There’s a difference between feeling lonely and being alone.
Feeling lonely signifies a sadness for the absence of company – think UConn when it dueled with USC in Hartford last December without Azzi Fudd and shot 6-of-23 from deep.
Being alone means there’s nobody else present; nobody on the same level or in the same rank – unopposed.
That one word can sum up top-ranked UConn’s (10-0) 79-51 detonation of No. 16 USC (7-3) on Saturday in the Galen Center.
It felt personal. It was emphatic. And it was also glaringly lopsided.
“It doesn’t matter if we’re up, if we’re down or who we are playing,” Fudd said. “We’re trying to play UConn basketball, trying to get better, trying to learn, trying to play together.”
If UConn basketball comprises 94-feet of pressure, aggressive on-ball defense and a penchant for transition offense, the Huskies certainly played it today.
A first-quarter trading of blows morphed into a 22-point game at halftime. Connecticut flexed its lead to as large as 39 in the third period and emptied its bench by the fourth quarter media timeout.
“The coaches put us in a great position every time we step on the court,” Ashlynn Shade said. “They’re able to teach us and guide us every day in practice. We’re super fortunate for them.”
Fudd found the basket first on the game’s opening possession, driving right off a Serah Williams screen from the top of the key for an uncontested lay-in.
USC turned it over on its first inbound and gave the Huskies an immediate chance to extend their lead to two possessions, but a Shade 3-pointer clanked off the back rim and into the hands of Kara Dunn, who drained a triple on the other end to give USC its first lead of the afternoon. It was the first of only four 3-pointers Southern California would hit all afternoon and the only one of the first half.
The Trojans and Huskies traded the lead for the next three minutes, exchanging blows in the low post as the game temporarily slowed down (and leaned in favor of Lindsay Gottlieb’s half-court offense).
Connecticut took a 10-9 lead into the first quarter media timeout, getting six from Williams on a combination of pull-up jumpers and putbacks around the paint. USC also converted at the rim, with Kennedy Smith and Gerda Raulusaityte adding lay-ups of their own to keep pace.
Then it happened; a sudden – and unstoppable – avalanche of blue and white enveloped downtown Los Angeles.
Williams and Shade added lay-ups. Blanca Quiñonez checked in and (outside of being the catalyst in UConn’s full court press) added a quick six points of her own working in conjunction with Fudd and Sarah Strong. Fudd nailed a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer on the next possession before Strong ended the quarter with a buzzer-beating lay-in. USC didn’t score and seldom got the ball across half-court as it struggled to break Connecticut’s press, turning the ball over nine times.
“I wish I knew what I said,” Geno Auriemma said with a wry smile referring to the first quarter media timeout. “Because I’d say it again next game.”
Those mystifying words certainly had their impact on his team, who then went on to hold USC to one field goal from the 6:52 mark of the first period to the 2:50 mark of the second, catalyzing a 28-6 run that quieted a sold-out Galen Center.
“It felt like we were locked in,” Auriemma added. “We (the coaches) were encouraging. It was nothing really magical that I said.”
The Huskies’ 22-point halftime lead was built by its hardy effort in the paint and stifling on-ball defense. Williams and Strong combined for 12 rebounds as UConn totaled 26 paint points and allowed the Trojans to grab just three offensive boards. After 20 minutes of game action, USC had shot 7-for-30 from the field and gotten a single basket from its bench.
Jazzy Davidson started the second half with a driving lay-up off a Strong turnover, escaping Fudd momentarily. The true freshman, who Auriemma praised on Friday for her athleticism and scoring abilities, totaled 10 points on 3-of-13 shooting – the second lowest output of her young career.
“I think we just stayed really disciplined today,” Fudd said. “It was a team effort. It wasn’t just me, we switched so much everyone ended up guarding her at some point.”
Fudd finished with a team-high 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting, grabbed four rebounds and dished four assists in 29 minutes. Strong, who Auriemma said has been dealing with a sickness, finished with 14 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals in 31 minutes.
The Husky defense continued to grind down the Trojan backcourt, forcing 20 turnovers which it cashed in for 26 points. Connecticut held USC to a moribund 16-of-53 mark from the field and six second chance points, winning on the glass by eight (41-33). Most of that energy came from Quiñonez, who finished with 12 points and four steals off the bench.
“Blanca played incredible offensively and defensively today,” Fudd said. “It felt like she was everywhere, pressing in the half court. And her offense – she’s so talented.”
Shade enjoyed the best game of her season, finishing with 15 points and three made 3-pointers on the wing.
The Huskies are next in action on Wednesday when they host Marquette in Hartford at 4 p.m.