Alexa PhilippouMar 27, 2026, 07:30 PM ET
- Covers women's college basketball and the WNBA
- Previously covered UConn and the WNBA Connecticut Sun for the Hartford Courant
- Stanford graduate and Baltimore native with further experience at the Dallas Morning News, Seattle Times and Cincinnati Enquirer
FORT WORTH -- The No. 1 UConn Huskies found themselves in unfamiliar territory at halftime of their Sweet 16 matchup against No. 4 North Carolina on Friday.
They were up on the Tar Heels, sure, but had trailed 12-11 after the first quarter, and even as they managed to pull ahead 28-20 at the break, North Carolina hadn't made much easy.
UConn established more of a groove in the second half en route to a 63-42 victory that secured the program's 30th Elite Eight berth and 53rd consecutive win.
But the experience of having to grind things out may have been just what the Huskies needed as they pulled within three wins of an undefeated campaign and back-to-back national titles.
"I think this was a great win for us because we had to figure things out when things weren't necessarily going our way," senior guard Azzi Fudd said. "I just feel like that gives us more confidence going forward, that when things are going our way, nothing can stop us."
In their second-round win Monday, the Huskies had floored onlookers with a first-half masterpiece against Syracuse, jumping ahead 65-12.
UConn's defense showed up from the get-go Friday -- the squad set an NCAA record for single-season steals with 583 before the game's end -- but its offense stalled against the tough, physical defensive unit from North Carolina.
The Huskies forced 11 UNC turnovers but shot just 36% from the field and went 1-for-9 on 3-pointers in the first half. An 11-point frame from sophomore Sarah Strong, plus another 11 points off the bench from freshman Blanca Quiñonez, helped UConn pull ahead. But it still culminated in the Huskies' first sub-30-point first half of the season.
"It felt almost in that first half like we were down," Fudd said. "It felt like we were rushing a little bit ... Almost felt like we needed our second wind. So at halftime, [we had to] take that breath and [said] 'listen, we're up. We're not playing great at all. We're up, settle.'"
The Huskies responded out of the break to snag the momentum for good. A 12-0 run to begin the third gave them their first 20-point lead of the evening. Coach Geno Auriemma was pleased with how the team played at a quicker pace, allowing the Huskies to score earlier in the shot clock to counteract North Carolina's defense.
The Huskies ultimately outscored the Tar Heels 37-13 in the second and third quarters, including 20-5 in the third alone.
"I think we became the aggressor coming out of that half and really hit them with the first punch," junior Ashlynn Shade said, "and just kept going."
"We got that first half out of our system and we went out, I feel like, just a little more sure, a little more calm, a little more confident," added Fudd.
Strong paced the team with 21 points and 10 rebounds, good for her fourth career 20-10 NCAA tournament game, the most in UConn history through a player's first two NCAA tournaments.
Quiñonez (16 points) and Fudd (10) also finished in double figures, while Indya Nivar (20) accounted for nearly half of the Tar Heels' points.
The Huskies next face No. 6 seed Notre Dame, their former rival, in hopes of advancing to their 17th Final Four in 18 tournaments. And Auriemma believes Friday's experience could be "good going forward, because I can envision this happening again on Sunday."
"You have to go in expecting it to be hard, and you have to expect that the other team is going to make it hard for you to score," Auriemma said. "It's been like that a lot, and then you get years where everything goes in, and you're up 25 at halftime, and they think, 'Ah, this is a piece of cake.' That's the exception, rather than the rule."
