Paige Bueckers leads UConn previous JuJu Watkins, USC to Huskies’ twenty third Final Four look | USAEMALL.com

In the second star-studded matchup of Monday night, Paige Bueckers led UConn previous USC, 80-73, to advance to the Huskies’ second Final Four within the final three seasons. This will probably be UConn’s twenty third Final Four look in program historical past.

“It was one of the better games that I’ve been associated with at this level,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma mentioned postgame. “Two terrific teams. Great competitors playing their hearts out for a dream that each kid has when they go to college.”

Bueckers completed with a team-high 28 factors, 10 rebounds and 6 assists, three steals and two blocks on 11-of-23 taking pictures and 3-for-6 from 3-point vary. She notched her seventh straight 20-point efficiency within the win. Aaliyah Edwards added 24 factors and 6 rebounds of her personal for the Huskies.

USC freshman sensation JuJu Watkins scored a game-high 29 factors, 10 rebounds, two assists and two blocks en path to turning into the all-time girls’s Division I freshman scoring chief. McKenzie Forbes added 24 factors, three rebounds and three assists for the Trojans.

USC raced out to an early 15-6 lead, exerting its benefit on the glass. But UConn shortly settled down, pressuring the ball, and executing exactly within the half-court. The Huskies shortly pounced upon any mistake the Trojans made on protection, whether or not that was a missed rotation on the again line or going below a display on a shooter. The Huskies took their very own six-point lead within the second quarter and by no means trailed from that time.

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While USC discovered minimal offense past Watkins and Forbes, UConn had sudden contributions all through the roster. Qadence Samuels hadn’t performed because the first spherical of the NCAA Tournament, however the Huskies have been a team-high plus-eight in her 14 minutes as she performed stable protection and sank one 3-point jumper. Ice Brady, who Auriemma mentioned is continually giving him causes to not play her along with her efficiency in observe, chipped in eight factors and had an enormous block on Watkins on the rim.

UConn was the extra full workforce, and it didn’t damage that the Huskies additionally had the most effective participant on the court docket in Bueckers, who’s advancing to her third Final Four in three collegiate seasons. The fourth-year senior is constructed for giant moments, however was powerless to assist her workforce in a Sweet 16 loss in 2023 as she rehabbed a torn ACL. She dazzled all through Monday’s contest, however put the sport away with seven factors in 90 seconds within the fourth quarter.

“It sounds crazy to say with her numbers, there were times I thought we really guarded the actions well, she made some tough shots,” USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb mentioned. “A player like that, you can’t let her get anything easy because she’s even going to make the tough ones at times. I think that’s where we faltered a little bit. She’s just a tough shot-maker and a great all-around player.”

UConn will now tackle Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes on April 5 for an opportunity to play within the nationwide championship.

The Huskies and Hawkeyes final met within the 2021 NCAA Tournament, a Sweet 16 matchup that UConn received 92-72 in Bueckers and Clark’s freshman seasons. The Huskies made the Final Four that yr, when Bueckers was the nationwide participant of the yr. Clark received that honor in 2023 when she led Iowa to the nationwide title sport. Neither of the 2 has captured a nationwide championship, although one may have an opportunity to play for that honor for the second time of their careers.

The final 4 years of faculty basketball have been outlined by the greatness of Bueckers, Clark and South Carolina. All three will probably be in Cleveland to battle for the 2024 crown.

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(Photo: Steph Chambers / Getty Images)