STORRS — The UConn women’s basketball team fell 82-67 to longtime rival Notre Dame in heartbreaking fashion on Saturday, snapping a 13-game winning streak with its first loss to the Irish at Gampel Pavilion since 2013.
It was a game of runs for both teams with the No. 8 Huskies (17-4) leading by as many as 12 points in the second quarter before No. 15 Notre Dame (15-4) went up nine at the half. The score tied eight times with four lead changes, though the Irish held their lead much longer with 23 minutes ahead to UConn’s 10.
UConn struggled to contain Notre Dame star Hannah Hidalgo all night, giving up 34 points, 10 rebounds and six assists to the freshman. She also shot 14 of 24 from the field and 3 of 5 from 3-point range. KK Arnold spent most of the game guarding Hidalgo along with Paige Bueckers, and Arnold had a productive night despite her rookie counterpart’s dominance. She had 11 points going 2 of 2 on 3-pointers as one of four Huskies that scored in double figures.
The Huskies were visibly struggling with the rivalry nerves early in the first quarter, falling behind by four points before exploding out of the midquarter media timeout with an 8-0 run. Bueckers took just three field goal attempts for two points as Notre Dame dropped double and triple teams every time she touched the ball, but UConn’s other scoring threats executed with their star limited. Aaliyah Edwards had a team-high 12 points and five rebounds before halftime, and freshmen Ashlynn Shade and Arnold each scored eight in the first half.
UConn opened up a 12-point lead at the start of the second quarter, but Notre Dame answered with a 26-5 run over holding the Huskies without a field goal for nearly 3:30. Hidalgo put the Irish on her back with 19 first-half points plus six rebounds and four assists. Bueckers inexplicably spent three minutes on the bench in the second quarter, and the Huskies were outscored by 10 points in the time she was off the court.
After halftime, UConn immediately fed off the intensity from its crowd. They roared when Hidalgo missed two free throws early in the second half and reached another decibel when the Huskies tied the game 50-50 right before the third-quarter media timeout.
Bueckers found a new gear to start the second half, hitting nine points by the end of the third quarter after ending the first half with a single made field goal. She finished with 17 points, two rebounds and two assists, though she had one of her least-efficient games of the season shooting 5-of-17 from the field. The Huskies’ star was perhaps most impactful on defense, logging four steals and two blocks with both of her rebounds on the defensive glass.
Lack of depth ultimately doomed UConn once point guard Nika Muhl fouled out early in the fourth quarter. Ice Brady and Qadence Samuels, the only players who saw minutes off the bench, logged a combined four points shooting 1 of 5 from the field. Both finished with their plus-minus ratings below negative-10. The Huskies were inconsistent where they usually thrive, going just 4-for-14 on 3-pointers and making an abysmal 11 of 22 layups.
Edwards led the Huskies with 23 points and 11 rebounds for her ninth double-double of the season, and she was the most efficient shooter on the team hitting 10 of 14 from the field.
