ALBANY, N.Y. _ The UConn women's basketball team is headed to its 12th consecutive Final Four after beating Louisville 80-73 in the Elite Eight on Sunday behind a 29-point performance from Katie Lou Samuelson.
Despite a lingering back injury that she's fought through during the NCAA Tournament, Samuelson was at her deadliest Sunday afternoon. She made seven 3-pointers, all at critical moments, to help the Huskies advance to the Final Four.
Samuelson's shooting, along with big performances from Christyn Williams and Megan Walker, kept UConn in the lead a majority of the game. The win, like some this season, was hard fought and went down to the final minutes. UConn's free throw shooting, as well as a timely steal from Williams, helped push the Huskies into a comfortable lead in the final seconds.
While Samuelson led the team in scoring, Williams added 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Walker finished with 13 points and 12 rebounds, also making four threes. Napheesa Collier, who was named the most outstanding player of the Albany regional, finished with 12 points and 13 rebounds. And Crystal Dangerfield had 10 points and five rebounds.
Much like the first time UConn and Louisville met this season, the Huskies and Cardinals got out to a fast start in the first quarter. Both teams struggled to shoot early, but they pushed the pace. The Huskies were eventually able to get things going with a layup from Collier that was quickly followed by a three from Samuelson. The senior's emergence early in the game seemed like a good sign for UConn, as she wasn't much of a factor in their Sweet 16 win over UCLA.
Louisville didn't let UConn get out to much of a lead before storming back with a 9-0 run that the Huskies weathered before going on a 10-0 run of their own. Walker hit three 3-pointers, not missing a single shot in the first quarter, and gave UConn a 22-16 lead at the end of the first.
Samuelson and Walker, along with Dangerfield and Williams, kept up the strong shooting from beyond the arc in the second. Louisville's Asia Durr, who didn't score in the first quarter, started to make shots, but UConn was able to contain her for the most part. Usually UConn's leading scorer, Collier didn't make many shots in the first half, but grabbed rebounds left and right. By the end of the second, UConn was up 41-34.
The third quarter was critical for UConn. The Huskies struggled in the third in their first matchup with Louisville, and it ultimately ended their chances to win the game. On Sunday, Louisville was able to outscore UConn 19-16 in the quarter, but it was nowhere near the breakdown the Huskies had in the regular season. The Huskies did have a big development in the third, though, with Samuelson heading to the bench after being called for her fourth foul.
With Samuelson on the bench, Williams did her best to step up in the fourth quarter. She scored the first seven points of the quarter for UConn and was active on both ends of the court. Samuelson came in for the last half of the quarter and did exactly what the Huskies have needed her to do in big games _ hit threes at each critical moment of the game. She would go on to make multiple free throws late in the game, helping UConn hold off Louisville.
