"No one is messing with her this year": Paige Bueckers' fans went crazy after UConn star led Huskies' rally back only to come up short vs USC

Paige Bueckers and the UConn Huskies put up a fight before succumbing to the USC Trojans 72-70 loss on Saturday. Bueckers led the Huskies with 22 points, three rebounds and two assists.

JuJu Watkins and the Trojans took the lead from the start and at one point had an 18-point gap. However, Bueckers' team fought back in the fourth quarter, bringing the score to 64-61. The senior guard drained a 3-pointer in the final five minutes, reducing the gap to one point.

The moment drew several reactions on social media, with fans pointing out Paige Bueckers' drive to win.

"She needs that title this year, no one is messing with her this year i stg," a fan wrote.

"When she hit this i thought it was over ngl," another fan wrote

"Came to play! Keep shooting’ Paige," one user commented

"Win or lose I’m just happy we’re actually fighting back now," another commented

"Paiging a comeback!" a fan wrote

"What a tough shot by Paige !! the game delivered! JuJu takes round 1," one fan commented

Paige Bueckers had help from freshman Sarah Strong, who also finished with 22 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. She also had five assists and four steals.

Paige Bueckers vs JuJu Watkins showdown draws a big crowd

The battle between Bueckers and Watkins was one of the most anticipated games of the season. A sold-out crowd of 16,000 fans gathered at the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut, to witness the two star guards battle it out on the hardwood.

JuJu Watkins, who finished with 25 points, spoke about the crowd in the postgame press conference.

“I think it’s a testament to when you give women’s basketball a platform, we’re going to perform,” Watkins said. “I think tonight was an excellent game. ... It was beautiful to be a part of and I can imagine watching it, super exciting.”

This was a rematch between the two teams after their Elite Eight clash last year, and fans were eager to see if Watkins would have her shot at revenge. Bueckers also spoke about the game bringing two of women's basketball's biggest stars together.

“Yeah definitely playing against great players, you embrace the matchup and have fun in the moment,” she said. “Both teams were trying to win. Matchups like these are why we play basketball.”

Both teams will take their holiday break and return to action on Dec. 29, when USC will host Michigan and UConn will play Providence.