March Madness: Paige Bueckers powers UConn past USC team playing without JuJu Watkins into Final Four

USC put up a fight. 

But ultimately, Paige Bueckers and Sarah Strong — and the absence of JuJu Watkins — proved too much to overcome. 

The Trojans opened an early lead over UConn and then rallied from a 19-point halftime deficit to cut the UConn advantage to five points to close the third quarter of Monday's Spokane 4 regional final. But the Huskies withstood the run and opened the game back up en route to a 78-64 win to secure their spot in the Final Four. 

Bueckers and Strong took co-starring roles to lead UConn within two wins of its first national title since 2016. An eight-year national title drought isn't a drought for any other program. But for a UConn team that won 11 NCAA championships from 1995 to 2016, it represents a sea change. 

Bueckers on a historic tear, seeking her 1st NCAA title

Bueckers will lead UConn into Tampa, Florida, seeking to further cement her UConn and NCAA legacy with the only thing missing from her résumé. She is determined.

Tyler Schank via Getty Images

Bueckers finished Monday night with 31 points, six assists, three rebounds and four steals while shooting 9 of 18 from the field and 4 of 8 from 3. She reached her tally after a cold start with two points in the first quarter.

It added up to another sensational NCAA tournament performance from the UConn star, who scored a career-high 40 points in UConn's Sweet 16 win over Oklahoma. Bueckers now has 105 combined points since UConn's second-round win over South Dakota State. It's the highest three-game tally by any player in UConn's storied history. 

Bueckers opens up game after early USC run

USC punched first after the tip, opening up an 11-5 lead while controlling the boards and limiting Bueckers and Azzi Fudd. But Strong sparked a 9-0 UConn run to lead the Huskies to a 14-11 lead at the first-quarter break. 

Then Bueckers found her stroke. After scoring two points in the first quarter, she finished the half with 13. She closed the second quarter with 3-pointers on consecutive possessions that extended the UConn lead to 39-25 at halftime.