DALLAS — Sydney Carter scored 22 points and Texas A&M finally beat Baylor — when it counted the most.
The Aggies are going to the NCAA Final Four for the first time in school history after a 58-46 victory over the top-seeded Lady Bears on Tuesday night in the Dallas Regional final.
Baylor and All-American Brittney Griner, who played in the Final Four last year in the 6-foot-8 center’s freshman season, will have to settle for the Big 12 regular-season and tournament trophies the young Bears (34-3) already won this season.
Texas A&M (31-5) had lost eight straight games against its Big 12 rival, including the previous three this season.
The Aggies blew a nine- point lead midway through the second half in Waco, Texas, last month. They squandered a 12-0 start in the Big 12 championship game three weeks ago.
This time, coach Gary Blair’s team led from start to finish after Carter had a 3-pointer, an assist and a jumper in the game’s first two minutes for a 7-0 lead.
“Tonight was our night, we didn’t back into it,” Blair said. “We won the game fair and square.”
Connecticut 75, Duke 40
PHILADELPHIA — Maya Moore scored 28 points, including the 3,000th of her career, to lead the top-seeded Huskies to a fourth consecutive trip to the Final Four.
The Huskies (36-1) scored the final seven points of the first half to take control. Moore hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key and then ended the half with a baseline jumper that made it 30-20.
Moore, who earlier in the day became only the second four-time AP All-American, had 13 points, nine rebounds and five steals by the break. She finished with 10 rebounds and seven steals.
The Associated Press
