Firstly, what was a marquee matchup such as doing airing on any network other than ESPN? The two top-ranked women’s basketball teams in the country and it was bumped to FS1?
We digress because … well … Paige Bueckers was doing Paige Bueckers things.
THE BOUNCE pic.twitter.com/emL0LtGbZF
— UConn Women’s Basketball (@UConnWBB) February 9, 2021
The bounce that bounced South Carolina from UConn’s home court with a loss. And the bounce that bounced UConn to an eventual 63-59 victory over the Gamecocks.
.@paigebueckers1 the first @UConnWBB player to ever have 3-consecutive 30-point games. Damn.
— Rebecca Lobo (@RebeccaLobo) February 9, 2021
She had 31 to be exact, but that feat is even more noteworthy given the school that Paige Buckets is at. UConn is arguably the biggest WNBA factory in the country (Tennessee?), producing some of the greatest to ever do it in the W’s history – such as Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, Maya Moore and Breanna Stewart among many others.
She actually closed the game with a 7-0 run after the Huskies trailed the Gamecocks 59-56 during the frame of free hoops.
“I went to UConn to play in huge games like this”
Paige Bueckers talks about having her family in the crowd tonight to see her suit up for UConn for the first time in person pic.twitter.com/QiULy29bEA
— UConn Videos (@SNYUConn) February 9, 2021
🚨 AT THE BUZZER! 🚨
A half court buzzer beater for @zia_cooke of @GamecockWBB pic.twitter.com/DvuoxRKhLS
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) February 9, 2021
To the credit of Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks, its scoring attack was more balanced than that of Geno Auriemma’s Huskies. No other Husky finished in double-digits pointswise. Aliyah Boston scored 17 points with 15 rebounds while Zia Cooke and Destanni Henderson each finished with 11 points. Brea Beal also hauled in 10 rebounds.
National championship game preview?
