STORRS, Conn. (AP) — Sarah Strong had 20 points, five rebounds, five steals and four assists, Azzi Fudd scored all of her 16 points in the first half and had four steals, and top-ranked UConn beat DePaul 102-35 on Sunday to extend its Big East regular-season winning streak to 40.
UConn (9-0, 2-0) finished with 23 steals, its third game this season with at least 20. Fifteen of those came in the first half as the Huskies led 58-18 at halftime on a day when UConn retired Hall of Fame guard Sue Bird’s No. 10 in a ceremony before the game.
Kayleigh Heckel had 16 points, six rebounds and five assists, and Jana El Alfy had a season-high 11 points. KK Arnold added seven points and seven assists.
Fudd and Strong combined for 10 points as UConn scored the first 14 points. UConn shot 75% from the field in the first quarter to race out to a 28-9 lead. Strong had four baskets in the first four minutes of the second quarter to put the Huskies up by 30 as the Huskies won their 27th game in a row against DePaul.
This was UConn's largest margin of victory in 28 meetings against the Blue Demons, topping a 47-point win in 2013.
Gina Davorija and Devin Hagemann with eight points apiece for DePaul (2-8, 0-2). Ally Timm had back-to-back 3-pointers in the second quarter.
DePaul is home against UMass Lowell on Thursday.
UConn plays at No. 16 USC on Saturday.
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UConn head coach Geno Auriemma, right, talks with UConn guard Blanca Quinonez (4) in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against DePaul, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Storrs, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
