UConn gets rolling in latest title quest
Top-ranked UConn made an early statement about its focus in the quest for a fourth consecutive national title.
Freshman Katie Lou Samuelson scored 22 points, two-time national Player of the Year Breanna Stewart added 18 and UConn routed Robert Morris 101-49 on Saturday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Storrs, Conn.
The Huskies (33-0) led by 37 points after the first quarter and were never challenged. They led 60-9 in the second quarter on a pair of free throws from Natalie Butler and 64-15 at halftime.
“When it comes to NCAA Tournament time, you don’t have to get anyone up for a game,” Stewart said. “Everyone is ready to play and we came out looking like we came ready to play.”
Anna Niki Stamolamprou had 11 for Robert Morris (20-13) in the final game for coach Sal Buscaglia, who is retiring after a 38-year career.
The Huskies, who are seeking an 11th championship, have won 70 consecutive games, which matches the secondlongest winning streak in team and NCAA history.
The win sends the Huskies, the top seed in the Bridgeport Regional, to the second round for the 23rd straight season, where they face Duquesne.
Stewart had three blocked shots, giving her 398 blocks for her career. Her rejection of a layup by Leah Wormack at the end of the first quarter moved her past Rebecca Lobo and into first place on the school’s all-time list. Other Bridgeport Regional
games: Also at Storrs, Dava’Nyar Workman scored a career-high 25 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead ninth-seeded Duquesne to a successful NCAA debut with a 97-76 win over eighth-seeded Seton Hall. ... At Los Angeles, Nirra Fields scored 16 points as third-seeded UCLA defeated 14th-seeded Hawaii 66-50. ... Courtney Williams, coming off the bench for the first time this season, scored 31 points to help No. 6 seed South Florida defeat 11th-seeded Colorado State 48-45 in Los Angeles. ... In Austin, Texas, freshman Sophie Cunningham scored 20 points, most of them in a dominant third quarter, and 10th-seeded Missouri upset seventh-seeded BYU 78-69 for the Tigers’ first NCAA Tournament win since 2001. ... Also in Austin, Ariel Atkins scored 15 points and No. 2 seed Texas used a 26-5 advantage in the third quarter to roll to an 86-42 win over No. 15 Alabama State.
Lexington Regional: At College Park, Md., Kelsey Plum and seventh-seeded Washington finally got going on offense and prevented an Ivy League surprise, with the nation’s third-leading scorer producing 24 points and seven assists in the Huskies’ 65-53 victory over 10th-seeded Penn. ... Shatori Walker-Kimbrough scored 19 points, and second-seeded Maryland ruined 15th-seeded Iona’s debut in the NCAA Tournament with a sloppy 74-58 victory. ... At South Bend, Ind., Brianna Turner scored 16 points, Madison Cable added 14 points and seven rebounds and top-seeded Notre Dame dominated inside to beat North Carolina A&T 95-61 as the Fighting Irish (32-1) began their pursuit of a sixth-straight Final Four appearance. ... Tyra Buss scored 17 of her 23 points in the second half to lead No. 9 seed Indiana to a 62-58 win over No. 8 Georgia in South Bend in the Hoosiers’ first tournament game since 2002. ... At Lexington, Ky., Peyton Little scored 20 points and No. 6 seed Oklahoma blocked 13 shots to shut down 11th-seeded Purdue 61-45. ... Makayla Epps scored 24 points and third-seeded Kentucky routed UNC Asheville 85-31 in Lexington for its biggest NCAA Tournament victory margin in school history.
Dallas Regional: At College Station, Texas, freshman Anriel Howard set an NCAA Tournament record with 27 rebounds, Courtney Walker scored 29 points and fourth-seeded Texas A&M overcame the suspension of starter Courtney Williams to beat 13th-seeded Missouri State 74-65. ... Junior guard Leticia Romero scored 17 points to help fifth-seeded Florida State past No. 12 seed Middle Tennessee State 72-55.