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HARTFORD, Conn. – The UConn defense forced Butler into 23 turnovers as the No. 1 UConn Huskies took an 80-48 win over Butler on Saturday afternoon at PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford, Conn. With the loss, Butler slides to 9-15 on the season and 3-11 in BIG EAST action while UConn improves to 25-0 overall and 14-0 in conference play.
BULLDOG HIGHLIGHTS
Caroline Dotsey led the Bulldogs with 13 points on 5-for-10 shooting in the contest. She was followed closely by Mallory Miller (9) and Saniya Jackson (9).
Saniya Jackson led Butler on the glass, pulling down 12 rebounds.
Anna Wypych paced the offense, dishing out four helpers.
Butler shot 19-for-52 (36.5%) from the floor and shot 7-for-28 (25%) from beyond the arc.
NO. 1 UCONN HIGHLIGHTS
Azzi Fudd led a quintet of Huskies in double figures with 17 points on 6-for-14 shooting.
Jana El Alfy led UConn on the glass, pulling down 11 rebounds.
Ashlynn Shade paced the offense with five assists.
UConn shot 33-for-67 (49.3%) from the floor and shot 5-for-17 (29.4%) from beyond the arc.
The Huskies forced 23 Butler turnovers.
HOW IT HAPPENED
UConn scored the first bucket of the game before Butler responded with a 3-pointer from Dotsey, giving BU the early 3-2 advantage. The Huskies proceeded to force six Butler turnovers before the media timeout as the Huskies held the 17-10 advantage with 3:50 left in the first quarter. UConn finished the quarter on a 12-5 run, taking the 24-13 lead into the second frame.
UConn continued to pressure the Dawgs early in the second, which forced Butler to take a timeout at the 6:20 mark as the Husky lead stood at 17 (32-15). The Huskies continued their offensive explosion, as the home side took the 44-19 advantage into the half.
The Huskies opened the second half on a 6-0 run as their lead ballooned to 31 (50-19). UConn finished the quarter making four of its last four shots as the Huskies took the 68-35 lead into the fourth quarter.
Butler opened the fourth with a 3-pointer from Miller. BU continued to create opportunities but it wasn’t enough to claw back against the No.1 Huskies. UConn secured the 80-48 victory at the final whistle.
UP NEXT
The Bulldogs will be back in action on Wednesday, Feb. 11 as BU travels to Providence, R.I. for a conference matchup with the Providence Friars. Tip-off at Alumni Hall is slated for 7 p.m. and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
