WBB: UConn steals the Show 66-54

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The venue changed, the crowd changed, and the play changed, but the result was the same. For the second year in a row, Connecticut easily dispatched South Carolina, this time by a score of 66-54.

A record sellout crowd of 18,000 and nation's best 45-game home winning streak were not enough for the Gamecocks to overcome the Huskies' 60-game winning streak. And while the final score was much closer than the 87-62 rout last season, the Huskies showed they are still a notch above the Gamecocks and the outcome was never in doubt.

Last season the Huskies outclassed the Gamecocks from the very start, but this year the Gamecocks kept the score respectable until the end. But being down one starter (Asia Dozier) for the whole game missing another (A'ja Wilson) for half the game was too much to overcome against the only team in the country that can clearly say it is more talented than the Gamecocks.

"It was just like any other night," Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma said. "I'm not surprised by what happened tonight. We knew we were playing a great team. We knew they are almost unbeatable on their home court. When my guys know the challenge is huge, (they) come up huge."

Connecticut was able to take South Carolina out of its comfort zone on offense. Guards Kia Nurse (6-0), Gabby Williams (5-11), and Katie Lou Samuelson (6-3) hounded the much smaller South Carolina backcourt all game. They were able to defend out past the three point lane, preventing South Carolina from initiating its offense.

Their defense was even more evident on inbounds plays. South Carolina was unable to run successful sets on out of bounds plays all game, one of the key reasons it found itself up against the shot clock time after time. It also took Alaina Coates, who only scored two points, out of her post position.

"They pushed us out a lot farther from scoring areas and it was disruption," Dawn Staley said. "It takes everybody a step or two outside of where they can be effective."

Both defenses took charge to start the game, and the score was tied at four almost four minutes in. Then the Huskies went on an 8-0 run keyed by the lightning quick Moriah Jefferson. Jefferson, who scored 12 points and had six assists, was able to get to the rim at will throughout the game.

Connecticut led 17-8 after the first quarter, and would lead by as much as 15 as South Carolina began to press, taking quick, bad shots to try to avoid Connecticut's defense. Dawn Staley called a timeout, and South Carolina regrouped. But the Wilson, who had already scored nine points, fell to the floor with a left calf injury. She limped straight to the locker room and did not return until the final seconds of the third quarter. Without Wilson, South Carolina lacked the offensive firepower to stay with Connecticut.

"With a team like UConn you can't go without scoring," Wilson said. "It's really tough when they keep scoring. You have to stick with your system and we had a hard time doing that."

A 6-0 spurt thanks to a three-point play by Sarah Imovbioh and three-pointer by Tiffany Mitchell enable South Carolina to go into halftime down only 35-25. But without Wilson in the third quarter, South Carolina couldn't keep up.

South Carolina shot a brutal 3-17 from the floor while UConn, behind Breanna Stewart and Morgan Tuck, kept plugging along. Tuck scored eight of her 16 points in the third quarter, and got Coates in foul trouble in the process. Stewart showed why she is one of the all-time greats, scoring six of her game-high 25 in the frame, and grabbing five rebounds and blocking four shots as Connecticut pushed its lead to 21.

South Carolina outscored Connecticut 21-12 in the fourth quarter, but by then game was already decided. Wilson and Imovbioh, who had one of her best games as a Gamecock, finished with 13 points each. Mitchell added 12, but shot just 4-12. Coates had nine rebounds, and Imovbioh had eight.

Notes:

Duane Notice and Sindarius Thornwell led the "Game-Cock" cheer before the game. ... Rebonds were even at 35, but South Carolina grabbed just six offensive rebounds, less than half its season average. It only got six second chance points, also less than half the season average. Auriemma said that was the key to the game. "If we win the rebound battle or keep it even, we're in great shape," he said. ... Auriemma said that South Carolina is "way ahead" of where UConn was in 1991 after its first Final Four. He was especially impressed by the atmosphere. "They've got a great fan base here. We couldn't get in the damn arena," he said. "It was amazing out there. I've never seen anything like it." ... The two schools have agreed to another home-and-home series beginning next year. Auriemma expects the series to continue after that. Staley said she wants to continue the series because it makes her team better. "I think the more times you play UConn the better feel you get for them," she said. Staley also said that next season's schedule is "a doozy," though she did not reveal any other opponents. ... Wilson said she got kneed or kicked in the calf, and is not quite 100%. ... Eli the Bear attended the postgame press conference. He did not take questions. ... Attendance was 18,000. ... South Carolina returns to action Thursday night against #16 Florida.

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