UConn routs defending champion South Carolina to reach Final Four

[March 27, 2018]  Sophomore guard Crystal Dangerfield scored 19 of her 21 points in the first half to help top-seeded Connecticut earn a spot in the Final Four with a 94-65 trouncing of second-seeded South Carolina in the women's NCAA Tournament Albany Region final Monday in Albany, N.Y.

Senior forward Gabby Williams scored a team-high 23 points and junior forward Katie Lou Samuelson added 17 points and seven assists for UConn (36-0) in the Elite Eight contest.

Junior forward Napheesa Collier contributed 16 points and seven rebounds and senior guard Kia Nurse added 11 points as the Huskies reached the Final Four for the 11th straight season.

The Huskies shot a sizzling 58.7 percent from the field, including 12 of 20 from 3-point range.

Connecticut will face Notre Dame in the national semifinals on Friday at Columbus, Ohio.

"They were pretty special today," UConn coach Geno Auriemma said in a postgame interview on ESPN. "We have pretty high expectations at Connecticut. The real season starts next weekend."

Three-time first-team All-American A'ja Wilson ended her stellar career with 27 points and eight rebounds for South Carolina (29-7). Junior forward Alexis Jennings added 15 points for the Gamecocks, who won last season's national championship.

South Carolina shot 50 percent from the field and committed 13 turnovers while being no match for the Huskies for the second time this season. UConn posted an 83-58 regular-season win on the Gamecocks' home floor on Feb. 1.

 

Dangerfield sank all five of her 3-point attempts in the first half as UConn took a 54-33 lead into the break.

The Huskies began their assault by hitting 5 of 6 from 3-point range and forcing six turnovers in the first quarter while building a 30-12 lead.

Dangerfield knocked down her fifth 3-pointer to make it 52-31 late in the half. UConn shot 67.9 percent from the field, including 9 of 10 from 3-point range, in the dominating half.

The long-range success continued in the third quarter as Samuelson and Nurse made back-to-back 3-pointers to increase the margin to 68-41 with 4:48 remaining. The lead reached 30 for the first time on Williams' layup with 2:06 remaining, and the margin was 76-47 entering the final stanza.

Wilson split two free throws with 3:15 remaining and exited with the Gamecocks down 31. She was greeted with a huge ovation from the crowd and hugs by her teammates, coaches and support staffers on the bench.

--Field Level Media

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