Arizona stuns uconn, reaches final
SAN ANTONIO — Aari McDonald scored 26 points and led a smothering defensive effort as Arizona shocked UConn 69-59 on Friday to advance to the championship game of the women’s NCAA Tournament for the first time.
The Wildcats (21-5) never trailed against the favored and fabled Huskies (28-2), who have made the Final Four 13 consecutive times but haven’t reached the final since 2016, when they won their 11th title.
Arizona held UConn to a season low in points and fended off the Huskies’ late push by making enough free throws down the stretch. At the final buzzer, McDonald threw the ball high in the air and was mobbed by her teammates near center court. She shared a long hug with coach Adia Barnes, who starred as a player at the school in the late 1990s.
‘‘We just believed,’’ McDonald said. ‘‘It was that grit. We didn’t want to go home once again, and we’re proving it.’’
The victory enabled Barnes to become the first coach to lead her alma mater to the championship game since Sonja Hogg guided Louisiana Tech to the title matchup in 1982 and 1983.
Huskies freshman sensation Paige Bueckers, the Associated Press’ women’s player of the year, finished with 18 points. Christyn Williams led UConn with 20 points before fouling out.
stanford 65, south carolIna 64
Haley Jones scored 24 points, including the go-ahead jumper with 32 seconds left, to help the Cardinal (30-2) edge the Gamecocks (26-5) and advance to the title game of the women’s NCAA Tournament. It’s Stanford’s first trip to the title game since 2010, when it lost to UConn 53-47.
With the Cardinal trailing 65-64, Jones made a jumper from the corner off a rebound that gave them a one-point lead. At the other end, South Carolina’s Aliyah Boston had her shot blocked but got her own rebound. Then, with 15 seconds left, the Gamecocks’ Destanni Henderson threw a pass that was stolen by Stanford’s Ashten Prechtel.
But the Cardinal’s Cameron Brink lost the ball at midcourt to Boston, giving South Carolina a final chance. Brea Beal missed a driving layup, and Boston’s putback at the buzzer also went off the rim.
Zia Cooke finished with 25 points to lead South Carolina.