New York, NY — Top-ranked UConn continued its dominant march through the season Sunday night, overwhelming St. John’s 85-49 at Madison Square Garden to extend its winning streak to 47 games.
Azzi Fudd led the way with 14 points, while Allie Ziebell chipped in 13 as the Huskies delivered another commanding performance. The victory ties the fifth-longest winning streak in Division I women’s basketball history, matching UConn’s own 47-game stretch from 2013 to 2015.
UConn (31-0, 20-0 Big East) completed an unblemished regular season and now turns its focus toward another Big East Tournament title pursuit. The Huskies have steamrolled opponents by nearly 38 points per game — the third-largest average margin of victory in Division I history. Only two previous UConn squads have posted higher marks: the 2014-15 team (40.6 points per game) and the 2015-16 group (39.7).
For St. John’s, the game marked a milestone moment. It was the program’s first standalone appearance at the iconic Manhattan venue. Previously, the Red Storm women had played there as part of doubleheaders with the men’s team or during the Maggie Dixon Classic.
UConn coach Geno Auriemma acknowledged the unique pressure that comes with sustained excellence.
“It’s different when you’re UConn,” Auriemma said. “Every game, you’re expected to win. And if you don’t, people assume something’s wrong with you instead of giving credit to the other team. To win 31 straight games this season — that’s something these players should be proud of.”
The matchup drew 9,612 fans, with the majority backing the Huskies. UConn set the tone early, jumping out to a 24-9 lead after one quarter behind strong contributions from Sarah Strong, Fudd, and Serah Williams. By the break, the lead had ballooned to 43-20.
Jailah Donald paced St. John’s (21-10, 11-9) with eight points. The Red Storm finished tied for fourth in the Big East standings alongside Marquette and Creighton but enter the conference tournament as the No. 6 seed.
Looking ahead, UConn will play in the Big East quarterfinals on Saturday, while St. John’s opens tournament play Friday against Xavier.
