UConn stops Gamecocks' home win streak at 71

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Azzi Fudd scored 28 points and No. 7 UConn ended No. 4 South Carolina's 71-game home winning streak with an 87-58 victory Sunday.

Sarah Strong added 16 points and 13 rebounds for the Huskies (24-3), who had lost their last four to the Gamecocks. Paige Bueckers had 12 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds as UConn took control late in the opening quarter and was up by 22 points by halftime.

Uncharacteristically, defending champion South Carolina could not respond and lost for the first time at home since North Carolina State beat the Gamecocks 54-46 on Dec. 3, 2020. That ended the fourth longest home winning streak ever in women's Division I basketball history.

"This is a great rivalry. It became a rivalry when they started winning. It became a headache for me back home when they started winning, but it became a great rivalry," UConn coach Geno Auriemma said after the win. "I think it's one of the premier games in college basketball right now. It means a lot to a lot of people, which is great."

Fudd followed up a career-best 34-point performance in a win over St. John's this Wednesday by torching the Gamecocks. She had six of UConn's 13 3-pointers, including four in the third quarter to close off any South Carolina hope of a comeback.

It was a big win for the Huskies, who fell to Tennessee 80-76 earlier this month. With a healthy Fudd playing at this level, UConn can be a championship contender.

Joyce Edwards had 17 points to lead South Carolina (23-3), which had lost a total of three games the past three seasons and was sent reeling by No. 3 Texas last Sunday. Coach Dawn Staley will need to find answers in a hurry as March nears.

"Coming down here is really, really, really hard, and it didn't used to be a long time ago," Auriemma said of South Carolina. "And I think they've made it really special."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.