The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Hitting home
South Carolina scores its first road win over UConn
HARTFORD — The UConn women’s basketball team led early but was unable to keep up with No. 1 South Carolina Sunday, losing to the Gamecocks for the first time ever at home.
UConn (21-3, 13-0 Big East) continually fought back in the second half but simply didn’t have enough, losing 81-77 to the Gamecocks in front of a capacity crowd at the XL Center. It was the arena’s first sellout since 2017.
South Carolina’s victory is its third-straight over UConn and fourth in the teams’ past five meetings. Gamecock coach Dawn Staley improves her program-record road-game win record to 121-46 across 15 seasons as South Carolina (23-0, 10-0 SEC) remains one of two unbeaten teams ranked inside the AP Top-25 Poll.
UConn’s loss is its third to a top-25 ranked opponent season and its first to the No. 1ranked team at home in 10 years (then No.-3 UConn fell No. 1 Baylor, and then-senior Brittney Griner, Feb. 18, 2013, 76-70).
It was the No. 5 Huskies toughest game of the regular season and it took form in a rematch of the 2022 national championship game
South Carolina carried a three-point lead into the fourth quarter and UConn faced the waning minutes with foul trouble, as both Aaliyah Edwards and Lou Lopez Sénéchal had four fouls.
It was 65-60 with just under four minutes left when Geno Auriemma was called for a technical foul after slamming a water bottle on the court during a UConn possession.
The Gamecocks’ Aliyah Boston (26 points, including 23 in the second half ) sank both free throws and followed with a basket by Boston, increasing the lead to 10. Boston later hit a 3-pointer with 2:57 left to make it 72-61.
But the Huskies didn’t back down. A basket by Edwards (25 points) with 46 seconds left pulled UConn within five. After two South Carolina foul shorts, Edwards crashed the lane and scored off a rebound with 34 seconds left to again make it a five-point game.
South Carolina made a twopossession game with a free throw but Aubrey Griffin’s two foul shots with 29 seconds left to make it 78-74.
But UConn, with so little bench depth, saw Nika Muhl and Lopez Sénéchal foul out in the final minute. Two South Carolina free throws made it again a six-point lead.
Still, UConn was finished. Griffin converted a three-point play with 10 seconds left to make it 80-77. But another South Carolina free throw — the Gamecocks were 26 of 36 from the line — iced the game.
UConn led by as many as 11 points in the first half but it was tied at 34 at halftime. It was back and forth for much of the third quarter, but South Carolina went on a 6-0 run to open a 51-45 lead with just un
der two minutes left in the quarter.
The Huskies, though, managed to climb back and it was 53-50 when the quarter ended. But Edwards was charged with her fourth foul with 1:15 left, sending the forward to the bench.
The XL Center was filled to capacity. Among the former Huskies in the building: Sue Bird, Jen Rizzotti, Napheesa Collier, Morgan Tuck, Ashley Battle, and Kelly Faris. Collier was at the game with her eight-month-old daughter Mila.
UConn football coach Jim Mora was also in the building. Students began lining up outside the arena at 4:30 a.m.
All the energy fueled the Huskies, who came out guns blazing over the defending national champions.
The Huskies were faster and shot better than the Gamecocks. UConn triple-teamed Boston under the basket, forcing her to either take bad shots or get called for three-second violations.
South Carolina got into foul trouble as both Brea Hall and Brea Beal got called for two fouls in the first quarter. The Huskies ended the first 10 minutes with an 11-point lead while South Carolina made just five of 16 shots, including missing all three of their 3point attempts.
The Gamecocks took advantage of the break between quarters and opened the second quarter with increased energy.
South Carolina held UConn to just 27.3% shooting in the second quarter as the Huskies didn’t make a field goal until three minutes in.
The Gamecocks cut UConn’s double-digit lead to five thanks to a 6-2 run and a 3.5 min scoring drought from the Huskies. UConn then fell into foul trouble as Edwards sat for the half ’s final three minutes after getting called for her third personal foul.
South Carolina outscored UConn 20-9 in the second quarter to tie the game at 34 in the final 20 seconds of the half thanks to two free throws and a layup from Kamilla Cardoso.
The Huskies next travel to Milwaukee to face Marquette on Wednesday at 8 p.m. (SNY).