As most great players do, Paige Bueckers managed to find a way to kick it up a notch when it mattered most. The UConn star came up big in the fourth quarter to help the Huskies pull away for a 80-73 victory against USC to reach the Final Four.
Bueckers scored nine of her 28 total points in the fourth quarter as she took over late. She scored seven straight points to increase the lead from a one-possession game to a two-possession game, hitting a 3-pointer with 3:45 to go to make it 70-64.
UConn went on to increase its lead as many as 12 points after that point, though some missed free throws late would allow USC to make a late push. In the end, however, the play of Bueckers was too much to overcome as she added 10 rebounds and six assists in what was an all-around performance.
The game remained close from the get go until the Huskies managed to pull away late. The 12 points they lead by in the fourth was the largest advantage for UConn, and things were tied up at 33 at halftime. Even entering the fourth, the Huskies still held only a four-point lead.
It wasn’t all bad for USC, as Juju Watkins set the NCAA women’s freshman scoring record in the contest and finish with a team-high 29 points. McKenzie Forbes also chipped in 24, but ultimately couldn’t overcome a lights-out shooting performance from UConn, which shot 46.7% from long range.
The Final Four appearance is the 23rd in program history for UConn, which moves on to face Caitlin Clark and Iowa on Friday.
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