ROSEMONT, Ill. (Interstat) — The top-ranked Connecticut Huskies delivered a performance of overwhelming force Wednesday night, dismantling DePaul 86-40 in a Big East women’s basketball contest that was decided almost from the opening tip. The Huskies, extending their perfect season to 24-0, unleashed a 31-point first quarter that showcased their stifling defense and efficient offense, setting the tone for a lopsided affair at Allstate Arena.

The most important part of the game was its explosive start, which erased any notion of an upset before the home crowd of 6,277 could settle in. Connecticut’s defensive pressure was immediate and unrelenting. The Huskies forced turnovers on DePaul’s first two possessions, leading to quick transition baskets. Star guard Azzi Fudd, who finished with a game-high 25 points, set the pace with a layup just 25 seconds into the game. By the time the first media timeout arrived, Connecticut had already built a double-digit lead, capitalizing on a series of DePaul miscues and missed shots.

That dominant opening period saw the Huskies shoot a blistering percentage from the field while holding the Blue Demons to just 10 points. Connecticut’s 31-10 lead after ten minutes meant the remaining 30 minutes were a formality, allowing the Huskies to rotate their deep roster and experiment with lineups while maintaining a defensive intensity that never wavered.

Fudd, the Arlington, Virginia native, was the offensive catalyst, connecting on a variety of jump shots and drives. She was complemented by a balanced effort from her teammates. Sarah Strong of Durham, North Carolina, added 14 points and five assists, while Germantown, Wisconsin’s KK Arnold contributed 12 points, six assists and two blocks. The Huskies’ ball movement was sharp, resulting in 12 assists on 37 made field goals, and they dominated the interior with 54 points in the paint.

Defensively, Connecticut was a nightmare for DePaul. The Huskies recorded 12 steals and forced 16 turnovers, which they converted into 28 points. The Blue Demons, who fell to 5-20, struggled mightily against the length and speed of the Huskies, shooting just 27.8% from the field and 17.4% from three-point range. Their offensive rating of 59.1 per 100 possessions underscored the futility of the evening. DePaul’s leading scorer was Kate Novik of Grodno, Belarus, who managed 10 points and five assists, while Michelle Ojo of Virginia Beach, Virginia, also scored 10.

The Huskies’ offensive rating of 125.1 highlighted their ruthless efficiency. They never allowed DePaul to mount any semblance of a run, answering the few baskets the Blue Demons managed with immediate scores of their own. After the first-quarter blitz, Connecticut led 44-20 at halftime and 64-29 after three quarters, methodically extending the advantage throughout.

The victory continued a season-long pattern of dominance for Connecticut, which has now won each of its 24 games by an average margin of over 40 points. Their previous meeting this season on Dec. 7 was similarly one-sided, a 102-35 Huskies win. For DePaul, the loss was their 20th of a difficult season, though they did show a slight improvement from the 67-point defeat suffered in the earlier matchup.

Connecticut now looks ahead to a quick turnaround, hosting Butler on Saturday. DePaul’s next opportunity comes on Feb. 10 when they host Saint John’s. On this night, however, the Huskies provided another stark reminder of the vast gap between the nation’s elite and the rest of the conference, a gap established irrevocably in the game’s decisive first ten minutes.