Fudd and Strong lead No. 1 UConn to 71-56 victory over Marquette for 43rd straight win

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UConn head coach Geno Auriemma looks on during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Marquette, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)

Marquette forward Skylar Forbes (11) blocks a shot by UConn guard Azzi Fudd (35) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf) — UConn head coach Geno Auriemma looks on during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Marquette, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)

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12:06 PM on Saturday, February 14

By STEVE MEGARGEE

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Azzi Fudd scored 25 points, Sarah Strong had 19 of her 22 in the second half and No. 1 UConn remained unbeaten with a 71-56 victory over Marquette on Saturday.

UConn (27-0, 16-0 Big East) has won 43 straight games and hasn’t lost since an 80-76 decision at Tennessee over a year ago. The Huskies also have won 63 straight Big East games, counting regular-season and tournament matchups.

Marquette (16-10, 10-7) did manage to end one UConn streak.

UConn had won 21 straight games by at least 25 points before Saturday, which represented the longest such streak for any Division I program over at least the last 25 seasons. The last team to lose to UConn by fewer than 25 points was No. 7 Michigan, which fell 72-69 to the Huskies on Nov. 21 at Uncasville, Connecticut.

The Huskies built a 36-24 halftime lead thanks to Fudd, who scored 17 points and shot 5 of 8 on 3-point attempts in the first two periods.

Strong, who entered Saturday shooting 60% from the floor, went 1 of 9 and scored just three points in the first half. But she shot 6 of 7 during a 15-point third quarter. UConn coach Geno Auriemma said after the game that Strong was feeling “a little bit under the weather.”

UConn guard KK Arnold had 10 points and a career-high nine assists in her return home. Arnold was a three-time Associated Press Wisconsin state player of the year while starring at nearby Germantown High School.

Lee Volker scored 15 points, Skylar Forbes 14 and Jaidynn Mason 11 for Marquette, which has lost three straight games for the first time since December 2022.

After Marquette took an early 5-0 lead on a pair of Mason baskets, UConn scored eight straight points and never trailed again. A three-point play from Forbes tied the game at 20-all with 5:12 left in the second quarter, but UConn scored 11 consecutive points to pull ahead for good.

Up next

UConn is at Villanova on Wednesday.

Marquette has a long layoff before visiting Villanova on Feb. 22.

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