PORTLAND, OR (WFSB) – The UConn Women overcame a sluggish start, short bench, foul trouble and a talented group from the University of Southern California. Beating the Trojans 80-73 to win another regional title and earn a 23rd berth in the Final Four.
Paige Bueckers with 28 points, led the Huskies in scoring. Aaliyah Edwards had 24 the played the entire game along with Nika Muhl.
The Huskies hung tough in the first quarter. USC jumped out to a 9 point lead at 15-6,, but Paige Bueckers and Aaliyah Edwards led a Huskies run of nine straight to tie the game at 15.
In the Second quarter, UConn grabs the lead and stretches it to 25-19 as Cadence Samuels off the bench drills a 3 pointer from the left wing. As the first half ended, the Trojans score the last six points to tie the game at 33 at the break.
In the 3rd quarter UConn stretched it’s lead to 10.. Ashlyn Shade in foul trouble in the first half with a big 3 point bucket UConn was up 50-40… USC finished the quarter on an 11-3 run and the Huskies lead was only 4 going to the 4th quarter.
UConn led 65-64 with under 5 minutes left. The Huskies went on a scoring spurt to get the lead to double digits. UConn then missed 7 straight free throws to allow USC to have some hope, but Muhl and Bueckers hit some late to helped the Huskies hold on.
80-73 is the Final, UConn now advances to the Final Four in Cleveland on Friday.. The Huskies are matched with Caitlyn Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes. Game time is scheduled for 9pm eastern on ESPN.
How they got there
UConn won what turned out the be a nailbiter over Duke on Saturday night, 53-45.
The Huskies led by as many as 20 points before the Blue Devils stormed back. Duke got the game to within 5 points with 36 seconds to go.
UConn put the game away with free throws.
Paige Bueckers was the game’s high scorer with 23 points.
UConn dispatched of old Big East rival Syracuse, 72-64, in the round of 32.
In the opening round, the Huskies downed fourteenth-seeded Jackson State, 86-64.
Monday’s game marked UConn’s 28th appearance in the Elite Eight.
The Huskies were 2-0 all time against USC.
USC, meanwhile, hung on to beat Baylor 74-70 to advance to the Elite Eight.
The Trojans have been led by freshman JuJu Watkins, the nation’s second leading scorer. She averages 27 points a game, 7 rebounds, she scored 51 points in a win against Stanford.
Stay with Channel 3 for continuing coverage of UConn women’s basketball.
Copyright 2024 WFSB. All rights reserved.
First appeared on www.wfsb.com