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UConn women headed back to Tampa for Final Four

Few teams beat the Huskies twice in the same season, and UConn is now in its 12th straight Final Four.
 
Louisville guard Dana Evans (1) tries to strip the ball from Connecticut guard Katie Lou Samuelson (33) during the first half of a regional championship final in the NCAA women's college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2019, in Albany, N.Y. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
Louisville guard Dana Evans (1) tries to strip the ball from Connecticut guard Katie Lou Samuelson (33) during the first half of a regional championship final in the NCAA women's college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2019, in Albany, N.Y. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
Published March 31, 2019|Updated March 31, 2019

ALBANY, N.Y. — Katie Lou Samuelson put UConn on her injured back and shot the Huskies into a record 12th straight Final Four.

Samuelson scored 29 points and second-seeded UConn held off No. 1 Louisville 80-73 on Sunday in the Albany Region final.

“She made some shots today that only really special players make at this particular time,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. “This is when players separate themselves in these games.”

The Huskies (35-2) have won six national championships and had a 111-game win streak during their remarkable Final Four run. They will be looking to try and reach the title game for the first time in three years after they have lost on last-second shots in the past two national semifinals. UConn has played in the Final Four all three times Tampa has hosted (2008, 2015, this year).

“I don’t think it’s supposed to happen,” Auriemma said of the incredible run. “Not in today’s world the way things change and teams keep getting better and better. It’s not normal. It’s something that’s hard to describe because even if you’re writing a book and making it up, people would say it doesn’t happen in real life. It has happened in real life, I’m still boggled, my mind doesn’t get how it can happen this many years in a row with a different cast of characters that change so often. No it’s not normal, it’s not normal.”

Samuelson hit seven of the team’s 14 3-pointers, including many big shots in the fourth quarter.

“I wanted to keep my career going,” she said. “I had to step up. They were really making it hard for us, so I had to do what I could.”

UConn needed every one of them as the team nearly blew an 11-point lead in the final 1:47 of the game.

RELATED: Oregona women clinch first Final Four, off to Tampa

Louisville scored 10 of 11 points to cut its deficit to 75-73 with 26.6 seconds left. Samuelson then hit two free throws to make it a two-possession game.

Asia Durr was fouled a few seconds later, but the Cardinals’ senior leader missed both free throws. Napheesa Collier was fouled after the Cardinals’ missed a chance on an offensive rebound. She stepped up and sank both free throws on the other end to make it 79-73.

As the buzzer sounded, the Huskies all mobbed Samuelson at the foul line celebrating another trip to the Final Four.

“It’s amazing just to be part of this program, just to wear this name on our chest every day,” Samuelson said. “You know you’re part of something special. And they’ve created something amazing here. And for us we just want to be part of that and keep it going as long as we can.”

Louisville (32-4) was looking to become only the second team to beat UConn twice in a season in the past decade, joining fellow ACC school Notre Dame, which did it in 2012 and 2013. The Huskies could face the Irish in Tampa if Notre Dame beats Stanford on Monday night.

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UConn was not a No. 1 seed for the first time since 2006. While much was made of that leading up to this game, the only real differences as coach Geno Auriemma put it was that his team would wear the road blues and would be sitting on a different bench. The Huskies band also played the national anthem pregame. It certainly wasn’t a road game though with a very pro UConn crowd of 9,204 with the Albany site a two-hour drive from Connecticut.

Samuelson has been dealing with a back injury since getting hurt against Houston in the final home game. She missed the entire American Athletic Conference Tournament. She struggled in the Sweet 16 victory over UCLA, scoring just six points and not hitting a basket until the fourth quarter.

Women’s Final Four

Amalie Arena, Tampa

April 5: semifinals, 7 and 9:30 TV: ESPN2

April 7: final, 6 TV: ESPN

More info/tickets: Single-session tickets are available through the NCAA’s official site; prices vary. Visit ncaa.com/womens-final-four

More events

• The Tampa Convention Center will host Tourney Town, a free festival with contests, games, autographs and clinics April 5-7. The event includes Beyond the Baseline, which features opportunities for networking and professional development.

• The plaza outside Amalie Arena will host a free party with live music, food and games before the games (4-6:30 on April 5 and 3-5:30 on April 7).

• Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park will have a free celebration of basketball with fireworks and live music from 6-11 p.m. on April 6.

• The Women’s Final Four Bounce is a dribbling parade for children 18 and younger. It starts at 1 p.m. on April 7 at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park.