South Carolina women's basketball: Offense stumbles in title game loss to UConn
South Carolina’s quest for elusive back-to-back championships came up one game short as the Gamecocks fell to UConn 82-59.
With South Carolina focused on stopping Paige Bueckers and Sarah Strong, Azzi Fudd torched the Gamecocks for 24 points
Fudd had 28 points and shot 6-10 from three when the teams met in February. She wasn’t quite as explosive on Sunday, but Fudd was more aggressive working the midrange game and driving to the basket.
Bueckers added 17 points. Strong had seven points in the fourth quarter to finish with a huge 24-point, 15-rebound double-double.
Defensively, South Carolina was okay. UConn shot 48.4%, but only 4-17 from three. And the Gamecocks held their own on the glass after being outrebounded by 19 in the first meeting. But South Carolina had to be perfect on defense to overcome a miserable shooting day.
South Carolina’s offense has come and gone all season and was missing for tournament wins over Indiana, Maryland, and Duke.
“The offense will sometimes go off on a journey on its own,” Staley said on Saturday.
After scoring 74 points against Texas on Friday, there was hope that South Carolina had found a rhythm that could carry over to the national championship game.
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Instead, the Gamecocks went scoreless for nearly five minutes in the first half, and the 40% first quarter shooting was the high point. The Gamecocks shot just 4-17 in the second quarter, and the Huskies built a double-digit lead.
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It continued to get worse. South Carolina went 5-16 in the third, and when the fourth quarter rolled around, it was garbage time with both teams playing out the stretch. South Carolina ended up shooting 34.4%
“They had us by, what, 21 points in the second half,” Joyce Edwards said. “At that point you realize you’re not going to win the game. But you just keep fighting. That’s all you can do. You don’t go down without a fight.”
South Carolina was just 2-10 on layups in the first half and finished the game 9-22.
“We lost to a very, very good basketball team,” Dawn Staley said. “That they beat our ass but they didn’t make us like it. There’s a difference.”
Joyce Edwards and Tessa Johnson each had 10 points. Chloe Kitts had nine points and six rebounds. Raven Johnson had seven rebounds. MiLaysia Fulwiley also had nine points.
Notes:
South Carolina wore its “Cocky” alternates. … Staley and South Carolina had never lost in the national championship game. They are now 3-1. … UConn and Geno Auriemma are now 12-1 in championship games, with the only loss coming to South Carolina in 2022. … With Joyce Edwards in first-half foul trouble, Maryam Dauda played four minutes in the first half. … Freshman Maddy McDaniel played in the fourth quarter. … The Final Four All-Tournament team was Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd, Sarah Strong, Lauren Betts, and Joyce Edwards. Fudd was named Most Outstanding Player. … Dawn Staley’s outfit: Staley wore a black Louis Vuitton tracksuit embellished with pearls.
