Strong aggressive play on both ends of the court kept the Huskies at the top of the Big East (5-0) as they towered over Seton Hall last night in Storrs. Forward Olivia Nelson-Ododa lead the team with 17 points and 14 rebounds for her third double-double of the season.
Guard Nika Muhl was a force to be reckoned with for the 31 minutes of play. Muhl was on the court scoring 11 points including three hits for 3 points and 4 steals. UConn Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma said after the game, “It’s not just scoring points. Make the next pass, make the next cut. All those things we did today lead to winning.”
The Huskies confounded the Pirates offense, holding their leading scorer, guard Lauren Park-Lane, to no baskets in the first half and only 5 total points total. Park-Lane had just come off consecutive 30 point games. Seton Hall guard Andra Espinoza-Hunter was also held to six on the night.
The 33 point gap in the final score was a total team effort. The UConn defense was at a premium, keeping the Pirates off kilter and funneling them out of the lane, pushing them into situations that led to bad ball handling.
The UConn lineup contributed up and down the court with forward Dorka Juhasz ending with 12 points and 9 rebounds, hard charging guard Evina Westbrook with 13 points, and forward Aaliyah Edwards with 6 points and 8 rebounds. Combined it was all more than Seton Hall could contend with.
