OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Sarah Strong had 18 points, 13 rebounds, six assists and five steals and Blanca Quiñonez came off the bench to score 15 points as top-ranked UConn routed Creighton 95-54 on Sunday.
The Huskies (17-0, 8-0 Big East) handed Creighton (7-9, 3-4) its most lopsided loss since a 44-point defeat to UConn two years ago.
Azzi Fudd had 14 points and five assists and Ashlynn Shade made four 3s for all 12 of her points.
Freshman Ava Zediker had 21 of her 24 points in the second half and Kennedy Townsend added 13 for the Bluejays.
UConn led Creighton's annual Pink Out game 54-21 at half despite a bit of a sloppy start. The Huskies, who committed a season-low eight turnovers against St. John's in their previous game, coughed it up eight times in the first quarter alone and finished with a season-high 21.
Creighton played the Huskies on even terms through six minutes and then wilted when UConn turned up its full-court defense another notch. The Huskies outscored Creighton 28-4 over a stretch of the first and second quarters, with the Bluejays turning over the ball 15 times and missing seven shots while going more than eight minutes without a field goal.
The Huskies shot 58.1%, made 11 of 26 3s and scored 26 points off Creighton's 22 turnovers.
UConn is 13-0 all-time against Creighton and has won 55 straight Big East games, including those in the conference tournament. The Huskies scored 90-plus points for the ninth time and have an average winning margin of 38.2 points per game.
The Bluejays, who shot 31.1% and just 4 of 26 on 3s, start two freshmen and a sophomore and are missing senior point guard Kiani Lockett because of injury. Season scoring leader Neleigh Gessert, held to two points, has been dealing with a finger injury on her shooting hand.
UConn: Hosts Villanova on Thursday.
Creighton: Visit Providence on Saturday.
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball.
UConn head coach Geno Auriemma watches his team play against Creighton during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Omaha, Neb. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Josh Allen took a pounding, doled out punishment and delivered Buffalo its first road playoff victory in more than three decades, 27-24 over Jacksonville in the AFC's wild-card opener Sunday.
With linebacker Devin Lloyd bearing down on him, Allen found Brandin Cooks for 36 yards just before the two-minute warning and then capped the go-ahead drive with a 1-yard touchdown run in which Jacksonville let him score.
On the play before his score, Allen gained 10 yards on a sneak, refusing to go down while being pushed and pulled to the goal line.
“Just trusting everybody on the field,” Allen said. "Great win, great team win. All we’ve got to do is play our game, find a way to win a football game. We’re on to the next.”
Buffalo will play at Denver or New England next week, a chance to build a road winning streak after a decades-long skid.
“We got to go do it again. We got to go do it again," Allen said.
Focused on getting rid of the ball quickly and negating Jacksonville’s pass rush most of the game, Allen completed 28 of 35 passes for 273 yards and a touchdown. He ran for two scores, was sacked just once and played turnover-free football. Khalil Shakir caught 12 passes for 82 yards for the Bills.
It was necessary considering NFL rushing leader James Cook was mostly bottled up, finishing with 46 yards on 15 carries.
“You know, we’re going to play for each other, we’re gonna fight to the very last second, and you saw that here today,” Allen said.
Buffalo (13-5) intercepted a deflected pass on Jacksonville’s final drive to seal the victory.
The Bills had been 0-5 on the road in the playoffs under coach Sean McDermott, starting with a 10-3 loss at Jacksonville in the 2017 wild-card round. The Bills had dropped eight consecutive postseason games on the road since winning at Miami in the 1992 AFC championship game. It had been the NFL’s second-longest, active road playoff skid.
The Jaguars (13-5) took the lead with 4:03 to play on Trevor Lawrence’s third TD pass of the game, but they couldn’t hold it against the NFL’s reigning MVP.
Lawrence completed 18 of 30 passes for 207 yards, with TD throws to Brian Thomas Jr., Parker Washington and Travis Etienne. Washington finished with seven catches for 107 yards.
Coach Liam Coen surely will get questioned for not running the ball more against one of the league’s most porous run defenses.
Etienne and rookie Bhayshul Tuten combined for 118 yards on just 14 carries.
Allen, meanwhile, showed his toughness. He twice ended up in the medical tent in the first half but didn’t miss a snap. He got hammered in the head twice during one play, with Josh Hines-Allen landing on the side of his helmet right after teammate Travon Walker tackled him to the ground. His left ear appeared to be bleeding, but he got checked out and returned.
Allen later slammed his right hand into the helmet of right guard O’Cyrus Torrence after releasing the ball. And he completed the injury trifecta when his left leg got bent awkwardly on his 2-yard TD run.
Allen stayed on the ground following that last hit from Hines-Allen and gingerly walked to the sideline and back into the tent. But, as usual, the 6-foot-5, 237-pounder powered through and was back on the field making plays.
The Jaguars had a chance to tie the game at the end of the first half, but Cam Little was wide left on a 54-yarder. The miss ended a streak of 20 consecutive field goals made for the second-year pro from Arkansas.
Little kicked the two longest field goals in NFL history this season — a 68-yarder at Las Vegas and a 67-yarder last week against Tennessee.
He got a chance after the Bills were flagged for being offside following a 34-yard completion that got Little into range.
Bills S Jordan Poyer (hamstring) was ruled out to start the third quarter, a huge loss for an already banged-up secondary. It left the Bills to play with rookie Jordan Hancock and second-year Cole Bishop. WR Gabe Davis, who played for Jacksonville last season, injured his left knee in the fourth and was carted to the locker room and ruled out. WR Tyrell Shavers injured his left knee during a punt return but returned in the second half.
Jaguars RG Patrick Mekari (back) left in the third. LG Ezra Cleveland also was banged up and alternating plays with rookie Wyatt Milum. WR Parker Washington was evaluated for a concussion in the first half and cleared to return.
The Bills will play at Denver or New England next weekend.
The Jaguars will turn their attention toward improving a roster that lacked enough difference-makers on both sides of the ball.
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Buffalo Bills' Ray Davis, bottom right, fumbles a kickoff return from the Jacksonville Jaguars as teammate Baylon Spector (54) and Jacksonville Jaguars' Devin Lloyd (0) try to recover the ball during the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) is tackled by Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen (41) during the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington (11) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills during the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen gets up after collecting a first down near the Jacksonville Jaguars end zone later in the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) pushes in for a first down as Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Arik Armstead (91) tries to stop him during the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
