SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Another statement was made by the UConn Huskies Saturday afternoon, defeating the Seton Hall Pirates to push their record to 21-0 overall on the season and 11-0 in Big East play. While the action unfolded on the court, the matchup also highlighted the continued rise of Latina representation in Women’s College Basketball.
Blanca Quiñonez of Ecuador delivered a strong performance for UConn, finishing with 16 points, as Seton Hall’s Mariana Valenzuela of Mexico helped set the tone early, scoring consecutive back-to-back baskets within the opening minutes of the first quarter and finishing with 18 points.
Saturday’s matchup between Seton Hall and No. 1 UConn highlighted Latina representation in Women’s College Hoops as Marianna Valenzuela and Blanca Quiñonez each showcased their skillset with impactful performances – Image Credit: Seton Hall Women’s Basketball
The game tipped off Saturday at 12PM ET in South Orange, New Jersey, following the decision of changing the date of the game a day early due to a massive snowstorm in the forecast for Sunday into Monday.
With the Pirates bringing early energy to open the first quarter, UConn quickly settled in, tightening up defensively and finding its rhythm on offense to take a 50-28 lead into halftime, before pulling away in the second half for a 92-52 victory.
After the game Azzi Fudd spoke on the team’s offensive execution, particularly against the Pirates’ zone defense:
“It‘s extremely important against Seton Hall’s zone. We know the easiest and best way to attack a zone is to get in the middle. Attack, look for kick outs, so that was our goal today.”
Azzi Fudd finished with 14 points in UConn’s Saturday win against Seton Hall – Image Credit: UConn Women’s Basketball
UConn’s offensive balance was on full display, led by Sarah Strong, who finished with 17 points, six rebounds, and five assists, alongside Fudd scoring 14 points and Allie Ziebell adding 11 points. The Huskies saw contributions across the lineup as they pulled away in the second half.
For Seton Hall, Valenzuela led the way with 18 points, while Savannah Catalon added 14 points, four rebounds, and one assist in the loss.
Senior forward Marianna Valenzuela is averaging 13.3 points per game for Seton Hall this season (20 games) with 7.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists – Image Credit: Seton Hall Women’s Basketball
Head coach Geno Auriemma credited UConn’s continued success to its chemistry, accountability, and collective buy-in:
“This team is really close so that’s the starting point. They really respect each other, they enjoy each other’s company. They’re easy to coach relative to some other teams that have come through recently. They want to have a great team. I’ve enjoyed coaching them.”
What’s Next?
This coming Wednesday, January 28th, No. 1 UConn (21-0 overall, 11-0 in BE play) will host Xavier (10-10 overall, 3-8 in BE play) at XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut—tip at 8:00PM ET.
On Thursday, January 29th, Seton Hall (14-6 overall, 8-3 in BE play) goes up against Georgetown (12-8 overall, 5-6 in BE play) at McDonough Arena in Washington D.C.—tip at 11:00AM ET
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