Bueckers scores 40 in UConn win; Notre Dame ousted by TCU
Paige Bueckers scored a career-high 40 points, rescuing UConn from its first-half doldrums and single-handedly turning a tight game against Oklahoma into an 82-59 rout on Saturday that sent the Huskies to the Elite Eight of the women's NCAA Tournament.
Bueckers had 29 points after halftime for the Huskies, who trailed 36-32 at the break. The likely No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft eclipsed her previous career best of 34 points, set Monday in UConn's second-round victory over South Dakota State, her final home final game at Gampel Pavilion.
The electrifying senior guard matched her career high with six 3-pointers, the last two during a personal 10-0 run in the fourth quarter. Bueckers checked out of the game with 3:06 left and UConn ahead 80-51.
“Obviously, Paige was spectacular,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. “That was as good a game as I’ve seen her play the whole time she’s been here, at the most important time. When you’re a senior and you’ve been around as long as she has, this is what you’re here to do. This is why you came here.”
The second-seeded Huskies (34-3), winners of 13 straight, will face the winner of Saturday’s late game between Southern California and Kanas State in a regional final on Monday.
Ashlynn Shade added 12 points and Sarah Strong had 11 points and 11 rebounds for UConn, which is seeking to extend its record by winning a 12th national title. The Huskies reached their 18th Elite Eight in the past 19 seasons, but Auriemma's team hasn't won it all since 2016.
“Honestly, we just wanted to keep our season going as long as possible,” Bueckers said. “We all love playing together. We love playing here. We just love this program.”
Payton Verhulst scored 16 points for third-seeded Oklahoma (27-8), which reached the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2013. The Sooners have never beaten the Huskies in a series that includes the 2002 national title game.
“I just said to our seniors, obviously this loss sucks, it should hurt, there’s going to be tears and heartbreak, but I think the biggest message that I wanted them to hear was that they started this culture at Oklahoma," Verhulst said.
Texas 67, Tennessee 59:
Madison Booker scored 17 points and No. 1 seed Texas outlasted fifth-seeded Tennessee 67-59 in a tight battle Saturday in the Sweet Sixteen. Jordan Lee scored 13 points and Taylor Jones added 12 points and 8 rebounds for the Longhorns, who advanced to face TCU in the Elite Eight. Booker scored seven points in the fourth quarter, including four straight with the game tied at 54 with five minutes left. Ruby Whitehorn led the Volunteers with 16 points. Texas held Tennessee to nine points in the fourth quarter.
USC 67, Kansas State 61:
Kennedy Smith stepped into the void left by injured star JuJu Watkins, scoring 19 points to help Southern California hold off Kansas State 67-61 in the Sweet Sixteen on Saturday. The top-seeded Trojans were considered title contenders before Watkins tore her right ACL during a second-round victory over Mississippi State. Now they’ll be underdogs in an Elite Eight rematch on Monday with Paige Bueckers and second-seeded UConn. The Huskies knocked the Trojans out of last year’s March Madness in Watkins’ first season. Avery Howell, another freshman, scored 18 points for USC. Serena Sundell scored 22 points for Kansas State.
TCU 71, Notre Dame 62:
Hailey Van Lith scored 12 of her 26 points in the fourth quarter to help second-seeded TCU beat No. 3 seed Notre Dame 71-62 in the Sweet Sixteen. Sedona Prince added 21 points for the 34-3 Horned Frogs, who advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time in school history. Next up is Texas on Monday night. With the game tied at 52 early in the fourth, Van Lith took over. She scored five of the next six points for TCU to give the team the lead. Liatu King scored 17 points for the Irish.