UConn Surges Ahead of USC in Second Half, Advances to Final Four

NCAA Tournament Elite 8: UConn Huskies vs. USC Trojans

NCAA Tournament Elite 8: UConn Huskies vs. USC Trojans | Image: ESPN/YouTube

Opening the third quarter with an 8-0 run, UConn surged ahead from a tied game and maintained the lead, clinching an 80-73 win against Southern California on Monday night in the final of Region 3 in Portland.

The top-seeded Trojans (29-6) found Paige Bueckers too formidable to handle, as she delivered an outstanding performance in the Elite Eight with 28 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, and three steals. She was honored as the Most Outstanding Player of the Region 3 in Portland.

Contributing significantly, Aaliyah Edwards added 24 points and six rebounds for the third-seeded Huskies (33-5), extending their winning streak to 13 games. They are set to confront No. 1 Iowa in the Final Four on Friday in Cleveland.

JuJu Watkins scored 29 points and secured 10 rebounds, while McKenzie Forbes added 24 points for Southern California.

UConn’s shooting accuracy stood out with 28 successful shots out of 58 attempts (48.3 percent), including 7 of 15 from beyond the arc. In contrast, the Trojans managed only 23 out of 70 attempts overall (32.9 percent) and were 9-for-29 from long range.

Commencing the third quarter aggressively, the Huskies managed to secure a 41-33 lead. Progressing further, Ashlynn Shade landed a critical three-pointer, and Bueckers’ steal and layup extended the lead to 52-40 with 4:14 left in the quarter.

Though Watkins contributed with a three-point play, aiding Southern California to score 11 out of the final 14 points in the quarter and narrowing the gap to just four, 55-51 heading into the fourth quarter.

Forbes managed to tie the score at 59-all with a three-pointer at 7:32 remaining in the game, however, the Trojans failed to seize the lead.

Despite Southern California closing the gap to 65-64 with a layup by Watkins with 4:38 on the clock, UConn responded with an 11-0 run, establishing a commanding lead of 76-64 with 1:25 left to play.

Maintaining at least a five-point lead throughout the remaining time, UConn secured the victory.

Bueckers performed impressively with 15 points in the early stages, aiding the Huskies in bouncing back from an initial nine-point deficit to square off the game at 33 before halftime.

Forbes halted a 9-0 UConn streak with a jumper, granting Southern California a slight edge of 17-15 as they entered the second quarter.

  1. College Sports News

    WCC to Add Grand Canyon and Seattle in 2025

    WCC adding Seattle U and Grand Canyon University

    WCC adding Seattle U and Grand Canyon University

    Seattle and Grand Canyon will be leaving the Western Athletic Conference and moving to the West Coast Conference starting July 2025.

    The nine current members of the conference are private universities with a religious affiliation. Seattle is a Jesuit institution, while Grand Canyon, situated in Phoenix, is a Christian college.

    Grand Canyon’s basketball achievements were a significant factor in attracting WCC commissioner Stu Jackson. The team has participated in the last two NCAA Tournaments and three of the previous four under the leadership of coach Bryce Drew.

    As the 12th-seeded Antelopes defeated fifth-seeded Saint Mary’s before losing to Alabama in the tournament this season.

    Saint Mary’s is currently a member of the West Coast Conference.

    The WCC, while also integrating Oregon State and Washington State this autumn (excluding football), will expand from 11 to 13 members by the 2025-26 season.

    The future beyond 2026 looks uncertain, with Oregon State and Washington State appearing unlikely to continue with the WCC.

    The former Pac-12 schools are under a two-year contract, expiring on June 30, 2026. Sources from CBS Sports suggest that the odds of the two Pacific Northwest institutions staying are slim, with a move to the Mountain West or a new conference formation being more probable.

    Following the departures of Sam Houston and New Mexico State last year, Seattle and Grand Canyon’s exit from the WAC will reduce the conference’s membership to just eight by July 2025.

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  2. College Sports News

    Ex-Cal State Fullerton G Max Jones Commits to Kansas State

    Kansas State adds athletic wing in left-handed shooter Max Jones

    Kansas State adds athletic wing in left-handed shooter Max Jones

    Former guard of Cal State Fullerton Max Jones has made a decision to join Kansas State for his upcoming collegiate season, according to reports.

    Notable alternatives that Jones purportedly pondered were New Mexico, Texas A&M, Mississippi State, Florida Atlantic, and Loyola Chicago.

    During the previous season with the Titans, Jones maintained an average of 15.3 points and 3.0 rebounds across 24 games, in which he started 21. He secured the second-highest scoring position within the team, alongside being the second in 3-pointers with 42 baskets and 41 steals.

    In the season prior, Jones held an average of 12.5 points and 4.0 rebounds in 32 games, amassing 34 three-pointers and 30 steals.

    Before making his way to Cal State Fullerton post the 2021-22 season, Jones spent two years at Division II Tampa, where he managed to achieve an average of 21.9 points across 21 games during his sophomore year with the Spartans.

    In the recent offseason, Kansas State acquired Dug McDaniel, a former player from Michigan recognized as one of the premier point guards available in this year’s transfer portal.

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  3. College Sports News

    Stanford Names Basketball Court in Honor of Tara VanDerveer

    View From The Top with Tara VanDerveer, Former Coach of Stanford Women’s Basketball

    View From The Top with Tara VanDerveer, Former Coach of Stanford Women’s Basketball

    Tara VanDerveer’s legacy at Stanford will now be visibly acknowledged, with the school revealing on Thursday that the basketball arena’s floor will bear the name of the esteemed Hall of Fame coach.

    At the age of 70, VanDerveer stepped down following her 38th season at the helm of the Cardinal.

    She steered Stanford to 14 Final Fours and secured three national championships (1990, 1992, 2021). VanDerveer embarked on her coaching journey at Idaho (1978-80) and later coached at Ohio State (1980-85).

    In January, she surpassed Mike Krzyzewski to clinch the title of the most successful college basketball coach in history, across both men’s and women’s teams. VanDerveer concluded with a remarkable 1,216-271 record, boasting a 1,064-220 tally with the Cardinal.

    Alongside the unveiling of the Tara VanDerveer Court at Maples Pavilion this November, Stanford also established an endowed position in women’s basketball for an assistant coach in VanDerveer’s honor.

    VanDerveer said in a statement, “This endowment will go a long way to strengthening the future of Stanford women’s basketball. I have many wonderful memories of leading the women’s basketball program at Maples Pavilion.”

    “It’s an honor, and a little surreal, to know that my name will be linked to both in these ways, and I look forward to celebrating with all our fans this fall.”

    Last month, Stanford appointed Kate Paye, one of VanDerveer’s longtime assistant coaches who played for the Cardinal from 1991-95 and began coaching under VanDerveer in 2007, as the new head coach.

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