South Carolina beats UConn 62-48, ends Huskies’ 54-game streak and reaches title game
PHOENIX (AP) — Ta’Niya Latson scored 16 and Agot Makeer added 14 points and South Carolina played stifling defense to beat UConn 62-48 on Friday night, ending the Huskies’ 54-game winning streak and advancing to the women’s NCAA Tournament championship game. The Gamecocks will face UCLA on Sunday for the title, capping off another March Madness . South Carolina (36-3) will be looking to win its fourth national championship.
Their other three have come in the last decade. UConn (38-1) entered the Final Four undefeated for the ninth time in school history and for the third straight time left without a title. The Huskies also lost in the 2017 and 2018 national semifinals.
This was the fewest points UConn had scored since putting up 49 points in a national championship game loss to the Gamecocks in 2022. The Huskies and Gamecocks played last season for the title and UConn came away with an 82-59 rout for the school’s 12th national championship. UConn also beat South Carolina handily during the 2024-25 regular season.
UCLA 51, TEXAS 44 Lauren Betts had 16 points and made a huge block late, and UCLA withstood a late charge by Texas for a win to reach the women’s NCAA Tournament national championship game for the first time. Manhandled by eventual national champion UConn in their first Final Four a year ago, the Bruins (36-1) dominated their way to another national semifinal with the best season in program history. A chance at a first national championship game appearance had to go through the only team to beat them this season .
Overpowered in the first meeting, the Bruins turned the bully tables on Texas (35-4), shutting down All-American Madison Booker while building a 13-point lead midway through the fourth quarter. The Longhorns are one of the nation’s best defensive teams and flexed their D during a 12-2 run that cut UCLA’s lead to 47-44. Betts swatted the Texas run to halt.