This past Friday, Paige Bueckers was asked by a media member about when she’s going to start being “Paige” again. She’s always been herself, but through eight games the guard has been far from the National-POTY that she demonstrated she can be when not riddled with injuries.
On Sunday, she answered the question with authority. Bueckers scored 26 points on 11/14 shooting to go along with four blocks and three steals in her most dominant showing of the year. The senior was exceptional, hitting all sorts of shots that only she is capable of converting on. At every step of the way she shouldered the load, but did get some support from her teammates in key moments.
“I think I’ve had a lot going on mentally,” Bueckers said of the prior few contests. “I tried to get back to having fun playing basketball today. I overthink a lot and I’m still trying to find my flow. I’m playing my best basketball when I’m playing good defense. Flying around, getting steals and blocks.”
The game also signified the scoring of her 1,000th point, tying Maya Moore as the fastest to do so (55 games).
“I saw something the other day that said I was getting close,” Bueckers noted of the record. “It’s surreal to be in the same space as Maya, one of the GOATs. It’s a testament to my teammates and coaches for how much they do for me. I’m extremely grateful.”
Aubrey Griffin didn’t do a ton in the scoring department, but it was her glue-guy tendencies that made the difference. She added eight boards, four assists and a ton of life to the team, pulling them out of a few ruts. The senior has been on and off all year, so it’s a welcome sign for the Huskies to see her succeed in a capacity that matches her skillset so well. She needs to be playing at this level every single night for the Huskies to reach their potential.
As a whole, the team once again struggled on the glass, getting out-rebounded 43-33. Despite the deficit on the boards, the undersized Connecticut squad overcame it in other ways. Their 20 assists on 30 made field goals were reminiscent of old UConn teams and they turned the Tar Heels over 19 times. A 47% mark from beyond the arc also did the trick, with the Huskies shooting extremely well. It was a feel-good effort that culminated in a much-needed win–for a team that hasn’t had too many.
“There are times when it looks like we’ve figured it out a little more,” coach Geno Auriemma noted of the team’s progress. “It’s a real struggle to sustain any momentum, even within a quarter or a game. We need to go with what we’ve got, get more contributions from more people. Paige often does a good job of making others better, but she hasn’t done as good of a job with the lack of flow our offense has.”
It is also important to keep in mind how much No. 24 UNC was missing. A number of their players, especially guards, were out, which played a part in the runaway victory for the Huskies. But UConn also was without a few of their stars.
“Anytime you’re missing players it’s an issue,” Auriemma said of the absent firepower for both sides. “When you’re missing impactful starters, it really has an effect on your team. Every coach in America is dealing with it… I wish we had an answer for it.”
Connecticut got off to an uninspiring start, with Ashlynn Shade slotting into the starting lineup for the second straight game. Down by four very early, Griffin subbed in and immediately added energy. She got a steal and helped her Huskies hold the Heels scoreless for the first five minutes she was in the game.
It was a period marred with sloppiness from each side, but UConn was more disruptive. They forced eight turnovers and thanks to Bueckers, went on an 11-0 run. This energy culminated in their best defensive quarter of the season, finishing ahead by nine.
A quick 12-4 Carolina run that included contributions from four players erased almost all of the Huskies’ lead they worked so hard for. In a season where buckets have been hard to come by in big games for Nika Mühl, the point guard buried a three, one of her four on the evening.
Even with that shot, UNC didn’t relent. As the Huskies squandered scoring opportunities with missed layups, the Tar Heels took full advantage, minimized their errors and went into the break with a tie game.
Connecticut had a different fire coming out of the locker room, scoring the first 11 points of the half. The run was of limited use, as North Carolina stormed back for six straight of their own. But Bueckers’ excellence only continued to shine, as she nailed a shot from downtown and flew in for a runner.
Then she got some help from her teammates. Edwards poured in seven quick points, Griffin converted on an and-one and out of nowhere UConn led by 16 after three frames.
Edwards played a decent game, with some positive aspects and some less encouraging ones. Her 16 points and 11 rebounds looks good on the surface, but the 17 shots she took to get there was less exceptional. She missed a handful of looks from close in–as did some other Huskies–which did take the air out of some of the team’s runs.
UConn committed a few turnovers early in the fourth that Carolina should have capitalized on, but they failed to do so in a timely manner. Connecticut went scoreless for over four minutes, as the Tar Heels inched nearer, getting as close as eight. An Edwards jumper and a Mühl three did the trick to ice things though, as the Huskies emerged with a 12 point win.
Their next chance to keep things going comes against No. 18 Louisville back in Hartford, CT this Saturday.