UConn women’s basketball cruised to the Baha Mar Women’s Championship final with a 71-52 win over the Oregon State Beavers.
Paige Bueckers put together another masterpiece, finishing with 23 points on 9-13 shooting to go with six assists and three rebounds in just 29 minutes.
Beyond the superstar, Sarah Strong had 13 points, eight rebounds, six steals, two assists and two blocks while Jana El Alfy reached double-figures for the second time this season with 12 points. Azzi Fudd still couldn’t get her shot to fall, making just 1-7 attempts, but set a career-high with five assists.
As a team, the Huskies recorded an assist on 25 of 28 baskets.
UConn controlled the game from the start. The team missed five of its first seven shots but followed it up by hitting 14 of its next 21 attempts. The Huskies held a 22-8 lead at the end of the opening quarter then started the second period with a 9-0 run to turn it into a rout.
At the half, UConn had already doubled up the score, 42-19.
The Huskies struggled to keep it going after the break. They put up just 13 points in the third quarter, out-scoring the Beavers by just one. UConn then put its best players on the bench for most of the fourth and couldn’t do much right. Oregon State closed the game on a 9-0 run but it didn’t matter. The Huskies still walked away with a comfortable 19-point victory.
With the win, UConn will face No. 18 Ole Miss in the Baha Mar Women’s Championship final. The Rebels blasted Boston College 92-55 in their opener. Tip-off is set for Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET on FloCollege.
