No. 3 UConn women fall to No. 19 Arkansas on the road for first loss of the season

Arkansas coach Mike Neighbors said that UConn coach Geno Auriemma wouldn’t have added his Razorbacks to the Huskies’ schedule if it wouldn’t be a test for Auriemma’s undefeated team.

Boy, was Arkansas a test, and more, for UConn.

Redshirt senior guard Chelsea Dungee scored 37 points for the No. 19 Razorbacks, who handed No. 3 UConn its first loss of the season, 90-87, in Fayetteville, Ark., on Thursday night.

Down three, UConn had a chance to tie the game but no one called a timeout after a Christyn Williams defensive rebound with two seconds left. The Huskies ended up having a last-ditch shot with 0.3 on the clock, but it would not fall.

Paige Bueckers scored a career-high 27 points for UConn (10-1, 8-0 Big East), while Evina Westbrook (19) and Williams (16) also scored in double figures.

After a back-and-forth first half — UConn led for most, but there were five lead changes — the Huskies went into the break up 43-41 thanks to a corner three from Aubrey Griffin with four seconds on the clock. Williams and Westbrook had 12 and eight points at the half, respectively, while Dungee added 15.

Arkansas outscored the Huskies 31-19 in the third, making 6 of 7 threes, and headed into the fourth up by 10. The Huskies weren’t done yet, starting the quarter on a 17-5 run to gain a two-point lead with 5:28 to play off heroics from Bueckers and Westbrook. But Arkansas retook the lead for good out of a timeout and led by as many as eight before the Huskies chipped away at the score in the final minutes.

A Bueckers three made it a five-point game with 1:17 to play, and then Williams followed up with a layup with 34 seconds to go. But UConn could not take advantage on that last defensive possession to tie the game.

Six Arkansas players were unavailable for the game due to COVI9-protocols.

Assistant coach Shea Ralph did not travel to the game due to a family obligation, the school said.

Alexa Philippou can be reached at aphilippou@courant.com