Huskies Crush Syracuse 82-38 for UConn's Eighth Straight Win

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SYRACUSE, NY (February 11) – Sophomore Barbara Turner led all scorers with 13 points and headed three other UConn players in double-figures as the University of Connecticut women’s basketball team crushed Syracuse, 82-38 at Manley Field House on Wednesday night.

The win improves the second-ranked Huskies to a record of 19-2 overall and 9-1 in the BIG EAST. UConn has now won its last eight games and is 8-1 on the road. Syracuse falls to 6-15 overall and holds a 3-8 record in the conference. Connecticut has captured the last 11 meetings between the two schools.

After both teams missed its first four attempts, Syracuse got on the board on a two-point shot from Sarah Wegrzynowicz. The Huskies first basket came when Diana Taurasi was fouled at the 16:34 mark making one of her two shots. Ann Strother and Barbara Turner scored on two consecutive baskets after a Syracuse turnover edging ahead 5-2, but Rochelle Coleman hit a 3-pointer to tie the score. The Huskies then began to creep ahead and went on a 35-10 run to end the half and take the 43-15 halftime lead.

In the first half, Connecticut was 5-for-15 from three-point range, while the Orangewomen were 1-for-11 from behind the arc, an average of nine percent. The 15 points scored by Syracuse in the first half was the lowest UConn has held an opponent to all season.

Ashley Battle had 11 points off the bench for the Huskies and grabbed five rebounds. Both Strother and Taurasi scored 10 points apiece. Junior Jessica Moore was one point shy of recording her second double-double in as many games with nine points and 10 rebounds. The Huskies dominated the boards taking down 42 rebounds to Syracuse’s 30.

Tracy Harbut came in off the bench for Syracuse scoring eight of the Orangewomen’s 15 first half points setting a new career-high for herself and ended the game with 10 total points. The Huskies held Syracuse’s leading scorer Julie McBride to only two points in the first half. She had nine second-half points for a game total of 11 while adding five rebounds, five assists and three steals.

The Huskies travel to the RAC at Rutgers University on Saturday, February 14. Game time is set for 7:00 pm and will be televised on Madison Square Garden (MSG) Network and Fox Sports New England.

POST GAME NOTES

• 38-points in the second lowest UConn has held an opponent to all season. (St. Joseph’s on December 21 – 34 points)
• UConn has won 52 of its last 53 BIG EAST games
• Connecticut has won 37 of its last 38 road games
• The 44-point margin of victory was the third largest this season for UConn
• This was the 16th time in 19 wins that UConn has won by 10 or more points
• UConn’s 10 three-points shots is ties the most in a single game this year (Tennessee, St. Joseph’s and Rutgers)