Since 2000, the game winning shot, aka “The Buzzer Beater” has been few and far between in the history of UConn Women’s Basketball….In fact, the Huskies have had way less success in this department than one can imagine…While their dominance has been quite impressive, when a team pushes them to the brink, the opponent has had more success than UConn…Here’s a rundown since 2000 of the makes and misses…
2000: Feb 2 v Tennessee…When the Huskies and Lady Vols played a home and home in the regular season (yes it happened) The road teams won the 2000 meetings..a hard fought 74-67 UConn win in Knoxville on Jan 8…and a 72-71 Lady Vol win. Semeka Randall the go ahead hoop inside 10 seconds left, then Svetlana Abrosimova drives inside, only to feed Tamika Williams, whose shot glances off the bottom of the rim and time expires. It was the only loss of the season. UConn got payback in the Natty in Philadelphia…
2001: March, “Bird at The Buzzer” The Big East Championship Game at Gampel as the Top Two seeds go toe to toe for 40 minutes. Ruth Riley ties a back and forth affair with a free throw with just over four seconds left. Setting the stage for Sue Bird, who off the inbounds gets the ball up the floor and pulls up from the left elbow over Kelly Seimone…Front rim and in as the buzzer sounds to give the Huskies the title and payback from a loss in South Bend earlier in the season
2004: Yes, Diana Taurasi hit a few clutch shots in 2003, specifically the Tennessee game, there was never really a buzzer beater….The home loss to Duke ended UConn’s 69 game home win streak. Taurasi gave UConn the lead on a leaner with 4.5 seconds left…But Lindsey Harding got the ball up the floor quickly and found Aussie Jessica Foley on the right wing over Ann Strother as time expired and poof ! The Blue Devils cap a huge comeback with their biggest win of the season..
One other game of note, the Big East Semi’s that year, UConn trailed BC 73-70 in the games closing seconds…Ann Strother brought the ball up, collided with Jessica Moore just shy of midcourt and the Huskies didn’t even get a shot off in the stunning loss at home in a conference Semi…
2006: NCAA Regionals in Bridgeport…Sweet 16…The see-saw affair comes down to the final seconds as down two on a broken possession, Senior Barbara Turner screamed for the ball from Freshman Guard Renee Montgomery and under duress, hit a right wing three with 1.3 second left to win it…Only after Georgia Post Player Tasha Humphries front rimmed a 75ftr at the horn…Two night’s later against Duke with Turner on the bench with leg cramps in Overtime, the Huskies are down two in the final seconds. Charde Houston catches a pass 5 ft from the hoop on the baseline right as Monique Currie falls, and misses the shot at the horn. The closest Final Four to Storrs in Boston won’t have a New England Team. Instead it’s 3 ACC Teams…plus LSU…
2007: an early February trip to #7 LSU features a great game with the Bayou Bengals where it comes down to the last 10 seconds. Renee Montgomery sinks a three with 6.7 seconds left. The Tigers come down and hit what is thought to be the game tying three. But Mel Thomas and official Dee Kantner notice a foot on the line….replay confirms a two and the Huskies win a great game 72-71
2008: March 1 at DePaul…The Huskies storm back from 20 down to have a chance to win …down 2 with 12 seconds left, Renee Montgomery goes 1 of 3 from the line with a chance to tie or give the Huskies the lead. The last miss rebounded and off to Missy Mitidero of DePaul….A loud crowd in Chicago and she can’t hear as she switches hands with the dribble…Maya Moore tips the ball away, gets the steal and calls for time….Keita Swainer makes the mad dash for the game winner with 1.3 seconds remaining. But DePaul, off screwy officiating had a great look on the last play and missed…The Huskies got the win and won the Big East…
2011: January in South Bend, the Huskies stole a 76-73 win as they went 26 of 27 from the FT line…But, It was a “broken play” that gave UConn the win…The play was supposed to be designed for Maya Moore. But she made a different move that of course brought two Irish players to her and left Bria Hartley to find an open Kelly Faris for what proved to be the game winner…
2012: at ND, game tied at 63 and the Huskies have the ball with a chance to win. Kaleena Mosqueda Lewis at the top of the key looked to get the ball to Bria Hartley on the right side of the floor. Hartley cut in from the wing, the ball goes to the UConn Bench…Notre Dame wins in OT….
Senior Day, the Huskies had won 99 straight at home, St John’s spoils it as Shekina Smith bangs in a three from the right wing inside of 10 seconds left. The Huskies get one last shot, Bria Hartley out of the right corner, only needing a two, steps back for a three and leaves it short….
And in the 2012 Final Four loss to ND, the end of regulation was nuts, Bria Hartley runs into a double team, Kayla McBride’s pass for Skylar Diggins gets picked by Kelly Faris, gets fouled and makes two free throws to put UConn up two. But Natalie Novesel scores on a reverse putback to tie the game. Tiffany Hayes has a chance to win it with a runner from the left, instead passes to a stunned Bria Hartley whose shot doesn’t beat the buzzer…Again, UConn loses in OT.
2013: The first three games against the Irish just gut wrenching. January in Storrs, Diggins makes a pair to put ND up 73-72. The Huskies had three chances to take the lead. None of them went in, including Kaleena Mosqueda Lewis’ three from the right corner at the horn… Turnovers proved costly in the 3OT loss at ND with a few chances, but the Big East Final was the doozy, in a tie game, UConn inbounds the ball to Freshman Breanna Stewart, who rather than post up, hands the ball to Kelly Faris. She drives to the hoop but Natalie Achonwa keeps her from getting to the basket. Faris fires a pass to the left corner to Kaleena Mosqueda Lewis, where she thinks she’s falling out of bounds…In attempt to save it, she throws it right to Skyler Diggins, who despite getting fouled by Bria Hartley numerous times…Nothing called. Diggins to Achonwa with a second left….ugh
2017: The first game without Breanna Stewart, Morgan Tuck and Moriah Jefferson ends with Florida State missing a three at the buzzer in Tallahassee..It ends with Morgan William ending the season at the buzzer. But the last UConn possession of the season ends quickly when Soniya Chong has the ball in her hands trying to make a game winning play. But there was no patience as Chong went early and unlike the Florida State game she scored on the same play, it was rushed and Morgan William beat her to the spot and forced a poor shot and turnover…The rest is history…
2018: It happened again…not Mississippi St, but the hated rival Notre Dame…And Arike Ogunbawale, a terrific shot maker gets Naphessa Collier instead of Gabby Williams on a switch thanks to a screen. She sinks a right baseline jumper with a second left…this after Williams has a chance to win it at the end of regulation on a clearout inbound with three seconds left. The shot was rushed and the banker missed to set up the OT loss again….
And one other staggering note, UConn has lost it's last 7 games in OT dating back to December 2004. Five have been in the NCAA Tournament.....