STORRS — Napheesa Collier scored 23 points and UConn, in the unusual position of being a No. 2 seed, got off to its usual NCAA Tournament start with a 110-61 rout of 15th-seeded Towson on Friday night.
Collier added 14 rebounds in putting up her fourth straight double-double and 21st this season.
Freshman Christyn Williams scored 21 points and Crystal Dangerfield added 20 for Connecticut (32-2), which had five players in double figures and scored more than 100 points for the fourth time this season.
Kionna Jeter had 20 points for Towson, which was making its first NCAA Tournament appearance and finishes the season 20-13.
UConn, in its 31st consecutive tournament appearance, put this one away early. Megan Walker (16 points) opened the scoring with a jumper and her 3-pointer from the right baseline capped an opening 11-1 run.
It was 31-7 after a three-point play from Collier to close the first quarter. She had 12 points and six rebounds after 10 minutes and 18 points and nine rebounds by halftime.
A 3-pointer from Dangerfield gave the Huskies their first 30-point lead at 46-14. UConn hit 59 percent of its shots in the game and led 64-24 at the half.
Connecticut has won 26 straight first-round games by an average of almost 50 points since a loss to Louisville in 1993. The top-seeded Cardinals and the Huskies have chance of meeting this season in the Albany Region final.
BIG PICTURE
Towson: The Tigers posted their first 20-win season since 2007-08, first winning season since 2011-12 and first Colonial Athletic Association championship.
UConn: All-American Katie Lou Samuelson, playing for the first time since suffering a back injury in the penultimate game of the regular season, got her first points on a 3-pointer from the top of the key that made it 36-12. She played 22 minutes and finished with 11 points.
UP NEXT
The Huskies face 10th-seeded Buffalo, which beat Rutgers 82-71 earlier Friday.
