Megan Walker scored a career-high 34 points and Katie Lou Samuelson added 17 to power No. 2 UConn to a 75-33 victory over Tulane on Wednesday night.
The Huskies (15-1, 4-0 American Athletic Conference) pounded Tulane (13-4, 3-1) with its size and strength, holding the Green Wave to 18.3 percent shooting and forcing 22 turnovers.
UConn dominated from the opening tip, holding to Tulane to four points in the first quarter on 15 percent shooting (2 of 13) and coasting to the victory. Tulane had won six consecutive games but could not overcome UConn's relentless ball pressure.
UConn led 38-14 at the half, and the Huskies' defensive pressure forced Tulane into 12 first-half turnovers.
Despite shooting just 2 of 13 from long range in the first half, the Huskies made 16 of 32 shots in the first half, doing most of the damage inside on the break after turnovers against the smaller Green Wave defense. The Huskies also used their strength to hound the Tulane guards into several unforced ball-handling errors on the perimeter.
Walker, who averages 11.0 points game, scored 15 in the first half on 6 of 11 shooting, and Samuelson added 10 points. Walker also finished with a team-high 10 rebounds.
Tulane had no one in double figures. Kaila Anderson led the Green Wave with seven points.
Sports
BIG PICTURE
UConn: Including tournament victories, the Huskies are 105-0 in American Athletic Conference play. The previous low for a UConn opponent this year was 38 by Cincinnati on Jan. 9. The Huskies have allowed 39.0 points per game in its last three games against Cincinnati, USF and Tulane.
Tulane: The 33 points were by far a season-low for the Green Wave, who lost 56-48 to Old Dominion on Dec. 21.
UP NEXT
UConn: The Huskies will play at Temple on Sunday.
Tulane: The Green Wave will travel to face South Florida on Saturday.
