UNCASVILLE, Conn. – No. 1 seed UConn claimed a seventh straight conference championship game victory following a hard fought 87-53 triumph over No. 3 seed Cincinnati in the final game of the 2020 American Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Championship presented by Air Force Reserve on Monday at the Mohegan Sun Arena. The Huskies completed the sweep of the conference tournament in each of their seven seasons as an American member, racking up their 15th overall conference tournament championship in the past 16 years.
Megan Walker led all scorers with 26 points on a 10-of-21 showing from the floor for UConn, gathering in seven rebounds to earn tournament Most Outstanding Player honors. Christyn Williams shined with 22 points, eight boards and two steals, and Crystal Dangerfield poured in 14 points to go along with eight rebounds of her own. Angel Rizor was the top player for Cincinnati with a team-high 16 points, nine rebounds and two steals, while Antoinette Miller added 15 points and four rebounds and IImar’I Thomas scored 14 points and pulled down five boards.
The pace of play was even for much of the first five minutes before UConn began to inch ahead with a 7-4 lead. A Rizor jumper at the top of the key pulled Cincinnati within one (7-6) before Anna Makurat connected for UConn at the other end to increase the lead back to three (9-6). Cincinnati pulled within one at 14-13 before a Williams 3-pointer extended the Huskies edge to four (17-13). Miller knocked down a jumper for Cincinnati at the end of the first quarter to trim the UConn lead to just 19-15 after one period. An offensive surge for UConn in the second quarter saw the Huskies increase their lead to 34-18. Dangerfield hit a circus layup attempt and Williams went the distance with a steal and lay-in in the final 30 seconds of the half that pushed UConn in front 48-26.
UConn hit four consecutive shots from the floor early in the third quarter and the final try out of the hands of Walker vaulted the Huskies farther ahead 56-32. A 9-0 Huskies run over a 90-second stretch of the quarter forced a Cincinnati timeout at 65-36. Dangerfield flew through the lane to tip home a Walker missed jumper as time expired in the third to solidify UConn’s 71-42 lead heading to the fourth quarter. The Huskies hit six of eight shots during a late stretch in the fourth quarter to push the lead to 85-48 prior to Walker, Williams and Dangerfield each checking out of the lineup.
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2020 American Women’s Basketball Championship presented by Air Force Reserve
Most Outstanding Player
Megan Walker, F, UConn
All-Tournament Team
Megan Walker, F, UConn
Christyn Williams, G, UConn
Crystal Dangerfield, G, UConn
Aubrey Griffin, F, UConn
IImar’I Thomas, F, Cincinnati
Angel Rizor, F, Cincinnati