This was the game many people were eager to see. Not necessarily without USC star Juju Watkins, but still eagerly anticipated. If you’re a USC fan, not the outcome you wanted. The UConn fans did, but it wasn’t a cakewalk for the Huskies.
This game was all about the starting five for each team. Neither USC nor UConn got any help from their benches, something that is going to have to change for the Huskies when they face UCLA on Friday. USC put a lot of hope on the performance of Kiki Iriafen, who stepped up so well when Watkins went down. UConn held her to 10 points.
Sharpshooter Azzi Fudd did not score until the fourth quarter, when her two three-point shots lifted UConn after USC had cut the UConn lead from 19 to 5 in the third quarter. Senior Rayah Marshall led the way for USC, scoring a team-high 23 points. UConn’s Sarah Strong, arguably the leading candidate for Freshman of the Year, added another double-double with 22 points and 17 rebounds.
Strong and Bueckers combined for eight of UConn’s 10 three-pointers. Kaitlyn Chen had an excellent game as well, scoring 15 points.
UConn played in the second quarter was echoed by USC in the third. When it looked as though UConn might run away with the game after establishing a 19-point lead, USC’s resolve and tenacity kicked in, and they simply outplayed the Huskies for the quarter. But these are two tenacious and crafty teams, and the Huskies were not going to go down without a fight. UConn outscored the Trojans 27 – 18 in the fourth quarter, giving them enough to take it to the finish line and come away with the 78 – 64 win.
A Test for UConn in their Final Four Matchup in Tampa
The Huskies have a few days now to prepare for Lauren Betts and UCLA. UConn’s Jana El Alfy will have her toughest assignment of the season guarding Betts. In fact, UCLA has no shortage of scorers in Kiki Rice, Timea Gardiner, and standout Gabriela Jaquez, who played a significant role in helping UCLA win their game against LSU.
UConn is going to need more production from Fudd, Ashlynn Shade, KK Arnold, and Ice Brady to make it a complete team effort. It won’t be just Paige Bueckers and Betts. It will have to be everyone. This should be an exciting game.
On the other side, Texas and South Carolina will go at it for the fourth time this season. As it stands, the Gamecocks hold a 2 – 1 season series. Could South Carolina be hungry to face UConn and erase the memory of the beating they took from the Huskies at home? Likewise, will the Huskies be thinking that if they did it once, they can do it again? The short answer is no. UConn has to deal with UCLA, and the Gamecocks have the Longhorns to deal with. This should be a stellar Final Four.
And that, my friends, as they say, is that.’ — Martin Ruben.
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