The UConn Huskies women’s basketball team may have held a 45-22 lead at the half over the East Carolina Pirates but head coach Geno Auriemma was not happy. And he had good reason to be.

His team had 15 turnovers in the first half alone.

They would come out and play crisper, UConn basketball in the second half as they went on to the easy 89-38 win over East Carolina in front of 4,706 at Williams Arena in Greenville, NC on New Year’s Eve afternoon.

The No. 2 Huskies improve to 11-1 (2-0 American) while the Pirates fall to 9-4 (0-2 American).

After a rough few games scoring wise, All-American Breanna Stewart had 18 first half points on her way to a game-high 26 for UConn. She also had six rebounds, three assists, three steals and three blocks.

Moriah Jefferson’s hot offensive streak continued as she was 8-of-9 from the floor for 16 points with four assists and five steals. Morgan Tuck added 14 points while Kia Nurse had 13 points. Kiah Stokes came off the bench to contribute eight points, six rebounds and three blocked shots.

Jayda Pane paced East Carolina with seven points and five rebounds. I’Tiana Taylor, Abria Trice, DeVaughn Gray and Jasmine Phillips all had six points with Trice joining Pane with five rebounds.

Next up for the Huskies is a trip to the Mecca of college basketball, Madison Square Garden, for a matchup with the St. John’s Red Storm in the Maggie Dixon Classic on Sunday. Tip is scheduled for 1 p.m.

UConn Huskies @ East Carolina Pirates 12/31/14 box score

photo credit: cloe poisson – hartford courant

UConn G Ryan Boatright (11) has his thigh worked on after being kneed there late in the first half against Temple at the XL Center in Hartford, CT.

The UConn Huskies men’s basketball team faced a big test on New Year’s Eve afternoon in conference opponent the Temple Owls. And they faced an even bigger one when their leader Ryan Boatright went down with a deep left thigh bruise.

While UConn fought hard and gave it their all to the bitter end, they eventually fell 57-53 to Temple in front of 13,428 and a nationally televised audience on ESPN2 at the XL Center in Hartford, CT.

The Huskies drop to 6-5 (0-1 American) while the Owls improve to 10-4 (1-0 American).

Boatright was injured late in the first half when he was kneed in the thigh. He sat out the last minute of the first half and tried to go in the second half but was unable to do so. He finished with just two points in 17 minutes.

Amida Brimah led UConn with 12 points along with six rebounds and three blocks. Daniel Hamilton notched a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds with five assists but missed two crucial free throws (he was called for a lane violation on third one) in overtime. He also had six turnovers.

Kentan Facey fell one point short of a double-double with nine points and 11 rebounds. Both Rodney Purvis and Omar Calhoun each had seven points.

Temple’s Jesse Morgan led all scorers in the game with 17 points and had a team-high tying six rebounds with Jaylen Bond (seven points). Quenton DeCosey added 11 points while Will Cummings had eight points and seven assists.

Next up for the Huskies is a trip to Gainesville, FL with the struggling Florida Gators on Saturday afternoon. Tip is scheduled for 2 p.m.

Temple Owls @ UConn Huskies 12/31/14 box score

Here are the postgame quotes from UConn head coach Kevin Ollie.

Here are UConn’s postgame notes.

photo credit: ©2014 Ian Bethune

UConn G Moriah Jefferson (4) puts up a three-pointer in the second half against Duke at the XL Center in Hartford, CT.

When you look back at the past two games box scores in the wins over SMU and Duke, you’ll notice an unfamiliar but familiar name leading the UConn Huskies women’s basketball team in scoring in Moriah Jefferson.

I only say that because we are not used to seeing her leading the Huskies in scoring. We’re more accustomed to her being on tops in the assists and steals categories more than anything.

During the young season so far, Jefferson has had games where she’ll hit a few three pointers. But over the last two games, she’s hit some big ones, including three to start the second half against Duke.

Those three treys against the Blue Devils essentially put the final nail in the coffin.

With Jefferson stepping up her offensive game, it just makes the Huskies that much more harder to guard, especially when the starting five is on the floor. You basically have to pick your poison and say “well we’ll let her get her normal points and try to stop her.”

And that folks is going to present a big problem to teams in the American Athletic Conference and South Carolina down the road the rest of the season.

Watch and/or listen below as UConn head coach Geno Auriemma, Duke head coach Joanne P. McCallie, Breanna Stewart and Jefferson talk about the improving offensive play of Jefferson.

photo credit: ©2014 Ian Bethune

UConn G Moriah Jefferson (4) puts up a three-pointer over Duke G Ka’lia Johnson (14) to start the second half at the XL Center in Hartford, CT. Jefferson would make the three as part of her 18 points.

This was the last time the Duke Blue Devils and UConn Huskies women’s basketball teams will meet on the court in the regular season. After last night’s “pathetic display” according to Duke head coach Joanne P. McCallie, I’m sure she’s happy not to see them again until NCAA Tournament time (possibly).

Using an 11-2 run in the first half and two three-pointers by Moriah Jefferson to start the second half, UConn continued to build its lead on their way to an 83-52 win over Duke in front of 13,514 and a national television audience on ESPN2 at the XL Center in Hartford, CT on Monday night.

#2 UConn improves to 10-1 while No. 10 Duke falls to 8-4.

All five Huskies starters were in double figures.

For the second straight game, Jefferson led the team in scoring with 18 points and had four assists and five steals. Breanna Stewart and Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis each had 14 points and five and six rebounds respectively. Stewart did however commit six turnovers.

Morgan Tuck added 13 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Kia Nurse rounded out the Huskies in double figures with 11 points and tied Jefferson with five steals. Kiah Stokes came off the bench to block four shots, score four points and pull down six rebounds.

Azura Stevens led Duke with 16 points while Elizabeth Williams added 15 points and a game-high eight rebounds.

Sierra Calhoun, brother of UConn men’s player Omar Calhoun, had a rough game as she was 0-of-8 from the floor (0-of-4 from three) and three turnovers.

As it always seem to be in bigger games, it was a battle of runs.

Duke got out to the early lead only to see UConn seize control when head coach Geno Auriemma went to the press and a zone. However Duke made some adjustments before UConn’s 11-2 run at the end of the first half.

The Huskies are back in action on New Year’s Eve afternoon when they’ll take on a new opponent in the American Athletic Conference, the East Carolina Pirates, in Greenville, NC at 2:30 p.m.

Duke Blue Devils @ UConn Huskies 12/29/14 box score

Here are the postgame quotes from UConn head coach Geno Auriemma and Duke head coach Joanne P. McCallie.

photo credit: ©2014 Ian Bethune