Nelson-Ododa, Williams lead UConn to rout of Butler
Jan. 13—The UConn women's basketball team knows what its Big East foe Butler is dealing with.
The Huskies and Bulldogs entered Wednesday's game on equal footing in the sense that both were short-handed due to COVID and injury issues and both had to deal with long layoffs due to the coronavirus.
There was one huge difference. UConn dressed five McDonald's All-Americans and three foreign players who would be if they were eligible to Butler's none.
But the good news from No. 10 UConn's 92-47 conference win over Butler at historic Hinkle Fieldhouse was the Huskies didn't win only because of their advantage in talent. There was energy and effort at both ends of the floor and it's why UConn was able to get a lot accomplished in its first true road game of the season.
UConn (8-3, 3-0 Big East) placed five players in double figures. Olivia Nelson-Ododa had 19 points, seven rebounds, and five assists with fellow senior Christyn Williams having 19 points and a career-high seven steals. Freshman Caroline Ducharme contributed 18 points and senior Evina Westbrook 13. Aaliyah Edwards had 12 points and seven rebounds.
Butler (1-12, 0-4), which had its last four games called off due to COVID and was playing its first game since Dec. 29, got 13 points from Celena Taborn.
UConn had nine players available with the return of reserve sophomore center Piath Gabriel though it remained without Paige Bueckers (left knee), Azzi Fudd (right foot), and Aubrey Griffin (back).
The school announced Wednesday that Griffin had successful back surgery Monday and will miss the remainder of the season. Her expected recovery time is four months. The junior forward will retain three years of eligibility starting in 2022-23.
UConn coach Geno Auriemma changed his starting lineup Wednesday as sophomore Nika Muhl, playing her second game since returning from a right foot injury, replaced Westbrook. It was the first time in Westbrook's UConn career that she came off the bench after 40 consecutive starts.
Muhl was her feisty self and the Huskies opened a 9-0 lead on Nelson-Ododa's three-point play.
It was 19-9 when the Huskies went on a run to blow it open.
Ducharme got it started with back-to-back 3-pointers to end the first quarter. Williams opened the second quarter with five points and Juhasz and Nelson-Ododa followed with hoops. A Williams basket capped the 17-0 burst.
It was 48-19 at halftime and the Bulldogs got no closer the rest of the way.
UConn returns to action Saturday when it hosts Xavier at the XL Center in Hartford Game time is 1 p.m.
For coverage of all sports in the JI's 18-town coverage area, plus updates on the UConn women's basketball team and head coach Geno Auriemma, follow Carl Adamec on Twitter: @CarlAdamec, Facebook: Carl Adamec, and Instagram: @CarlAdamec.
