It was close at the start, but No. 2 UConn pulled away early and stayed in control throughout the game to beat No. 14 North Carolina 69-58 and remain undefeated.
They got it done thanks to Paige Bueckers scoring 29 points, along with four rebounds, four assists and two steals. Sarah Strong demonstrated why she’s one of the most exciting freshmen in this class, scoring 14 points and 13 rebounds for her first double-double of her career. For the Tar Heels, Indya Nivar led the team in scoring with 15 points and nine rebounds, and Ciera Toomey had 10 points off the bench.
The victory for UConn also means head coach Geno Auriemma is now tied for the most wins in Division I history with 1,216, matching former Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer. The Huskies will try to put him alone at the top by winning their next matchup, which is on Wednesday, Nov. 20 against Fairleigh Dickinson.
How the Huskies defeated the Heels
The opening minutes were the best part of the game for North Carolina. They exchanged baskets with UConn, and after a Nivar 3-pointer, the score was even at nine midway through the first quarter.
After that, it was the Bueckers and Strong show. The duo worked well with their inside-outside game and scored a combined 23 points during the opening frame. Bueckers, in particular, was really feeling it and hit a buzzer-beater to end the first period, galloping near the North Carolina bench after the make.
UConn continued to break the game open with a 7-0 run to start the second. Alyssa Ustby finally got the Tar Heels on the board with a runner at the 6:16 mark. The rest of the second quarter leaned in North Carolina’s favor, with the Tar Heels ending the period on an 8-0 run. UConn, however, had already created a double-digit advantage and led 38-26 at the break.
At the start of the third, Bueckers scored for UConn with a post-up basket. Kaitlyn Chen hit a 3-pointer, and suddenly, any chance of a comeback from North Carolina felt grim. North Carolina showed signs of life, with five points unanswered to end the third. The Tar Heels added to their scoring run to start the fourth by reducing the deficit by another five points.
Strong finally got UConn on the board in the fourth with a basket off a Chen assist, but North Carolina responded right back with a Laila Hull three. A Nivar layup got the Tar Heels within nine points with 7:03 left to play, but both teams went cold, with neither scoring for over three minutes. UConn ended the drought with a Jana El Alfy tip-in, followed by another four points from Bueckers, all but ending the night. With 90 seconds to play, both teams exchanged free throws and field goals the rest of the way, and UConn cruised to the win.
Closing thoughts
This was UConn’s first big test, and they passed, thanks to Bueckers and Strong. Their guard-forward combo is great and should only improve as the season goes on.
The concern for the Huskies is whether they are too reliant on Bueckers. It felt like they needed her on the floor for every minute, and whenever she rested, leads were depleted. Maybe it’s not something to panic about this early on, but it’s something to keep an eye on.
The Huskies also have to finish quarters better. North Carolina’s runs at the ends of the second and third quarters kept the Tar Heels in the game. Against the top teams, those end-of-quarter runs can be a killer.
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