INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Aaliyah Edwards scored 20 points and No. 5 Connecticut opened with a 20-5 run in an 80-47 blowout of host Butler on Tuesday night.
Despite dressing just eight players and not having head coach Geno Auriemma on the sideline due to illness, the Huskies had five double-digit scorers led by Edwards, a junior forward who made 10 of 12 shots. She also grabbed nine rebounds as the visitors had a 35-19 edge on the boards.
UConn (12-2, 5-0 Big East) has won all four meetings with the Bulldogs (6-9, 1-5) by an average of 43.7 points. Associate head coach Chris Dailey improved to 16-0 as Auriemma’s replacement.
Aubrey Griffin added 15 points, Nika Muhl 13, Dorka Juhasz 12 and Lou Lopez Senechal 11 for the Huskies.
Rachel McLimore led the Bulldogs with 18 points, including four 3-pointers.
Butler, missing two injured starters, missed its first six shots and 8 of 11 to fall behind by 15 at the start. The Bulldogs cut the deficit to five points in the second quarter before the Huskies pulled away for good.
Huskies guard Caroline Ducharme, who averaged 15.3 points in the past three games, didn’t make the trip due to a concussion. The Huskies had their seventh different starting lineup.
BIG PICTURE
Connecticut: Despite missing several key pieces, including 2021 National Player of the Year Paige Bueckers for the entire season and leading scorer Azzi Fudd since Dec. 4, the Huskies remain one of the nation's elite women's programs.
Butler: Coming off a 34-point loss at Seton Hall, this was another humbling result for the Bulldogs, who lost for the fourth time in five games by double digits. But considering the team managed only one win last season, the six this season under first-year coach Austin Parkinson is a marked improvement.
UP NEXT
Connecticut: Visits Xavier on Thursday.
Butler: Visits Villanova on Sunday.
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AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
