No. 1 UConn Steamrolls Women’s Basketball 81-35

Loyola women’s basketball traveled east to face No. 1 University of Connecticut Nov. 12, where they were dominated 85-31. The Ramblers were led by a scant seven points from first-year guard Alex-Anne Bessette and second-year guard Alexa Kinas. The Huskies were helped by second-year forward Sarah Strong with 11 points, four steals and three blocks.

The game marked head coach Allison Guth’s first trip as Loyola’s head coach back to Connecticut, where she previously was the head coach at Yale University. Before the game, Guth spoke about the relationship she built with UConn head coach Geno Auriemma over her coaching career, saying it formed throughout her time working with former DePaul women’s basketball head coach Doug Bruno and being in Connecticut.

Loyola managed to keep UConn off the board for the first 89 seconds of the game, led by a block from redshirt third-year forward Clara Djoko and a steal from Bessette. Fourth-year Husky forward Serah Williams finished a layup, and two Rambler turnovers gave Williams another easy lay-in. A steal and quick three by Bessette cut the lead to 4-3 — the closest Loyola would be the rest of the night.

Graduate guard Azzi Fudd knocked down a jump shot and was fouled by Kinas, where she finished the three-point play. A Kinas turnover led to a three from Fudd. Second-year Brooklyn Vaughn grabbed a defensive rebound before racing cross-court and missing a layup, which was tipped back in by Djoko.

UConn third-year guard Ashlynn Shade followed with another layup, which fourth-year guard Kira Chivers matched, making two shots at the line. A UConn steal by first-year forward Blanca Quiñonez led to a feed to Strong in the paint, where she finished the fastbreak to make it 14-7. 

Vaughn hit a jumper, and second-year Husky guard Allie Ziebell countered with a layup. Quiñonez stole the ball again, this time finishing her own fastbreak after a missed three from third-year guard Rosalie Mercille led to UConn’s second-year guard Kayleigh Heckel putting the Huskies up 11 with a layup.

A full minute of misses and turnovers followed before Strong connected on a jumper to put them up 22-9 for the final basket of the first quarter.

Strong opened up the second quarter with a quick 3-pointer before Bessette finished a lay-in close to the basket. Three Rambler misses led to another close make by redshirt second-year Huskies center Jana El Alfy. On UConn’s next possession, third-year guard KK Arnold put the Huskies up 29-11 with a layup. 

Fudd sank a three before Mercille finally got Loyola back on the board, connecting on a fast break three with four minutes left — the final Rambler basket of the quarter. Shade made a jumper, and a Chivers turnover led to an easy layup for Williams. Shade stole the ball from Bessette and found Strong for an easy bucket.

Djoko had the ball stolen by Williams, leading to another paint finish from Arnold and completed the three-point play, sending the teams into halftime ahead 41-14.

Kinas opened the third quarter making a quick three to open the quarter, which proved to be their only points of the period. UConn finished the quarter on a 23-0 run.

The Huskies’ rally started with scores on three straight possessions from Strong, Williams and Arnold. After a foul on Djoko, Arnold made two at the line, and a Shade steal led to a Williams lay-in.

Fudd stole the ball from second-year guard Kendall Hendrix, which turned into a Shade jumper. El Alfy made consecutive layups to expand the Husky lead to 57-17. Ziebelle made back-to-back shots in the paint and then closed the quarter with a 3-pointer at the buzzer to make it 64-17 going into the fourth.

Quiñonez opened the quarter with a 3-pointer a minute in before the Ramblers finally ended the 26-point UConn run on a Chivers three. Heckel splashed down a three for the Huskies and fouled Kinas on the following possession, where she sank both from the stripe. Arnold matched with a layup, and Bessette added one of her own. 

UConn first-year guard Kelis Fisher made a layup on a fast break before she also sent Kinas to the free-throw line, where she made both. Husky redshirt second-year forward Ayanna Patterson made a shot in the paint, and redshirt fourth-year guard Caroline Ducharme hit a three.

The Huskies tacked on two more layups from Fisher and Shade before Hendrix broke the run with a 3-pointer. Patterson made the final UConn basket of the game on a layup with 21 seconds left, and Mercille matched with two at the line to end the game in UConn’s favor, 85-31.

Despite the loss, Guth shared what an incredible experience playing a program like UConn was like for Loyola.

“This was such a special experience for our program,” Guth said. “When you think about what UConn basketball represents and the impact it’s had on women’s basketball, it’s incredible to be part of that environment. We have so much respect for their tradition. To be the best, you have to play the best — and nights like this are how we grow as a program.”

Loyola finds themselves at home for their next matchup, for the first half of Loyolapalooza in Gentile Arena against the University of Maryland Eastern Shore Nov. 16 at 1 p.m.. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+.