Edwards leads No. 5 UConn to rout of DePaul in makeup game

STORRS, Conn. -- — In what was billed as a matchup between two of the best forwards in the country, Aaliyah Edwards made the case Monday that she deserves consideration as an All-American.

The 6-foot-3 junior had 23 points and 10 rebounds, leading No. 5 UConn to its 11th straight win, a 94-51 rout of DePaul and its star, Aneesah Morrow.

Lou Lopez Senechal scored 20 points and Dorka Juhasz had 19 for the Huskies (18-2, 11-0 Big East), who remained undefeated in conference play. Aubrey Griffin registered her fourth double-double of the season, scoring 18 points and grabbing 11 rebounds.

“I think that these matchups, we’re going to see more of them with different players down the road, so it was a good test of us as a team,” Edwards said.

Edwards had 15 points in the first half and UConn led by 17 at halftime. The Huskies used a 19-0 run in the third quarter to put away the game.

Edwards made 10 of her 13 shots. She also had four assists, a steal and a blocked shot.

“There isn't an aspect of the game where she isn't playing at an All-American level,” coach Geno Auriemma said. “If anybody needed any proving, tonight was certainly indicative of that."

The Huskies outscored DePaul 58-18 in the paint and outrebounded the Blue Demons 59-32.

Morrow led the Blue Demons with 20 points and 12 rebounds. It was her 17th double-double this season and eighth in a row.

“She's out there battling at 5-11, 6-foot against some really, really strong interior players,” DePaul coach Doug Bruno said. “So, I'm not exactly sure, what did she get out of playing this level of competition? I think it's always great to see the highest level of competition.”

DePaul (11-10, 4-6) has lost three in a row and six of its last seven.

The game was supposed to be played on Jan. 8, but had to be postponed after injuries left UConn with only six healthy scholarship players, one under the number required by the Big East.

The Huskies had eight available players Monday. Ayanna Patterson, who missed four games after suffering a concussion at Xavier on Jan. 5, returned in the third quarter. She played 13 minutes and scored six points.

BIG PICTURE

DePaul: UConn wasn’t the only team with injury issues. DePaul starter Jorie Allen returned after missing Saturday’s game against St. John’s with an undisclosed injury. She played just 15 minutes and scored three points. Guard Keke Rimmer missed her second straight game. The Blue Demons had already lost guard Jade Edwards for the season to a knee injury in November.

UConn: The Huskies are getting some help, at least on the practice court. Egyptian Jana El Alfy has enrolled early at the school. The 2023 signee will wear No. 24 and practice with the team this semester. But Auriemma said he has no plans to play the 6-4 forward and burn a year of eligibility.

“She's got a great future here,” he said. “She's going to have a great career and little by little, she's going to get acclimated to our program and what we do and how we do it. But as far as playing, that's not in the works right now.”

UP NEXT

DePaul: The Blue Demons have another game on the East Coast, traveling to New Jersey to take on Seton Hall on Saturday.

UConn: The Huskies head to Knoxville for a Thursday rivalry game against Tennessee.

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