Paige Bueckers takes over in fourth to lead UConn to Final Four berth

As most great players do, Paige Bueckers managed to find a way to kick it up a notch when it mattered most Monday night. 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 as part of an 11-0 run. sSome missed free throws late would allow USC to make a late push and get back within five in the final seconds. 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 led 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.

Unfortunately, Watkins missed eight of her next nine shots following that point that allowed the Huskies to pull away. Although she later snapped out of the cold streak, the deficit proved too large to overcome.

Bueckers wasn’t the only one to come up big for UConn in the victory against USC. Aaliyah Edwards added 24 points and six rebounds of 10-of-14 free throw shooting. They were the only two Huskies players to finish in double figures.

The Final Four appearance is the 23rd in program history for UConn, which moves on to face Caitlin Clark and Iowa on Friday. All of those appearances have come under coach Geno Auriemma, who has directed the Huskies to 11 national titles.

Tip off between Huskies and Hawkeyes is set for 9 p.m. ET at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland.