ANNAPOLIS Md. (Interstat) — In a commanding display of early-season prowess the Connecticut Huskies opened their campaign with a decisive 79-66 victory over the Louisville Cardinals in a women’s NCAA Division I basketball game Tuesday night at the Peraton Armed Forces Classic.

Playing before a crowd of 3640 at the neutral site the Huskies established their dominance from the opening tip building an insurmountable first-half lead that the Cardinals could not overcome despite a frantic fourth-quarter rally.

Connecticut set the tone immediately outscoring Louisville 25-9 in the first quarter. The Huskies’ stifling defense and efficient offense continued into the second period where they added 19 points while holding the Cardinals to 14 giving them a commanding 44-23 advantage at halftime.

The Huskies maintained their control through the third quarter scoring 17 points to Louisville’s 17 entering the final frame with a 61-40 lead. The Cardinals mounted a significant challenge in the fourth unleashing a 26-point offensive outburst but Connecticut’s 18 points were enough to secure the 13-point victory and begin the season 1-0. Louisville fell to 0-1.

Freshman Sarah Strong a 6-foot-2 forward from Durham North Carolina led all players in a spectacular collegiate debut. In 37 minutes of action Strong nearly recorded a triple-double pouring in 21 points grabbing nine rebounds dishing out five assists and blocking two shots. Her all-around performance anchored the Huskies on both ends of the floor.

She was complemented by a potent backcourt duo. Azzi Fudd a 5-11 guard from Arlington Virginia logged a team-high 38 minutes and contributed 20 points and three assists. KK Arnold a 5-9 guard from Germantown Wisconsin added 13 points and seven rebounds in 29 minutes. Another freshman Kayleigh Heckel a 5-9 guard from Port Chester New York provided a significant spark off the bench with 14 points in just 22 minutes of play.

For Louisville the effort was led by Laura Ziegler who turned in a monstrous double-double. Ziegler dominated the glass pulling down 18 rebounds to go with her 16 points in 32 minutes. Skylar Jones and Imari Berry each scored 13 points for the Cardinals while Reyna Scott added nine points four rebounds and three assists.

The Huskies’ interior presence was further solidified by Serah Williams a 6-4 sophomore from Brooklyn New York who hauled in eight rebounds and blocked four shots. Ashlynn Shade a 5-10 guard from Noblesville Indiana chipped in five points and seven rebounds.

The game unfolded largely as predicted by analytics with Interstat’s ELO system having given Connecticut a 95.30 percent probability to win.

With the season-opening victory secured Connecticut looks ahead to a challenging schedule. The Huskies will host Florida State on Sunday Nov. 9 followed by a home game against Loyola Chicago on Wednesday Nov. 12. A significant early-season test awaits on Sunday Nov. 16 when Ohio State visits. Later in November Connecticut will embark on a two-game road trip facing Michigan on Friday Nov. 21 in Montville Connecticut and Utah on Sunday Nov. 23 also in Montville. The month concludes with a road game at Xavier on Sunday Nov. 30.

December features key matchups including a home game against DePaul on Sunday Dec. 7 a road contest at Southern California on Saturday Dec. 13 a home game against Marquette on Wednesday Dec. 17 and a highly anticipated neutral-site clash with Iowa at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn New York on Saturday Dec. 20.

Louisville seeking its first win returns home to host Northern Kentucky on Sunday Nov. 9. The Cardinals will then face a tough test when Colorado visits on Wednesday Nov. 12. A road game at Clemson follows on Sunday Nov. 16. The Cardinals’ November schedule continues with home games against Morehead State on Wednesday Nov. 19 and rival Kentucky on Saturday Nov. 22. The month concludes with a trio of home contests: Eastern Illinois on Friday Nov. 28 Bellarmine on Sunday Nov. 30 and a neutral-site game against East Tennessee State played in Louisville Kentucky on Saturday Nov. 29.

December opens with a formidable challenge for the Cardinals as they host South Carolina on Thursday Dec. 4 before wrapping up this segment of their schedule with a home game against Ball State on Wednesday Dec. 10.