The superstar put up 12 points after missing the last two contests with a knee sprain.
After missing the last two games with a knee sprain, Paige Bueckers returned in UConn women’s basketball’s 71-45 win over the St. John’s Red Storm on Wednesday. She put up 12 points in 23 minutes, putting her six points away from 2,000 in her career.
Azzi Fudd led the Huskies with 13 points while Ashlynn Shade added 10 points. Sarah Strong failed to reach double-figures for the first time in her career with six points but still contributed with five rebounds and five assists.
Ice Brady also came back after missing the Huskies’ win at Georgetown on Saturday with an illness.
UConn dominated from the opening jump. The Huskies scored on four of their first five possessions while St. John’s came up empty on four of its first five. UConn pulled out to a 14-2 lead and went up by 15 at the end of the opening quarter thanks to a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Ashlynn Shade.
The second period wasn’t as smooth. The Huskies went over five minutes without a point and over six minutes without a basket. Still, they held onto their big lead thanks to their defense, which limited the Red Storm to just 22 points at the half.
Those struggles carried through the break as St. John’s scored the first four points of the third quarter. Then UConn answered with a 12-2 run to push the gap over 20 points and never looked back. In the end, the Huskies came away with a 26-point victory.
With the win, UConn improves to 16-2 overall and 7-0 in Big East play. Next, the Huskies will finally return home to face Seton Hall at Gampel Pavilion on Sunday. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. ET on SNY.