NASSAU, Bahamas – Paige Bueckers scored 23 points on 9 of 13 shooting and No. 2 UConn never trailed on Monday night as the Huskies defeated Oregon State 71-52 in the Baha Mar women’s championship.

Sarah Strong, the 2024 Naismith High School Player of the Year, had 13 points, eight rebounds, six steals and two blocks for UConn (5-0). Jana El Alfy had 12 points.

Allie Ziebell scored seven of UConn’s 20 points in the second quarter and the Huskies took a 42-19 halftime lead.

AJ Marotte led the Beavers (1-5) with 17 points and Kelsey Rees scored 10.

Takeaways

Oregon State: The Beavers need a regular win. They have lost three straight games and are winless against Division I opponents this season. The Beavers’ only win was an 80-52 victory over Division-II Northwest Nazarene in their home opener.

UConn: The Huskies have too much talent for most teams. They are 3-0 overall against the Beavers, with every game played at neutral sites. The first meeting between the programs took place exactly 29 years ago, on November 25, 1995.

Key moment

Bueckers, the reigning Big East Player of the Week, opened the scoring with a jump shot and hit three 3-pointers as she scored 11 points on 5-of-5 shooting in the first quarter and led the Huskies with a header They took a 22-7 lead into the second.

Key statistics

Both teams shot 44% overall, but the Huskies made 19 more field goals than Oregon State. UConn had 11 steals, forced 24 OSU turnovers and had a 12-4 advantage on offense. Connecticut outscored the Beavers 24-17 on turnovers and 12-2 on second-chance points.

Next

Oregon State: Faces Boston College on Wednesday in the third-place game.

UConn: Plays No. 18 Mississippi in the title game on Wednesday.

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