Call it a rout, a statement victory, call it whatever you like. The fact of the matter is that UConn walked into Colonial Life Arena with one goal – to play to win. The size of the crowd didn’t matter. Playing South Carolina didn’t matter. Playing for seeding in the tournament didn’t. All that mattered was playing like the UConn team Coach Geno Auriemma wanted to see. That they did, and then some.
South Carolina is a formidable team, with star power, shooting prowess, an incredibly deep bench, and a great, and I cannot emphasize this too much, a great head coach. They came into this game intent on winning, preserving their home record, and continuing to solidify their place in the NCAA tournament. They did not accomplish their goals on this day and against this UConn team.
Arguably UConn’s best-played game of the season, the Huskies played an almost flawless game. Their offense was consistent, their defense stellar, and as a team, played with the focus and passion one would expect from a championship-caliber team. South Carolina was stymied from the get-go, and after the game was tied 11 – 11 in the first quarter including a two-minute scoring drought from each team, Ashlynn Shade scored a free point jumper, and the Huskies never looked back.
UConn Dominated From Start to Finish Over the Gamecocks
UConn won every quarter, even holding the Gamecocks to 9 points in the second, with a halftime score of 45 – 23. While the second half of the game was a little more balanced, with UConn ultimately only adding seven more points to their commanding lead, the Gamecocks could not make a dent. The Huskies simply played a better game. There was no mystery to it. South Carolina was beaten by the better team that day.
Even though Paige Bueckers had what was for her a sub-par shooting game, her presence on the court was still a driving force, scoring a point and assist double-double of 12 and 10, with seven rebounds as well. Once again though, it was Azzi Fudd who stepped up, scoring 28 points including 6 – 10 from three. Although Fudd got off to a slow start, others contributed significantly.
HUSKIES WIN
— UConn Women’s Basketball (@UConnWBB) February 16, 2025
HUSKIES WIN
HUSKIES WIN@WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/ojvwynWFFI
Sarah Strong scored 16 points with 13 boards, Kaitlyn Chen added 10 points, and Jana El Alfy, who probably played her best game of the season, showing toughness under the basket and little if any signs of being tentative, added eight points.
El Alfy displayed a foundation of what can make her a formidable big for UConn. Ashlynn Shade scored nine points off the bench, all threes. Even though KK Arnold scored only two points, her hustle and relentless effort make her a reliable and exciting guard, with seemingly endless energy.
South Carolina’s bench outscored their starters 31 – 27. While 27 points from the bench isn’t a bad stat, 27 from the starters is. Only Te-Hina Paopao reached double figures with 10. Joyce Edwards led the Gamecocks with 17 points and MiLaysia Fulwiley scored 11, both off the bench.
Keys to UConn’s Win And What’s Next For the Huskies
UConn capitalized off of turnovers, scoring 13 points off of 12 Gamecock turnovers. South Carolina only scored 4 points off of 10 UConn TOs. UConn had the lead in assists, rebounds, and three-point shots, going 13 – 28 against South Carolina’s 3 – 17, fast break points, and steals. The teams were even in the paint with 36 points each, and UConn out-rebounded South Carolina 48 – 29.
For everything that went wrong for UConn in their three losses, everything went right in this game. Did they reveal weaknesses in South Carolina’s game? Perhaps.
As Dawn Staley put it:
“They had their way with us. There’s no trying to find a silver lining to it. We got beat. We got beat bad.”
According to Geno Auriemma:
“More than anything else, it was evident today that we played to win.”
Up next for the Gamecocks is a home game against Arkansas. For the Huskies, they stay on the road for a game against Seton Hall.
And that, my friends, as they say, is that.’ — Martin Ruben.
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