Texas and Connecticut hit their tickets for the Final Four Women’s on Monday, joining UCLA and South Carolina.
In the opening game of the night, Madison Booker took the Lonchorns to their first final Four Since 2003. Then, the Paige Bueckers took the Huskies to a record appearance 24 of the Final Four after beating the University of Southern California, playing without the injured superstar Juju Watkins.
Madison Booker helps Texas reach his first final Four Final since 2003 with 58-47 Victoria over TCU
Rori Harmon put his hands on his knees and bowed his head when the clock ended. The Texas senior guard does not like to cry, but there was a time to reflect on the last 10 months.
This time last year, Harmon was marginalized by a knee injury. I could only see how the Longhorns were eliminated in the elite eight of the NCAA Women’s Tournament.
The circle was completed on Monday night. Madison Booker scored 18 points, Harmon added 13 and sown No. 1 Texas used his suffocating defense to reach the Final Four for the first time since 2003, surpassing the well-traveled shipowner Hailey Van Lith and TCU 58-47.
“Just to see us reach the Final Four after recovering and returning from my ACL injury in 10 months,” said Harmon, “I thought it was something incredible, and I was very proud of myself at that time.”
The Longhorns forced 21 ball losses and had nine robberies and six blocks, but did not move away until the Kyla Oldacre center intercepted Van Lith’s pass and went from coast to coast at the beginning of the last quarter.
The 6 -foot and 6 oldacre was committed by Prince and made the free kick, energizing the Longhorns and the crowd of 12,175 who made the trip to Alabama. The three -point play put Texas ahead of two digits for the first time.
After being left behind by 14, TCU stopped within six with 2:42 remaining in four consecutive points of the striker Deasia Merrill. Booker and Harmon’s consecutive bridges put the Lonchorns for 10, and the frogs never approached.
Harmon had two robberies in the first seven minutes, since the Lonhorns kept the frogs with horns just nine points in the first quarter. The Longhorns rose to nine before TCC closed the second quarter in a 7-0 race that did it 23-21 in half.
Oldacre scored nine points, all in the second half, to help Texas overcome TCU 35-26 after the break.
This was the 57th Meeting of the former Big 12 enemies and first in the NCAA tournament. Texas moved to the Southeast Conference this season, was 15-1 against the SEC in the regular season, captured the title of the regular season and had the player of the year of the SEC in Booker.
The Lonchorns (35-3) will face the South Carolina defender champion on Friday night in Tampa, Florida, for a place in the national title game.
Paige Bueckers leads UConn to register the final 24th Four Final with 78-64 Live on USC
Paige Bueckers took UConn to his record 24 of the Final Four of the NCAA Women’s Tournament, scoring 31 points on Monday night in a 78-64 victory over southern California, which could not overcome the loss of the injured star Juju Watkins.
The first year student Sarah Strong added 22 points and 17 rebounds for the second sown huskies, who have won a record of 11 titles from the NCAA, all under coach Geno Auriema. His most recent championship was in 2016, the last of a four -consecutive streak.
Rayah Marshall scored 23 points and 15 rebounds for the improved USC (31-4) who also lost to Uconn in the Eight Elite last year when Watkins was a first-year student.
Without a doubt, fans anticipated a rematch between Bueckers and Watkins when the supports were announced, but the confrontation lost a brightness when the star guard of the Trojans caused an ACL in the second round and needed surgery.
While the Trojans went through the state of Kansas in the Sweet 16 without Watkins, they had a harder challenge against Uconn and Bueckers, the probable general selection in general in the WNBA draft next month.
Uconn led by 19 points in the third quarter, but USC reached 51-46 in the fourth. Bueckers and Azzi Fudd made consecutive triples that extended the advantage of the Huskies at 62-48.
Triple Avery Howell closed the gap at 70-61 with remaining 1:04, but the Trojans did not approach.
USC was looking for his first appearance in Final Four since 1986 and the first title since he was consecutive in 1983 and ’84.
The Trojans led early before Strong made consecutive jumpers so that the huskies were thrown in front 12-11. Bueckers did not get his first basket until nine minutes in the game.
With Bueckers in a slow beginning, Strong took over, nailing a triple that gave the Huskies an advantage of 21-13. Bueckers hit a 3 to give the Huskies an advantage of 39-25 in the middle.
Another 3 of Bueckers gave UConn an advantage of 47-30 before USC responded with a 11-0 race.
UCONN (35-3) is directed to Tampa, Florida, to face General seed No. 1 on Friday.
