Connecticut's Kia Nurse goes up for a basket as DePaul's Amarah Coleman, left, defends in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016, in Storrs, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
Connecticut's Napheesa Collier reacts toward teammate Gabby Williams, right, after Williams chased a ball out of bounds in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against DePaul, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016, in Storrs, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
Connecticut's Saniya Chong, left, and Katie Lou Samuelson react in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against DePaul, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016, in Storrs, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
Connecticut's Gabby Williams guards DePaul's Jessica January, right, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016, in Storrs, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma looks at his Olympic coaching ring that was presented to him in a pregame ceremony by USA Basketball before an NCAA college basketball game against DePaul, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016, in Storrs, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma, left, and DePaul head coach Doug Bruno, right, react after receiving their Olympic rings from USA Basketball Women's National Team Director Carol Callan during a pregame ceremony before an NCAA college basketball game between the two teams, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016, in Storrs, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
Connecticut's Napheesa Collier shoots over DePaul's Kelly Campbell, front, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016, in Storrs, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
DePaul's Brooke Schulte, left, Ashton Millender, center, and Kelly Campbell sit on the bench in the final seconds an NCAA college basketball game against Connecticut, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016, in Storrs, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
DePaul's Jessica January, center, drives to the basket as Connecticut's Natalie Butler, left, and Kia Nurse, right, defend, in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016, in Storrs, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
Connecticut's Kia Nurse, top and DePaul's Jessica January chase down a loose ball in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016, in Storrs, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
DePaul's Kelly Campbell, left, Ashton Millender, center, and Connecticut's Natalie Butler, right, reach of a loose ball in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016, in Storrs, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
STORRS, Conn. — No. 2 UConn was expected to be tested against No. 15 DePaul, the first of five ranked teams it will face this month.
It quickly became clear that the Huskies had all the answers Thursday night.
Kia Nurse scored a career-high 33 points and UConn routed the Blue Demons for its 81st straight victory.
Napheesa Collier added 18 points, and Katie Lou Samuelson had 16.
Kelly Campbell had 10 points to lead DePaul (5-2).
The Blue Demons missed their first eight shots and were held to a single free throw for nearly 6 minutes to start the game. UConn (6-0), which has won 53 straight at home, hit its first nine shots, most of them on the break, and jumped out to a 22-1 lead.
Nurse, who hadn’t scored more than 15 points this season, made three quick layups and had 19 points after 10 minutes. She hit 12 of her 16 shots, including her first nine and was 6 of 9 from 3-point range.
UConn was 15 of 19 from the floor in the first quarter, while holding. DePaul to just 2 of 14. UConn also had a 20-0 advantage in the paint.
The Blue Demons made just 17 of 68 shots and made seven of their 40 shots from behind the arc. They came into the game making just under 39 percent from 3-point range, and were averaging a nation’s best 13.5 3-pointers a game.
This was DePaul’s third straight game against a ranked team. They lost to No. 5 Baylor 104-72 and beat No. 11 Syracuse, a game in which they hit 19 3-pointers.
“College basketball really is cruel and its cool,” DePaul coach Doug Bruno said. “When you throw the ball to the other team and give up breakaway layups like we did tonight it’s pretty cruel, especially against good players. It’s also cool because you get a chance to come back pretty quickly, and I’ve seen teams throughout my many years, six, seven, eight days later, you don’t even know it’s the same team. We really are going to be better for what happened tonight than for not having played tonight.”
