The third-ranked UConn women’s basketball team (30-3) allowed 17 second half points en route to a 28-point win over Villanova on Sunday afternoon.
The Huskies secured one of two spots in the Big East championship game on Monday night, the other clinched by No. 23 Creighton, who defeated Seton Hall in the second semifinal game.
The Wildcats were able to stick around with the Huskies offensively for the better part of two quarters, taking the lead on four separate occasions throughout the first half and hitting on over 43% of their shots from the field.
Paige Bueckers led all scorers with 23 points, hitting on 10 field goals (two three-pointers) and dishing six assists in the win.
“When the game got close, when they took the lead, I think that — more than anything — was the turning point for her,” said Geno Auriemma post-game. “At that point she just started playing and taking it upon herself.”
And the 40-year veteran wasn’t wrong. When Villanova was within three possessions or had the lead in the first half, Bueckers hit on six of her 10 field goals, including a momentum swinging and-one with just over two minutes remaining in the second period.
Bueckers finished the first half with 21 points on 9/13 shooting while no other player had more than 11 (Webber). The fifth-year senior shot just four times in the second half, however, as the Huskies saw most of their scoring come from freshman Sarah Strong in the low post.
Strong’s 20-point, 16-rebound, four-assist stat line warranted high praise from Villanova head coach Denise Dillon post-game, who said that the freshman’s growth has been “visible” this season, especially on the glass and on the defensive end.
Strong’s 16 rebounds set a career high, breaking the mark of 14 she collected against St. John’s on Saturday and against Georgetown in the Big East opener.
“I try not to overthink it, I just look at it like any other game and keep my same mentality for every game,” Strong said post-game when asked about the difference between a tournament style environment and the regular season.
The freshmen forward and All-Big East First Team selection played 28 minutes of gametime, splitting time in the frontcourt with redshirt sophomore Ice Brady and redshirt freshman Jana El Alfy.
The three-man rotation accounted for 30 points and 26 rebounds down low, nearly out-rebounding the Wildcats alone (32).
There were times when Auriemma utilized only Strong in the frontcourt (a decent chunk of the first and third periods), yet there were also times when the Hall of Fame coach threw both Brady and El Alfy together or Strong and El Alfy together, giving Connecticut the clear edge on the glass.
That’s what the Huskies needed after giving up five offensive rebounds (and 12 overall) in the first quarter to a Villanova team traditionally viewed as undersized down low.
Auriemma’s use of two bigs yielded the results he was looking for. Connecticut won the battle on the glass by two in the second period and claimed first half advantages in points in the paint (26) and defensive rebounds (13).
UConn stood stout defensively in the third period after allowing 37 first half points. The Wildcats did not hit on a single field goal in the third period (0/11) seeing all six points come from the charity stripe.
Bueckers spoke on the halftime adjustments post-game.
“Limiting paint touches, limiting wide open threes, getting a hand up to contest and trying to make things more difficult,” the redshirt senior said.
UConn turned a 10-point halftime lead into a 21-point lead by the end of the third period, holding Villanova to one offensive rebound and zero paint points in the penultimate quarter.
UConn extends its record to 30-1 when leading at the half (Tennessee) and 8-2 all-time versus Villanova in the Big East Tournament.
The Huskies will aim for a 13th consecutive post-season title against Creighton tonight at the Mohegan Sun Arena. The Blue Jays defeated Georgetown 72-70 on Saturday and Seton Hall 73-44 yesterday evening.
The game will tip-off at 7 p.m. on FS1, being the final of five high-major conference tournaments to end.