NEW YORK (AP) — Geno Auriemma returned to UConn’s bench and Azzi Fudd to its lineup as the fourth-ranked Huskies routed St. John’s 82-52 on Wednesday night at UBS Arena.
Auriemma had missed the Huskies’ previous two games because he wasn’t feeling well. He also missed two games while sick in December. The 68-year-old coach is also grieving the death of his 91-year-old mother in early December.
The Hall of Fame coach had been likely to miss a third game as the Huskies were set to play DePaul last Sunday, but that game was postponed when UConn (14-2, 7-0 Big East) didn’t have enough available players due to injuries. It will be made up on Jan. 23.
Fudd, playing in her first game since injuring her right knee against Notre Dame on Dec. 4, finished with 15 points in 20 minutes. The sophomore guard had been averaging 20.6 points but had missed the Huskies’ last eight games.
UConn also got back Aaliyah Edwards (foot) but still was without Ayanna Patterson (concussion), Caroline Ducharme (concussion), Paige Bueckers (knee) and Ice Brady (knee).
Lou Lopez Senechal scored 20 points, making eight of her nine shots to lead the Huskies. Dorka Juhasz added 18 points and 10 rebounds. Edwards finished with 15 points.
Kadaja Bailey scored 17 points to lead St. John’s (14-2, 5-2).
Fudd checked into the game midway through the first quarter and made an immediate impact as the Huskies built a 17-11 lead by the end of the period. They blew the game open in the second, outscoring the Red Storm 24-9 to go up by 21 at the half.
NEW SPOT
It was the first women’s basketball game played at UBS Arena, home to the NHL’s New York Islanders. There was a men’s basketball game between Notre Dame and Saint Bonaventure in November.
SCHEDULE SHIFT
UConn was set to play Seton Hall on Jan. 19, but with the DePaul game’s new date, the Huskies moved up the game at the Pirates by two days. Had they not, UConn would have had a stretch of five games in 10 days.
UP NEXT
UConn: Hosts Georgetown on Sunday.
St. John’s: At Villanova on Saturday.
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AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25