Griffin scores 25, No. 17 UConn dominates 2nd half to defeat No. 18 Louisville 86-62

Dec 16, 2023, 10:33 pm

HARTFORD, Conn. -- — Aubrey Griffin scored a season-high 25 point s and Aaliyah Edwards added 22 on a combined 19-of-23 shooting and No. 17 UConn pulled away from No. 18 Louisville for an 86-62 win on Saturday.

It was the second straight win over a ranked team for the Huskies, who have used six different starting lineups and are 2/3 against teams now in the Top 25. The Cardinals gave up a season high in points and had their six-game winning streak snapped.

Paige Bueckers hit four 3-pointers and scored 20 points for the Huskies (7-3), with a career-high five blocks. Nika Muhl had 10 of UConn's 24 assists on 32 baskets.

UConn shot 59% and made 15 of 20 free throws, 11 of 12 in the fourth quarter. The Huskies outscored Louisville 40-20 in the second half with Griffin, who had four steals, Bueckers and Edwards combining for 32 points. KK Arnold had the other eight points.

Kiki Jefferson had 20 points for the Cardinals (10-2), Sydney Taylor had 13 and Olivia Cochran 12.

The game turned in the third quarter when the Huskies outscored the Cardinals 19-9 for a 65-51 lead. UConn was 9 of 15 with an early stretch of eight straight makes; Louisville was 3 of 15 with a late stretch of eight straight misses.

The fourth quarter started with Arnold hitting a jumper and Bueckers knocking down back-to-back 3-pointers to push the lead to 73-51. Louisville never recovered, shooting 24% (7 of 29) in the second half.

UConn led 46-42 in an entertaining first half that saw the Huskies go 5 of 9 from 3-point range and shoot 65.5% overall. Griffin had 14 points and Edwards 12. The Cardinals shot 56% and Jefferson had 15 points.

The teams combined to make 22 of 31 shots in the first quarter that saw Merissah Russell hit a 3-pointer in the closing seconds to pull Louisville within 28-27. But the Cardinals had a lull of nearly four minutes in the second quarter, missing six straight shots and falling behind 40-31 as Bueckers and Ashlynn Shade sandwiched 3s around a Griffin layup.

But Jefferson scored Louisville's last 11 points, including a 6-0 run of paint points in the last two minutes. Jefferson was 7 of 9. Edwards and Griffin combined to go 12 of 13.

UConn plays a second straight game at the XL Center in Hartford on Monday against Butler. Louisville returns home to face undefeated Washington on Wednesday.

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