UConn rolls over NC St.
Dailey faints; Fudd scores career-high 32 points in win
HARTFORD — The XL Center’s 10,000-plus-person crowd was silent.
All eyes were on UConn women’s basketball associate head coach Chris Dailey as she lay on the floor surrounded by medical staff.
The Husky players had run off the court, many in tears, after seeing Dailey appear to collapse following the singing of Sunday’s national anthem. NC State’s players had exited the court just as quickly.
It was a scary scene. Medical staff surrounded Dailey, helping her sit up before helping her onto a stretcher and escorting her off the court. Dailey did not rejoin the sideline. Head coach Geno Auriemma told media after Sunday’s game that Dailey wasn’t feeling well before the game and that she was OK. Following the game, the program announced that Dailey had been released from UConn hospital after she was conscious and alert while being transferred to the hospital.
“Everything tested out pretty good,” he said. “Nothing serious. Nothing threatening. She’s alert. She’s awake.”
The Huskies responded the only way they knew how.
The fifth-ranked UConn women’s basketball team defeated its second straight top-10 opponent by running past No. 10 NC State 91-69 Sunday afternoon at the XL Center.
Coming off a win over No. 3 Texas on Monday, the Huskies (3-0) got a second consecutive career-high performance from Azzi Fudd as the sophomore led with 32 points against the Wolfpack. Nika Muhl set the program’s single-game record with 15 assists. Redshirt junior Aubrey Griffin finished with a career-high six steals. Aaliyah Edwards recorded her second double-double of the season (20 points and 12 rebounds).
All of that with just nine available players as Dorka Juhasz remains out for at least the next two games due to a broken thumb.
“I asked Dorka what was special about today and she said, ‘Coach, we just play with a lot of heart,’ ” Auriemma said. “That probably sums it up better than anything else.”
Griffin, who sat out all last season due to an ankle and back injury, took Juhasz’s place in the starting lineup on Sunday. In her first start since January 2021, she was UConn’s biggest pacesetter throughout the game.
In the first quarter, Griffin scored on back-to-back steal-and-score plays and ended halftime tying her career in steals with five. She scored UConn’s first two buckets of the third quarter and led its defense. She finished with 16 points, six rebounds, two assists and a career-high six steals.
“She’s like a one-person whirlwind out there,” Auriemma said. “... I hope today was a reminder of all the things she can be. I mean we don’t have anybody like her. They didn’t either. So it was pretty special.”
The Huskies got out to a fast start against NC State and used a 9-0 run to get ahold of the lead early. By halftime, only Fudd, Griffin and Edwards had scored for UConn. At the intermission, Fudd had 22 of UConn’s 40 points on 8 of 13 shooting.
While her impact didn’t show up on the score box, junior point guard Nika Muhl’s day was only getting started. Muhl ended Sunday with 15 assists, breaking Paige Bueckers’ program record for the most in a single game.
Muhl, who didn’t score until halfway through the fourth quarter, also tallied six rebounds and two steals.
“There’s something about that kid, right?,” Auriemma said. “It’s just infectious in everything that she does. She does it with her heart. She doesn’t ever back down to anybody. Doesn’t know any other way than the way she plays right now . ... That was an unbelievable performance.”
UConn’s defense smothered NC State (4-1) from the get-go all the way through the final buzzer.
The Wolfpack ended the first half shooting 33.3 percent from the floor. They had 12 turnovers and couldn’t gain momentum on offense. Despite getting as close as three points twice, NC State struggled to string together enough defensive stops to slow down UConn.
UConn ended Sunday with 27 points off NC State’s 19 turnovers. The Huskies had 13 steals to the Wolfpack’s three total and outscored them in transition 22-9. NC State finished Sunday shooting 37.3 %.
“Rough day. Got outcoached. Out played. Out fanned. Out everything,” NC State coach Wes Moore said.
The Huskies will travel to Portland, Oregon on Tuesday to play in the Phil Knight Legacy Tournament next weekend. UConn faces Duke in the first round of the four-team, two-day tournament on Friday at 6 p.m.