Overcoming a sluggish start, a short bench, foul trouble, and a formidable University of Southern California team, the UConn Women secured an 80-73 victory to clinch yet another regional title, securing their 23rd berth in the Final Four.
Paige Bueckers led the charge with an impressive 28 points, while Aaliyah Edwards contributed 24, playing the entire game alongside Nika Muhl.
The Huskies showed resilience in the first quarter after USC gained a 9-point lead at 15-6. Bueckers and Edwards spearheaded a Huskies’ run, scoring nine consecutive points to tie the game at 15.
In the second quarter, UConn seized the lead, extending it to 25-19 when Cadence Samuels, coming off the bench, sank a crucial 3-pointer from the left wing. However, USC rallied, scoring the last six points of the half to level the game at 33.
During the third quarter, UConn managed to stretch their lead to 10, with Ashlyn Shade’s 3-point contribution despite early foul trouble, putting them ahead 50-40. However, USC closed the quarter strongly, narrowing the gap to just 4 points going into the final quarter.
With under 5 minutes left in the game, UConn maintained a narrow 65-64 lead. A scoring burst from the Huskies widened the gap to double digits but missed free throws allowed USC to stay within striking distance. Nonetheless, late-game heroics from Muhl and Bueckers secured the victory for the Huskies.
With the final score at 80-73, UConn advanced to the Final Four in Cleveland, set to face off against Caitlyn Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes at 9 pm Eastern on ESPN.
The nail-biting victory over Duke on Saturday saw UConn leading by as many as 20 points before Duke mounted a comeback, bringing the game within 5 points with 36 seconds remaining. However, UConn’s clutch free throws ensured victory, with Bueckers leading the scoring with 23 points.
In earlier rounds, UConn defeated Syracuse 72-64 in the round of 32 and dominated fourteenth-seeded Jackson State with a score of 86-64 in the opening round.
This marked UConn’s 28th appearance in the Elite Eight, boasting a 2-0 record against USC.
USC, on the other hand, secured their spot in the Elite Eight with a hard-fought 74-70 victory over Baylor, led by freshman sensation JuJu Watkins, the nation’s second-leading scorer, who averages 27 points and 7 rebounds per game, including a remarkable 51-point performance against Stanford.
