Women's tournament roundup: Dangerfield, Collier help UConn beat UCLA

ALBANY, N.Y. - Napheesa Collier had 25 points and 10 rebounds to help No. 2 UConn rally to beat sixth-seeded UCLA 69-61 on Friday night in the Albany Regional semifinals.

Trailing 50-49 entering the fourth quarter, the Huskies scored the first six points of the period to start a 15-4 run.

Crystal Dangerfield, who had a quiet night until the fourth quarter, had a nifty lefty-handed layup high off the glass during the spurt. She had nine points during the game-changing burst. She finished with 15 points.

Katie Lou Samuelson, who had gone without a basket in the first three quarters, finally scored to cap the run. The senior stole the ball near half-court then drove in for a layup and was fouled. She hit the ensuing free throw and the Huskies (34-2) were able to hold on for the win. Samuelson finished with 6 points on 1-for-6 shooting.

The Huskies will face No. 1 Louisville in the regional final on Sunday. UConn will be trying to extend its record Final Four run to 12 consecutive years.

Louisville 61, Oregon St. 44:

ALBANY, N.Y. - Sam Fuehring and Asia Durr each had 17 points and top-seeded Louisville clamped down on defense again, beating No. 4 Oregon State to reach the Elite Eight.

Oregon State (26-8), 0-3 against Louisville, sputtered in the third quarter to fall behind by 16 and couldn't recover in the rematch of a regional final last year that Louisville won by 33. The Beavers shot 30.4 percent (17 of 56), just above their season low

Durr ranks third all-time in program history in points in the NCAA Tournament, just two points shy of tying Angel McCoughtry for second.

Mississippi St. 76, Arizona St. 53:

PORTLAND, Ore. - Teaira McCowan had 22 points and 13 rebounds, and top-seeded Mississippi State earned a spot in the Elite Eight for the third straight season with a victory over No. 5 Arizona State.

The Bulldogs (33-2) will face the winner of Friday's late game between second-seeded Oregon and No. 6 South Dakota State on Sunday.

Jazzmun Holmes had 13 points and 7 assists, and Andra Espinoza-Hunter added 12 points for Mississippi State, which led by as many as 24 points.

Kianna Ibis had 16 points for the Sun Devils (22-11), who were vying for their first trip to the round of eight since 2009.