Synergy between Paige Bueckers and Sarah Strong was the catalyst on Friday night for the No. 2 ranked UConn women’s basketball team’s 69-58 win over the No. 15 ranked North Carolina Tarheels, the first ranked victory of the season.
With this being his 1,216th win, head coach Geno Auriemma tied with former Stanford women’s basketball coach, Tara VanDerveer, for most wins ever from a college basketball coach.
“It’s been one of those things where it caught up to me. It just added up, added up.” Auriemma said to the media after the game. “We’re fortunate to have so many great players to make this possible, so many great people on my staff. It’s hard to comprehend it.”
Aiding Auriemma in this triumphant win were redshirt senior Bueckers and freshman Strong, in her homecoming game.
Bueckers finished the game with 29 points, four rebounds and four assists in 36 minutes played. Just in the first half she managed to notch 16 points, including a buzzer beater to end the first quarter where the Huskies led 25-14.
“Unless you foul her every single time, that’s the only way you’re gonna stop her.” Auriemma said. “I think she’s the most difficult player to guard in America.”
The last time Bueckers faced the Tarheels was last year in the Hall of Fame showcase.
“We’ve got an opportunity to watch a generational player for a couple more games before she goes to the pros,” Tarheels head coach Courtney Banghart said when asked if she’s changed at all since last year. “She’s unselfish. She doesn’t push.”
Bueckers emphasized to media personnel that her team plays well to make Auriemma happy.
“To be a part of this, he’s breaking records left and right. It’s the reason why I came to UConn; to play under him. So, it’s been a dream come true and we’re super proud of him.” Bueckers said. “It means everything to play for UConn and to play for him.”
With the matchup being in North Carolina, it was marked as the homecoming game for freshman Strong, who racked up a double-double, including 14 points and 12 rebounds.
“It was great.” Strong said about her homecoming, “I was really excited to see old school friends and teachers and people I haven’t seen in a while. It was a great environment, and we came out with the win, which was good.”
Strong, who was heavily recruited by the Tarheels, pointed out that it was special for her to play against the team, as well as her friend freshman center Blanca Thomas, who she played with growing up.
Overall, it was a solid game for the Huskies, including a 20-16 run over the Tarheels late in the third quarter after Connecticut started to take their foot off the gas offensively in the second half.
Despite the Tarheels catching up to the Huskies in the fourth quarter and getting within nine points, crucial shots from Bueckers and redshirt freshman Jana El Alfy were what sealed the deal for the Huskies and Auriemma’s tying win.
“40 years ago, UConn took a chance on me, those players early on took a chance on us [me and CD…],” Auriemma said. “They should feel incredibly proud, because we built it out of nothing in a place they said it couldn’t be built. We didn’t have any advantages.”
Next up, the Huskies will return to Storrs to take on the FDU Knights on Wednesday, where the Huskies will celebrate Auriemma and associate coach Chris Dailey’s 40th anniversary coaching the team and honoring their legacies. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Gampel Pavilion. If Husky fans cannot make it to Storrs, they can tune into this special matchup on SNY.