UConn rides 110th into Elite 8
Napheesa Collier had 27 points and 14 rebounds and Saniya Chong scored 16 points and came up with big plays on both ends of the court to help UConn beat UCLA, 86-71, yesterday, putting the Huskies in the Bridgeport (Conn.) Regional final. For the No. 1 Huskies, the victory was their 110th straight.
“I said before the conference tournament at Mohegan that there are two guys we need them to play at, or above, their level and Saniya’s one of them,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. “Today the effort and play of Saniya was, I thought, the difference in the game.”
The fourth-seed Bruins jumped out a 9-2 lead over UConn (35-0) before the Huskies scored 17 of the next 19 points. The seven-point deficit matched the Huskies’ largest this season.
The Huskies led by nine after one quarter and 17 at the half. The victory tied Auriemma with Pat Summitt for most NCAA tournament victories with 112.
Jordin Canada had 20 points and 11 assists for UCLA (25-9). Oregon 77, Maryland 63 — Sabrina Ionescu led five players in double figures with 21 points and the 10th-seeded Ducks continued their improbable run with an upset win over the third-seeded Terrapins.
Fellow freshman Ruthy Hebard added 16 points for the Ducks (23-13), who beat second-seeded Duke in the second round and advance to the first regional final in program history.
Brionna Jones and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough each had 16 points for Maryland (32-3). Stockton Regional
South Carolina 100, Quinnipiac 58 — Kaela Davis, A’ja Wilson and the top-seeded Gamecocks (30-4) overpowered the NCAA tournament surprise 12th-seeded Bobcats (29-7) from the opening tip, scoring the first 16 points and advancing to the Stockton Regional final.
Davis scored 28 with five 3-pointers, Wilson added 24 and South Carolina’s athleticism and smothering, swarming defense was just too much for Quinnipiac on the Sweet 16 stage.
The Bobcats (29-7) had won 12 straight games, beating fifth-seeded Marquette and No. 4 Miami for the first two NCAA tournament wins in school history.
Florida State 66, Oregon
State 53 — Ivey Slaughter had a career-high nine steals and the third-seeded Seminoles erased a daunting deficit to reach the regional final with a win over the second-seeded Beavers (31-5).
Slaughter also contributed 11 points and eight rebounds. ACC Player of the Year Shakayla Thomas notched her third straight double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds for the Seminoles (28-6), who used an 8-0 run to put the game away.