Champ Central
UNCASVILLE, Conn. - The starting five for top-seeded UConn combined for 75 points, as the Huskies defeated No. 5 seed USF 81-45 Sunday to advance to their sixth-straight American Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Championship game. UConn senior forward Napheesa Collier set two conference tournament records, becoming the all-time leading scorer in championship history with 176 points. She also became the league's all-time record-holder with 70 made field goals in tournament action.
UConn and USF have met in The American title game for the past four years, but the Huskies will prepare to face either No. 3 seed Cincinnati or No. 2 seed UCF for the first time in the championship game Monday at 7 p.m. ET. Rebecca Lobo and Adam Amin will have the call on ESPN2. UConn improved to 17-0 in conference tournament play.
Today's semifinal between the Bulls and Huskies was a rematch of The American's last four title games. In the teams' regular season finale last Monday, USF led 29-25 at the half, but UConn pulled ahead to win 57-47.
Coming off a 37-point performance a day ago, Collier picked up where she left off, recording her second double-double in as many games with 23 points (9-14) with 12 rebounds. The Huskies' starting five combined for 75 of their 81 points. Along with Collier, Megan Walker (24 points), Crystal Dangerfield (11 points) and Christyn Williams (10 points) each registered double-digit points. Both teams shot well from the free throw line with USF shooting 86 percent (12-14) and UConn shooting 75 percent (9-12).
UConn shot 53 percent from the field, while holding USF to shooting 26 percent. UConn scored 22 points off turnovers. The Bulls tallied 23 points off the bench.
Making six-straight semifinal appearances, it marked the first time USF didn't reach the championship game since 2015. USF finished the 2019 championship with an all-time tournament record of 11-6-the second-best mark in American history. The Bulls were led by Sydni Harvey with 13 points.
Shooting 57 percent in the first quarter, UConn jumped out to an early 19-5 start following a 17-3 run through the final 7:59, while holding the Bulls to one field goal during that span. The Huskies refused to look back from there. UConn tallied 11 points off eight turnovers, while holding USF to 14 percent shooting in the first quarter.
After UConn moved out to an 18-point advantage in the second quarter with treys from Walker and Collier, USF rallied for the next two field goals with Enna Pehadzic and Harvey each making jumpers. UConn was quick to respond. Collier and Dangerfield combined for five field goals to fuel a 12-0 run over the next four minutes, as the Huskies pulled away with their largest lead of the half (26-points). USF hit two more shots, but the Huskies took a 41-15 lead into the locker room at the break, capped by a Williams mid-range buzzer-beater jumper.
The Huskies shot 61 percent from the field in the first half, while stifling the Bulls' attack (23 percent), using three steals and three blocks. UConn led 13-2 in points off turnovers, and shot 44 percent (4-9) from behind the arc in the first half. Collier had 18 points and seven rebounds in the first half, while Walker also reached double-digit points with 10.
UConn's offense continued to thrive in the second half, as the Huskies shot a blistering 78 percent during a 15-2 run to expand its lead to 37 points through the first five minutes (60-23). UConn led by as many as 40 points in the third frame, as Collier, Walker, Dangerfield and Williams each boasted double figures in scoring heading into the fourth quarter.
After Olivia Nelson-Ododa converted on a three-point play, UConn saw its largest lead of the day (75-31). USF then got a spark off its bench from Alyssa Rader who powered a 12-0 run in the final frame. However, UConn scored six of the final eight points, ending the game with a 36-point lead (81-45).
Fans can watch the entire tournament on ESPN platforms, including ESPN3, ESPNU and ESPN2.
For more information on and continuing coverage of the American Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Championship, please visit Championship Central at www.theamerican.org/wbb.