UConn has made it clear during its first four games that it will have a lot of options on the offensive end of the floor this season.
Christyn Williams scored 24 points to lead six UConn players in double figures Saturday and the third-ranked Huskies ran away from Xavier, 106-59.
Olivia Nelson-Ododa added 16 points and 11 rebounds for UConn (4-0, 3-0 Big East), which was playing for the fourth time in eight days. Freshman Paige Bueckers finished with 19 points and nine assists.
Tennessee transfer Evina Westbrook chipped in with 15 points, Aubrey Griffin had 13 and Aaliyah Edwards added 11.
“I thought today was the perfect balance of scoring in the lane, scoring from the free-throw line, and scoring from the 3-point line,” coach Geno Auriemma said. “And it always looks great when the ball goes in.”
Nia Clark had 11 points to lead Xavier (3-2, 0-1), which was playing its conference opener.
UConn scored the game’s first 19 points and the Musketeers never threatened to get back into the game, committing 14 first-quarter turnovers.
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Williams scored eight points during an 18-0 run later in the quarter and the Huskies led 38-7 after 10 minutes. UConn’s junior guard had 17 of her points in the first half, Nelson-Ododa added 14 and the Huskies led 60-27 at halftime, making 24 of their 32 shots from the floor (75%).
Xavier scored 17 points in the third quarter, but by then UConn had doubled the Musketeers point total and led 88-44 going into the fourth.
“Other than the first quarter, we were in there with them and competing,” Xavier coach Melanie Moore said. “They came out and smacked us in the first, and we just have to learn from it.”
Nelson-Ododa, who hit all nine of her shots in a win over Creighton on Thursday, made her first five on Saturday. She finished 7 of 10 from the floor.
STATS OF THE GAME
The Huskies shot 64% from the floor, had 26 assists on 37 baskets and scored 41 points off of 25 turnovers.
BIG PICTURE
UConn: The Huskies had made just 14 3-point baskets during their first three games and came into the game shooting just 29% from behind the arc. The Huskies made six of their 10 3-pointers in the first half and finished with 10 3-pointers on 18 attempts.
“We’ve been working hard to consistently shoot 3s and make them”, Williams said. “We’ve been putting in the work, so they’re going to fall at some point. And today they fell. Hopefully, we can just continue to do that consistently.”
Xavier: The Musketeers haven’t beaten a top-25 team since taking down then-No. 18 Kansas by five points in November 2009. Xavier is 11-46 against ranked opponents all-time.
NEVER SATISFIED
Auriemma, while praising the Huskies offensive effort, was critical of their defense, despite holding the Musketeers to 21 baskets on 60 shots.
“We don’t communicate well and we don’t listen,” he said. “So as that gets better, we’ll be a better defensive team.”
UP NEXT
Xavier: The Musketeers are scheduled to host Marquette on Tuesday.
UConn: The Huskies are scheduled to travel to Pennsylvania to face Villanova on Tuesday.
