Young Huskies deliver once again

Paige Bueckers and Aaliyah Edwards may be freshmen, but in name only.

In a season filled with jaw-dropping feats, two of the youngest Huskies delivered once again in No. 1 UConn’s 97-68 rout of Butler on Saturday at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Bueckers set a school single-game record with 14 assists, and in the process, surpassed the freshman record of 123 shared by Pam Webber and Renee

Montgomery.

Edwards had herself a day, too, posting careerhighs of 24 points and 14 rebounds off the bench.

“She just plays the game the way big guys are supposed to play,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said of the 6foot-3 Edwards. “She plays big. Paige and Nika (Muhl) have done a great job with the ball. … Obviously we got a great game out of

Paige.”

Four Huskies joined Edwards in double figures. Bueckers scored 20, and Evina Westbrook contributed 16 points, her highest total since Jan. 28.

Christyn Williams chipped in 15 points and six rebounds, and Olivia Nelson-Ododa had 11 points and nine boards.

The Huskies improved to 17-0 in the Big East and 20-1 overall, hitting the 20-win mark for the 28th consecutive season.

They will wrap up the regular season Monday against Marquette at Gampel Pavilion.

Bueckers had nine assists in the first half, and broke the single-game mark of 13 — shared by Susie Sturman, Laura Lishness and Montgomery — on a feed to (who else) Edwards late in the fourth quarter. She now has 130 assists on the season.

“I’m glad it was me, that’s all I can say,” Edwards said with a laugh.

Butler, the Big East’s

second-to-last place team, kept pace early.

The Bulldogs sank four of their first five 3-point point attempts and led 15-14. The Huskies answered with an 11-2 run to jump ahead 25-20 after one quarter.

The Bulldogs (2-16) hit 10 of 21 3-point attempts in the first half, exceeding their average (6.8), and trailed 53-39 at the break.

But the Bulldogs cooled off a bit in the third quarter — 2 of 8 from 3 — and UConn took advantage, extending its lead to as many as 26. They finished 14 of 36 from beyond the arc.

Note: SNY revealed that sophomore Anna Makurat is dealing with a stress fracture in her lower leg, an injury that has sidelined her 12 straight games.

Michael Conroy / Associated Press UConn guard Christyn Williams, center, is fouled as she shoots by Butler forwards Ellen Ross (25) and forward Nyamer Diew, left, on Saturday.

Michael Conroy / Associated Press UConn forward Aaliyah Edwards (3) is fouled as she shoots between Butler guard Micah Scheetz (0) and forward Nyamer Diew (13) on Saturday.