NASSAU, BAHAMAS – The UConn women’s basketball team had a lackluster performance in Wednesday’s matchup against No. 18 Ole Miss, but the Huskies responded to an ugly third quarter with a late rally to win the Baha Mar women’s championship 73-60.

The victory was the No. 2 Huskies’ second win over a ranked opponent this season. Superstar Paige Bueckers, who was named tournament MVP, paced UConn with 29 points and 11-for-17 shooting from the field, while also adding four rebounds, four assists, one block and three steals. Redshirt freshman Jana El Alfy was also extremely impactful for the Huskies in arguably the toughest post matches she has ever faced, recording eight points, nine rebounds, one steal and one block in just 20 minutes on the court, the highest team value for the team.

Ole Miss applied aggressive defensive pressure from the opening whistle, double-teaming the Bueckers almost immediately in the first quarter, but the Huskies quickly adjusted to the physicality. Bueckers still managed to find gaps and led the team with seven points in the first quarter, although she was slightly less efficient than usual on 3-for-7 from the field. Freshman Sarah Strong was also an early force for the Huskies with six points and three rebounds, and neither she nor Bueckers came off the floor in the first quarter.

UConn quickly built a double-digit lead in the first half behind a stifling defensive performance — and a miserable shooting performance from Ole Miss. The Rebels were only able to make five field goals in the entire first half, three coming from 3-point range. The Huskies controlled the game on both ends of the court, with 30 of 37 first-half points coming from the lane and three different players recording blocks. UConn also forced eight turnovers and scored six points from them, while the Rebels only allowed two points from their six turnovers.

Star guard Azzi Fudd put together her best offensive performance since returning from a torn ACL and meniscus last season, scoring six points in the second quarter alone, including four straight, to give the Huskies an 8-0 run. UConn dominated the second quarter, outscoring Ole Miss 18-10, and they held the Rebels to a miserable 16.7% margin.

But Ole Miss refused to back down and stormed into the third quarter with a 20-4 run in the first five minutes, fueled by a series of turnovers by the Huskies. UConn allowed seven turnovers in seven minutes during the Rebels’ run, and Ole Miss benefited from a dramatic improvement in their shooting. The Huskies allowed 13 fewer points on turnovers in the third quarter alone, while the Rebels shot 60% from the field and 37.5% from 3-point range.

Fudd was the savior for UConn’s offense, ending the drought in the third quarter with her first three-pointer of the game. She scored seven straight points to extend the Huskies’ lead again, and 12 of her 18 points came after halftime. Fudd finished the game 8 of 11, second on the team, behind only Bueckers. The backcourt duo combined for 27 of UConn’s 36 points in the second half and both were named to the all-tournament team.

Turnovers continued to plague the Huskies in the fourth quarter, but Ole Miss couldn’t maintain its offensive efficiency in the third quarter. UConn finished the game with 18 total turnovers – by far its worst turnovers of the season – which gave the Rebels 17 points, but the Huskies found an answer for every Ole Miss basket. They dominated the boards in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Rebels 9-4, and UConn shot 72.7% from the field while Ole Miss shot 31.3%.

Originally published: November 27, 2024 at 9:25 pm EST