Sarah Strong, No. 1 UConn rip through South Florida

Sarah Strong led her team with 14 points, 10 rebounds and four assists in 25 productive minutes and No. 1 UConn sailed to an 85-51 win over South Florida on Tuesday in Tampa.

Strong made 5 of 10 shots from the floor and was joined in double figures by Blanca Quinonez (13 points), Azzi Fudd (10) and Ashlynn Shade (10).

The Huskies (8-0) scored the first 10 points of the game and added a 12-0 run before the first quarter was through, a stretch punctuated by two Quinonez three-pointers 47 seconds apart. By halftime, UConn was ahead 48-16 against a former rival from its brief stay in the American Conference.

UConn made 50.8% from the field, including 55.9% in the first half with 8-of-16 shooting from distance. The Huskies turned 20 South Florida turnovers into 26 points and poured in 44 points in the paint.

L'or Mputu led the Bulls (5-4) with 12 points and seven rebounds. Jelena Bulajic scored five of her seven points in the fourth quarter to help South Florida contain a margin that had ballooned to 38.