In what was described as a “championship game atmosphere,” South Carolina was able to outlast UConn in the final minutes of an 81-77 bout in favor of the Gamecocks. However, it did not come without controversy.
UConn's head coach Geno Auriemma was critical of how the game was called. While his team only had two less fouls than South Carolina, Auriemma grew increasingly frustrated as the game went on. Aliyah Edwards was called for four fouls before the start of the fourth quarter while Lou Lopez Sénéchal and Nika Muhl fouled out.
“It was very, very difficult for some of our guys to move out on the floor. So I don’t think it was one key play. I just couldn’t keep quiet any longer,” Auriemma said. “The technical was stupid. I didn’t say anything for a long, long, long time. If you want to bring (graduate senior guard) Lou (Lopez Sénéchal) in and you can see the bruises on her body.
“It’s just appalling what teams do to her now. It’s not basketball anymore. I don’t know what it is, but it’s not basketball.”
Auriemma, who threw a water bottle onto the court at one point, did bring up the most controversial play of the game. South Carolina was trying to inbound the ball with less than two minutes left in regulation when one of the Gamecocks handed the ball off to one of her teammates while out of bounds. UConn was assessed with a foul but it should have received possession.
“It was a struggle with the way the game was being managed,” Auriemma said. “There was a handoff right on the sideline in front of their bench and the kid clearly was out of bounds. I asked them to review it and they didn’t. So I’ve got to learn the rules are. They’re not allowed to review it? They’re not allowed to make some of the calls they made during the game.
UConn suffered its third loss of the season but has remained a top-5 team in the Associated Press' polls after losing its star players throughout the season.
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