UConn vs South Carolina: 2021-22 women’s college basketball game preview, TV schedule
The top two team’s in women’s college basketball face off in the Battle 4 Atlantis in the UConn Huskies and South Carolina Gamecocks. Who has the edge here?
TV schedule: Monday, November 22nd, 12:00 pm ET. ESPN
Arena: Imperial Arena in Nassau, Bahamas
On the men’s side, the Battle 4 Atlantis will be starting this week. However, the women’s event has already gotten going, featuring four ranked programs and a pair of juggernauts in UConn and South Carolina. Both of them were ranked No. 1 and 2 respectively, with Coach Dawn Staley’s squad getting the early nod in the preseason polls.
The Gamecocks (5-0) had an early test Sunday against the Oregon Ducks, who were ranked No. 9 entering the contest. However, the SEC program burst out to a 27-14 lead after the first quarter and didn’t allow Oregon to get back into it, ultimately winning, 80-63. Junior guard Zia Cooke led all scorers with 20 points while leading scorer Alijah Boston had 16 points and eight rebounds. Laeticia Amihere had a big impact off the bench, going for 18 points in 21 minutes.
The No. 2 team in the country faced a familiar foe in South Florida in the other semifinal matchup. UConn Women astonishingly went unbeaten during their time in the AAC before recently moving back to the Big East but their biggest challenge consistently came from the Bulls, who are ranked No. 23 at the moment. The former “rivals” to the Huskies gave them a real fight for 40 minutes, with the game tied heading into the 4th quarter.
But Coach Geno Auriemma’s team had an elite defensive effort in the fourth quarter, allowing just eight points total to prevail with the 60-53 win in a slugfest. Star guard Paige Bueckers led all scorers with 21 points and seven assists, while Azzi Fudd had 18 off the bench, all coming from three-point range. Christyn Williams, who averaged nearly 20 ppg heading into this game, had 10 points but limited the Bulls guards to bad shooting nights on the other end.
What makes this such an interesting matchup is that few teams in the country have the size to make things difficult for South Carolina. Boston is listed at around 6’5, while Amihere is 6’4 and Victoria Saxon is 6’2. 6’5 forward Olivia Nelson-Ododa will have to avoid foul trouble in this one or risk giving the Gamecocks the interior. On the outside, look for Cooke and 5’7 senior Destanni Hendeson to get the main assignments on Bueckers, while the freshman and former five-star prospect Fudd already looking like an x-factor if she can continue shooting as well from three-point range.
Next. Latest top-25 men's power rankings. dark
If Bueckers can have a huge game (had 31 against South Carolina in a 63-59 win last year) and UConn’s defense can frustrate the Gamecock bigs, then the No. 2 team in the country will have a great shot at winning. But there’s just too much size and too much experience for what should be a very motivated team primed for revenge in the afternoon. I have this one being close but in favor of the team at the top.
Prediction: South Carolina 65, UConn 60