Auriemma gets 999th win, No. 1 UConn dominates DePaul
CHICAGO — Katie Lou Samuelson scored 20 points, Crystal Dangerfield had 18 and No. 1 UConn gave coach Geno Auriemma his 999th victory with a 103-69 rout of DePaul on Friday night.
Auriemma is on the verge of joining fellow Hall of Famers Pat Summitt and Tara VanDerveer as the only Division I women’s basketball coaches to reach the 1,000-win mark after the Huskies (8-0) had their way with the Blue Demons (6-3).
Samuelson led six players in double figures, and UConn set a season high for points. Dangerfield was 6 of 7 from 3-point range.
Napheesa Collier had 17 points and 10 rebounds, Azura Stevens scored 16 points, Kia Nurse added 13, and Gabby Williams scored 11 to go with 10 rebounds and seven assists.
Amarah Coleman scored 16 points for DePaul.
All but one of UConn’s victories has been by 18 points or more. The Huskies rallied from 11 down in the fourth quarter to beat No. 3 Notre Dame by nine on Sunday. But they put this one away in the early going, overwhelming DePaul with their athleticism.
UConn led 61-38 at halftime after shooting 60 percent. Samuelson scored 14 through the first two quarters, and Dangerfield nailed four 3s in a 12-point half. Stevens (12), Collier (11) and Nurse (10) also reached double digits.
Whether they were hitting from the perimeter or going hard at the rim, the Huskies had their way against DePaul’s zone. Blair Watson had three 3-pointers and 11 points in the first quarter and finished with 19 points to lead Maryland to an win over George Washington, the Terrapins seventhstraight victory. Behind Watson, the Terps (9-2) got off to a quick start and never trailed. Watson had a 3-pointer, a layup and another 3-pointer to start a 10-0 run for a 12-2 lead. She had her third basket from distance as Maryland scored the last five points for a 22-10 lead and added a 3 as the run reached 11 into the second quarter.
Loryn Goodwin had 27 points, six rebounds and five assists, to help Oklahoma State to a convincing victory over UCLA. Kaylee Jensen had 19 points and 15 rebounds, while Braxtin Miller also scored 19 for Oklahoma State (7-2), whose students stormed the court after the game. Jordin Canada scored 28 points and had seven rebounds and seven assists for UCLA (7-2). Kennedy Burke added 12 points and eight rebounds.