Paige Bueckers returns from 19-game absence, scores Eight factors in UConn’s rout over St. John’s

After being sidelined for practically three months with a left knee harm, reigning nationwide participant of the 12 months Paige Bueckers made her a lot anticipated return within the UConn Huskies’ 93-38 win over St. John’s Friday night in Hartford, Connecticut.

The sophomore All-American guard took the ground for the primary time since Dec. 5 when she checked in on the 3:41 mark of the primary quarter to a standing ovation from the XL Heart crowd.

“I used to be nervous, however I used to be simply so excited, so completely satisfied,” Bueckers stated after Friday’s sport. “I’ve by no means been extra completely satisfied to be on a minutes restriction. Simply to see my title in a field rating with minutes subsequent to it’s simply surreal to me, superb to me simply to be again on this place.”

Bueckers had missed the earlier 19 video games for the No. 7 Huskies (21-5) after struggling an anterior tibial plateau fracture and lateral meniscus tear within the closing minute of UConn’s 73-54 win over Notre Dame on Dec. 5. She underwent surgical procedure to restore the harm on Dec. 13.

Bueckers got here off the bench Friday for the primary time in her profession, and her first basket since December was a memorable one. With the clock winding down on the finish of the primary quarter, Bueckers shook her defender and practically misplaced the ball earlier than amassing it and sinking an elbow jumper proper on the buzzer. Bueckers roared and raised her arms to amp up the scholar part whom she’d scored in entrance of earlier than being embraced by her teammates on the bench.

“The primary basket, it would not be me if it wasn’t one thing further,” she stated. “So, I do not know, it was numerous enjoyable.”

The star guard completed with eight factors on 4-for-5 taking pictures in 12 minutes, with three stints of motion earlier than she sat your complete fourth quarter. She performed inside herself, however appeared increasingly snug creating her personal shot and operating in transition as the sport went on.

“We tried to get her 15 minutes,” coach Geno Auriemma stated in a courtside interview with SNY after the sport. “I believe we acquired near that. We’ll see how she feels tomorrow. And hopefully we are able to do the identical factor and possibly slightly bit extra on Sunday.”

UConn has yet one more regular-season sport, Sunday versus Windfall, earlier than the Massive East match.

Bueckers averaged a team-best 21.2 factors, 6.2 assists, 5.5 rebounds and a pair of.7 steals within the six video games she performed this season previous to harm. The Huskies began the 12 months 5-1 along with her within the lineup, shedding to top-ranked South Carolina within the Bahamas Nov. 22, and went 15-Four with out her.

The Related Press contributed to this report.