Strong and Popovic lead UConn past Texas 83-61 in exhibition

UConn beat Texas 83-61 in a women's basketball exhibition at PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford on October 19, pulling away after a tied first half. Sarah Strong scored 27 points and Jovana Popovic added 22 as the Huskies turned a competitive preseason test into a comfortable win.

How UConn broke the halftime tie

The teams were level at 37-37 at halftime. UConn then outscored Texas 19-8 in the third quarter, according to the Hartford Courant. Texas shot 2-for-14 from the floor in that period as the Huskies increased their defensive pressure and Strong scored 10 of her points.

UConn also handled the ball better after halftime. The Huskies committed 11 turnovers in the first half and six in the second, finishing with 17. CT Insider reported that Texas scored 14 points from those first-half turnovers; UConn scored 21 points from Texas' 15 turnovers over the game.

Strong and Popovic's contributions against Texas

Strong shot 12-for-21 and added three rebounds, three assists and three blocks, according to the Courant. CT Insider also credited her with a steal. Popovic, a freshman from Serbia making her second start, recorded five assists, six rebounds and a steal alongside her 22 points, though she had five turnovers.

Madison Booker led Texas with 23 points. Breya Cunningham scored 12 but ran into foul trouble, the Courant reported. Ashlynn Shade added 11 for UConn, while Olivia Vukosa scored eight of her points in the third quarter after scoring two in the first half.

Both programs reached the 2026 Final Four, making this a tougher preseason matchup than UConn's customary exhibitions against Division II or III teams. The game does not count toward standings or postseason seeding, CT Insider noted. UConn's remaining tune-up is against Army next Sunday at Gampel Pavilion, according to the Courant.