UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Different conference, same result for UConn.
After winning seven consecutive titles at the American Athletic Conference, the top-ranked Huskies defeated Marquette 73-39 Monday night in their return to the Big East tournament championship game.
Paige Bueckers scored 23 points and was named the tournament’s most prominent player as UConn (24-1) finished her 19th Big East tournament title. He hit 10 of 15 shots, caught six rebounds and had four assists.
Christyn Williams added 16 points when UConn won its 160th straight game in conference play.
Connecticut held Marquette with 22% shots and earned 28 points off 21 Golden Eagle turnovers.
“We have a sense of urgency and it starts on the defensive side,” Williams said. “I think that’s what won the game tonight for us our defense.”
The Huskies rushed to the center court and jumped after the final horn, holding the eighth trophy followed by the league as staff fired confetti cannons into the mostly empty arena. The team, which includes seven freshmen who had never experienced a degree, landed and made confetti angels.
“I’ve never been more proud of any team for being honest with you, with all these little kids and how much they’ve grown over four or five months,” coach Geno Auriemma said. “It’s really been refreshing to see it.”
Camryn Taylor scored 11 points and 13 rebounds for Marquette (19-6), who lost in the conference final for the fourth consecutive season after winning the title in 2017. Selena Lott was held, who entered the game with an average of just over 15 points. to two points on five shots and was chased by Williams throughout the match.
UConn never followed the trail during the tournament.
Evina Westbrook hit a triple from the right side to open the scoring, part of a 9-0 run. Another Tennessee transfer triple ended a 15-2 run, and the Huskies led 29-10 after 10 minutes.
“When you get so strong at UConn in the first quarter, it’s uphill, really uphill, the rest of the way,” Marquette coach Megan Duffy said.
Marquette slowed the pace in the second quarter and outscored UConn 13-12, but the Huskies came into the half 41-43.
The Golden Eagles reduced the lead to 16 early in the third quarter, but Nika Muhl (11 points) followed up with a hat-trick with a steal and a basket to top the score at 21.
The Huskies led 56-30 after three quarters.
They will enter the NCAA tournament in a 14-win streak after their only loss to Arkansas in January.
GREAT IMAGE
Marquette: The Golden Eagles had won seven of their previous eight games. That other loss came at 10 points in Connecticut on March 1st.
UConn: Despite being absent from the conference for seven seasons, the Huskies still have more tournament titles than all other members of this year’s conference combined (14). The Huskies ’last Big East title faced Notre Dame in 2012. UConn lost to the Fighting Irish in the 2013 championship game before leaving for the AAC.
GAME STATUS
After scoring just two points in a quick 63-53 win over Marquette a week ago, the Huskies outscored the Golden Eagles 19-4 on Monday at halftime.
HE SAID IT
Auriemma on the unprecedented success of the program:
“I don’t care if we’re preparing for UMass Lowell, who we played in our first game, or if we’re preparing for the best team in the country on national television. We don’t care. The preparation is the same. L “Scouting report is the same. We do everything the same. So there’s consistency in what we do. And I think that consistency makes up for it when you’re committed to it. And we have very tough kids.”
UNTIL NEXT
Both teams await bids from the NCAA tournament, where UConn is expected to be No. 1 overall.