Bueckers dishes it in victory over Butler
Freshman sets Husky record with 14 assists
Another game, another Big East blowout. And another scintillating performance by Paige Bueckers.
Bueckers added her name to the record books Saturday, notching 14 assists in top-ranked UConn’s 97-68 rout of Butler at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. She topped the school’s single-game record, and also surpassed the freshman record of 123 shared by Pam Webber and Renee Montgomery.
Five players cracked double figures for the Huskies, led by freshman Aaliyah Edwards’ 24 points off the bench. Edwards also pulled down 14 rebounds for her second double-double. Bueckers scored 20 points, Evina Westbrook contributed 16, and Christyn Williams and Olivia NelsonOdoda had 15 and 11, respectively.
Bueckers had nine assists in the first half on a backdoor cut by Westbrook. She’s now up to 130 on the season.
The Huskies improved to 17-0 in the Big East and 20-1 overall, hitting the 20-win mark for the 28th consecutive season and 32nd time in 36 years under coach Geno Auriemma.
Butler, the Big East’s second-tolast 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.
UConn will close its regular season Monday against Marquette at Gampel Pavilion (8 p.m.).
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.