"There's nothing on the court she can't do": Paige Bueckers makes her feelings clear on Sarah Strong after UConn win vs St. John's
UConn Huskies guard Paige Bueckers made her feelings known about Sarah Strong following the freshman forward's excellent performance in the Huskies' 71-40 win over St. John Red Storm in the Big East Tournament quarterfinals on Saturday at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.
Strong, the top-ranked freshman in the Class of 2024, tallied 10 points, 14 rebounds, two assists, one steal and three blocks, helping UConn qualify for the tournament semifinals, where they will meet Villanova on Sunday afternoon.
During the post-game press conference, the six-foot senior guard spoke about what it's like to play with Strong, saying that she makes the game easier for the Huskies due to her all-around abilities.
"It's very fun," Bueckers said (2:51). She's an extremely easy person to play with and there's nothing on the court that she can't do."
Bueckers, who led the team's attack with 20 points, five rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks, trusts the freshman to score and grab rebounds, as well as provide excellent defense inside the paint.
"Anytime you throw it to her she's going to catch it and finish and make a great play," the guard said of Strong (3:04). "She can pass. She defends. She can score at all three levels. So it's extremely fun to play with her and extremely easy."
Strong was instrumental in UConn's 22-0 run in between the first and second quarters against St. John's despite scoring only three points. She was busy on the boards, grabbing eight rebounds, including four on the offensive end.
The freshman scored the rest of her points in the remainder of the game as UConn kept the Red Storm at bay with timely baskets to seal the win.
Huskies dominate Red Storm amid poor 3-point shooting
UConn outplayed St. John's despite having a bad night outside the perimeter. The Geno Auriemma-coached team made 60% of their shots from the two-point area, compensating for their 10.5% clip from the 3-point line.
The Huskies also made 11 of 12 shots from the free-throw line and dominated the rebounding department 42-31. They were also ahead on assists (17-11), steals (9-2) and blocks (7-3).
UConn almost played mistake-free basketball, turning the ball over only four times, as compared to St. John's 16. Azzi Fudd, who contributed 11 points, two rebounds and two steals, attributed the effort to taking care of the ball through their good defense.
"I think that it helped that our defense was really good today, Fudd said (4:29). "So we got a lot of just easy buckets transition layups and 3-point looks. I think coach has really been harping on taking care of the ball, setting up screens and using screens."
The Huskies also ruled the inside points department 42-14 against St. John's. The Red Storm's offense was led by Kylie Lavelle, who scored 11 points.