Paige Bueckers waited two years for UConn‘s matchup with Jackson State on her dwelling court docket Saturday. It was the 22-year-old’s first look within the ladies’s NCAA event in 720 days, and she or he did not miss a beat.
She was the primary participant to attain for UConn with a fast jumper, which she adopted up with a spotlight steal and layup three minutes later.
The senior went on to attain 28 factors within the lengthy awaited return, aiding the Huskies to a 86-61 win. Bueckers win impactful in each space of the field rating, including 11 rebounds, seven assists, three steals and a block to her last stat line.
She was considered one of three Huskies to attain in double digits. Freshman guard Ashlyn Shade had 26 factors, whereas senior ahead Aaliyah Edwards added 20 and 10 rebounds.
The win saved the Huskies successful streak alive, as they haven’t misplaced within the first spherical since a 1993 loss to No. 11 Louisville. Bueckers is now the fourth UConn participant within the final 25 years to have a number of profession NCAA Match video games with greater than 20 factors, 5 rebounds and 5 assists, per ESPN.
After lacking the complete 2022-23 season with a torn ACL, Bueckers has been on the high of her recreation this yr. She averaged a career-high 21.3 factors per recreation en path to being named an AP First Group All-American.
Saturday’s efficiency marked her twenty fourth 20-point recreation this season, an accolade she notched within the third quarter. By the tip of the primary half, Bueckers and Edwards had 33 factors between them, greater than Jackson State’s 28 factors between the primary two quarters.
This story will probably be up to date.