Storrs — Dorka Juhasz, through a variety of injuries, including one most recently to her right foot, has been limited in her practice time since her arrival this season as part of the UConn women's basketball team. Aaliyah Edwards, a force in the post for the Huskies a year ago as a freshman, has been plagued by inconsistency.

And yet Friday, the duo of forwards rose to the occasion in an 84-60 victory over DePaul, which came on the heels of Wednesday's disappointing loss to Villanova.

The Huskies struggled in the post against Villanova after losing 6-foot-5 forward Olivia Nelson-Ododa to a groin injury just minutes before the start of the game at the XL Center.

"In the Villanova game, we had two offensive rebounds, one by Christyn (Williams) and one by Nika (Muhl). That's embarassing, right?" UConn coach Geno Auriemma said Friday. "I think they took that to heart. We worked really, really, really hard and won the rebound battle tonight."

Juhasz and Edwards weren't just adequate in place of Nelson-Ododa against DePaul. They were dominant and enthusiastic as eighth-ranked UConn (16-5 overall, 10-1 Big East) outscored DePaul in the paint 62-30.

"Coming off the Villanova game, we felt us bigs, we could have done a better job," Edwards said. "Me and D, we did do very well down low."

Now to replicate that. UConn travels to Milwaukee to meet Marquette (17-6, 10-4) in a 2:30 p.m. game Sunday at the Al McGuire Center (Ch. 61). Nelson-Ododa (10.0 points, 8.2 rebounds) and freshman guard Caroline Ducharme (12.6 ppg) will be game-time decisions due to injury.

In spite of the injuries which have derailed them all season, however, it seems as if UConn figured how to win in a different way yet one more time.

Juhasz had a season-high 22 points against DePaul, plus eight rebounds, four assists and a blocked shot, while Edwards finished with 19 points, also a season high, to go with six rebounds, three assists, two steals, a block, a reverse layup and assorted chest bumps.

"It's been a rollercoaster, you know?" Juhasz said. "I missed a couple games. I feel like I kind of got out of rhythm again, just started all over again. Obviously you could see that. Today was a different game. I was able to practice more with the team, just getting more comfortable with them again.

"... To spend time with the girls just to feel again part of the team, just to get back on offense, defense with them so they can feel my presence."

Juhasz, a 6-5 graduate transfer who played previously at Ohio State, is averaging 7.4 points and 6.2 rebounds, solid in the post but also able to step back and make a shot from outside. Edwards, who is 6-3, averages 7.1 points and 4.2 rebounds per game.

They are two pieces to the puzzle Auriemma hopes he can count on going forward.

"Those two worked great together. That's what you plan for," Auriemma said. "That's what's so unbelievably frustrating. You don't get the same kids showing up every night so all your plans go to waste. ... If you can go into every game going, 'This is what we're going to get from Aaliyah' ... it doesn't have to be 20 every night, but if we know she's going to get double figures and play great defense and get 10 rebounds and just have an impact defensively, that makes us a different team."

• Auriemma said UConn sophomore Paige Bueckers, the 2021 national player of the year, has been doing "more and more things every day" toward her recovery from a left tibial plateau fracture. Bueckers was injured on Dec. 5 and underwent surgery on Dec. 13. It was initially predicted that she would be sidelined for eight weeks.

"She's running more, she's doing more basketball stuff on the court," Auriemma said. "It just doesn't involve a lot of cutting. So each and every day there's something that we try to add. What does that mean? Well, there's been no setbacks.

"... Do I think she's going to play this year? I do. I really do. I'm not just hoping either. I think she's going to play."

v.fulkerson@theday.com