The UConn Huskies are heading to the Final Four for the 14th NCAA Women’s Tournament in a row.
After escaping with a 91-87 win against No. 1 NC State in the first ever double-overtime game in the Elite Eight or later, the No. 2 Huskies are dancing into the national semifinal.
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With both teams knotted at 61-61 apiece through four quarters, it was Paige Bueckers who took over for UConn. Bueckers delivered eight straight points to give the Huskies a 71-70 lead with 1:26 remaining in the first overtime period.
Bueckers later made it a 77-74 game after making two more free throws with six seconds to go. NC State needed a 3-pointer to send the game to another overtime period, and junior forward Jakia Brown-Turner nailed a corner 3 that even she seemed surprised went in.
Bueckers continued her shooting dominance in double overtime. After scoring UConn’s first five points in the period, she went up to 13 points on 4 of 4 shooting in overtime alone, including a 6 of 6 clip from the free throw line.
UConn’s 84-79 lead became the largest advantage for either team since the third quarter, but NC State rallied and stayed within two points. However, the Wolfpack did not have a miracle in the tank.
Bueckers finished the game with 27 points on 10 of 15 shooting, her highest-scoring game since Dec. 5, 2021, which was a 22-point outing against Notre Dame prior to her knee injury.
UConn will now play No. 1 Stanford in the Final Four on Friday.
