No. 3 UConn routs East Carolina 98-42 for another AAC win

GREENVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Christyn Williams scored 26 points, Megan Walker had 15 points and 12 rebounds and No. 3 UConn pulled away after the first quarter for a 98-42 victory at East Carolina on Saturday.

The Huskies went 15 of 25 from 3-point range, including 8 of 10 by freshman Anna Makurat, who finished with 24 points.

UConn (18-1, 8-0) improved its record in American Athletic Conference regular-season and postseason games to 128-0. ECU (3-16, 0-6) lost its 12th straight game and dropped to 5-100 all-time versus ranked opponents.

The Pirates got 17 points from Lashonda Monk, who provided a highlight when she banked in a shot from well behind the half-court line to end the first quarter.

UConn was leading 22-18 during the first minute of the second quarter when it went on a 16-1 run to seize control. It led 50-21 at halftime and 79-26 after three quarters.

Consecutive 3s by Walker and Makurat made it 38-19 Huskies with 4:17 to go until halftime. Walker posted all of her points and 11 of her 12 rebounds in the first half.

BIG PICTURE

UConn: Two days after a game versus Tennessee that renewed a longstanding rivalry, the powerful Huskies withstood an energetic effort by ECU in the first quarter. They took control in the second behind Crystal Dangerfield and also Makurat leading the transition game. Dangerfield’s quickness and push led to plenty of open shots for Walker and Williams.

East Carolina: The Pirates’ lengthy losing streak has featured close losses, including missing a game-tying shot at the buzzer at Tulsa earlier in the week. This 56-point setback marked ECU’s largest margin of defeat for the season. The team’s first AAC game of the season was a 36-point loss at UCF.

UP NEXT

UConn continues a stretch of five games in 12 days on Monday with an exhibition matchup against the U.S. women’s national team. The USA roster includes former UConn stars Breanna Stewart, Katie Lou Samuelson and Diana Taurasi.

East Carolina is in a home-friendly stretch of its schedule and gets a much more manageable opponent in Minges Coliseum on Tuesday versus Memphis.

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