UConn Heads To Final Four With 90-52 Win Against Oregon

The final seconds were ticking off the clock, the UConn Huskies were on the cusp of yet another trip to the Final Four, and the prime-time players could finally exhale.

The starters who fueled an improbable season of perfection shared the joy. All five players took part in the same accomplishment a year ago, but this was different. This was theirs.

“It felt good that we kind of did something for ourselves,” Gabby Williams said after UConn’s 90-52 win over Oregon Monday night.

They’ve been doing it for themselves for the past four months. The team that was considered vulnerable and beatable found its identity early, learned how to win and have never looked back.

As they head to Dallas for the program’s 10th consecutive Final Four appearance, the Huskies (36-0) carry an 111-game winning streak on their shoulders. They are bidding for their fifth consecutive national title and 12th overall.

Did anyone see this coming when this group gathered back in the fall?

“Maybe the only people that expected it to happen was them,” coach Geno Auriemma said. “Maybe somehow or another, they thought, ‘We can do this. Why is everybody doubting us?’ But going into practice the first couple of weeks? Nobody saw this coming. But they just kept getting better and better and better.”

They have stormed through four NCAA Tournament games, delivering Auriemma’s 113th tournament victory Monday. The win moved Auriemma ahead of Tennessee legend Pat Summitt for most tournament victories.

It was his 991st overall wins, moving him into sole possession of third place on the all-time list. He’ll be after 992 at 10 p.m. Friday against Mississippi State.

And building a historic legacy over the past three decades, Auriemma seems almost pleasantly astounded by what he’s witnessing this season. After the victory over Oregon, he told him players they should be proud of what they’ve accomplished — all season, but especially during the March pressure cooker.

A year ago, Kia Nurse and Katie Lou Samuelson were starters, Williams was a key reserve, and Napheesa Collier and Saniya Chong were bench players. But the heart of the team was the three leaders: Breanna Stewart, Moriah Jefferson and Morgan Tuck, the top three picks in the WNBA draft.

That team belonged to the Big Three. This team? Those five starters took ownership and never let go.

“For the first time in their careers, they’ve owned the whole month of March,” Auriemma said.” They weren’t just along for the ride. It’s theirs. And that’s a huge step. That’s what I told them in the locker room. That’s a big step to go from riding in the back seat on a trip that you’re going to, to all of a sudden you’re in charge of driving the bus and you’re responsible for getting us there.”

Oregon (23-14) arrived at the regional final by upsetting second-seed Duke and third-seed Maryland. The Terrapins were viewed as a threat to UConn, but they never got the chance after losing Saturday to the Ducks.

There would be no upset Monday, as the Cinderella Ducks suffocated under the pressure from UConn’s defense. Nurse and Chong guarded the perimeter, Williams was active down low and Oregon was out of sync from the start.

“Everybody talks about their offense,” Oregon coach Kelly Graves said. “I’ve always felt what sets them apart from everybody else is the defense. They give you nothing, and we’ve been a really good offensive team. I think we’re one of the more efficient teams in the country, and we were playing on our heels all night long, and it was survival mode at times.”

Auriemma often says good defense feeds his offense. And as UConn was forcing turnovers (22) they scored points. The Huskies scored 32 points off turnovers and put the game away in the first 10 minutes, opening a 28-13 lead.

Napheesa Collier, coming off a 27-point performance against UCLA, scored 28 points on 12-for-20 shooting. She also had 12 rebounds and four blocks.

Williams scored 25 points, while Nurse and Chong had 11 each. Chong was 3-for-5 on three-pointers, fueling first-half runs that put distance between the Huskies and Ducks.

For a player who rode the bench for three seasons, Chong has been a revelation. She is indispensable, a steadying force and a player who set the pace.

“I don’t ever want to take her out,” Auriemma said.

As Chong gripped the regional title trophy during postgame team photos, Auriemma chuckled and pointed out the scene to his assistant coaches. Who would ever have imagined Chong being the center of UConn’s universe?

But it has been that kind of season.

“I appreciate it so much,” Chong said. “This season, everything, means so much.”

Chong has been superb in the tournament. Collier, Williams and Nurse have played with a swagger. Samuelson has hit big shots.

The team that surprised the country all season has seemingly elevated its game in March. The 10th consecutive trip to the Final Four matches the UCLA men’s team for most consecutive appearances and the Huskies now sit two victories away from something that’s become a UConn tradition.

Winning titles.

“The confidence that they played with in this tournament, for the first time for a lot of these players in this scenario in this tournament?” Auriemma said. “It’s remarkable.”

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