UConn beats Baylor for the 29th straight trip to the Sweet 16
STORRS, Conn. — Azzi Fudd scored 16 of his 22 points in a decisive third quarter to lead second seed UConn to a 77-58 win over No. 7 seed Baylor on Monday night and a 29th consecutive Sweet 16.
Aaliyah Edwards added 19 points and Nika Muhl had 10 assists for the Huskies (31-5). Dorka Juhasz scored 11 points and Caroline Ducharme added 10.
Ja’mee Asberry had 15 points and Jaden Owens had 14 for Baylor, who ends their season 20-13. Bella Fontleroy had 12 points for the Bears, who made 12 3-pointers after hitting 14 in their first-round win against Alabama.
But the Huskies dominated indoors, outscoring the Bears 36-12 in the paint and beating Baylor 42-31.
UConn will play Ohio State in the regional semifinals in Seattle. The Buckeyes held on to beat North Carolina by two points on Monday.
The Huskies led by five points at halftime after a shot from just over the halfway line by Muhl.
But Edwards, who had 12 points in the first half, picked up his fourth foul less than three minutes into the second half.
A steal and layup by Asberry cut the UConn lead to 44-43, and a three-pointer by Owens tied the game at 46.
Fudd, who has played in just his fifth game after missing 22 this season with knee injuries, then took over. He hit seven of his 12 shots in the third, helping UConn make a decisive 16-2 run to end the game.
The Huskies led 62-50 after three quarters and outscored Baylor 15-8 in the quarter.
The game ended early with Baylor leading 24–18 after one quarter. The Huskies shut down the perimeter defense and opened the second quarter with a 17-2 run to take a 35-26 lead.
Edwards hit six of his first seven shots, but picked up his third foul late in the second quarter. Baylor fought back and trailed 37-35 after a three-pointer by Jaden Owens.
But just before time was about to run out, Muhl took two steps over half court and fired a shot that found the back of the net.
SWITCHBOARD
Baylor: The Bears also lost in the second round last season, falling to South Dakota at home.
UConn: The Huskies haven’t lost an NCAA Tournament first-round game since 1993, going 44-0 at Gampel Pavilion since then and 16-0 at other arenas.
NEXT
UConn last lost in the Sweet 16 in 2005, falling to Stanford in Kansas City.
