Top-ranked UConn eases past SMU 80-42

DALLAS (AP) — Christyn Williams scored 21 points and Megan Walker added 15 as top-ranked UConn eased past SMU 80-42 on Sunday to remain undefeated heading into Thursday’s showdown against No. 6 Baylor.

The Huskies (12-0, 3-0 American) never trailed and led by as many as 40 points.

SMU (6-7, 0-1) faced its first ranked opponent this season.

Williams and Walker have scored in double figures in every game this season. The Huskies outscored the Mustangs 40-14 in the paint an 23-9 off turnovers.

The Mustangs were led by reserve Amber Bacon with 12 points and Reagan Bradley with 11. Johnasia Cash, the team’s leading scorer going into Sunday averaging 10.7 points, finished with two points.

UConn built a double-digit lead early, helped by SMU hitting only 3 of 16 field goal attempts in the first quarter.

UConn is 105-0 in regular-season conference play over six seasons in the American. The school is returning to the Big East beginning next season.

In the 11 meetings between the schools, the Huskies’ margins of victory have ranged between 61 and 33 points.

BIG PICTURE

UConn: Thursday’s game against Baylor will be the first of three remaining marquee non-conference games for the Huskies. They will also face No. 22 Tennessee on Jan. 23 in nearby Hartford and will host No. 2 Oregon on Feb. 3.

SMU: The Mustangs went into Sunday’s game with six losses by an average of 8.7 points, including two one-point defeats. Such are the growing pains for a team that starts one junior, three sophomores and one freshman and seeks its first winning season since 2016-17.

UP NEXT

UConn: Baylor handed the Huskies the largest of their three defeats last season, 68-57 at Waco.

SMU: The Mustangs will play Wednesday at East Carolina, where they’re 1-8 and haven’t won since 2008.