Carolina rolls by UConn to win second nationwide title

MINNEAPOLIS — One yr after a heartbreaking Last 4 loss to eventual champion Stanford, #1 seed South Carolina discovered redemption, successful this system’s second Nationwide Championship with a 64-49 victory over the 2-seeded Yukon Sunday at Goal Heart in Minneapolis.

The Gamecocks, who received 14-0 towards groups ranked within the Related Press’s High 25 this season, turned the eighth program to win a number of nationwide titles in NCAA ladies’s basketball historical past, becoming a member of UConn (11), Tennessee (8), Stanford ( 3), Baylor (3), Notre Dame (2), USC (2) and Louisiana Tech (2).

South Carolina can also be the twelfth group to develop into #1 within the AP Ballot and to win all of it.

South Carolina’s 35 wins are essentially the most in a single season in this system’s historical past; Seven of them received the Nationwide Championship, and two have been on Geno Orima of UConn, the place the Gamecocks had beforehand overwhelmed the Huskies 73-57 on November 22 within the Bahamas.

South Carolina supervisor Don Staley can also be now 2-0 up within the NCAA Divisional Championship video games after main her group to Mississippi State for the 2017 title.

Having misplaced 11-0 in his earlier Nationwide Championship matches, Auriemma obtained his first loss in a title match.

The Husky, whose 11 titles have been tied for essentially the most in Main League Soccer, are nonetheless looking for their first title since selecting up 4 consecutive titles from 2013 to 2016. Their 5 consecutive NCAA championships with out a championship are the longest this system has gone by means of since they received the His first title in 1995.

Nationwide Participant of the 12 months Alia Boston — who was additionally named Last 4 Participant of the 12 months — completed with 11 factors and 16 rebounds, permitting Jimcox to destroy the Husky on the boards 49-24. Future Henderson got here out with 26 factors to make 4 assists, two rebounds and a troublesome defensive effort towards the Paige Bakers, Participant of the Season within the 2020-21 season.

Henderson 3 and 22 seconds of Sunday’s sport gave the Gamecocks a lead that they would not surrender.

South Carolina began sizzling, scoring 13 of the sport’s first 15 factors and leaping to 30-12 early within the second quarter of Henderson 3. Ocon lastly settled in, utilizing a 15-5 run to chop the distinction to beneath seven after which a 35-27 entry first half. 2023’s top-ranked recruit Azzi Fudd performed simply 5 minutes into the primary half for UConn after coping with a abdomen drawback earlier than getting into the match.

South Carolina began going early once more after the break, slipping ahead 16 halfway by means of the third from Zia Cooke’s nook kick. She then defeated the Husky 10-0 – together with the primary 3 seconds of the match – to achieve 43-37. The Gamecocks scored the final three factors of the body, and 6 factors from the primary eight from the fourth, to solidify their lead.

The Fudd’s and Bueckers trio made it a 10-point sport with 3:18 to play, however the Huskies would not have the ability to get any nearer than that.