Paige Bueckers showcased her prowess on the court, scoring 24 points and guiding the third-seeded UConn Huskies, despite their injury-plagued lineup, to a hard-fought 53-45 triumph over the seventh-seeded Duke Blue Devils on Saturday night, securing their spot in the Elite Eight of the Women’s NCAA Tournament.
For Bueckers, who missed out on last year’s March Madness due to a knee injury, this victory held particular significance as she once again proved herself as the standout player, propelling the Huskies to their 28th regional final. Coach Geno Auriemma’s tenure witnessed yet another remarkable feat with this undermanned roster.
Despite dressing only eight players and fielding six, UConn’s resilience shone through, anchored by Bueckers, the reigning 2021 National Player of the Year, who displayed her exceptional form after grappling with injuries over the past couple of seasons.
The stage is now set for a highly anticipated clash as top-seeded Southern California is slated to face off against UConn on Monday night, with Bueckers poised to go head-to-head against the sensational freshman JuJu Watkins. Watkins, who dazzled with a remarkable 30-point performance in USC’s 74-70 victory over Baylor, promises to add to the excitement of this matchup.
Aaliyah Edwards and KK Arnold contributed 12 points each for the Huskies, despite registering their second-lowest points tally in a March Madness victory.
While Oluchi Okananwa led Duke with 15 points and Reigan Richardson added 10, the Blue Devils struggled to find their offensive rhythm after their impressive upset of No. 2 seed Ohio State in the previous round. With just 13 points in the first half and 27 going into the final quarter, Duke’s offensive woes were evident, despite a late surge that briefly unsettled the Huskies.
Bueckers played a pivotal role in disrupting Duke’s offensive flow, but it was a collective effort that contained Richardson, preventing her from replicating her 28-point performance against Ohio State.
Although Duke mounted a spirited comeback late in the game, narrowing the deficit to just five points, they couldn’t capitalize on turnovers and missed opportunities, ultimately falling short.
Buecker’s composed free throws in the closing seconds sealed the victory for the Huskies in what was a hard-fought battle.
