Strong, No. 1 UConn roll past Georgetown

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sarah Strong scored 25 points, Azzi Fudd had 19 in her final collegiate appearance before a hometown crowd, and top-ranked UConn overwhelmed Georgetown 83-42 on Thursday night.

The defending national champion Huskies are 20-0 for the first time since the 2017-18 squad won its first 36 games before losing in the Final Four of the women's NCAA Tournament. UConn (10-0 Big East) has won 36 straight dating to last season and has only one ranked foe left on its regular-season schedule — the Huskies host No. 17 Tennessee on Feb 1.

Fudd grew up across the Potomac River in Arlington, Virginia, and was a prep star at St. John's College High School in Washington. Her parents — mom Katie played at Georgetown — and Georgia Amoore of the WNBA's Washington Mystics were among a pro-UConn crowd at CareFirst Arena, the Mystics' home.

Fudd missed her first seven 3s as UConn began 1 of 13 from deep, but the Huskies made their next four — two by Fudd and two by Strong. Fudd finished 8-of-19 from the field and 3-of-12 from 3.

UConn forced seven turnovers in the first seven minutes and jumped to a 20-2 lead. The Huskies then went nearly five minutes without a basket before Fudd found Strong for a layup to start a 21-2 run for a 41-12 advantage.

The Huskies had 15 steals in the first half, five by Ashlynn Shade, as they led 51-20 at halftime. Strong had 21 points at the break.

Brianna Scott scored eight points for Georgetown (11-8, 4-6), which has lost 41 straight against UConn, with its last victory coming on Feb. 27, 1993.

Up next

UConn: At Seton Hall on Saturday. The game had been scheduled for Sunday but was moved up because of an approaching winter storm.

Georgetown: At Xavier on Sunday.