SAN ANTONIO – UConn student star Paige Bueckers made a big entry in the Huskies’ NCAA tournament on Sunday, setting a school record for most points in a tournament debut, with 24 in a 102-59 16-point rout High Point.
The much-appreciated power, named in The Associated Press All-America last week, added nine rebounds and six assists as the top Huskies escaped without their coach Geno Auriemma on the bench thanks to COVID-19 protocols. .
“I was just excited to be out here,” Bueckers said. “We’ve been practicing Madness since August for March and we’re just excited to see it happen. We know from this year’s ups and downs, we’re just excited and blessed to be here.”
For Bueckers, apart from the fact that he plays well, nothing was so normal in his first tournament game. After all, Auriemma watched the game at home in Connecticut, with longtime associate head coach Chris Dailey completing it. However, Bueckers could feel Auriemma’s presence.
“I heard Coach screaming in my ear. I think in the first trimester, I took a couple of pictures, so I know he’s screaming at the TV, I know he’s screaming at me,” she said. “So I knew that in the second trimester, so I tried to be more aggressive.”
Bueckers said she gets nervous before any match, but in an opening tournament game with unusual circumstances – such as playing in an empty Alamodome – she showed the kind of balance she came to be known for. She did not reveal her inexperience until after the game, when she came out indifferently while being interviewed by ESPN’s Holly Rowe.
“It’s a debut year and I just wanted to say that I’m a big fan of Holly Rowe and it’s always been my dream to be interviewed by her after a game,” she said with a big smile. – So, I’m just excited to be here.
Indeed, Bueckers started slowly, but visibly asserted himself following an ankle injury to starting guard Nika Muhl, scoring 10 of the 13 points in her first half in a rain of drives to the basket and jumper pull -up.
“He likes to feel the game and he likes to involve his teammates,” Dailey said. “We thought we had to start running plays to get her pictures. What we did and that helped us a lot.
“Her pull-up reminds me a lot of Sue Bird. When Sue Bird did a pull-up, I thought it was automatic and she never missed it,” Dailey said. “And I think the same light as Paige, it’s just automatic with her shooting.”
Bueckers said the change in coaching was “different,” but noted the importance of continuing Dailey’s experience.
“The coach and the CD have been doing this for 36 years, so obviously they have a very high IQ for basketball,” Bueckers said. “When the coach comes out, CD grows. Obviously, it’s different if the coach yells at us and CD yells at us, but they’re both great basketball minds and we can count on both.”
Bueckers has taken on a leadership role in the young Huskies, unusual for a historic team full of experienced depth and stellar power. But with seven freshmen and no seniors, Bueckers hailed the burden of responsibility, which Dailey said often reveals the following equipment.
“Paige has a completely different gear. The more physical the game, if she thinks it’s fouled, the faster it comes,” Dailey said. “Paige has other equipment and when she arrives at that moment, it’s hard to stop her.”
Although the Huskies have handled High Point relatively easily, they know the games will become more difficult here. 8 Syracuse is waiting for them on Tuesday, which happens to be 67 years since Auriemma.
Bueckers is already thinking about this obvious.
“I hope to win,” she said, “so she can come out with us.”
Sunday was her 12th season in her debut season when Bueckers surpassed 20 points, and the 24 points equaled her for the fourth most of a UConn freshman in the 2000 NCAA tournament, according to ESPN research. Stats & Information.