Paige Bueckers scored a season-high 32 points to lead No. 9 UConn to an 83-59 win over Seton Hall on Wednesday night.
The All-American guard left the game with 6:38 remaining in the third quarter after colliding with teammate KK Arnold at midcourt. She returned with just under three minutes left in the period after icing her neck and promptly hit a baseline jumper on her first shot attempt for a 59-46 lead.
“When a kid lays there a little longer than normal, it's obviously a concern,” said UConn coach Geno Auriemma. "But she (Bueckers) seemed to be okay. She just landed a little hard.
“When the games get physical like it did tonight, she responds a certain way, certainly in that stretch. Maybe we are little gun-shy when something like that happens. It took us a little while to get our bearings."
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Auriemma had legitimate concern to be worried. Bueckers missed all of last season with a torn ACL. With their star back, the Huskies (15-3, 7-0 Big East) have now won 11 straight games and 37 in a row against Seton Hall.
“A lot of times once you get hurt, you get another boost of energy,” Bueckers said. “I was making sure it wasn’t anything concussion-like."
This contest was closer than other Big East games this season which UConn had won by an average of 38 points.
Dog House
Azana Baines scored 17 points to lead Seton Hall (11-7, 3-4). The Pirates trailed by double-figures for most of the second half, but closed to 63-54 after a 3-pointer from Baines. UConn responded with an 8-0 run, five points coming from Bueckers, to raise the lead to 71-54.
“Once they (UConn) get in a rhythm they are tough to beat,” said Seton Hall coach Tony Bozzella. “We went to some zone to get them out of rhythm, but they run such great stuff.
“Paige understands better and better that this is her team now. That's why she is an All-American. She's laser focused.”
Aaliyah Edwards and Arnold added 17 and 15 points, respectively, for the Huskies.
The Huskies are winning convincingly despite being without four key players. Azzi Fudd (ACL), Jana El Alfy (Achilles), Ayanna Patterson (knee) and Aubrey Griffin (ACL) are all done for the season.
UConn used a 19-3 run midway through the second quarter to move ahead 40-27. Bueckers, the 2021 National Player of the Year, contributed nine of those points on her way to accumulating 17 first-half points.
The Huskies shot a sizzling 70 percent in the first half.
BIG PICTURE
UConn: The Huskies lead the nation in field goal percentage (51.5) with all five starters shooting over 50 percent — including four averaging 9.5 points per game or better.
Seton Hall: The Pirates are allowing just 53.6 points per game, which ranks 15th in the country. They are forcing 19.4 turnovers, which leads the Big East Conference.
UP NEXT
UCONN: Hosts DePaul on Saturday,
SETON HALL: Hosts St. John's on Monday
