UConn hopes to put up fight against No. 1 South Carolina

STORRS — As March draws closer, the opportunity is still there for UConn to bolster its resume and maybe land a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.

But time’s running out. The fourth-ranked Huskies hit the road on Monday, one week removed from a disappointing home loss and seeking a marquee win against No. 1 South Carolina at Colonial Life Arena (7 p.m., ESPN2).

The Gamecocks (22-1) are tough, physical and defensively sound — everything the Huskies were not against No. 3 Oregon.

“They’re big, they’re fast, they’re athletic, they’re tough. There’s a reason why they are No. 1,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. “Monday could be another (butt) whooping like the one we got the other night.”

UConn has won all eight meetings against South Carolina, but this may be Dawn Staley’s best team yet. The Gamecocks are fourth in the country in scoring offense (83.4) and 29th in scoring defense (56.3), numbers that measure up to their 2017 NCAA title team.

One way or another, the game figures to be a litmus test to determine if the Huskies are on the same level as the country’s best teams. They’re 20-2, but lost by double digits at home to the highest-ranked teams they played in No. 2 Baylor and No. 3 Oregon.

“We’re playing this game to see where we are, for us to get better for the tournament,” sophomore Christyn Williams said.

The Huskies have flashed potential, but are still searching for an identity as they try to replace Napheesa Collier and Katie Lou Samuelson. A new No. 1 scorer has yet to emerge. Williams and Megan Walker, players the Huskies need to be great, combined for just 13 points on 5-of-25 shooting against the Ducks.

All of this is an adjustment for Auriemma, who has had to be more patient while waiting for his team to evolve.

“One of these days, all these guys are going to make huge shots and big plays in a huge game in big moments. And then,” he said, snapping his fingers, “everything will be right with the world in UConn world.”

The Huskies hope that day comes soon. If not, Monday could prove difficult. The Gamecocks have bullied opponents on both ends of the floor, ranking first in blocks (8.3), second in rebounding (47.4) and fourth in field-goal defense (33.2 percent).

Six-foot-5 freshman Aliyah Boston, a former UConn target, has been the Gamecocks’ best player, averaging 13.3 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.8 blocks, all team-highs.

“They’re going to try to pound the ball inside,”

Walker said. “It’s not a secret. They’re going to try to run in transition, they’re going to crash the boards.”

Auriemma felt the Huskies didn’t do that enough against Oregon. He challenged

them to raise their intensity, and they responded by throttling Memphis, 94-55. He now wants that same energy to spill over into South Carolina.

“We want to fight against

them,” freshman Anna Makurat said. “We don’t want to play the same way we played against Oregon.”

Rogelio V. Solis / Associated Press South Carolina coach Dawn Staley calls to her players during the second half of a game against Mississippi on Jan. 30 in Oxford, Miss.