The University of Connecticut has a storied basketball program. Between both their men's and women's teams, the Huskies have now won 3 of the last four national championships for college basketball. The UConn Women's basketball program also won in 2013, making this not only back to back Championships, but a Three-Peat. No matter what level of basketball, that is quite impressive for any team to pull off.
UConn ended up winning this one by 10, 63-53 behind Mariah Jefferson's 15 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals and 3-8 night from three. Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis also had 15 points for the Huskies, adding five rebounds, two blocks, and a steal. Morgan Tuck added 12 points, Kia Nurse had nine, while Breanna Stewart was held to eight points for UConn.
Stewart had the game high for rebounds with 15, a staggering number, which equaled the total number of boards of Notre Dame's players except for Taya Reimer and Brianna Turner combined. Her four blocks went the same way, as all of a Notre Dame combined to get four blocks.
Brianna Turner had a fantastic game for the Irish, getting a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds, setting a team high in the game for points, while Taya Reimer had 11 boards, setting the Notre Dame game-high mark. Turner was also the only player to shoot over 50% going 7-9 on the floor, with no attempted three point shots, while her and Morgan Tuck of Connecticut were the only starters not to commit a foul.
Notre Dame's key players in the Final were Turner and Reimer, but the Fighting Irish also got solid contributions from their other three starters; Jewell Lloyd (12 points 5 boards), Machaela Mabry (9 points, 3-3 from the perimeter) and Lindsay Allen (8 points, 7 rebounds and a game high 7 assists).
Another interesting note on the game, UConn coach Geno Auriemma has now won 10 National Championships, which ties him with John Wooden, a coaching legend. Auriemma has built UConn into a top school in the nation for girls basketball, and has formed his own dynasty, quickly approaching what Pat Summit did with Tennessee. He looks to have another solid team next season as well, and could be in for a four-peat! Looking back, how did Stanford manage to beat them? Maybe a fifty game win streak is in store for the Huskies.