Marching into March

Huskies finish unbeaten in league play to cap Big East return

STORRS — There were no surprises, no close calls.

UConn’s regular-season finale featured none of that — just another methodical victory for the nation’s top-ranked team.

The Huskies took care of business Monday with a 63-53 victory over Marquette at Gampel Pavilion.

And now the real fun begins. The Huskies (21-1, 18-0) will turn their attention to the postseason, beginning Saturday in the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament. As the league’s top seed, they will play the winner of the No. 8-9 game (opponents still to be determined) at Mohegan

Sun Arena.

Three UConn players scored in double figures, led by junior Olivia Nelson-Ododa’s 19 points. She also contributed 10 rebounds and six blocks. Paige Bueckers scored 13 points, while fellow freshman Aaliyah Edwards added 16 points and eight boards off the bench.

The Huskies scored the final seven points of the first quarter for a 22-11 advantage and maintained that double-digit lead for much of the second. Fueled by a strong inside game, the Huskies rolled into halftime up 37-25.

Marquette (17-5, 14-4) used a 10-2 run to get within seven early in the third, but UConn was just too tough and too relentless, especially Edwards, who had eight points in the second half.

Camryn Taylor led second-place Marquette with 19 points. Lauren Van Kleunen

scored 12 and Jordan King had 11 points.

Notes: Sophomore Anna Makurat, who has been out since Jan. 21 with a stress fracture in her lower leg, participated in warmups

but did not play. … Azzi Fudd, the consensus top recruit in the Class of 2021, was in attendance. She was wearing a walking boot on her left foot. … Bueckers was named one of five finalists

for the Nancy Lieberman Award, given to the nation’s top point guard.

David Butler II / USA Today UConn’s Christyn Williams (13) shoots against Marquette’s Lauren Van Kleunen (42) in the second quarter at Gampel Pavilion.

David Butler II / USA Today UConn’s Paige Bueckers (5) drives to the basket against Marquette on Monday night.

David Butler II / USA Today Marquette’s Liza Karlen, bottom, battles for a rebound against UConn’s Aaliyah Edwards in the second quarter at Gampel Pavilion on Monday.