UConn races past DePaul

Collier’s near triple-double leads Huskies to lopsided win

HARTFORD — There were no surprises as far as the UConn women were concerned. Their opponent brought a style of play that was every bit as unconventional as they had come to expect.

DePaul wanted to turn Wednesday’s Top-25 showdown into a track meet, even though it meant sacrificing defense. The Blue Demons had a reputation for chucking up 3-pointers at a rapid rate. And that’s what they did, attempting 27 in the opening 20 minutes.

The breakneck pace certainly didn’t seem to faze the Huskies, who had no problem playing fast. The Huskies ran No. 16 DePaul out of the XL Center, parlaying a dominant first half into a 99-63 rout.

“They like to shoot a lot of 3s and we knew that they were going to get a lot of 3s,” guard Katie Lou Samuelson said. “We were trying to make sure that each one was contested and trying to get out there as much as we could. The biggest key was when they shoot those shots, making sure we got a rebound because they send a bunch of (players) to the boards. When you get that rebound, you can score real quick on offense.”

The Huskies (6-0) didn’t take long to heat up. They jumped out to a 40-15 lead on the strength of a 24-0 run that stretched from late in the first quarter to early in the second.

It was 53-25 at halftime, and, given how little regard the Blue Demons had for defense, the margin on the scoreboard ultimately grew. The Huskies led by as

many as 37, en route to their 16th straight win over DePaul.

“It’s just another tough night here,” DePaul coach Doug Bruno said.

Napheesa Collier had 24 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists as she threatened with a triple-double. Samuelson added 23 points and eight rebounds. DePaul, which shot 12-of-44 from beyond the arc, got 15 points from Ashton Millender.

There were no secrets about how the Blue Demons (4-3) wanted to attack UConn. They came into the game averaging 38.1 3-point attempts and 86 points per game. And they were fresh off a 124-61 dismantling of Savannah State, in which they made a program-record 22 treys on 41 attempts.

“The past couple days in practice we’ve kept trying to prepare for that,” Collier said. “We knew that they were crazy with the trapping and the shooting. We prepared the best we could.”

This, after all, was UConn, not just another team from the MEAC. With their plethora of scorers, the Huskies were more than capable of matching DePaul’s style. The Huskies shot 60 percent and hit 10 3s.

“We were just trying to get them to be a little bit rushed, a little bit out of their normal rhythm,” Auriemma said. “I thought we did that. We shot the ball exceptionally well. I think those two things combined … we got off and running.”

DePaul made a mini run in the third quarter, trimming UConn’s lead to 17. It was during that spurt that UConn coach Geno Auriemma picked up his first technical foul of the season after a non-call on Samuelson. The Huskies, though, extended their lead to 78-52 after three quarters.

⏩ On the injury front: Both forward Batouly Camara (sprained MCL in her right knee) and guard Lexi Gordon (leg strain) did not play.

⏩ A glimpse at the future: Auriemma praised the athleticism and upside of 2019 guard Aubrey Griffin. The Ossining High product signed her Letter of Intent last week with the Huskies.

“We got a really good player,” he said. “Aubrey Griffin’s really, really good. She fits us perfectly.”

Jessica Hill / Associated Press UConn’s Napheesa Collier, left, and Christyn Williams smile as they run up court after Williams scored a basket during the second half of Wednesday’s game against DePaul.

Jessica Hill / Associated Press UConn’s Napheesa Collier pulls up for a basket while DePaul forward Chante Stonewall, left, defends during the first half of Wednesday’s game in Hartford.