You couldn’t have scripted Paige Bueckers’ last game in Gampel Pavilion any better; it was sweet like candy.
With a sold-out crowd in the basketball capital of the world for a March Madness game, the No. 2 seeded UConn women’s basketball racked up a 91-57 win over the No. 10 seeded South Dakota State Jackrabbits to send them to the Sweet 16.
To cap off the guards’ last night in Storrs, Bueckers finished the game tying her career-high of 34 points and in addition racked up three rebounds and four assists, closing out the night shooting 14-21 from the field.
“Everything that you all have said about her, and everybody’s written about her, it’s all true, every part of it.” said Auriemma postgame when asked about Bueckers’ game. “So, I wouldn’t be able to sit here and add anything to her game, and what she does speaks for itself and testament to her work, to her love of basketball, love being in the gym, to be rewarded, it’s just fulfilling.
Despite a fiery finish to the night, it was a slow start for the Huskies, as the Jackrabbits put themselves up on the board first and held a steady lead until it was a little over a minute remaining in the first frame.
Head coach of the squad Geno Auriemma used his small ball lineup to his advantage. With players like Ashlynn Shade and KK Arnold at the helm of his squad’s defense it prompted the Huskies to slowly make their way back up.
With a little more than a minute to go, Bueckers laid it in for the Huskies and from there racked up two consecutive baskets to put the Huskies on top with the score 19-14 at the end of the first period.
At the start of the second quarter, the Huskies’ momentum flourished. Sophomore Ice Brady showed tremendous defense for the Huskies, dishing opportunities to her teammates and staying locked in by the boards.
Connecticut propelled themselves to a 16-3 run in the middle of the second frame and Bueckers worked her way up from scoring nine points to put her at 21 points on the game already at the conclusion of the first half.
Coming out of the locker room with a score of 43-28 under the belt, the Huskies continued to dominate. Bueckers continued to shine throughout the second half and received a standing ovation from the crowd as she matched her career high in points with less than four minutes to go in the game.
Along with Bueckers, players on the squad like Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong dominated on the court, both notching 17 and 15 points, respectively.
On the defensive side of things, Arnold kept her squad in the game aiding her team and keeping the fast pace of the game.
In total, the Wisconsin native had five steals and two rebounds on the night.
“In order to win at this level, it takes a lot of pieces that come together. And you know, without KKs piece, it means as much as Paige’s piece.” said Auriemma to the media postgame.
In addition to the feisty performance put on by the squad, the Bueckers appreciated the crowd in Storrs, who created a stellar environment to play in.
“It truly feels like they’re a part of the team in a way they can shift the game and shift the momentum.” said Bueckers when asked the fans in Gampel.
Next up, the Huskies will travel out west to Spokane, Wash for a chance to dominate again in the Sweet 16. They will face the No. 3 seeded Oklahoma Sooners on March 29 for a tip-off of either 5:30 or 8 p.m.; the specific time is still to be determined.
The Huskies’ mindset going into this game is pretty simple, staying present.
“I’m sure we’ll have more time to reflect on as the season when the season is over.” said Bueckers. “But right now, we’re super focused on the present, but obviously just extremely grateful, and can’t really put in the words how much this place has meant to me.”
Husky fans can tune into this matchup on ESPN, as the squad survives and advances their quest for their twelfth National Championship.