USF women's basketball was dominated by 2nd-ranked UConn, falling 86-49

It wasn’t so much that the USF women’s basketball team lost Sunday at 2nd-ranked UConn, but in the way the Bulls were beaten 86-49. It was total domination, although that may say more about how good UConn is than anything alarming about the Bulls.

Before a raucous sellout crowd of 10,299 at the Gampel Pavilion, the Bulls fell behind 13-2 in the opening minutes but clawed back to within 19-13 after a quarter.

From there, though,  it fell apart.

UConn led by 18 at the half and stretched the margin to as much as 35.

The Bulls shot just 36% from the field, including four of 12 from 3-point range. They were only three of 12 on  free throws.

UConn, meanwhile, was a buzzsaw. The Huskies shot 66.75% from the field and had 58 points in the paint.

“They shot a huge number. To win these type of games, we had to shoot well and play well. We didn't do that, especially from the free throw line and everything else,” Bulls coach Jose Fernandez said.

Player of the Year candidate Paige Bueckers led UConn with 22 points.

“We we scripted about three or four, five plays maybe, before we came out, and we wanted to get some some momentum going with (Bueckers),” Huskies coach Geno Auriemma said. “I felt in past years I had to do that, but this year, she kind of takes that on her own and puts it on her own shoulders. She’s attacking the basket way more often.”

The Bulls fell to 0-34 lifetime against UConn.

USF returns home on Thursday against Vanderbilt. The game will include a celebration marking Fernandez’s 25th season as USF’s head coach.

“One game is not going to define your season,” Fernandez said. “But now our guys can see what it takes to play hard and go through cuts and do everything you needed.”