UConn Beats Notre Dame 70-52, Advances to Final Four
UConn's bench outscored Notre Dame 32-7 and Sarah Strong was named regional MVP as the Huskies reached their 25th Final Four with a 70-52 win.
Blanca Quiñonez walked off the Dickies Arena floor Sunday with 20 points, eight rebounds and three assists. She came off the bench.
That depth advantage defined UConn's 70-52 Elite Eight win over Notre Dame in Fort Worth, Texas, sending the Huskies to their 25th Final Four in program history. UConn improved to 38-0 with the victory, extending a 54-game winning streak that began last season. NBA star Kyrie Irving was among those watching from the stands.
The Huskies entered as 94% favorites per ESPN Analytics, but Sunday had a different texture than the teams' January meeting, when UConn had rolled 85-47. This one stayed competitive: at the 4:43 mark of the third quarter, the lead stood at just eight points, 38-30, with both teams struggling to score. UConn shot 16.7% from the floor in that stretch; Notre Dame managed 25%.
Kayleigh Heckel kept the Huskies in control at the half, beating the buzzer to push the lead to 32-25. Then the bench took over. Quiñonez, the Big East Freshman of the Year and Sixth Player of the Year, led a reserve unit that outscored Notre Dame's bench 32-7. UConn forced 18 turnovers and held the Irish to 39% shooting for the game.
Sarah Strong led all scorers with 21 points, seven rebounds, five steals and three blocks, and was named Fort Worth regional Most Outstanding Player. Her start was slow: she and Fudd combined for just four points on 2-of-9 shooting in the first quarter. The Huskies, the nation's best 3-point shooting team, connected on just 20% from beyond the arc, their second-worst performance from range all season.
Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo was held scoreless in the opening quarter but pushed into traffic to get her offense going and finished with 22 points, requiring 19 shot attempts to get there. Hidalgo was named to the Fort Worth regional all-tournament team for Notre Dame, joining Strong, Quiñonez and Fudd on the full roster of honorees.
Notre Dame head coach Niele Ivey made her first Elite Eight appearance carrying a 3-2 career record against UConn. KK Bransford's return to the Irish lineup had fueled an 11-2 run heading into Sunday, giving the sixth seed genuine momentum. It wasn't enough.
UConn is in the Final Four for the 17th time in 18 seasons. The Huskies, owners of 12 women's national championships, advance to Phoenix for the national semifinals on Friday, April 3, and the title game on Sunday, April 5, where they will face the winner of No. 1 South Carolina and No. 3 TCU.
Going to the Final Four undefeated has happened seven times in women's basketball history. UConn has done it five of those seven times.
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