David Butler II / Associated Press
South Carolina’s 12-game victory is no more after top-ranked Gamecocks defeated 63-59 to No. 2 on Monday night at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Connecticut. 2 UConn suffered.
Paige Bueckers lived up to the hype as a true freshman, and her legend continues to grow. The 5’11 “guard showed a good position that clinched her years, with a match high of 31 points, six steals, five assistants and four rebounds.
Bueckers ended the victory with a three-point finish when the shot clock remained with 10.8 seconds left.
She also had the UConn offense executed when South Carolina was on the roll, thanks to an 11-0 run.
Bueckers halved the Huskies’ deficit with a middle-distance jumper and tied the game at 54 with 49.5 seconds left.
The Gamecocks still had a chance to win the game in regulation after a UConn turnover. Destanni Henderson’s jumper was off the mark and attempts to return by Aliyah Boston and Victaria Saxton did not go down.
While South Carolina built up a three-point lead in overtime, Bueckers answered the call again with two quick strokes to propose the Huskies 60-59 before a happy bounce clinched the result.
UConn and South Carolina were two of the best attacking teams in the country on Monday night. The Huskies and Gamecocks classified fourth and 11th in points per game.
However, together they scored only 48 points in the first half.
UConn really struggled to find a groove. He went 12-of-35 off the field, missed all six of his three-pointers and converted ten times. Still, the Huskies would have taken 24-21 into the locker room at halftime if it weren’t for a buzz from Zia Cooke at half-time.
UConn needed Bueckers to act because no other Huskies player passed in double figures. Christyn Williams and Olivia Nelson-Ododa had six points apiece as they combined to shoot 6-out-21. South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley summed it up after the game:
Boston also took care of the UConn front field, and the second forward could have driven South Carolina to victory if it weren’t for her four offenses. She had a double doubling (17 points and 15 rebounds) while playing 43 minutes.
After Boston whistled for her fourth person at the 5:26 mark in the final quarter, she could not be as aggressive inside.
This briefly took away the advantage of Staley’s group. The Gamecocks eliminated UConn 52-39 – including 19 attacking boards – and had 40 points in the paint.
Ultimately, the spotlight belongs to Bueckers.
Geno Auriemma has seen a number of female basketball legends wear a Huskies uniform. While it’s way too early to compare Bueckers to stars of the past at UConn, it looks like she wants to follow in their footsteps.
And Monday could be a preview of a final four or national championship coming this spring.