No. 7 UConn dominates No. 4 South Carolina, snaps Gamecocks' 71-game home winning streak

South Carolina‘s 71-game home win streak came to an end on Sunday, losing in blowout fashion to Paige Bueckers and the UConn Huskies 87-58.

The Huskies held the Gamecocks to just nine points in the second quarter, taking a 45-21 lead into the halftime break. Unable to mount a comeback during the final two periods, the Gamecocks lost inside Colonial Life Arena for the first time since Dec. 3, 2020.

During an appearance on ESPN College GameDay ahead of tip-off, South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley wasn’t unaware the win streak had grown to 71 over the years — but was able to rattle off the last time before Sunday that her team had lost in front of her home fans. It was the loss to NC State 54-46 over four years ago. That means Staley and company aren’t soon to forget the feeling of defeat in Columbia.

Despite the loss, South Carolina held Bueckers in check for the majority of the game. She struggled shooting the ball, scoring 12 points — below her season average — but totaled 10 assists and seven rebounds in the effort.

The majority of UConn’s points instead came from senior Azzi Fudd. One game after scoring 34 points against St. John’s, she went off for 28 points including six-made 3-point baskets.

For South Carolina, true freshman Joyce Edwards was the Gamecocks’ highest scorer. She logged 17 points while shooting 7 of 10 from the floor.

The loss comes after South Carolina fell to Texas last weekend 66-62, snapping the Gamecocks 57-game winning streak on the road. Both were before the Gamecocks’ first loss of the season in November, as UCLA gave South Carolina their first loss in just over 600 days at the time.

Those records are a testament to the success Staley has brought the program, specifically over the past half-decade.

South Carolina will look to move on from this loss as they drop to 23-3 on the season. Next up on the docket for Dawn Staley and company is a homestand against unranked Arkansas at home on Thursday night — the perfect opportunity to begin a new home streak. For UConn, they’ll travel to Seton Hall for a Wednesday night matchup in South Orange, NJ.

Both programs will be looking to find themselves on the 1-seed line come the NCAA Tournament. UConn was slated as the No. 7 overall seed, while the Gamecocks were the No. 2 overall seed. Based on their performance, it’s fair to assume their resume can only be bolstered by Sunday’s massive road win.