No. 7 UConn blew out No. 4 South Carolina with an 87-58 victory on Sunday, snapping the Gamecocks' 71-game home winning streak.
UConn arrived in Columbia as the underdog, but it doesn't seem Geno Auriemma's squad got the memo. They picked up an impressive signature win by being the aggressors and constantly changing things up to not let Dawn Staley's team get comfortable. Before Sunday, South Carolina had won four straight games against UConn.
Azzi Fudd had a quiet first half but turned up the heat after the break to register a game-high 28 points -- 18 of those in the third quarter.
This was a full team effort with eight of the 10 players who checked in for UConn scoring at least two points, and seven of them putting up at least seven. Freshman Sarah Strong was another top contributor with a double-double of 16 points and 13 rebounds. Paige Bueckers went just 3 of 12 from the field, but she was still a key part of the offense with 10 assists.
The Huskies were 13 of 28 from beyond the arc, but also beat the Gamecocks at their own game by winning the rebounding battle 48-29. The Huskies also forced 13 turnovers and turned them into 12 points.
Joyce Edwards led South Carolina's efforts with 17 points on 7 of 10 from the field. MiLaysia Fulwiley and Te-Hina Paopao added 11 and 10 points, respectively.
UConn improved to 24-3 on the season while South Carolina dropped to 23-3.
Here are four takeaways from UConn's statement win.
Azzi Fudd is peaking at the right time
Fudd was just 2 of 10 in the first half against South Carolina, but she gave her team an extra spark in the third quarter with 18 points before finishing the game with 28, her second-highest scoring game of the season.
Just a few days before facing the Gamecocks, Fudd registered a career-high 34 points against St. John's, which included eight 3-pointers. Despite her career being heavily affected by injuries, Fudd is a key part of this team and has been picking up much needed momentum. In the past six games, Fudd has shot 63.7% from beyond the arc. She is also a solid catch-and-shoot shooter, and her ability in transition helped UConn win 31-12 in fast break points.
"It really goes a long way towards pushing her forward," Auriemma said postgame. "I'm sure she had some doubts of, 'Do I still have it in me?' So, I was really proud of her."
UConn's three losses this season are also a good example of how much the team needs Fudd. She was held to just 3 of 9 from the field in the 80-76 loss to Tennessee. Against USC, Fudd was limited to just eight minutes because she was returning from a minor knee sprain. That same injury kept her out of UConn's 68-79 loss to Notre Dame.
UConn was the aggressor
South Carolina is usually the tougher team on the court, but the Huskies came out swinging and made sure the Gamecocks didn't get comfortable at any moment. Part of it was Auriemma's adjustments by switching it up between going big and small. However, a key part of the Huskies' victory was playing more aggressively than they have in most games this season.
Fudd gave the Huskies a big push in the second half, and Sarah Strong was her usual consistent self. However Ashlynn Shade and Jana El Alfy gave UConn an unexpected spark early on with a combined 17 points and six rebounds in the first two quarters. As the tallest player on the team as a 6-foot-5 center, El Alfy's presence was going to be much needed against South Carolina.
Paige Buecekers went just 3 of 12 from the field for a total of 12 points, but she flirted with a triple-double with seven rebounds and 10 assists. On Sunday, she quietly became the third player in UConn history to record 2,000 points, 500 rebounds and 500 assists, joining Maya Moore and Diana Taurasi.
As at team, the Huskies out-rebounded South Carolina 48-29 and picked up 13 points off 12 turnovers. They also tied 36-36 in the paint, which is a big deal because the Gamecocks usually dominate in this area.
UConn is still a powerhouse
The Huskies make deep runs in the NCAA tournament every March and have 11 national titles, but their last national title win came in 2016. Injuries have held them back the last few seasons, and South Carolina has been on the rise as a budding dynasty. The Gamecocks had beaten UConn in their last four meetings, and most of those were very lopsided. Despite history, it wasn't difficult to see why the Huskies were the underdogs Sunday.
And yet, UConn picked up a huge statement win after having lost seven straight regular-season games against top-10 opponents. Sunday marked the most points South Carolina has allowed all season and also the least amount of points they've scored.
Not only did they snap the Gamecocks' home winning streak, but the Huskies also handed them their second biggest loss at home in the Staley era. In addition, this was UConn's largest road win against a top-five opponent in the past 20 seasons.
South Carolina will be fine
After the game, Te-Hina Paopao said her team had been "punked" and "it was very much embarrassing." And yes, UConn definitely put on a masterclass, but we can't discard what the Gamecocks have accomplished throughout the 2024-25 campaign.
Even with Sunday's loss, South Carolina has a 9-3 record against AP Top 25 opponents this season. Postgame, Staley graded her team's effort an "F." However, she hopes this serves as a wakeup call for the Gamecocks.
"You have to look at who we are, who we've been 25 games in," Staley said. "Who are we? We need to get back to that."
After their loss to UCLA in November, the Gamecocks reasserted their dominance with a crushing 76-36 win against then-No. 15 Iowa State. A week later, they picked up back-to-back dominant wins over top-10 opponents Duke and TCU.
