Azzi Fudd scored 24 points and Dorka Juhasz added 21 as No. 8 UConn broke open a close game in the fourth quarter to beat Marquette 72-58 on Sunday.
UConn (17-5, 11-1 Big East) has won two straight since its 169-game conference winning streak ended with a 72-69 home loss to Villanova. The Huskies trounced DePaul 84-60 on Friday.
But this victory wasn’t easy. UConn trailed much of the way before outscoring Marquette 24-9 over the final nine minutes.
Marquette led 49-48 with nine minutes left before UConn scored six straight points to grab a 54-49 lead, the first time since late in the first quarter that either team had led by more than three. Fudd’s basket with 8:40 left put the Huskies ahead for good.
Get Connecticut local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Connecticut newsletters.
The Golden Eagles (17-7, 10-5) got the margin down to three with 5:40 remaining, but UConn responded with 12 straight points to put the game away. Fudd scored the first eight points during that spurt and started it with a pair of 3-pointers.
Liza Karlen scored 15 points, Jordan King had 14 and Karissa McLaughlin added 10 for Marquette, which lost its second straight. The Golden Eagles fell 74-63 in overtime at Villanova on Friday.
Evina Westbrook scored 15 points and Christyn Williams had 10 for UConn.
Local
UConn played a third straight game without third-leading scorer Caroline Ducharme and fourth-leading scorer Olivia Nelson-Ododa. Ducharme has a head injury and Nelson-Ododa is dealing with an illness.
The Huskies have been missing 2020-21 national player of the year Paige Bueckers since early December as she recovers from a fractured left leg and meniscus tear in her left knee.
This marked the first time these two teams had met this season because a scheduled Dec. 29 matchup was postponed due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols. That game will now take place on Feb. 23 at Hartford.
BIG PICTURE
UConn: The Huskies’ injuries are making these conference games tougher than usual but also have enabled other players to step up. Juhasz scored a season-high 22 points against DePaul after managing just two points in the loss to Villanova.
Marquette: The Golden Eagles’ fourth-quarter fade capped a tough weekend that started with a tough loss at Villanova. Those two missed opportunities could prove crushing for a team that’s on the NCAA Tournament bubble.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Even after winning its last two games, UConn could fall out of the top 10 again after its loss to Villanova. UConn’s streak of 305 straight weeks in the top 10 ended in late December, but the Huskies had since worked their way back into the top 10.
UP NEXT
UConn: At Xavier on Friday.
Marquette: At DePaul on Wednesday.
