Five stats that stood out in Huskies’ latest victory

STORRS — Third-ranked UConn authored another dominant performance Saturday, scoring the first 19 points in a 106-59 victory over Xavier.

Let’s look at a few key stats from the win:

17 & 8

As a freshman, Olivia Nelson-Ododa had the luxury of playing in the shadow of Napheesa Collier and Katie Lou Samuelson. Now, as UConn coach Geno Auriemma likes to say, she’s “living in a different neighborhood.”

If the Huskies are to make another Final Four, Nelson-Ododa must be more productive and avoid the lulls that defined her first two years on campus. She needs to be someone they can count on game-in, game-out regardless of the opponent.

Much bigger tests await, but so far, Nelson-Ododa (averaging 17 points and eight rebounds) has answered the call.

The Huskies aren’t just deep, they’re balanced, too. And they’re also extremely unselfish, as evidenced by their 26 assists, which matched a season-high. The Huskies are a superior passing team, and it starts with Paige Bueckers, the dime-dropping freshman. It doesn’t end there, though. Evina Westbrook is a natural point guard playing off the ball next to Christyn Williams — who’s handled the position in spurts before — and Anna Makurat.

Because of it, the offense is flowing better than it did last year, spacing has improved, and players are making quicker, more decisive decisions. And that, Auriemma said, is creating more opportunities for everybody.

40

UConn scored its most points since beating Towson 110-61 in the first round of the 2019 Women’s NCAA Tournament — a span of 40 games.

41

The Huskies made a living off turning defense into offense. Forty-one of their points came from turnovers.

72.7

Williams wasn’t just productive, she was economical, scoring 24 points on 8-of-11 shooting (72.7 percent), including 4-of-5 from 3.

The Huskies were up

60-27 at halftime, and Williams certainly could’ve obliterated her career-high of 28 — she hit 22 points with 7:54 left in the third, then didn’t take another shot — if the game weren’t such a blowout. But that doesn’t matter to her, to her coaches, to her team. Efficiency, Auriemma said, is the “next step” in Williams’ evolution as a scorer.

“In all the big games that we’re going to play this year … you might not get 25 shots,” Auriemma said. “You might get 11, 12, 13, 14,

15, and you’re going to have to make eight, nine, 10 of those.”