, the Huskies went on an 8-0 run. After the two programs traded buckets for three minutes, the Roadrunners earned a 4-0 run, but UConn answered with a 6-0 run of their own.
In the fourth frame, UTSA performed their best, accumulating 22 points, but it was too late for a comeback.
Next up, the Huskies will take on the winner of the No. 8-seeded Iowa State Cyclones vs. the No. 9-seeded Syracuse Orange matchup on Monday.
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