STORRS, Conn. — Paige Bueckers scored 28 points, freshman Ashlyn Shade added 26 points and third-seeded UW defeated Jackson State 86-64 in the first round of the women’s NCAA Tournament on Saturday, defeating Geno.・We celebrated Director Auriemma’s 70th birthday.
Aaliyah Edwards, who missed two games and wore a mask with a broken nose, had 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Huskies (30-5), who won their 30th straight tournament opener.
No. 14 seed Jackson State (26-7) lost for the first time in 22 games, although Tian Boler scored 25 points and Angel Jackson added 13 points.
The Tigers’ Miya Crump started the game with a jumper, giving Jackson State a brief 4-2 lead.
However, the Buccaneers scored eight of College’s first 10 points, sparking a 17-0 Huskies run.
She gave Connecticut its first lead at 5-4 with an up-and-under layup and foul shot.
UW led 22-8 after 10 minutes and took its first 20-point lead at 39-19 on a 3-pointer from Buccaneer, who had 11 rebounds and seven assists in the game.
At the buzzer, Bohler made a 3-point shot from the right corner, and the team went into the first half with University leading 49-28.
At the end of the third quarter, Nika Muhl’s 3-pointer gave the Huskies a 72-50 lead, and Connecticut rallied from there.
The Huskies improved to 13-1 in the game played on the coach’s birthday.
