Paige Bueckers’ miraculous 31-point performance lifts No. 2 UConn over No. 1 South Carolina in overtime thriller

Paige Bueckers enshrined herself in UConn lore Monday night at Gampel Pavilion, hitting the game-winning 3-pointer in overtime to lift the No. 2 Huskies over No. 1 South Carolina and all but guaranteeing UConn will secure the top spot in the country come next week.

Bueckers carried the Huskies with 31 points, the third-straight game in which she notched 30-plus, and scored all nine of UConn’s points in overtime.

South Carolina led by three with less than two minutes to go in overtime before Bueckers scored the game’s final seven points. Her game-winner? A last-ditch 3-point heave that bounced high in the air before swishing through the net.

Sophomore Aliyah Boston led the Gamecocks with 17 points and 15 rebounds. South Carolina committed 21 turnovers, only four fewer than their made field goals.

No other UConn player reached double figures, with Aaliyah Edwards and Nika Muhl chipping in eight apiece.

The game was a defensive slog from the start, with UConn shooting 22 percent in the first quarter and South Carolina committing six turnovers to go up 14-10 after 10 minutes. UConn regained some life in the second, tying the score off a jumper from Olivia Nelson-Ododa before Bueckers’ steal and score at the 1:02 mark gave UConn a 22-21 edge for its first lead of the game.

After a pair of missed free throws from Henderson, Bueckers hit Edwards for a layup to up the Huskies’ lead to three, but a half-court shot at the buzzer from Zia Cooke tied things up going into the half.

After a back-and-forth start to the third, Bueckers secured UConn’s first lead of the half with a nifty hook shot in the lane, before South Carolina tied it up on the next play. Muhl’s and-one put UConn up by three, and an Edwards layup put UConn ahead by six, its largest lead of the game up to that point. Bueckers’ runner at the buzzer gave UConn a 45-41 edge heading into the fourth.

Muhl hit UConn’s first 3-pointer of the night at the 9:15 mark of the fourth, while an Aubrey Griffin layup through contact put UConn ahead by seven. But South Carolina stormed back to take its first lead since midway through the third, going up by four with 2:37 to play.

Bueckers hit two baskets to tie things up, followed by consecutive turnovers from South Carolina. UConn gave the Gamecocks the ball with the chance to win with 22 seconds to play. They missed four shots to give UConn one last shot at securing the win in regulation.

Alexa Philippou can be reached at aphilippou@courant.com