The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Huskies whip South Carolina
UCONN 97 S. CAROLINA 79 Collier gets 31 points and 16 rebounds, Samuelson scores 29
HARTFORD — It was another statement game, another opportunity for the UConn women to measure themselves against a program with a pedigree of success.
The Huskies had received a few other opportunities like this since the calendar flipped to 2019, losing to Baylor and Louisville on the road. But, unlike those tests, this one just happened to be in the comforts of the Huskies’ home building.
And they made the most of it.
UConn rose to the occasion Monday night, dialing up the intensity in the second half to beat No. 11 South Carolina 97-79 at the XL Center before a crowd of 11,740.
“We obviously didn’t feel too good after the Baylor game, we didn’t feel good after the Louisville game,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. “Today, not only did we win, which obviously is the goal, I think we came out of there feeling pretty good about how we won the game.
“We had to battle these guys for 30-something minutes.”
Napheesa Collier paced the Huskies with a season-high 31 points and 16 rebounds, notching her 13th double-double of the season. The senior scored 10 of those points in the first quarter, serving as a steadying presence amid a frantic and sometimes unsettling start.
South Carolina (17-6, 9-1 SEC) sank 10 of its first 11 shots and led 27-23 after one quarter, however, the Huskies delivered an authoritative response. They outscored the Gamecocks by 22 over the final 30 minutes, including 29-12 in the third.
“I know when I get sped up, I’m worse,” Collier said. “I kind of have to force myself to slow down, especially if I feel our team or me getting sped up. I know to slow down.”
Guard Katie Lou Samuelson scored 29 points, 19 of which came in the second half. Christyn Williams added 19 points, matching the most she’s had since her unforgettable performance at Notre Dame.
“If you don’t match or exceed her energy, she’s going to win that battle,” South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said of Collier. “And that battle more than likely will give their team an edge.”
That certainly proved true Monday, as the Huskies improved to 22-2 (10-0 AAC), notching another marquee win that could prove valuable on Selection Monday.
As it is now, the Huskies are no lock to land a No. 1 seed. The first Top-16 “reveal” had the Huskies as the No. 2 seed in the Albany (N.Y.) Regional, opposite Mississippi State.
Auriemma reiterated that he won’t care where the Huskies are seeded, though.
“Wherever they put us, that’s where they put us” Auriemma said. “You know how many years people would look at the bracket and say, ‘I hope I’m not in Connecticut’s bracket?’ So, what am I gonna do? Complain about what bracket I’m in?”
After another top-15 win, the Huskies certainly feel better about where they stand.
“Today, we had the chance to play a really good team and kind of show what we’ve been working on,” Samuelson said. “It was good for us.”
Bianca Cuevas-Moore led South Carolina with 25 points. Te’a Cooper, the team’s leading scorer on the season, finished with 20 despite battling a leg injury during the second half. Crystal Dangerfield added 10 points and four assists for UConn.
UConn will return to American Athletic Conference play Sunday when it visits UCF for a 2 p.m. tip.
ODO stepping up: Samuelson praised the performance of Olivia Nelson-Ododa, who gave UConn a physical presence in the paint. The freshman played nine minutes, eight of those in a largely one-sided third quarter.
“Olivia had a really big
third quarter for us,” Samuelson said. “She stepped up huge.”
Award watch: Collier, Dangerfield and Samuelson were among the 30 players named to the Naismith Trophy Midseason Team, it was announced Monday. The Huskies were one of three schools with at least three nominees, joining Oregon and Notre Dame, which had five.
Dangerfield was also named one of 10 candidates for the Nancy Lieberman Award, which honors the nation’s best point guard.