TAMPA, Fla. — South Carolina is one win away from repeating as NCAA women’s basketball nationwide champs, however the one impediment left of their path can also be the final workforce to win back-to-back titles.
Second-seeded Connecticut, which hasn’t gained a championship since repeating in 2015-16, routed top-seeded UCLA 85-51 on Friday evening. That units up a showdown Sunday afternoon with the Gamecocks, who superior with an easy 74-57 win Friday over Texas.
“I do not suppose we made a mistake all the night, particularly on the defensive finish,” stated UConn coach Geno Auriemma, who will go for his twelfth nationwide title on Sunday. “I am simply extremely happy with these guys and what they have been in a position to do … it took all the things we had, and I am very humbled by their efficiency tonight.
Each groups had simple semifinal wins at Amalie Area regardless of dealing with sturdy seeds — UConn’s 34-point margin of victory was the biggest in Girls’s Remaining 4 historical past. Auriemma cited the depth of expertise on his workforce, that on an evening when senior guard Paige Bueckers was held to 16 factors, his workforce was nonetheless lifted by ahead Sarah Strong (22 factors) and guard Azzi Fudd (19). Bueckers, who got here to UConn with goals of successful a nationwide title, stated she is grateful to now be one win away from that purpose.
“We prayed, we ready and we hoped to be enjoying on the final day of the season, and we get that chance,” Bueckers stated. “So we do not need to take it with no consideration, and you do not need to get caught up within the second of being so anxious and attempting to win the nationwide championship in a single possession that you simply’re simply psyching your self out.”
If UConn can win Sunday, they’re going to do one thing no Huskies champions have carried out earlier than, by beating three No. 1 seeds alongside the best way, probably the most any workforce can beat. It is protected to say that neither workforce could have it as simple as they did in Friday’s semifinals.
The Gamecocks, enjoying Texas for a fourth time this season, received a double-double off the bench from freshman Joyce Edwards (13 factors and 11 rebounds) and had a team-best 14 factors from senior guard Te-Hina Paopao, who got here again for a fifth yr with this in thoughts.
“Because of this I got here again,” Paopao stated. “The purpose is to go back-to-back. We now have another to go, and we’re simply actually excited to get occurring Sunday. I am simply super-excited. I do know we will be actually ready and prepared, and that it may be a 40-minute battle, irrespective of who wins.”
[RELATED: NCAA Women’s Tournament semifinal highlights]
It wasn’t the final time UConn and South Carolina met, because the Huskies went to Columbia on Feb. 16 and pulled off an 87-58 rout of the Gamecocks to finish their 71-game residence successful streak. South Carolina misplaced solely three video games all yr, and Friday’s win avenged one other a kind of towards Texas — the 2 groups performed 4 occasions, with South Carolina successful three, together with the SEC championship recreation.
One key to Friday’s win for South Carolina was getting Texas star ahead Madison Booker in foul bother early. She received her third foul with 2:29 left within the first half and the Longhorns up 33-31, however South Carolina ended the half on a 7-2 run, then opened the third quarter with 5 straight factors. An 11-0 run later within the third gave them the separation they wanted and Texas by no means received nearer than 10 factors within the fourth.
UConn had it even simpler, main by 20 at halftime and pulling away from there. UCLA has a dominant middle in 6-foot-7 Lauren Betts, however she did not have a lot assist Friday on an evening the place UConn confirmed how deep their expertise runs. Betts completed with 26 factors, however that was greater than all her teammates mixed — the Bruins had extra turnovers than made area targets till the ultimate minutes of the sport. The Huskies will briefly have fun advancing to the ultimate, but additionally will rapidly flip their focus to South Carolina.
“We by no means get complacent with our efficiency,” Fudd stated. “We’ll have fun it the remainder of tonight, and we get up tomorrow, it is a new day, a brand new scout, a brand new alternative for us to play even higher as a workforce. I feel the total season, it is realizing we’re able to a lot extra, ensuring we faucet into that each single evening and by no means get complacent.”
South Carolina is 3-0 in championship video games beneath Staley, together with a 64-49 win over UConn within the 2022 title recreation, however she stated that has no bearing on Sunday’s recreation as she seeks a fourth championship.
“I do not even convey it up,” Staley stated. “It is simply singularly centered on successful a recreation. Nothing that occurred previous to right here goes to assist us on Sunday — nothing. If it is UConn, it is not going to assist us. If it is UCLA, not going to assist us. I feel enjoying within the recreation and seeing how the sport is being performed out, it is the one factor that is going to assist us.”
Greg Auman is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports activities. He beforehand spent a decade masking the Buccaneers for the Tampa Bay Instances and The Athletic. You possibly can comply with him on Twitter at @gregauman.
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