UNCASVILLE, Conn. – No. 1 seed UConn is headed to a 16th straight conference championship game thanks to a 79-38 triumph over No. 4 seed USF in the first semifinal contest of the 2020 American Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Championship on Sunday at the Mohegan Sun Arena. The Huskies advance to face either No. 2 seed UCF or No. 3 Cincinnati in the tournament final on Monday at 7 p.m. (ET) on ESPN2.
 
Megan Walker led all scorers with 21 points and added seven rebounds and two steals for UConn, as Christyn Williams contributed 15 points and four boards for the Huskies. Crystal Dangerfield tallied 13 points and six rebounds in the win and Aubrey Griffin chipped in 10 points and four rebounds. Elena Tsineke scored nine points to pace the USF lineup, and Sydni Harvey logged seven points and two rebounds for the Bulls.
 
UConn enjoyed a stingy defensive start over the first five-plus minutes of the game by limiting USF to 1-of-9 shooting and six turnovers to take a 9-3 lead into the quarter’s media timeout. The Huskies pushed the lead into double figures following an offensive rebound and putback for Olivia Nelson-Ododa (14-3). A strip steal and lay-in at the other end by Dangerfield forced a USF timeout at 16-3. The Bulls would go the final 7:26 of the quarter without a made field goal as UConn built its lead to 18-5. A Walker 3-pointer from the top of the key at the 8:11 mark of the second period pushed the Huskies ahead at 21-7, and UConn went to the locker room out in front of USF 38-17 at the half.
           
It was more of the same from UConn in the second half, with the Huskies scoring the first 13 points of the third quarter to push the lead to 51-17. A drop pass on the baseline from Anna Makurat to a cutting Walker at 2:09 forged the Huskies to a 53-19 advantage. USF connected on just two of its 19 shot attempts in the third period as UConn carried a 56-22 lead to the final quarter. USF embarked on a 7-0 run early in the fourth quarter in a surge of offensive momentum before Evelyn Adebayo banked home a layup for the Huskies (63-29).   
 
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