UConn's game at South Carolina canceled; DePaul makeup set

Carl Adamec, Journal Inquirer, Manchester, Conn.
·2 min read
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Jan. 24—The UConn women's basketball team will not play the No. 1 team in the country on Thursday.

Instead the Huskies will have a showdown for first place in the Big East on Wednesday.

UConn's game at top-ranked South Carolina scheduled for Thursday at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia has been canceled and will not be rescheduled.

The Huskies will play one of the four Big East games it has had called off as they will travel to Wintrust Arena in Chicago to take on DePaul. UConn is the lone unbeaten in Big East play with DePaul the only team with one loss. Game time Wednesday is 8 p.m.

South Carolina will entertain SEC opponent Ole Miss on Thursday.

"Dawn Staley reached out to me about postponing the series for this season," UConn coach Geno Auriemma said in a statement. "It's a priority for South Carolina to make up SEC games, so this is the best decision for them right now. We know a lot of fans were excited for this game, but we look forward to continuing the series with South Carolina in future seasons."

Thursday's game at South Carolina was to be the final game of a deal between the schools. They announced a two-year extension in June to take the series through the 2023-24 season.

The Gamecocks defeated the Huskies 73-57 in the final of the Battle 4 Atlantis on Nov. 22.

"I know our fans always enjoy the UConn game, and our team enjoys the rivalry; but I have always said that our conference season and especially our goal of another SEC championship is more central to our program," Staley said in a statement. "As we approach the second half of league play next month, it has become more important to complete our SEC schedule to keep ourselves in the running for a conference title. This Thursday is one of the few dates Ole Miss has open, so, with my team's best interest at heart, I started the conversations that led us to this point."

For coverage of all sports in the JI's 18-town coverage area, plus updates on the UConn women's basketball team and head coach Geno Auriemma, follow Carl Adamec on Twitter: @CarlAdamec, Facebook: Carl Adamec, and Instagram: @CarlAdamec.