Yes, the UConn Huskies might be unstoppable. We are all thinking it, but the fanbase for the Gamecock women’s basketball team should feel positive after the team handled the spotlight so well after Monday night’s loss.
With the win, the UConn Huskies have won 100 consecutive games, which is an NCAA Basketball record. Intriguingly, the Gamecocks did not allow UConn another cakewalk that the nation is so accustomed to seeing. South Carolina proved throughout the game that they can play with the number one team in the country.
South Carolina hung in with the Huskies in terms of rebounds and field goal percentage. They trailed by three points after an impressive first quarter, and trailed by six at halftime after a late turnover gave UConn and uncontested layup before the buzzer.
But what stood out about the Gamecocks was their poise. They looked the part of the sixth-ranked team in the country. The raucous environment on the road did not seem to faze them. They slowed the ball down, which was important. They ran the shot clock down throughout the course of the game, limiting UConn’s offensive arsenal. They took quality shots and fed the ball to their all-American candidate A’ja Wilson. Wilson was quiet most of the second half but still finished with 17 points and five rebounds.
The past three games against UConn have been losses for South Carolina, but none was a more promising loss than this year’s. South Carolina made UConn work. They limited the Huskies to 23.5 percent three-point shooting overall and forced 12 Huskie turnovers. It may sound simple, but if the Gamecocks could have hit a few more big shots, this game could have gone either way.
The third quarter was the Gamecocks’ kryptonite. They struggled offensively, only generating 10 points in the quarter and trailing by 12 at the conclusion. When playing the greatest women’s basketball dynasty of all time, that cannot happen. Playing the best game possible is what is needed to pull off an upset this monumental. When critics say “teams need to play their best game on the biggest stage,” they are not bluffing. South Carolina was in it for the entire game, and if their tempo and production translated from the first half to the second half, the game could have concluded a bit differently.
An 11-point loss is not something to hang their heads on. Before last night’s win, UConn had won 97 of its 99 games by double digits, and 56 of those games by 40-plus points. Let that sink in, 40-plus points. That is a display of dominance, but UConn did not look dominant or overpowering against South Carolina.
Last night was a great performance for both teams, regardless of the outcome. UConn made NCAA basketball history while South Carolina competed with the best team in the country. Hopefully there will be a rematch down the line in March, because I know I am begging for it.