South Carolina denies UConn of back-to-back championship dream
The No. 1-seeded South Carolina Gamecocks (36-3, 15-1) spoiled the No. 1-seeded UConn Huskies’ (39-1, 20-0) undefeated season, beating them 62-48 to advance to the 2026 NCAA National Championship.
In the Huskies’ first loss of the 2025-2026 campaign, two players reached double figures. Paving the way, Sarah Strong contributed 12 points, 12 rebounds, an assist, two blocks and three steals. In 40 minutes, the 2026 Naismith College Player of the Year buried two of 11 (18.2%) floor shots, two of five (40%) deep attempts and two of four (50%) free throws.
“Sometimes we do forget she’s [Strong] a sophomore and she’s carried a huge load for this team,” said Head Coach Geno Auriemma. “An awful lot falls on her and she’ll be the first to tell you that.”
“I don’t think Strong needs me to put any fire, motivation or anything into her,” said Auriemma. “We’ll be back here next year and she’ll make sure of that.”
Alongside the star forward, Ashlynn Shade tallied 10 points, four boards and two assists. In 32 minutes, the guard swished five of eight (62.5%) paint shots but missed all three attempts from downtown.
In her final collegiate game, Azzi Fudd notched eight points, a rebound and five assists. In 39 minutes, the 23-year-old knocked down one of six (16.7%) field goals and two of nine (22.2%) triples.
“I have so much to be grateful for,” said Fudd after playing her last game as a Husky. “I couldn’t have asked for better teammates, better coaches, a better experience.”
While Blanca Quiñonez performed incredibly throughout her first tournament, tonight was a different story. The freshman finished with seven points, making one of three (33.3%) shots inside the perimeter, one of three (33.3%) long-range shots and went two-for-two from the free-throw line. It is worth noting that Quiñonez committed two foul to begin the night.
Overall, the Huskies connected on 13 of 40 (32.5%) field goals, six of 21 (28.6%) three-pointers and four of six (66.7%) free throws.
“They [South Carolina] were super aggressive on defense,” said Fudd. “I thought some of our shots were a little rushed and our offense was a little rushed and out of pace.”
“Defensively, it was a masterclass coach said,” said Ta’Niya Latson when asked about the Gamecocks’ defensive performance.
Compared to the Gamecocks, four players earned double figures. Topping the squad, Latson racked up 16 points, 11 boards and two assists. In 30 minutes, the guard thrived from the free-throw line, going 10-for-10. Other than that, the senior sniped three of nine (33.3%) floor shots.
Trailing behind her, Agot Makeer tallied 14 off-the-bench points, four rebounds and two assists. In 28 minutes, the 18-year-old drilled three of seven (42.9%) two-pointers and went two-for-two from three and the free-throw line.
Aside from the duo, Tessa Johnson (10 points) and Joyce Edwards (11 points) combined for a total of 21 points.
Collectively, the group hit 19 of 50 (38%) field goals, two of six (33.3%) three-pointers and 18 of 22 (81.8%) free throws.
In a battle that came down to the final quarter, Connecticut fought hard to reclaim the lead, but everything collapsed offensively and defensively. Not to mention, South Carolina out-rebounded UConn 47-32.
Coming out of halftime, the Gamecocks caught fire, dropping a suffocating 12 points on UConn to take a 36-28 margin. During this time, the Huskies only banked a jumper by KK Arnold. Shade tried to stop the bleeding by hitting the team’s second jumper of the quarter, but South Carolina answered with four points.
With just over three minutes remaining, Connecticut faced a 10-point deficit (40-30), but UConn did not back down. Kayleigh Heckel started the fun that turned into three consecutive deep shots to trail the Gamecocks 40-39. In four minutes, South Carolina could not find the net, but finished strong, adding four points to their lead.
Going into the fourth frame, Connecticut’s offensive run continued as they accumulated five points. In what seemed like a potential fourth-quarter comeback for the Huskies, things took a turn for the worse. With just under four minutes remaining in the match, nothing fell in the team’s favor, allowing South Carolina to go on an 11-0 run to put the nail in the coffin.
To kick off the Final Four matchup, South Carolina sank the first points of the game. Since then, the squad could not find the net, as they suffered a dry spell lasting just over two minutes. With the help of four turnovers, Connecticut snagged a seven-point lead by constructing a 7-0 run in slightly under a minute and a half.
However, this did not last long as Johnson knocked down back-to-back paint shots to close the gap. Although it seemed like the offensive momentum shifted, South Carolina missed four consecutive field goals. This was until Edwards nailed a layup at the two-minute mark. Despite the team’s struggles, UConn could not capitalize.
To finish the opening frame, Makeer took charge for the Gamecocks. With a minute and a half left, the freshman cashed in a pair of free throws and a buzzer-beating triple, tying the contest 15-15.
Heading into the second period, South Carolina kept their offensive rhythm going, outscoring Connecticut 6-1. In response, UConn exploited the Gamecocks’ two slumps. In six minutes, the 2026 Big East champs landed 10 points and conceded just a layup. At this point in the outing, South Carolina had misfired on five consecutive field goals. Going into halftime, this gave the Huskies a 26-24 advantage.
“I was never comfortable with that [undefeated] narrative,” said Auriemma. “It’s really hard and it’s always been hard. That’s why I don’t like the narrative… because there are too many good teams left to play.”
Regardless of not getting the job done, Auriemma credits this group for what they were able to accomplish all year long.
“You know all the things your team was really, really good at and you know all the things your team is potentially going to get hurt by,” said Auriemma. “You try all year long to… hide them from everybody so they don’t see them and this team did a really, really good job of that.”
While the Gamecocks await their fate, the Huskies will turn to the postseason as they depart from five players and welcome two newcomers.
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