Written By Adrian Beecher
2015 WBCA National Player of the Year Breanna Stewart scored 25 points and grabbed 8 boards to lead the Huskies to a 81-58 win over the Maryland Terrapins in the Final Four Semifinal game on Sunday night at Amalie Arena. Morgan Tuck added 24 points for the Huskies in the win.
The Huskies wasted little time getting things started as Morgan Tuck put in the first basket for UCONN just 10 seconds into the game to make it 2-0. The Huskies would pull out to a 4-0 lead before the Terps answered with two quick buckets to tie it up at 4.
Maryland and UConn continued a neck and neck battle through the beginning of the 1st quarter and it was tied up at 10 with 16:23 left in the 1st. Then the Huskies went on their first big run.
UConn went on a 8-2 run to give themselves a 6 point lead with just 13:46 left in the first half. The Terrapins tried as they might to keep it close and with a 3-pointer by Chloe Pavlech at the 9:12 mark in the first half, Maryland had made it a 3-point game.
Their efforts would soon be thwarted as the Huskies went on a 12-2 run to make it 34-21 with just 5:53 left to play in the half, giving them their biggest lead of the 1st half.
Maryland was able cut the lead to just 6 with 1:54 left to play, making it 39-33. The Huskies then closed out the half on a 5-0 run to make it 44-33 as the teams went into the locker room at the half.
The Huskies wasted little time getting things started as Morgan Tuck put in the first basket for UCONN just 10 seconds into the game to make it 2-0. The Huskies would pull out to a 4-0 lead before the Terps answered with two quick buckets to tie it up at 4.
Maryland and UConn continued a neck and neck battle through the beginning of the 1st quarter and it was tied up at 10 with 16:23 left in the 1st. Then the Huskies went on their first big run.
UConn went on a 8-2 run to give themselves a 6 point lead with just 13:46 left in the first half. The Terrapins tried as they might to keep it close and with a 3-pointer by Chloe Pavlech at the 9:12 mark in the first half, Maryland had made it a 3-point game.
Their efforts would soon be thwarted as the Huskies went on a 12-2 run to make it 34-21 with just 5:53 left to play in the half, giving them their biggest lead of the 1st half.
Maryland was able cut the lead to just 6 with 1:54 left to play, making it 39-33. The Huskies then closed out the half on a 5-0 run to make it 44-33 as the teams went into the locker room at the half.
Redshirt Sophomore Morgan Tuck scored 13 points and grabbed 6 boards to lead the Huskies in scoring and rebounds in the first half. Lexie Brown led Maryland with 9 points at the half.
"I think it was a credit to my teammates. They gave me the ball where I'm best at. That's around the basket or driving to the basket. So I think I played well because my teammates played well as well. " Morgan Tuck expressed modestly post game of her 24 point 9 rebound performance Sunday.
Tuck carried her momentum from the 1st half right into the second half as she hit the first basket of the 2nd half from downtown to make it 47-33 Huskies. Then WBCA National Player of the Year Breanna Stewart got in on the action with a layup of her own making it 49-33 with 17:45 left in regulation. This forced the Terps to call a timeout.
The timeout would not help the Terrapins as UConn extended their lead to 20 points. Maryland then got their first basket of the second half with 15:56 left to play on a layup from Brionna Jones, this made it 53-35.
Maryland finally found their way to the charity stripe with 11:35 left to play in the game as Brene Moseley drained her two free throws to make it 60 to 44. A jumper by A’Lexus Harrison for the Terps made it a 14-point game with 10:45 left to play, this would be as close as the Terps would get.
A 3-pointer by Junior Moriah Jefferson for the Huskies with 2:46 left to play made it a 22-point lead for UConn and put this one completely out of reach. As the final whistle blew, the Huskies sealed their spot in the 2015 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship with a 81-58 win.
The Huskies will now have to face the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Tuesday April 7th for a shot at a 3rd straight National Title!
"It's one game. One night for the season, really." says UConn Head Coach Geno Auriemma on the Tuesday night matchup against the Irish.
"I think it was a credit to my teammates. They gave me the ball where I'm best at. That's around the basket or driving to the basket. So I think I played well because my teammates played well as well. " Morgan Tuck expressed modestly post game of her 24 point 9 rebound performance Sunday.
Tuck carried her momentum from the 1st half right into the second half as she hit the first basket of the 2nd half from downtown to make it 47-33 Huskies. Then WBCA National Player of the Year Breanna Stewart got in on the action with a layup of her own making it 49-33 with 17:45 left in regulation. This forced the Terps to call a timeout.
The timeout would not help the Terrapins as UConn extended their lead to 20 points. Maryland then got their first basket of the second half with 15:56 left to play on a layup from Brionna Jones, this made it 53-35.
Maryland finally found their way to the charity stripe with 11:35 left to play in the game as Brene Moseley drained her two free throws to make it 60 to 44. A jumper by A’Lexus Harrison for the Terps made it a 14-point game with 10:45 left to play, this would be as close as the Terps would get.
A 3-pointer by Junior Moriah Jefferson for the Huskies with 2:46 left to play made it a 22-point lead for UConn and put this one completely out of reach. As the final whistle blew, the Huskies sealed their spot in the 2015 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship with a 81-58 win.
The Huskies will now have to face the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Tuesday April 7th for a shot at a 3rd straight National Title!
"It's one game. One night for the season, really." says UConn Head Coach Geno Auriemma on the Tuesday night matchup against the Irish.