PORTLAND, Ore. — UConn broke open a tie game with an 8-0 run to start the third quarter and never looked back en route to an 80-73 victory over Southern California on Monday night in the Portland 3 Region final.
There was simply too much Paige Bueckers for the top-seeded Trojans (29-6) to deal with. Bueckers collected 28 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and three steals in a brilliant Elite Eight performance. She was named the Portland 3 Region’s Most Outstanding Player.
Aaliyah Edwards added 24 points and six rebounds for the third-seeded Huskies (33-5), who extended their winning streak to 13 games and will face No. 1 Iowa in the Final Four on Friday in Cleveland.
JuJu Watkins went for 29 points and 10 rebounds and McKenzie Forbes added 24 points for Southern California.
UConn connected on 28 of 58 shots from the field (48.3 percent), including 7 of 15 from 3-point range. The Trojans made only 23 of 70 attempts overall (32.9 percent) and were 9-for-29 from beyond the arc.
The Huskies came roaring out of the gates in the third quarter to take a 41-33 advantage. Ashlynn Shade hit a 3-pointer, and when Bueckers scored on a steal and layup, UConn’s edge was 52-40 with 4:14 left in the period.