Last Updated 2:29 PM, February 06, 2022
Stan Becton

No. 10 UConn powers past No. 7 Tennessee in top-10 women's basketball rivalry

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We picked the all-time starting 5 for UConn women's basketball
4:54
7:00 pm, February 6, 2022

Final: UConn dominates Tennessee 75-56

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No. 10 UConn powered past No. 7 Tennessee, winning 75-56. UConn freshman Azzi Fudd led the Huskies with 25 points, a career high.

UConn led by seven at half before Nika Muhl and Christyn Williams broke open the third quarter, combining for a 14-0 run to start the period. The Huskies shot well from deep on the afternoon, making 12 three-pointers on 46.2 percent shooting.

On defense, UConn held Tennessee to shooting 28.8 percent from the field and 20 percent from three. Olivia Nelson-Ododa was a presence down low, blocking three shots. 

Tennessee's Jordan Horston led the Volunteers with 26 points; She added eight rebounds and three assists. The Lady Vols have now lost three of four games since receiving a top seed in the initial women's basketball Top-16 reveal.

With the win, UConn has won three straight games against Tennessee, tying the 2nd-longest win streak in series history.

Click or tap here for complete stats from the game.

6:56 pm, February 6, 2022

Fudd pushes lead back to 20 - UConn 70, Tennessee 50 | 4Q: 2:51

fudd

UConn has pushed the lead back up to 20 points with Azzi Fudd's three-point basket.  UConn is finishing this one strong.

6:47 pm, February 6, 2022

Tennessee chipping away - UConn 59, Tennessee 46 | 4Q - 5:35

Tenn

Tennessee has chipped away at UConn's lead. The Lady Vols are on a 10-4 run to open the fourth quarter and have cut the lead to 13. Rae Burrell is heating up having scored the last five Volunteer points.

6:31 pm, February 6, 2022

Third quarter update: UConn 55, Tennessee 36

UCOnn

UConn leads Tennessee 55-36 after three quarters of play, a 19-point margin. 

The Huskies dominated the Lady Vols in the third quarter, starting the period on a 14-0 run. In fact, Tennessee's first made basket from the field didn't come until 3:19 remained in the third quarter.

Nika Muhl and Christyn Williams led all Huskies with 8 and 6 points in the third quarter, respectively. Williams also picked up her fourth foul in the quarter. On defense, Olivia Nelson-Ododa blocked three shots in the third quarter for UConn to lead the team.

Tennessee's Jordan Horston scored six third-quarter points; she has 19 through three quarters.

6:17 pm, February 6, 2022

Huskies rolling - UConn 46, Tennessee 25 | 3Q - 6:17

Muhl

UConn is on a 14-0 run to open the second half and lead by 21 points, the largest lead of the game. It's been the Nika Muhl and Christyn Williams show to start the third quarter; the duo has scored every basket in the period.

Tennessee has three turnovers in the third quarter.

6:10 pm, February 6, 2022

UConn cooking to open second half - UConn 39, Tennessee 25 | 3Q - 8:30

UConn

UConn opened the second half on a 7-0 run, pushing its lead to 14 points. Two of the Husky baskets have come from three-point shots from Christyn Williams and Nika Muhl, respectively.

5:49 pm, February 6, 2022

Halftime update: UConn 32, Tennessee 25

uconn tenn

UConn leads Tennessee 32-25 after two quarters of play. The Huskies outscored the Volunteers in the second quarter 17-15.

Tennessee is shooting just 25.9 percent from the field and 14.3 percent from three through two quarters. Luckily, the Lady Vols were able to get to the free throw line often in the second quarter, with nine of the 15 second-quarter points coming from the charity stripe. The other six points were scored by Wooden Award candidate Jordan Horston; she began to heat up in the second quarter, scoring 11 of her 13 points in the frame.

UConn's Evina Westbrook also caught fire in the second quarter with eight points of her own. Like their opponent, the Huskies are also shooting below their season averages in the first half, but thanks to 25 rebounds, UConn remains in front. 

Both teams will have to worry about foul trouble in the second half, especially in UConn's backcourt. Here's a look at the players with two or more fouls so far.

Tennessee (number of fouls)

  • Sara Puckett (2)
  • Tamari Key (2)
  • Rae Burrell (2)

UConn (number of fouls)

  • Dorka Juhasz (2)
  • Azzi Fudd (2)
  • Christyn Williams (2)
  • Nika Muhl (2)
5:37 pm, February 6, 2022

Huskies extend lead with rebounds - UConn 24, Tennessee 17 | 2Q - 4:48

UConn has matched its largest lead of the game, jumping in front by seven points over the visiting Volunteers. The Huskies have dominated the boards during the second quarter 10-4; at one point they retained possession after missing six shots in a row. UConn is outrebounding Tennessee, the top rebounding team in the nation 22-12 with nine offensive rebounds.

5:24 pm, February 6, 2022

First quarter update: UConn 15, Tennessee 10

uconn tenn

UConn leads Tennessee by five after one quarter of play. Freshman Azzi Fudd leads all scorers with six points; her two three-point baskets started and ended the quarter for the Huskies. UConn's Nika Mull picked up two first quarter fouls for an already thin backcourt.

Tennessee is shooting just 25 percent from the field in the first quarter, below its 42.2 percent season average. Yet, the Lady Vols are keeping the game close thanks to five forced turnovers.

5:10 pm, February 6, 2022

Huskies grab early lead - UConn 9, Tennessee 7 | 1Q - 3:27

The top-10 matchup between UConn and Tennessee started off sloppy as the Huskies turned the ball over three times in the first five minutes while the Volunteers scored on just one of their first five possesions.

However, things are calming down and the ball is finding the bottom of the net. UConn has been firing from deep more often than not; five of the nine Husky shot attempts are from beyond the arc so far. Yet, UConn is shooting just 20 percent from three to start the game.

4:59 pm, February 6, 2022

We're underway

No. 7 Tennessee vs. No. 10 UConn has tipped off. 

Also of note, UConn's Azzi Fudd made her first career start, replacing Caroline Ducharme who is unavailable for the game.

3:51 pm, February 6, 2022

1 hour away from Tennessee vs. UConn

We are a little over one hour away from tipoff between No. 7 Tennessee and No. 10 UConn. The Volunteers meet the Huskies for the duo's 25th all-time meeting In the lone top-10 matchup of the day.

You can find live updates throughout the game here on NCAA.com.

8:20 pm, February 3, 2022

How to watch No. 7 Tennessee vs. No. 10 UConn

Get ready for a top-10 women's basketball matchup. It's No. 7 Tennessee against No. 10 UConn, with both the Lady Vols and the Huskies looking to win another game in the storied rivalry.

  • Time: 12 p.m. ET
  • Date: Sunday, Feb. 6
  • TV channel: FOX
  • Streaming: Foxsports.com/live 
  • Location: XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut

Click or tap here to see a full women's basketball scoreboard. 

UConn fansUConn fans will be in full attendance Sunday with a "white-out" theme
8:19 pm, February 3, 2022

Previewing No. 7 Tennessee vs. No. 10 UConn

The 25th meeting in the Tennessee-UConn women’s basketball rivalry will come in the regular season for the third straight year on Sunday, Feb. 6. While the game may not hold the stakes of one of the four national championship matchups between the two programs, the latest edition of the rivalry still features two top-10 teams coming into form in the season’s second half. Here’s what you need to know entering Sunday’s game.

RANKINGS: Power 10 | AP Poll

Tennessee is off to a great start this season, good enough for the final No. 1 seed in the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee’s initial top 16 rankings. While Tennessee may have lost to Auburn that same night, the Lady Vols remain one of the nation’s top teams, led by guard Jordan Horston.

Horston leads the team in points, rebounds and assists as one of the best players in the country; she was one of 20 players to make the Wooden Award late season watch list. Against UConn, Horston is one to watch as she averages a double-double — 19.2 points per game and 11.2 rebounds per game — against ranked opponents. 

With Horston leading the show plus head coach Kellie Harper’s defense that holds opponents to 31.5 percent shooting from the field, Tennessee has what it takes to win on Sunday.

TOP 16: 1 thing about every team in the first women's basketball top 16

UConn has faced injuries all season and heading into its sixth ranked game of the season, are expected to be without star playmaker Paige Bueckers once again. However, the injury bug has lessened its hold on the Huskies as Azzi Fudd and Nika Muhl have returned from injury in recent weeks. 

Nonetheless, UConn enters Sunday’s matchup in unfamiliar territory, earning only a three seed (11th overall) in the Committee’s first of three top 16 rankings; it’s a spot that’s below preseason expectations for the Huskies.

On the court, freshman phenom Fudd looks like the next UConn star. In Fudd’s return to action, her 15 points on 60 percent shooting were vital to holding off DePaul and keeping the longest conference win streak in Division I history alive. With more than a week of on-court action since returning, Fudd could be a game-changer down the stretch for the Huskies against the Vols.

🏆: What a championship would mean for each of the top 12 teams in women's basketball

The latest chapter of the Tennessee-UConn rivalry should not disappoint and again could be a game that comes down to the wire.