David Butler II/Associated Press
South Carolina’s 12-game win streak is no more after the top-ranked Gamecocks suffered a 63-59 overtime defeat to No. 2 UConn on Monday night at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Connecticut.
Paige Bueckers has lived up to the hype as a true freshman, and her legend continues to grow. The 5’11” guard displayed a level of poise belying her years, posting a game-high 31 points along with six steals, five assists and four rebounds.
Bueckers put the finishing touches on the victory with a three-point heave as the shot clock wound down with 10.8 seconds left in overtime.
She also carried the UConn offense late in regulation when South Carolina was rolling thanks to an 11-0 run.
Bueckers halved the Huskies’ deficit with a mid-range jumper and tied the game at 54 with 49.5 seconds remaining.
The Gamecocks still had an opportunity to win the game in regulation following a UConn turnover. Destanni Henderson’s jumper was off the mark, and putback attempts by Aliyah Boston and Victaria Saxton didn’t go down.
As South Carolina built a three-point advantage in overtime, Bueckers once again answered the call with two quick shots to put the Huskies ahead 60-59 before a fortunate bounce sealed the result.
Entering Monday night, UConn and South Carolina were two of the best offensive teams in the country. The Huskies and Gamecocks ranked fourth and 11th in points per game.
However, they combined to score just 48 points in the first half.
UConn really struggled to find a groove, going 12-of-35 from the field, missing all six of its three-pointers, and committing 10 turnovers. Still, the Huskies would have taken a 24-21 lead into the locker room at halftime were it not for a half-court buzzer-beater from Zia Cooke.
UConn needed Bueckers to step up because no other Huskies player scored in double figures. Christyn Williams and Olivia Nelson-Ododa had six points apiece while combining to shoot 6-of-21. South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley summed it up after the game:
Boston also feasted inside against the UConn frontcourt, and the sophomore forward may have propelled South Carolina to the win were it not for her four fouls. She had a double-double (17 points and 15 rebounds) while playing 43 minutes.
Once Boston was whistled for her fourth personal at the 5:26 mark of the final quarter, though, she couldn’t be as aggressive inside.
That briefly took away what had been an advantage for Staley’s squad. The Gamecocks out-rebounded UConn 52-39—including grabbing 19 offensive boards—and had 40 points in the paint.
Ultimately, the spotlight belonged to Bueckers.
Geno Auriemma has seen a litany of women’s basketball legends put on a Huskies uniform. Although it’s far too early to compare Bueckers to stars of UConn past, she appears poised to follow in their footsteps.
And Monday could be a preview of a Final Four or national championship encounter to come this spring.
