STORRS, Conn. (AP) — Paige Bueckers matched her career high with 34 points in her home finale, and second-seeded UConn reached its 31st straight Sweet 16 in the women’s NCAA Tournament, beating No. 10 seed South Dakota State 91-57 on Monday night.
Having said goodbye to her adoring fans at Gampel Pavilion, Bueckers, a senior who is expected to be the top overall pick in the WNBA draft, turns her attention toward trying to bring UConn its 12th national title and first since 2016.
Azzi Fudd scored 17 points and Sarah Strong finished with 15 points, seven rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks for the Huskies (33-3), who will face Oklahoma in a regional semifinal in Spokane, Washington.
Paige Meyer had 16 points for South Dakota State (30-4).
Brooklyn Meyer, the Jackrabbits’ leading scorer who is not related to Paige Meyer, went down with an ankle injury in 30.9 seconds left in the first half and had to be helped to the locker room. She returned for the second half and finished with four points in 28 minutes.
The Jackrabbits led by six points twice in the first quarter behind the strong play of Paige Meyer, the program’s single-season leader in assists. UConn responded by bringing in sophomore guard KK Arnold, whose ball pressure helped stifle the South Dakota State offense.
With Arnold getting the job done on defense, Bueckers took care of the rest. The All-America guard scored UConn’s last 10 points of the first quarter, including a buzzer-beating 3-pointer.
Bueckers had seven points in a 16-2 run in the second quarter to push the lead to 21. UConn made 10 shots in a row at one point in the second quarter and eight in a row in the third quarter.
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Jim Fuller, The Associated Press
