South Carolina beats UConn for second NCAA title
MINNEAPOLIS –
Daybreak Staley hoisted the championship trophy excessive, strutted across the courtroom and stopped just for a short victory dance. She handed over the {hardware} to South Carolina’s pupil band, then headed again to midcourt for extra merriment.
After hitting all the correct notes this season, it is time for the Gamecocks to rejoice.
Staley’s crew buttoned up on protection and dominated on the glass, beating UConn 64-49 on Sunday evening to finish the Huskies’ undefeated streak in title video games. Destanni Henderson scored a career-high 26 factors, Aliyah Boston added 11 factors and 16 rebounds, and the Gamecocks handed Geno Auriemma’s Huskies their first loss in 12 NCAA title video games.
“We performed each possession prefer it was our final possession,” Staley stated. “They had been decided to be champions right this moment.”
A yr in the past, South Carolina misplaced within the Remaining 4 when Boston missed a layup earlier than the buzzer.
“Clearly, I have been excited about this since final season. Everybody had an image of me crying,” stated Boston, who was the Most Excellent Participant of the Remaining 4. “Right this moment, we’re nationwide champions and I am in tears.”
With Staley calling the pictures in a Louis Vuitton letterman jacket, South Carolina took UConn to high school on the boards and capped a wire-to-wire run because the No. 1 crew within the nation in The Related Press ballot. The Gamecocks additionally received the championship in 2017 with A’ja Wilson main the best way.
This time it was Boston — the AP Participant of the Yr — and her fellow South Carolina put up gamers who dominated on the sport’s largest stage. The Gamecocks outrebounded UConn by 49-24, together with a 21-6 benefit on offensive boards. In addition they clamped down on star Paige Bueckers and the Huskies on protection, similar to they did all season lengthy.
“They deserved it 100%,” Auriemma stated. “They had been one of the best crew all yr. The primary 5 minutes, I assumed they got here out and set the tone then and there for the way the sport was going to be performed.”
It was South Carolina’s evening from the beginning. The Gamecocks (35-2) jumped to an 11-2 lead, grabbing almost each rebound on each ends of the ground. They led to 22-8 after one quarter a lot to the delight of their followers, who made the journey to Minneapolis to be a part of the sellout crowd.
UConn (30-6) trailed by 16 within the second quarter earlier than Bueckers, a Minnesota native, bought going. After having only one shot within the first quarter, she scored 9 factors within the second to get the Huskies inside 35-27 on the half. She completed with 14.
An 8-2 run to start out the third quarter put South Carolina up 43-29 earlier than the Huskies lastly began connecting from behind the arc. UConn missed its first eight 3-point makes an attempt till Caroline Ducharme made one from the wing and Evina Westbrook adopted with one other to get the Huskies inside 43-37.
That is as shut as they may get due to Henderson.
The senior guard had a three-point play to shut the third quarter after which had the crew’s first 4 factors within the fourth to revive the double-digit lead. The Huskies could not recuperate.
“My teammates believed in me as soon as once more. We have been working so laborious since Day 1, and it lastly paid off, all my laborious work, all my focus,” Henderson stated. “Me trusting the method. Me trusting God. She simply put me able simply to be nice, and right this moment, we nationwide champions.”
This was UConn’s first journey to the championship sport since 2016, when the Huskies received the final of 4 straight titles. Since then, the crew has suffered heartbreaking defeats within the nationwide semifinals, shedding twice in additional time, earlier than holding off Stanford on Friday evening. The Huskies had been making an attempt to win their twelfth title in the identical metropolis they received their first one in 1995.
Auriemma stated Saturday that when his crew had received every of its 11 titles, the Huskies entered the sport as the higher crew. They actually weren’t on Sunday.
“We simply did not have sufficient,” he stated. “They had been simply too good for us.”
It had been probably the most difficult seasons of Auriemma’s Corridor of Fame profession. UConn overcame shedding eight gamers for at the very least two video games with damage or sickness, together with Bueckers, who missed almost three months with a left knee damage suffered in early December. She got here again in late February however wasn’t on the similar degree that earned her AP Participant of the Yr as a freshman final season.
DEFENCE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Gamecocks have been stalwarts on protection all season lengthy, rating third nationally with 50.5 factors allowed per sport. They had been even sharper within the NCAA Event, holding opponents to 44.8 factors coming into Sunday’s finale.
Henderson had three steals, Boston blocked two pictures and South Carolina compelled 15 turnovers. The Gamecocks’ plus-25 rebounding margin was the second largest ever in a title sport.
BIG PICTURE
UConn: The Huskies lose three seniors in Christyn Williams, Westbrook and Olivia Nelson-Ododa however nonetheless have a stable group again led by Bueckers and freshman Azzi Fudd. If the Huskies keep wholesome, they will have a very good shot to contend for subsequent yr’s title.
South Carolina: The Gamecocks lose Henderson and Victaria Saxton however have all of the expertise to repeat as champions.
