UConn women’s basketball makes history with wild Notre Dame blowout appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
UConn women’s basketball recorded a historic game Monday night, overpowering Notre Dame 85-47 as the Huskies remain undefeated.
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The game marked the largest margin of victory for either team in the series between the two programs, according to Alexa Philippou of ESPN.
The blowout win highlighted UConn’s continued dominance this season, as the No. 1 Huskies extended their winning streak to 19 games. The 38-point margin eclipsed any previous result in the long-running matchup and came as UConn snapped a three-game losing streak against the Fighting Irish.
Sarah Strong led the way with 18 points, reaching the 1,000-point milestone for her career on a 3-pointer with 7:31 remaining in the first half. She accomplished the feat in just 59 games, trailing only Paige Bueckers and Maya Moore in program history. Strong also finished with 11 rebounds, three steals and three blocks in a well-rounded performance.
UConn (19-0) steadily took control after a competitive first half. Notre Dame briefly cut the deficit to 32-23 at the break, becoming the first team this season to trail the Huskies by fewer than double digits at halftime. Any momentum the Irish gained was quickly erased in the third quarter, when UConn used an 18-2 run to put the game out of reach.
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KK Arnold contributed 12 points, five assists and two steals while drawing the primary defensive assignment on Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo. Azzi Fudd added 15 points, and Ashlynn Shade chipped in 10 points and four assists as the Huskies posted their 35th consecutive victory overall.
The win also extended another notable trend. UConn has now won 14 straight games by at least 25 points, the second-longest such streak in program history according to ESPN News Services. That run, along with a 16-game stretch during the 2014-15 season, represents the two longest streaks by any Division I team over the past 25 seasons.
Hidalgo finished with 16 points on 5-of-15 shooting, ending the night with her 85th consecutive game scoring in double figures. Cassandra Prosper added 12 points for Notre Dame (12-6), which struggled offensively for long stretches, particularly during UConn’s decisive third-quarter surge.
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