Bueckers leads depleted UConn team past Marquette
UNCASVILLE — Half of UConn women’s basketball’s roster sat on the bench in sweat suits. All seven unavailable to play due to various injuries — including its All-American big.
That left the Huskies with only two subs.
But there’s only one Paige Bueckers. And that’s all UConn needed.
The redshirt junior made clutch shots, grabbed vital rebounds, swatted away Marquette’s attempts at the other end and even jumped up for the opening tip for the Huskies.
Led by the former National Player of the Year, the top-seeded Huskies
outlasted No. 5 Marquette 58-29 in Sunday’s Big East Tournament semifinals to advance to their fourthstraight Big East Tournament championship game.
UConn (28-5) will make its 20th-straight appearance in a conference tournament title game and will face the winner of No. 2 Creighton-No. 6 Georgetown (7 p.m. at Mohegan Sun Arena). The Huskies will be looking to win their fourth-straight and 22nd Big East Tournament title (29th total conference tournament crown). Marquette (23-8) now awaits for a possible NCAA Tournament bid.
After taking a hit to the face in Saturday’s quarterfinals, Aaliyah Edwards (nose) joined Amari DeBerry (concussion), Azzi Fudd (knee), Aubrey Griffin (ACL), Jana El Alfy (Achilles), Ayanna Patterson (knee) and Caroline Ducharme (head/neck) on the bench Sunday. Her status for Monday’s title game is unknown.
Bueckers led all players with her third career double-double of 27 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, four blocks and three steals. Ashlynn Shade followed with nine points and redshirt freshman Ice Brady finished with eight
rebounds, five rebounds, two assists and one steal. Nika Mühl finished with five assists.
Brady was UConn’s lone forward available and took Edwards’ place in the starting lineup.
Despite knowing their rotation was that much smaller, the Huskies started with their foot on the pedal, their defense more menacing than normal.
UConn’s pressure on defense forced Marquette to miss its first 11 shots. The Golden Eagles didn’t get their first bucket until 3:44 in the first quarter and finished the first half 8 of 32 from the floor.
Bueckers took the jump ball tip for the Huskies and held court under the basket on defense. She used her length to get in Marquette’s face and frustrate them.
But it was on offense where she really shined.
Bueckers played fearless. She side-stepped around double and tripleteams and somehow her shots found their way in despite her crashing to the floor. She also knew when to pass to her open teammates.
Early in the first quarter, she drove into the lane and found her way double-teamed under the hoop. Instead of going up for a tough shot, she shot a pass to KK Arnold outside
in the corner, who quickly dished it off to Mühl on the wing for a wide-open 3-pointer.
Bueckers scored seven of UConn’s first 11 points in the third quarter and recorded her first doubledouble of the season (third of her career) in the final minute of the frame.
And even when UConn did get in foul trouble, it remained poised. Arnold got called for three early fouls and was subbed out for Qadence Samuels, who made a jumper moments later.
When Brady got called for her second foul late in the second quarter. The 6-foot-3 forward, who missed all last season with a knee injury, responded by sinking a 3pointer on the other end the very next play.
Brady excelled in perhaps the most important game of her young career. She was physical when she needed to be, diving for loose balls, tackling over players for rebounds, and sticking out her hands long to even just tip a ball in the Huskies’ direction. Brady drew an offensive foul on Marquette’s Jordan King by taking contact.
The game became a battle of defense in the second half. Both teams went over three minutes without a bucket in the third quarter.
Bueckers snapped the drought with jumper from Mühl before Bueckers made a 3-pointer at the buzzer to put UConn up for good heading into the final frame.
UConn shutout Marquette in the fourth quarter, 11-0 — the second time in program history the Huskies have kept an opponent scoreless for an entire quarter.