Paige Bueckers Stats Tonight: How did UConn star fare vs USC? (Dec. 20)

Paige Bueckers had a standout performance for the UConn Huskies, but they suffered their first home loss Saturday night. The No. 4 Huskies fell to the No. 7 Trojans 72-70.

The star guard finished with 22 points, three rebounds, two assists and one steal, tying teammate Sarah Strong's scoring output for team-high honors, Bueckers struggled with efficiency, shooting 9-for-22 and 2-for-8 from beyond the arc.

The game was a fiery rematch of last season's Elite Eight contest, with Bueckers and fellow All-American Juju Watkins guarding each other for much of the matchup.

Bueckers shone briefly in the third quarter when she drained a 3-pointer with Watkins closing in, following it up with a brief staredown.

Despite a strong second-half comeback, the Huskies couldn’t hold on to a brief 65-64 lead late in the fourth quarter. In the final 4:34, Bueckers went 1-for-3, committed two fouls and had a turnover.

With five seconds remaining and USC leading 72-70, Strong made just one of her three free throws, but Paige Bueckers grabbed the offensive rebound and passed it back to Strong. The rookie's 3-point attempt missed, sealing the Trojans' victory.

After the game, Bueckers spoke highly of the competitive showdown.

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

Paige Bueckers and the Huskies will enjoy a long break before hosting Providence on Dec. 29 for their final game of 2024. The game will be broadcast on SNY and the UConn Sports Network.

USC overcomes Paige Bueckers and Sarah Strong's 22 to notch 1st win vs UConn

The Huskies are now 3-1 all-time against USC in a series dating back to the 2002-03 season after suffering their first loss to the Trojans on Saturday.

UConn struggled early, falling behind in front of 15,684 fans at the XL Center. USC drained seven first-half 3-pointers and held UConn scoreless from the floor for the final three minutes of the first half, building a 42-29 lead at halftime.

The Huskies found their footing in the third quarter, going on a 10-0 run as USC’s offense slowed and turnovers piled up—seven in the quarter alone. UConn briefly took its first lead of the game with a 7-0 rally, going ahead 65-64 with 4:35 left, and later forced a 67-67 tie with 1:45 remaining.

However, Sarah Strong's misses in the dying seconds sealed the loss.

Shooting woes plagued UConn throughout the game, as they went 6-for-23 from beyond the arc, while USC shot an efficient 9-for-15. The Huskies also shot a poor 10-for-17 from the charity stripe.

UConn’s record now stands at 10-2 overall and 1-0 in the Big East, but they remain winless against top-10 teams this season at 0-2. While dominant against lower-ranked opponents, the Paige Bueckers-led squad is still seeking a victory against ranked teams.

The Huskies' next opportunity against a ranked opponent won’t come until Feb. 6 at Tennessee, followed by a matchup with South Carolina on Feb. 16.