BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — Breanna Stewart turned in an encore performance Monday night, a few hours after being named the national player of the year for the third time.
Stewart scored 21 points and had 13 rebounds to lead top-seeded UConn back to the Final Four with an 86-65 victory over Texas in the Bridgeport Regional. Morgan Tuck scored a UConn-high 22 points.
Stewart headlined The Associated Press’ All-America first team, along with teammate Moriah Jefferson, Ohio State’s Kelsey Mitchell, Minnesota’s Rachel Banham and South Carolina’s A’ja Wilson.
It’s UConn’s ninth consecutive trip to the Final Four, where it will be trying for a record fourth straight national championship.
“Nine times is a lot of Final Fours,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. “That’s a lot. That’s a lot of players over a lot of years. It’s not easy to do.”
The victory, UConn’s 73rd straight overall, was also the school’s 22nd consecutive one in the postseason, breaking a tie with Tennessee for the most in a row.
Two more victories would give Auriemma an 11th title, moving him past UCLA men’s coach John Wooden for most in college basketball history.
Stewart was selected as the most outstanding player of the regional.
The Huskies will join Final Four newcomers Syracuse, Washington and Oregon State in Indianapolis. UConn will meet Oregon State in the national semifinals Sunday night.
Making the Final Four seemed like a foregone conclusion the way UConn has played this season, winning every game by double digits. The Huskies even stepped up their play in the regionals. They shattered their record when they routed Mississippi State in the Sweet 16 by an NCAA-best 60 points.
This was the second straight year that the Huskies (36-0) ended the Longhorns’ season. UConn beat Texas (31-5) by a then-record 51 points last season in the Sweet 16. Texas made it one step further this season before falling to the Huskies again.
Unlike that game, which was basically over by the half, the Longhorns hung around with the Huskies on Monday night.
Oregon St. 60, Baylor 57
DALLAS — Sydney Wiese scored 18 points, including three free throws in the final 33 seconds and Oregon State advanced to the women’s Final Four for the first time.
The Lady Bears (36-2) finished their season with a regional final lost for the third consecutive season.
Oregon State (32-4) is going to Indianapolis to face three-time defending national champion UConn after eliminating the six-time defending Big 12 champions.
Jamie Weisner, the Pac-12 player of the year who was the regional most outstanding player, had 16 points while 6-foot-6 Canadian center Ruth Hamblin had 10 points and 12 rebounds for the Beavers — who were playing in their first regional final.
“I don’t know how you put this into words,” Oregon State coach Scott Rueck said after getting the championship trophy.
