No. 3 UConn turns up defense in second half to rout Villanova

By Canadian Press on March 9, 2025.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) — After a disappointing first half defensively, UConn turned it up on that end of the court and Villanova had no answer.

The third-ranked Huskies held the Wildcats without a basket for more than 16 minutes, including the entire third quarter, to win 82-54 on Sunday and advance to the Big East championship game.

Star Paige Bueckers said that the team talked about its defensive effort in the first half when they gave up 37 points to the Wildcats before the coaches even had to say anything.

“We’ve taken pride on that and it was nothing like we wanted to display,” said Bueckers on the first-half effort. “Nothing like we have been in the past. There was a huge emphasis to tighten it up in the second half.”

It was the second straight game that the Huskies had shutdown an opponent for a long stretch. The Red Storm scored the opening basket in the quarterfinals Saturday before going more than 10 minutes without a hoop.

“That has to be the foundation for everything at this time of year,” coach Geno Auriemma said about UConn’s defense. “You got to play a different level defensively in March then you do during the regular year. That’s not the easiest thing to do. I’m glad they took some ownership of it. That’s what they are supposed to do.”

Villanova was able to keep pace with the Huskies for most of the first half despite Bueckers scoring 21 points. Then the game got away as the Wildcats couldn’t hit a shot. They missed all 11 attempts from the field in the third quarter and didn’t have their first points until two free throws with 4:41 left.

“They always do a great job of shrinking the court, get in the passing lanes, you feel it,” Villanova coach Denise Dillon said.

The drought from the field continued until midway through the fourth when Ryanne Allen made a jumper with 4:48 left in the game. They ended the second half 3-for-24 from the field, including only making one of 16 3-point attempts.

“You’re supposed to be prideful in your defense. You want to be counted on the defensive end,” Auriemma said. “I think that sometimes we get a little bit overconfident and a little bit too comfortable and this is not the time of the year for that. This is the time of the year where you try and get people to score single digits in the quarter. that’s the goal.”

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Doug Feinberg, The Associated Press

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