The second round of the NCAA Tournament has twice nearly been where the No. 2-seed UConn Women’s Basketball team’s road prematurely ended. UConn squeaked past a physical seventh-seeded Central Florida Knights in 2022 and outdueled the sixth-seeded Syracuse Orange 364 days ago. The Huskies won those two close contests, both at Gampel Pavilion, by a combined 13 points.
For 315 seconds on Monday evening, it looked like that trend would continue against the 10th-seeded South Dakota State Jackrabbits. Head coach Aaron Johnston’s program led 10-4 five minutes into the game and Connecticut started a paltry 1-9 from the floor.
But from the first-quarter media timeout onward, the Huskies played like their usual dominant selves.
Paige Bueckers shined in her last home game as UConn advanced to their 32nd Sweet 16 with a 91-57 win over the Jackrabbits.
“Paige was Paige, and it is a great way to finish her career at home,” head coach Geno Auriemma said about Bueckers, who shot 14-21 from the floor, postgame. “There is no better way than with a game like that.”
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UConn advanced to the second weekend for the 31st straight NCAA Tournament largely because of the three-time Big East Player of the Year. Bueckers matched a career high with 34 points while recording four assists, three rebounds and four steals.
Auriemma put her back in the game late so she could feel the appreciation from UConn Nation one last time. But that was not the only thing on the two-time WBCA Coaches All-American’s mind Monday.
“She was just thinking about winning, and she was even more efficient than she normally is,” the 2006 Basketball Hall of Fame inductee explained. “I have waited five years for this moment, and hopefully there is a bunch more coming up.”
Azzi Fudd noticed the uptick in Bueckers’ efficiency while sitting on the bench with two fouls.
“When Paige is locked in, there is nothing you can do to stop her,” the graduate guard noted. “It does not matter what shot she takes; the ball is going to go in.”
Entering Monday night’s contest, Sarah Strong had recorded a double-double in all four of her postseason games. That streak ended against South Dakota State, but the Big East Freshman of the Year still had 15 points, seven boards and five assists.
Auriemma has mentioned throughout the season that some players provide an impact that does not appear in the scorebook. That was certainly the case with sophomore guard KK Arnold in Storrs. Arnold had six points, two steals and five assists, but her peskiness became a major issue for the Jackrabbits’ offense. It contributed to the 40th-year head coach calling her the “most impactful player on the floor” behind Bueckers.
“She has the ability every single night to change the entire game when she steps on the floor, and she knows that. She knows that is her emphasis every single game,” the 2021 National Player of the Year commented. “She plays an extremely huge role. She knows, regardless of starting, not starting, she is a key piece to this team.”
Even with two fouls in the first six minutes, Fudd still strung together another quality postseason performance. The Virginia native primarily did so in the second half, scoring 11 of her 17 points while knocking down all three of her three-pointers. Princeton transfer Kaitlyn Chen supported the backcourt with seven points and four dimes.
Connecticut’s defense turned what was expected to be a shootout into a blowout reminiscent of Big East play. The Huskies surrendered 47 points and 17 field goals over the last 35 minutes while forcing 25 total turnovers.
Despite matching their season low in points, South Dakota State still had someone who finished in double figures. That honor fell to senior Paige Meyer, who had 16 points on 6-13 shooting while recording three assists. Only star forward Brooklyn Meyer (no relation) had more assists at four, which was the same number of points that she scored. First-year guard Katie Vasecka had seven points, five of which came in the final frame, off the bench. Mesa Byom and Madison Mathiowetz each had six points and two three-pointers.
Contrary to how Saturday afternoon went, the Huskies started 0-7 from the field. Strong ended UConn’s offensive woes with a second-chance driving layup; the Jackrabbits scored on each of their next three possessions.
That 7-2 run propelled South Dakota State to a 10-4 advantage at the first quarter’s media timeout. The Huskies first chipped away at the charity stripe, going 5-6 on free throws to pull within three. Arnold’s steal after the last of those free throws quickly resulted in Bueckers’ first field goal of the night.
It sparked a personal run from the Minnesota native that gave Connecticut the lead. Bueckers scored the Huskies’ last 10 points of the opening period, capping her takeover off with a buzzer-beating step-back three-pointer.
UConn’s fastest player to 2,000 career points extended that streak to 12 with a second-chance jumper 25 seconds into the second quarter. P. Meyer got the Jackrabbits within three points, but Connecticut countered with a 22-4 run. Bueckers and Strong each contributed during that stretch while the defense forced six South Dakota State giveaways.
Even with a 15-point halftime lead, the Huskies maintained their grip. The 6-foot-0 guard earned her first 30-piece of the season while outscoring the Jackrabbits 11-8 in the period. Both of UConn’s graduate guards picked up five points apiece, crushing any hopes of a South Dakota State comeback.
It was not until 3:38 remained in the game that the sold-out crowd cheered the loudest. Bueckers, Chen and Aubrey Griffin exited a home game one final time as the Huskies secured their largest second-round victory since 2021.
Connecticut is back in the Sweet 16 and now heads to Spokane, Washington. Next up is Raegan Beers, who had the Huskies as one of her finalists while in the portal, and the No. 3-seed Oklahoma Sooners. Tip-off on Saturday afternoon is at 5:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN.
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