Paige Bueckers had a dominant performance for the UConn Huskies’ rout of the Fort Hays State Tigers on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion. (Photo: Frank Vitucci | The Podium Finish)
STORRS, Conn. — Paige Bueckers and the UConn Huskies women’s basketball team dropped the hammer against the Fort Hays State Tigers in an exhibition matchup at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion on Sunday afternoon.
With eight players getting minutes on the court for the Huskies, the preseason battle against the Tigers offered valuable time for this year’s squad to fine tune their strengths and areas of opportunities. In the first quarter, it appeared be a close game as the Huskies led the Tigers, 15-11.
UConn pulled away in a lopsided second quarter. Bueckers, named to a preseason AP All-America team, led all scorers with 27 points, going 12-14 from the field and 3-4 from beyond the arc.
As Bueckers played in her dominant form, Ashlynn Shade, Kaitlyn Chen, Sarah Strong and Qadence Samuels made their presence known on both ends of the court. Shade’s effective scoring along with Chen’s adept rebounding were some of the team’s standout performances, particularly in the second and third quarters.
For a majority of Sunday’s tuneup against Fort Hays State, the Huskies excelled on nearly every category, outperforming the Tigers in the paint, points off forced turnovers, second chances and fast break opportunities.
Sarah Strong, a freshman from Grace Christian High School, contributed with 11 points and eight total boards, asserting herself with ease into the Huskies’ starting five against the visiting Tigers.
Ashlynn Shade played with confidence and poise for the UConn Huskies against the Fort Hays State Tigers on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. (Photo: Frank Vitucci | The Podium Finish)
Shade, Bueckers, Chen and Strong answered the bell in the third quarter while Talexa Weeter, Ellie Stearns, Bailey Wilborn, Kate Dislaver, Brooke Loewe, Megan Earney and Olivia Hollenbeck nearly matched the Huskies’ 20 points with Fort Hays raking in 19.
Much like the second quarter, the final 10 minutes illustrated UConn’s incredible depth. In the fourth quarter, Chen, Strong and Allie Ziebell sank three point shots before Qadence Samuels tallied 10 of her 12 total points, going 2-4 from the three point line and 2-2 from the free throw line.
For the Husky Faithful, the 2024-25 UConn team played with efficiency and relentlessness. With the season opener against Boston University approaching on Thursday night at the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut, the Huskies hope to extend their 35-year streak of reaching the NCAA women’s basketball tournament.
Shade sang her praises for Chen, a graduate transfer who played for Princeton, not only for her rebounding abilities but for her presence as one of the genuine leaders for the team.
Kaitlyn Chen of the UConn Huskies looks forward to playing with her new teammates after playing for Princeton during her undergrad years. (Photo: Frank Vitucci | The Podium Finish)
“It’s fantastic. Kaitlyn is an amazing player. She’s an amazing leader. She’s really stepped in,” Shade said. “She’s not shying off just because this is her first year with us. She’s really stepping into her role, being a dominant leader for us.
“And you can see that on the court [with] the way she carries herself [and] the way she executes on offense and defense. But she’s a great addition to our team. And I’m so glad she’s with us this year.”
Even Shade felt like Sunday’s game proved beneficial in terms of settling down and playing at a comfortable, confident standpoint for her teammates and the home court fans.
“Stepping into my sophomore year, it feels a little bit more comfortable just because I’m used to the environment, the atmosphere, the practices, the games,” Shade observed. “I’m still young, so I still get those nerves like everyone else. But no, I definitely feel like more comfortable. Just like a little bit older. Not like super old, but just old enough.
Chen expressed excitement to play alongside her new teammates, particularly with the renowned Bueckers. Like each woman on the Huskies roster, Chen observed how Bueckers catalyzes everyone to be at their best on the hardwood court.
“It’s really fun to be able to play with her,” Chen said. “It’s pretty special to play with a player like that, and I feel like she pushes everyone around her and makes us all better. So it’s honestly a lot of fun.
The Rundown
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Total |
| Fort Hays State Tigers | 11 | 6 | 19 | 13 | 49 |
| UConn Huskies | 15 | 27 | 20 | 27 | 89 |
Fort Hays State: By the Numbers
Brooke Loewe of the Fort Hays State Tigers tallied five points in 30 minutes of play against the UConn Huskies. (Photo: Frank Vitucci | The Podium Finish)
| Fort Hays State Tigers | ||||||||||||||
| Starters | Minutes | FG | 3PT | FT | OREB | DREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | +/- | PTS |
| Bailey Wilborn (G) | 11 | 1-4 | 1-3 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | -10 | 3 |
| Kate Dislaver (G) | 26 | 1-9 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -20 | 2 |
| Brooke Loewe (G) | 30 | 2-8 | 0-2 | 1-3 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 | -33 | 5 |
| Olivia Hollenbeck (F) | 29 | 3-11 | 0-0 | 3-6 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | -38 | 9 |
| Megan Earney (G) | 23 | 1-7 | 1-6 | 0-0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | -25 | 3 |
| Bench | Minutes | FG | 3PT | FT | OREB | DREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | +/- | PTS |
| Sarah Lawless (F) | 3 | 2-2 | 0-1 | 0-1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Maddy Powell (G) | 12 | 2-6 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | -16 | 5 |
| Sasha Koenig (G) | 11 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -11 | 3 |
| Ellie Stearns (G) | 21 | 2-6 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -18 | 6 |
| Callie Ott (G) | 8 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -12 | 0 |
| Talexa Weeter (G) | 17 | 2-6 | 2-2 | 2-2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | -16 | 7 |
| Avery Lowe (F) | 8 | 1-1 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | -4 | 2 |
UConn Huskies: By the Numbers
Paige Bueckers had a sparkling performance with 27 points for the UConn Huskies in their 89-49 victory over the Fort Hays State Tigers. (Photo: Frank Vitucci | The Podium Finish)
| UConn Huskies | ||||||||||||||
| Starters | Minutes | FG | 3PT | FT | OREB | DREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | +/- | PTS |
| Paige Bueckers (G) | 27 | 12-14 | 3-4 | 0-0 | 0 | 9 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 27 |
| Ashlynn Shade (G) | 32 | 6-11 | 3-6 | 0-0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 28 | 15 |
| Kaitlyn Chen (G) | 35 | 6-11 | 2-3 | 0-0 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 39 | 14 |
| Sarah Strong (F) | 27 | 5-13 | 1-6 | 0-0 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 37 | 11 |
| Ice Brady (F) | 21 | 0-5 | 0-1 | 0-1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 25 | 0 |
| Bench | Minutes | FG | 3PT | FT | OREB | DREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | +/- | PTS |
| Qadence Samuels (G) | 18 | 4-8 | 2-5 | 2-2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 18 | 12 |
| Jana El Alfy (C) | 12 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 12 | 2 |
| Allie Ziebell (G) | 27 | 3-11 | 2-10 | 0-0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 27 | 8 |
Coming Up Next
The UConn Huskies, entering the 2024-25 NCAA Division I women’s basketball season ranked No. 2 in the AP Top 25 and Coaches Poll, kicks off their season on Thursday, Nov. 7, against Boston University at 7 p.m. CT. SNY will carry live coverage of the game as the Huskies pursue their 12th national championship and first since 2016.
