No. 4 Huskies Stop UCF

Megan Walker (3) led the Huskies with 19 points, as UConn upended
UCF, 59-52, in Orlando on Thursday.

ORLANDO, Fla.—It may not have been pretty, but a win is a win, right? Megan Walker scored 19 points and Crystal Dangerfield sparked a big first-half rally, leading No. 4 Connecticut to a 59-52 win over Central Florida before 5,175 fans at Addition Financial Arena on Thursday night. Dangerfield finished with 13 points, five assists and three steals, and Olivia Nelson-Odala had nine points and 12 rebounds.

Kay Kay Wright, who paced UCF with 18 points, led a second-half rally that got the Golden Knights back in the game.

UCF’s zone gave UConn fits early in the game and caused two shot-clock violations late in the first quarter. UConn shot a meager 35 percent from the field in the first half and not a whole lot better—38.5 percent—for the game. But Dangerfield's two free throws with 7:24 left in the second quarter started a 16-0 run to finish the half.

Three free throws by Brittney Smith and Massey Kaba lifted UCF (9-6, 1-2) to a 16-13 lead early in the second quarter, but the Knights did not score again until Diamond Battles converted a turnover into a layup with 8:24 left in the third quarter.

The Huskies outscored UCF in the paint 26-18, scored 15 points off of 18 Golden Knights turnovers, had nine second-chance points, and scored seven on the fast break. With the win, Connecticut improves to 15-1 overall, 6-0 in conference play, and are an unblemished 126-0 all-time in American Athletic Conference play, including tournaments.

THE SKINNY

UConn now returns home to host Tulsa on Sunday. Tip-off at Gampel Arena is slated for noon, and the game will be televised live on SNY, streamed on ESPN3, and broadcast on ESPN Radio 97.9 FM. The Tulsa game will be followed by the much-anticipated matchup with No. 24 Tennessee on Thursday at the XL Center. That game will be televised nationally on ESPN beginning at 7 p.m. ET.

—Staff Reports

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