PORTLAND, Ore. —The UConn ladies’s basketball dynasty proved itself alive and nicely at Moda Middle on Monday because the No. 3 seed Huskies upset No. 1 seed USC 80-73 to advance to a Division I document twenty third Last 4 underneath coach Geno Auriemma.
After a devastating upset Candy 16 ended UConn’s 14-year streak of Last 4 appearances final season, the Huskies are returning to the ultimate weekend of March Insanity to face Albany 2 regional champion Iowa on Friday in Cleveland. UConn final superior to the nationwide championship recreation in 2022, the place it completed runner-up to South Carolina.
“Immediately was probably the most rewarding emotions I’ve ever felt in my life, simply seeing the place I used to be a yr in the past immediately … Now I’m right here with my teammates and training workers and going to the Last 4,” celebrity guard Paige Bueckers mentioned. “It’s been a really rewarding journey, and I’m tremendous, tremendous grateful for all of it. The powerful occasions made me who I’m. It’s constructed my religion. It’s constructed my appreciation for all times and gratitude for something that will get thrown my method.”
The Huskies began off sluggish, permitting an 8-0 run early within the first quarter to path by as many as 9 factors. Taking pictures was an issue for each groups, however particularly for UConn going 0-for-4 from 3-point vary. The Huskies shot 6-for-15 from the sector and trailed the Trojans 17-15 after 1 / 4, although USC went simply 6-for-18 from the sector and 1-for-6 from 3-point vary.
Bueckers exploded into the second quarter, however USC’s freshman phenom JuJu Watkins went together with her. The Huskies senior had 15 factors at halftime on 5-for-11 capturing, additionally main the group in assists with 4. Watkins went practically shot for shot with Bueckers, going 4-for-8 for 13 factors plus 4 rebounds.
Bueckers continued to dominate out of halftime, ending with 28 factors capturing 11-for-23 plus 3-for-6 on 3-pointers. She logged her third double-double of the event with 10 rebounds, six assists, three steals and two blocks. All-American ahead Aaliyah Edwards additionally powered the second-half effort, ending with 28 factors, six rebounds and two steals.
“Immediately (Paige) was taking part in towards any individual who performs like they’re superhuman. I feel JuJu was in all probability the hardest matchup that any of these guards had all through the whole season — possibly since they’ve gotten to Connecticut,” Auriemma mentioned. “However for Paige, that is what (she) lives for … When you’ve got gamers that assume like there’s nothing I can’t do, there’s nothing that escapes me, they’re simply on one other stage. They play the sport on one other stage. They assume on a special stage. They encourage everyone round them.”
UConn’s protection restricted Watkins within the first quarter to only 5 factors, and so they exploited the rookie on the dribble forcing 4 turnovers towards her. The USC star was held to only three factors the whole third quarter, although she put up 13 within the fourth to complete with 29 factors, 10 rebounds and two blocks.
“The child will get 25 each night time, so we’re not going to carry her to 10. We simply can’t let her get 40, and it may’t be simple,” Auriemma mentioned. “We tried to have any individual all the time within the basic neighborhood each time she bought the ball and put it on the ground and began going. It was by no means going to be her simply attacking any individual one-on-one. However she’s so good at attending to her spots … and creating contact, ending by way of contact. She simply doesn’t play like a freshman in any respect … however I feel we made her work exceptionally arduous.”
Freshman Ashlynn Shade struggled to shake a capturing hunch that left her with zero factors within the Candy 16, and coach Geno Auriemma introduced Qadence Samuels off the bench 4 minutes into the primary for her first look for the reason that Huskies’ first-round matchup with Jackson State. The freshman delivered, draining UConn’s first 3-pointer of the sport with six minutes left within the first half to increase an 8-0 run that helped the Huskies to a 33-33 impasse getting into the halftime locker room.
Auriemma leaned on his bench greater than he has at every other level within the postseason, even amid 20-plus level blowouts through the Large East Match. Redshirt freshman Ice Brady checked in alongside Samuels halfway by way of the second quarter, marking the primary time that UConn performed a number of reserves collectively for the reason that fourth quarter towards Jackson State. Brady was important to the defensive effort on Watkins and logged eight factors on 3-for-4 capturing in 18 minutes.
However with simply eight gamers accessible, foul bother rapidly grew to become a priority for the Huskies within the second half. Senior level guard Nika Muhl was assessed her fourth with greater than two minutes left within the third quarter, and all 5 starters had been taking part in with a minimum of two fouls by the top of the third. Nonetheless, the Huskies made it to the ultimate buzzer and not using a single participant fouling out, whereas USC misplaced beginning ahead Kaitlyn Davis to a fifth foul within the final 30 seconds.
“KK had 4 fouls and Nika had 4 fouls, and there it did cross my thoughts, I do know she’s going to foul out and I’m going to must put KK in an unimaginable state of affairs as a freshman. I simply crossed my fingers and prayed,” Auriemma mentioned. “As a result of she did that in shoot-around immediately. She did one thing silly and fouled any individual and I misplaced my thoughts. She goes, I received’t try this tonight. I mentioned, Sure, you’ll. I’ve seen it over 4 years … Did I belief she would have the ability to do it? No, however I prayed.”
USC refused to let UConn draw back as Kaitlyn Padilla adopted up a nook 3-pointer from Brady with a buzzer-beating three on the finish of the third quarter to make it 55-51 UConn getting into the fourth. The Trojans tied the sport at 59 factors with seven minutes left to play, however Bueckers responded with 5 unanswered factors to open up one other double-digit lead.
The Huskies had a near-disaster within the closing seconds, permitting a 7-0 run with seven missed free throws within the final minute of the sport, however Muhl ended the scoreless streak by making two baskets on the line to make it a 7-point recreation with 16 seconds remaining.
“When all of it comes collectively, it’s only a stunning factor. I used to be actually shocked by the celebration. That was fairly cool,” Auriemma mentioned. “You’ll be able to inform it nonetheless means rather a lot ? We did it 3,000 information from residence. God forbid. Nobody ever thought we might win a recreation exterior of Storrs, Connecticut. I’m glad we had been capable of win one out right here.”