University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
15-4,9-0Big East
Tennessee
19-4,8-2SEC
Fudd scores 25, helps No. 10 UConn top No. 7 Tennessee 75-56
2/6/2022 3:39:00 PM | Women's Basketball
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Freshman Azzi Fudd made the most of her first start with a stellar effort against Tennessee.
She scored a career-high 25 points to help No. 10 UConn beat the seventh-ranked Lady Vols 75-56 on Sunday. Fudd was playing in only her eighth game this season after injuring her foot in late November. She just returned a few games ago.
"Azzi looked happy playing basketball today," UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. "Sometimes kids that come in with that kind of hype, it's like an obligation. Today she looked like a happy kid playing a game she loves."
This was the 25th meeting in the storied series that was renewed in 2020 after a 13-year hiatus. The teams will play again next year in Knoxville, Tennessee. This was the first time since 2007 when both teams were in the top 10.
Fudd got the start when it was announced about an hour before the game that the Huskies would be missing her classmate, Caroline Ducharme.
"The last two games we played she took a couple solid hits and she just wasn't feeling really good yesterday and this morning when she woke up.," Auriemma said. "Precautionary, it was best to just keep her out."
Ducharme scored in double figures in 10 of the team's last 11 games.
Fudd scored the team's first basket — a 3-pointer — and finished the opening half with nine points as UConn (15-4) built a 32-25 lead. Westbrook had 11 points in the first half.
Christyn Williams, who was scoreless in the opening 20 minutes and missed all seven of her shots, helped UConn blow the game open in the third quarter. She scored the first four points to start a 14-0 run that gave the Huskies a 46-25 lead.
Nika Muhl scored the final five points of the spurt, including hitting a 3-pointer that got Auriemma to pump his fist in celebration. Auriemma returned to the bench after missing Wednesday's game at Creighton with an illness that wasn't related to COVID-19.
Tennessee (19-4), which has now lost three of its last four games, didn't threaten the rest of the game. Jordan Horston scored 26 to lead the Lady Vols.
"I think the biggest thing for us is we have to go back to our Georgia game and lost Keyen Green and we haven't recovered from that yet," Tennessee coach Kellie Harper said. "I think right now the team is still searching and we're not getting her back. We have to be able to step up and be mature and we have to tweak some things systematically and we got to be able to find confidence in what we're doing."
