02/01/26 01:11:00
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02/01 13:10 CST No. 1 UConn crushes Tennessee 96-66 in the Lady Vols' worst
loss in the history of the rivalry
No. 1 UConn crushes Tennessee 96-66 in the Lady Vols' worst loss in the history
of the rivalry
By DOUG FEINBERG
AP Basketball Writer
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) --- Azzi Fudd scored 27 points and Sarah Strong added 26
to help No. 1 UConn beat 15th-ranked Tennessee 96-66 on Sunday, handing the
Lady Vols their worst loss in the storied rivalry.
The Huskies (23-0) only led 57-53 midway through the third quarter before
scoring the last 14 points of the period to blow the game open. Strong got the
run started with a 3-point play and the Huskies sliced through Tennessee's
pressure defense for layups.
Allie Ziebell, who tied a program record with 10 3-pointers in the Huskies'
previous game, capped the burst with a 3 that made it 71-53 heading into the
final quarter.
The Lady Vols (14-5) never threatened to get back in the game in the fourth and
the margin of defeat topped the team's 23-point loss to UConn in 2002. It's the
second-worst loss ever for Tennessee, only surpassed by a 31-point defeat to
Texas in 1984.
Janiah Barker scored 16 points to lead the Lady Vols.
It looked as if the rout would come a lot earlier as UConn jumped out to a 21-5
lead in the first 7 minutes behind Fudd, who had seven rebounds and seven
assists. But Tennessee finally started getting going and outscored UConn 35-15
over the next 12 minutes to go in front by four late in the half. The Lady Vols
played their frantic style of constantly subbing in fresh players while
applying pressure defense.
It worked during that stretch to wear down the Huskies a bit. However UConn
recovered and the two teams were tied at 42 at the half.
UConn was missing star freshman Blanca Quinonez, who was sidelined with a
shoulder issue that sidelined her earlier in the season.
The two teams will continue their series for the next two years. It was the
rivalry in women's basketball for nearly two decades before they stopped
playing after the 2007 season until it was picked up again in 2020. Tennessee
won the meeting last season in Knoxville which was the Huskies' last loss en
route to winning their 12th national championship and the current 39-game
winning streak.
Up next
Tennessee: at No. 23 Georgia on Thursday.
UConn: at DePaul on Wednesday.
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