UConn fans blame Geno Auriemma as valiant Paige Bueckers-Sarah Strong efforts go in vain vs JuJu Watkins' USC: "This loss is on Geno"
Geno Auriemma and the No. 4 UConn Huskies suffered their second defeat of the season on Saturday, losing 72-70 to JuJu Watkins and the No. 7 USC Trojans in a much-anticipated clash at XL Center. Paige Bueckers and Sarah Strong each scored 22 points for the Huskies, whose second-half rally fell agonizingly short.
UConn got off to a poor start and trailed 51-33 with 5:33 remaining in the third quarter. Buoyed by their home support, the Huskies stormed back. They finished the third period on a 16-4 run, cutting USC's lead to six points entering the final quarter.
UConn took the lead on a layup from Strong with 4:34 left in the fourth quarter. However, the Huskies' joy was short-lived, as Watkins took over for USC down the stretch, scoring six of the Trojans' last eight points to lead them to victory. She finished with 25 points, six rebounds, five assists, three blocks and one steal in 38 minutes of action.
College hoops fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to blame Auriemma for his role in the Huskies' gut-wrenching loss.
"This loss is on Geno," one fan wrote.
"UConn should have started playing basketball from the first half. Geno has to decide soon who will start, we can't stay in these rotations forever," one fan replied.
"Why was KK not in??? They blew it in the last two minutes. Geno's substitutions are terrible," another fan commented.
Some fans criticized Geno Auriemma and the Huskies for not calling a timeout during their final possession.
"Getting that last rebound and no one taking the last timeout was criminal," one fan posted.
"Just a heartbreaking loss after coming back down 18. We had a timeout. Why didn’t we call it?" another fan asked.
"Geno couldn’t call a timeout?" one user tweeted.
Free throws and 3-point shooting doom Geno Auriemma's UConn Huskies in loss to USC
Geno Auriemma's UConn Huskies struggled with their outside shooting, missing 17 of their 23 attempts from beyond the arc. Auriemma's team also had difficulty at the free-throw line, converting just 10 of 17 attempts.
Two of those misses came with five seconds left in the contest. Sarah Strong had an opportunity to tie the game after she was fouled while attempting a 3-pointer, with USC holding a 72-69 lead. Strong made the first free throw but missed the second and third attempts, leading to a scramble for the rebound.
Paige Bueckers grabbed the board and passed the ball out to Strong, whose long-range attempt missed as time expired. The Huskies dropped to 10-2 with the loss, while the Trojans improved their overall record to 11-1.