UConn women set records in 140-52 win

THE UCONN women’s basketball team opened the NCAA Tournament Saturday morning with an 88-point victory over St. Francis (Pa.), a hopeful but ultimately helpless team whose roll-the-dice approach of 3-pointers and fastbreaks backfired to the point where it actually cooperated with the Huskies producing an epic rout.

It was that simple, really. UConn was handed something and knew exactly what to do with it.

The final score was the kind that some relish and others cringe at, 140-52. It was a strange game that left coach Geno Auriemma rather amused, a performance laced with NCAA records set or approached by the Huskies, who spun everything St. Francis teed up into a tornado that blew the Red Flash off the Gampel Pavilion court.

“This is the way St. Francis wanted to play, and this is the way the game played out,” Geno Auriemma said. “Some games are a struggle. This was not a struggle. And it could have been a lot worse.”

By the time Auriemma got to resting starters — none played more than 29 minutes — the Huskies (330) were on their way to tournament records for rebounds (69) and assists (38). UConn led 55-19 after the first quarter, the most points scored by any team in any quarter since the NCAA went to the system three years ago, and 94-31 at halftime, setting an all-time record for points by a team in a half.

St. Francis pushed the ball and pushed its luck, choosing to play uptempo and fire away from beyond the arc. The Red Flash, Northeast Conference champions, were 10-for57 on 3-pointers and 18-for-81 from the field.

All those misses kick-started the UConn offense. The Huskies made their first nine shots, few contested, and were 21-for-27 from the field in the first quarter. Stylistically, it continued this way throughout, and the game was totally out of control just a few minutes in.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been involved in anything quite like that,” Auriemma said. “I thought we just took advantage of all the things that were available to us the entire game. We’re a really unselfish team and we’re really good at passing up some really easy shots for a great shot. We did that and just kept doing it, and that’s kind of why what happened, happened. Fifty-seven 3’s — I’ve never seen that in my life. Wow. God bless ’em.”

UConn advanced to face No. 9 Quinnipiac, a winner over No. 8 Miami in Saturday’s second game, Monday at 6:30 p.m.