HARTFORD (Interstat) — Sarah Strong scored 39 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, and Connecticut held off Iowa for a 91-79 victory on Sunday in a women’s NCAA Division I basketball game at the XL Center. Strong, a 6-foot-2 forward from Fuquay Varina, N.C., who previously attended Grace Christian School, added three assists and two blocks in 37 minutes as the Huskies improved to 2-1. Iowa fell to 2-1. Attendance was 10,244.

Connecticut shot 34 of 62 from the floor, 11 of 21 from 3-point range and 12 of 16 from the free throw line. Iowa shot 30 of 61 overall, 10 of 27 from beyond the arc and 9 of 12 from the line. The Huskies scored 91 points from 81 possessions for an offensive rating of 112.9, while the Hawkeyes scored 79 points from 75 possessions for a rating of 105.8. Connecticut had 6 offensive rebounds to Iowa’s 3, and Iowa had 8 assists to Connecticut’s 6. Both teams blocked 2 shots. Connecticut committed 17 turnovers and Iowa committed 11. Iowa held edges in points in the paint, 36-30, and points off turnovers, 24-18. Connecticut scored 18 points off Iowa’s 17 turnovers, while Iowa scored 24 off Connecticut’s 11. Connecticut’s 3-point shooting and stronger work on the offensive glass helped offset Iowa’s advantage inside.

Connecticut led 32-23 after the first quarter. The Huskies took control early when Blanca Quinonez made a 3-pointer at 4:05 of the first quarter for a 14-12 advantage, then added a hook shot and free throw to help build a 20-14 lead after one. Strong made a 3-pointer at 8:58 of the second quarter, Ashlynn Shade followed with another 3, and Strong’s 3-pointer with 0.1 seconds left in the half gave Connecticut a 52-37 cushion. The Huskies opened the third quarter with a 14-0 run, capped by Strong’s jumper with 4:47 remaining, to go ahead 66-39. Iowa responded behind Chazadi Wright, who made three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, and Ava Heiden’s work inside. Dani Carnegie’s driving layup with 4:59 left pulled Iowa to 82-70, and her pullup jumper with 3:18 remaining made it 82-72. Quinonez answered with a 3-pointer at 2:57 to restore Connecticut’s cushion at 85-72. Heiden made a layup at 2:21, Strong scored at 1:28, Jovana Popovic made two free throws at 53.9 seconds, and Heiden scored again before Strong’s final basket made it 91-76. Amari Whiting hit a 3-pointer with 15.1 seconds remaining for the final margin.

Connecticut’s decisive stretch began late in the first half. After Heiden opened the scoring with a hook shot, the teams traded baskets early. Carnegie’s pullup and layup helped Iowa to an 8-3 lead, but Quinonez sparked Connecticut with a layup, a 3-pointer and a three-point play during a 15-4 run. Strong then took over in the second quarter, making a 3-pointer at 8:58, another at 7:35 and a layup at 4:29 while KK Arnold and Popovic kept pressure on the Iowa defense. Iowa stayed within reach through Wright’s 3-point shooting and Journey Houston’s layup, but Strong’s 3-pointer just before halftime broke the game open. In the third quarter, Arnold made a pullup jumper and a 3-pointer, Strong added a 3 and a layup, and the Huskies built their largest lead. Iowa’s fourth-quarter surge came too late, though Wright’s three 3-pointers and Heiden’s finishing inside made Connecticut work to the final minute.

The game featured several lead changes early. Iowa’s Heiden made a hook shot 18 seconds in, but Connecticut answered through Arnold’s free throw and Strong’s pullup. Carnegie’s layup gave Iowa an 8-3 lead at 7:14 of the first quarter, and Heiden’s hook shot and free throw pushed the Hawkeyes to an 11-5 advantage. Connecticut then used Quinonez’s scoring burst to take the lead for good. In the fourth quarter, Wright made 3-pointers at 8:26, 6:41 and 5:35, while Heiden converted layups at 9:03, 6:07, 2:21 and 47.1 seconds. Carnegie added a driving layup and a pullup jumper, but Connecticut answered each time. Strong’s layup at 1:28 and Popovic’s free throws at 53.9 seconds helped seal the result before Whiting’s final 3-pointer.

Strong, a 6-foot-2 forward from Fuquay Varina, N.C., and Grace Christian School, finished with 39 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and two blocks in 37 minutes. Her performance followed 13 points, eight rebounds and two assists at Michigan and 19 points, four rebounds and five assists against Cornell. Quinonez, a 6-foot-2 guard from International School, had 21 points, three rebounds and four assists in 28 minutes. Wright, a 5-foot-4 guard from Wesleyan School, led Iowa with 23 points, two rebounds, five assists and one block in 36 minutes. Whiting, a 5-foot-10 guard from Burley High School, added 10 points, seven rebounds and one assist in 25 minutes. Arnold, a 5-foot-9 guard from Germantown High School, had 14 points, two rebounds and five assists in 32 minutes. Popovic, a 5-foot-9 guard from International School, added 10 points, three rebounds and six assists in 31 minutes. Carnegie, a 5-foot-9 guard from Grayson, scored 12 points with four rebounds and three assists in 33 minutes. Heiden, a 6-foot-4 center from Sherwood, had 15 points and one rebound in 21 minutes. Olivia Vukosa, a 6-foot-5 center from Christ The King High School, grabbed 10 rebounds to go with two points in 22 minutes. Houston, a 6-foot guard from North High School, added eight points, two rebounds and one assist in 19 minutes.

Connecticut improved to 2-1 after a loss at Michigan and a win over Cornell. Iowa dropped to 2-1 after wins over Eastern Illinois and Towson.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected Connecticut 78, Iowa 66. Its ELO system had projected Connecticut with a 92.4 percent probability to win, and Connecticut had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -10.5.