Paige Bueckers pumped up after “huge” Baha Mar Hoops Championship victory: “This is what we came here for”

Reigning Big East Player of the Year, Paige Bueckers, added another feather to her highly accomplished college basketball career with the UConn Huskies by clinching the Baha Mar Hoops Championship.

Bueckers led the team in scoring with 29 points as the No. 2 Huskies beat No. 18 Mississippi 73-60 in the Baha Mar Women’s Championship finals on Wednesday night. Azzi Fudd with 18 and Sarah Strong with 10 points helped UConn get past Mississippi.

"Yeah, I mean, this is what we came here to do," Bueckers told reporters after the game. "Obviously, it was a business trip—a little bit different than Storrs, being here in the Bahamas. So it’s been fun, but we all came here for a purpose and for a reason.

"That was to get the championship and to play against a really tough-minded, defensive-minded Ole Miss team that challenged us in a lot of different ways. So, for us to get the victory tonight, it was huge."

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Paige Bueckers-led UConn's second-half exploits seal deal against Mississippi

The UConn Huskies strung two good quarters to take a 37-18 halftime lead. They ballooned their lead further, thanks to Paige Bueckers (15 points) and Azzi Fudd's (12) combined 11-of-14 shooting in the second half to make it a 21-point game for Ole Miss Rebels.

Meanwhile, the Rebels had a disappointing first few field goal attempts, making only 1-of-13 shot attempts. However, entering the second half, they almost erased their halftime deficit, getting as close as 41-38 in the third quarter before Bueckers and Fudd's efficient shooting took the game away from them.

For the Rebels, KK Deans led the team with 17 points, followed by Kennedy Todd-Williams with 13, Starr Jacobs with 11 and Madison Scott with 10.

Although Paige Bueckers and Co. won the game to extend their unbeaten run to six games to start the season, the Huskies turned over the ball 18 times, compared to 11 for the Rebels. UConn's 3-point shooting was also poor, making only 3-of-14 attempts.

The UConn Huskies need to work on their shortcomings before their next game against the Holy Cross Crusaders on Dec. 3.