Bridgeport Region Elite Eight Game Breakdown
#1 Connecticut vs. #2 Texas
Connecticut absolutely annihilated Mississippi State 98-38 on Saturday and quite frankly it was such a dominating performance that the Huskies could have won by 80 if they had wanted to. The 60-point margin of victory for Connecticut broke the NCAA record set last year by the Huskies for the largest margin of victory during the regional rounds and beyond. The start of the game was spectacular for Connecticut as they bolted out to a 32-4 lead at the end of the first quarter. It was the ability to force turnovers and cash them in for easy baskets that allowed the Huskies to go into halftime with a 61-12 lead over the Bulldogs. The 61 points for Connecticut in the first half was staggering considering Mississippi State came into the game only allowing 54.7 points per game on the season.
Breanna Stewart was outstanding on Saturday, scoring 22 points, collecting 14 rebounds and blocking five shots. Katie Lou Samuelson added 21 points and Morgan Tuck scored 19 points to round out the unstoppable offensive attack for Connecticut. Now, heading into the Elite Eight, the mindset does not change as its about bringing their A game on Monday night against Texas with another trip to the Final Four on the line. If the losses by South Carolina and Notre Dame showed anything in their respective regionals, it’s that even a team as loaded with talent as the Huskies can’t take any opposing team for granted. So look for Connecticut to come into the Elite Eight with its usual crystal clear level of focus and intensity from the start once again.
Texas won a hard fought battle over UCLA 72-64 to advance to their 7th Elite Eight in program history. The Longhorns have been a team on a mission all season long as their goal was to get to the Elite Eight and beyond. Despite trailing by ten points in the second half, there was never any panic amongst this Texas squad as they outscored the Bruins 24-10 in the fourth quarter to get the victory. Imani Boyette took care of business for the Longhorns down low all afternoon long. Boyette scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to pace a very balanced offense attack for Texas. Brooke McCarty did a very nice job in the backcourt, scoring 15 points and collecting five rebounds and four assists. Also, the defense from the Longhorn guards was excellent against Nirra Fields of UCLA. Fields was limited to just four points on 2-of-11 shooting from the floor. They also neutralized Kori Korver, who was the best perimeter shooter for the Bruins. Korver was just 1-of-6 shooting the basketball and scored just three points.
With a rematch against the Huskies looming on Monday night, this is going to be very intriguing motivational challenge for head coach Karen Aston. Last year in the Regional Semifinal, Texas lost to Connecticut by a score of 105-54 in a game that was defined by two things: a 44-9 run by the Huskies to blow open a 26-19 game in the first half and Connecticut’s ability to get the post players of Texas moving, allowing the Huskies to attack the basket and shoot 56 percent from the floor. In order for the Longhorns to compete in this game, they have to make it more of a challenge for Connecticut to get quality shots. They also need to block out last year’s blowout and go into this game with a confident mentality. Look for Connecticut to move on to the Final Four with a fairly comfortable win in a similar fashion to last year’s 91-70 regional final win against Dayton.
Dallas Region Elite Eight Game Breakdown
Lexington Region Elite Eight Game Breakdown
Sioux Falls Region Elite Eight Game Breakdowns
