KINGSTON, R.I. — Tiffany Hayes scored 22 points and top-seed Connecticut beat Kentucky 80-65 last night to advance to the Final Four for the fifth straight season.
Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis added 18 for UConn (33-4), which will play Notre Dame, which beat Maryland 80-49 last night, on Sunday in Denver. The Huskies matched their own school mark of five straight trips to the national semifinals. LSU and Stanford have also accomplished the feat.
Unlike their previous four trips to the regional finals, the Huskies had to work hard to pull away from the Wildcats.
“We like to go to the Final Four every year,” coach Geno Auriemma said. “I think we’re also realistic, some years it’s going to be easier than others. Expectations are always there, regardless of the probability. This year was less than other years. Makes it more worthwhile.”
UConn led 48-47 early in the second half before using a 21-4 spurt to take command. Hayes, the lone senior on the team, was the catalyst, scoring seven points during the run. She got it started with a lay-in. Then the Huskies started a parade to the free throw line and converted 12 free throws during the game-changing run.