Guard Azzi Fudd scored 28 points and No. 7 UConn ended No. 4 South Carolina’s 71-game home winning streak with an 87-58 victory Sunday.
Forward Sarah Strong added 16 points and 13 rebounds for the Huskies (24-3), who had lost their past four to the Gamecocks. Paige Bueckers had 12 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds as UConn took control late in the opening quarter and was up by 22 points by halftime.
Uncharacteristically, defending champion South Carolina could not respond and lost for the first time at home since North Carolina State beat the Gamecocks 54-46 on Dec. 3, 2020. That ended the fourth-longest home winning streak ever in women’s Division I basketball history.
Fudd followed up a career-best 34-point performance in a win over St. John’s this Wednesday by torching the Gamecocks. She had six of UConn’s 13 3-pointers, including four in the third quarter to close off any South Carolina hope of a comeback.
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Joyce Edwards had 17 points to lead South Carolina (23-3).
UConn’s win could shake up the women’s Division I NCAA Tournament picture as the Huskies were projected as a No. 2 seed, while the Gamecocks were a No. 1 seed in the NCAA basketball selection committee’s first reveal Sunday.
Takeaways
UConn: It was a big win for the Huskies, who fell to another SEC opponent, Tennessee, 80-76, earlier this month. With a healthy Fudd playing at this level, UConn could be a championship contender.
South Carolina: The Gamecocks had lost a total of three games the past three seasons and were sent reeling by No. 3 Texas last Sunday before Sunday. Coach Dawn Staley will need to find answers in a hurry.
Key moment
UConn trailed 11-9 early on Edwards’ basket. Then the Huskies took off on a 22-3 surge in the next 10 minutes to take control and led 45-23 at the half.
Key stat
South Carolina came in out-rebounding opponents by more than eight boards a game. UConn turned that around, holding a 48-29 advantage on the glass.
Up next
UConn continues a three-game road trip at Seton Hall on Wednesday night. South Carolina ends a three-game homestand against Arkansas on Thursday night.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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