Samuelson powers UConn to runaway win in AAC final
UNCASVILLE, CONN. >> Katie Lou Samuelson had a record-breaking night, scoring 40 points and hitting all 10 of her 3-point shots to lead top-ranked UConn to a 100-44 rout of South Florida in the American Athletic Conference Tournament final on Monday.
Samuelson set a Division I record for consecutive 3-pointers in a game and also set the tournament’s single-game scoring mark.
Napheesa Collier added 15 points as the Huskies won their 107th straight game and extended their conference winning streak to 82 games.
UConn has not lost to an AAC opponent since the league was formed four seasons ago. WEST VIRGINIA 77, BAYLOR 66>> Tynice Martin scored 32 points, and West Virginia won the Big 12 Tournament for the first time.
Martin, a sophomore guard, was named the tournament’s most outstanding player. The Mountaineers last won a conference tournament in 1989, when they were in the Atlantic 10.
Teana Muldrow added 15 points for West Virginia (23-10), which advanced to the final with Top 25 victories over Oklahoma and Texas.
Kalani Brown scored 19 points and Kristy Wallace had 17 points and nine rebounds for No. 2 Baylor (30-3), which had won the last six conference tournaments.
The Lady Bears had won seven in a row against West Virginia, but the Mountaineers lost by just six at Baylor on Feb. 6 in their previous meeting and played with confidence from the start in the final. DEPAUL 59, ST. JOHN’S 41 >> Jessica January hit three 3-pointers and finished with 20 points, leading No. 17 DePaul to the win in the Big East semifinals.
January was the only player to score in double figures for DePaul (26-6). She missed 15 games with a broken finger before returning on Feb. 24.
The top-seeded Blue Demons will face No. 3 seed Marquette in the final on Tuesday.
Akine Wellere led fifthseeded St. John’s (20-11) with 11 points. The Red Storm shot just 26 percent from the field and tied their season low for points.