STORRS, Conn. (AP) — Ruthy Hebard had 22 points and 12 rebounds and No. 3 Oregon handed fourth-ranked UConn its first loss on campus in seven years, rolling to a 74-56 victory on Monday night.
It was UConn’s worst home loss since Dec. 5, 2005, when the Huskies lost to North Carolina by 23 points.
Sabrina Ionescu added 10 points, nine rebounds and nine assists for the Ducks (20-2), falling short of increasing her NCAA-record 23 triple-doubles.
The much-anticipated matchup didn’t live up to the hype as the Ducks ran past the Huskies, disappointing the sellout crowd. UConn hadn’t lost on campus since falling to Notre Dame on Jan. 5, 2013. The Huskies were beaten by No. 2 Baylor by 16 points in Hartford, Connecticut, last month, ending the team’s 98-game home winning streak.
UConn (19-2) scored the first two points of the game, and then the Ducks reeled off 10 straight points, forcing a UConn timeout. The Huskies tried to rally, but Satou Sabally hit a 3-pointer just before the buzzer at the end of the quarter to take a 22-12 lead.
UConn was able to get within seven in the second quarter, but Ionescu and the Ducks answered to go into the half leading 44-31.
They extended the advantage in the second half to as many as 21 points. UConn rallied behind hot 3-point shooting to get within 12 but did not get closer.
Crystal Dangerfield led UConn with 19 points. The Huskies were outscored 44-14 in the paint.
It was the first time the Ducks have beaten the Huskies in four meetings. The teams’ initial game was a regional final in the 2017 NCAA Tournament.
UConn coach Geno Auriemma was wearing a No. 8 Kobe Bryant shirt under his sports jacket. Auriemma was friends with Bryant and his daughter Gianna, who was interested in playing at UConn. The Huskies honored the pair, who died in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26, in their exhibition game against the U.S. national team last Monday.
REVEAL
The NCAA unveiled its top 16 teams to this point in the season on Monday night. Oregon was the top seed in the Portland Region, while UConn was the No. 2 seed in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
TIP-INS
This was the first time UConn had hosted a higher-ranked team since 2016 against No. 2 Baylor. … The Huskies announced all of their players in pregame introductions, and each gave a ball to a breast cancer survivor. The contest was the annual Play4Kay game that raises awareness for breast cancer and former N.C. State coach Kay Yow. … It’s the first time since 2013 that the Huskies have lost two home games in the same season. … Megan Walker missed 12 of her first 13 shots before finishing with eight points.
FILLING IN
Former UConn assistant Jamelle Elliott is replacing Jasmine Lister, who has taken a leave of absence for personal reasons. Elliott, who currently is an associate athletic director at UConn, previously served as a member of Auriemma’s staff from 1998 to 2009. Elliott played on UConn’s first national championship team in 1995.
