Paige Bueckers exploded for 29 of her career-high 40 factors within the second half as No. 2-seeded UConn dominated the ultimate 20 minutes to blow out No. 3 Oklahoma 82-59 in Saturday’s Spokane Area 1 Candy 16 matchup in Spokane, Wash.
Bueckers’ 40 factors additionally set the UConn program report for essentially the most in an NCAA Match sport.
The Huskies (34-3) went on a 16-4 run popping out of intermission, flipping a four-point deficit into an eight-point lead in lower than 5 minutes. Bueckers bookended the spurt with a pair of leap pictures, together with a 3-pointer proper out of the break that was arrange by a Jana El Alfy offensive board and Azzi Fudd help.
The rebound was one among 9 for El Alfy, and Fudd’s help was one among 5. Bueckers, in the meantime, kick-started a stellar second half for herself.
She shot 12-of-16 from the ground after halftime, together with 5-of-6 from 3-point distance. Bueckers completed 6-of-8 from lengthy vary for the sport and 16-of-27 from the sector total.
The All-American additionally grabbed six rebounds, swiped three steals and blocked a pair of pictures. Bueckers’ new career-high comes one sport after she matched her earlier private better of 34 factors in UConn’s second-round win over South Dakota State.
Oklahoma (27-8) — which constructed its first-half lead efficiently taking part in from inside-out, scoring 18 factors within the paint by halftime then getting 9 of Payton Verhulst’s 13 first-half factors on 3-pointers — had no solutions within the second 20 minutes.
The Sooners shot simply 7-of-28 within the second half and dedicated 10 turnovers that UConn changed into 10 factors.
After coughing up 9 first-half turnovers, the Huskies dedicated just one turnover within the second half.
Ashlynn Shade had 12 factors for UConn, Fudd added 10 factors and Sarah Robust recorded an 11-point, 11-rebound double-double regardless of taking pictures solely 4-of-13 from the ground.
Verhulst led Oklahoma with 16 factors, whereas Raegan Beers recorded a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double.
The win sends UConn to a 3rd straight Elite Eight, the place the Huskies face the winner of No. 1 Southern California and No. 5 Kansas State. A dream matchup between Bueckers and fellow Participant of the Yr candidate JuJu Watkins of USC is to not be, nevertheless, after Watkins sustained a season-ending knee harm within the second spherical in opposition to Mississippi State.
–Discipline Degree Media