Geno Auriemma reacts to Azzi Fudd's impressive 28-pt game vs South Carolina: "I'm sure she had some doubts of, do I still have it in me?"

Geno Auriemma praised Azzi Fudd's perseverance after the UConn Huskies downed the defending champions South Carolina 87-58 on Sunday. The Gamecocks did a neat job defending Paige Bueckers, restricting her to 3-of 12 shooting (25%), but Fudd shouldered the offensive load for the visitors.

The sharpshooter clicked on 11-of-22 shots from the field, including 6 of 10 3-pointers, to score a game-high 28 points. The performance comes right after Fudd had clinched her career-high 34 points on 59.1% shooting against St. John's Red Storm on Wednesday.

Auriemma praised the senior's ongoing pursuit of pushing her boundaries and taking on the toughest challenge on the court.

"This was a big moment for her," he said. "It really goes a long way towards pushing her forward. I'm sure she had some doubts of. Do I still have it in me? So I was really proud of her."

Most of Azzi Fudd's points came in the third quarter, with UConn leading by nine points. It's a recurring third-quarter theme for the senior, who scored 13 against St. John's and 17 against Providence Friars earlier this month.

As South Carolina attempted a comeback with a 21-point stretch, Fudd scored 18 of the Huskies' 25 points on 7-of-9 shooting.

Before thanking her teammates for constantly eyeing her on the court and setting screens, Fudd said that she missed all of her shots during the halftime shootaround.

"I missed all my shots when we came out at halftime when I was shooting," she said. "So, either they were all gonna go in or I was gonna miss all of them."

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Azzi Fudd's 28 points are the best individual performance against the defending champions

More than its ability to generate offense, South Carolina relies on its toughness and defensive abilities.

Players like Lauren Betts, Kiki Rice, Audi Crooks, Sedona Prince, Zee Spearman, Talaysia Cooper and Flau'Jae Johnson have struggled to live up to their usual production and efficiency against the Gamecocks.

Azzi Fudd's 28-point outing is the highest by a player against the defending NCAA champions this season. The last player to touch the mark was Caitlin Clark in the 2024 title game.