South Carolina, UConn breeze via Ultimate 4 to arrange powerhouse NCAA last

TAMPA, Fla. — South Carolina is one win away from repeating as NCAA girls’s basketball nationwide champs, however the one impediment left of their path can be the final group 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 night time. That units up a showdown Sunday afternoon with the Gamecocks, who superior with a straightforward 74-57 win Friday over Texas.

“I do not assume we made a mistake all the night, particularly on the defensive finish,” mentioned UConn coach Geno Auriemma, who will go for his twelfth nationwide title on Sunday. “I am simply extremely pleased with these guys and what they have been capable of do … it took every thing 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 most important in Girls’s Ultimate 4 historical past. Auriemma cited the depth of expertise on his group, that on an evening when senior guard Paige Bueckers was held to 16 factors, his group was nonetheless lifted by ahead Sarah Robust (22 factors) and guard Azzi Fudd (19). Bueckers, who got here to UConn with desires of profitable a nationwide title, mentioned 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 mentioned. “So we do not wish to take it with no consideration, and you do not wish 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 will do one thing no Huskies champions have completed earlier than, by beating three No. 1 seeds alongside the way in which, probably the most any group can beat. It is protected to say that neither group can have it as simple as they did in Friday’s semifinals.

The Gamecocks, enjoying Texas for a fourth time this season, obtained 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 12 months with this in thoughts.

“This is the reason I got here again,” Paopao mentioned. “The purpose is to go back-to-back. We now have another to go, and we’re simply actually excited to get happening Sunday. I am simply super-excited. I do know we’ll be actually ready and prepared, and that it’ll 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 dwelling profitable streak. South Carolina misplaced solely three video games all 12 months, and Friday’s win avenged one other a kind of towards Texas — the 2 groups performed 4 instances, with South Carolina profitable three, together with the SEC championship sport.

One key to Friday’s win for South Carolina was getting Texas star ahead Madison Booker in foul hassle early. She obtained 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 obtained 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 subject targets till the ultimate minutes of the sport. The Huskies will briefly rejoice advancing to the ultimate, but additionally will shortly flip their focus to South Carolina.

“We by no means get complacent with our efficiency,” Fudd mentioned. “We’ll rejoice 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 group. I believe the complete season, it is figuring out we’re able to a lot extra, ensuring we faucet into that each single night time and by no means get complacent.”

South Carolina is 3-0 in championship video games underneath Staley, together with a 64-49 win over UConn within the 2022 title sport, however she mentioned that has no bearing on Sunday’s sport as she seeks a fourth championship.

“I do not even carry it up,” Staley mentioned. “It is simply singularly targeted on profitable a sport. Nothing that occurred previous to right here goes to assist us on Sunday — nothing. If it is UConn, it isn’t going to assist us. If it is UCLA, not going to assist us. I believe enjoying within the sport 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 protecting the Buccaneers for the Tampa Bay Occasions and The Athletic. You possibly can observe him on Twitter at @gregauman.

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