UConn takes down Maryland, heads back to title game

Tampa, FL (SportsNetwork.com) - Since losing to Stanford on Nov. 17, Connecticut has been just as dominant as recent championship Huskies teams.

And maybe even better.

Breanna Stewart scored 25 points, Morgan Tuck added 24 and UConn crushed Maryland 81-58 to advance to Tuesday's championship game.

Connecticut's 36th straight win since falling to Stanford came in similar fashion to the previous 35: by double digits. It was also the eighth 20-point win in the Final Four in program history. No other women's team has more than three.

Tuck and Stewart made layups on UConn's first two trips down the floor, as the two-time defending national champions were dialed in from the opening tip. They trailed 8-7 after Shatori Walker-Kimbrough's putback three minutes in, but Moriah Jefferson hit a 3 at the other end, and the Huskies never trailed after that.

Jefferson finished with 14 points for Connecticut (37-1), while Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis handed out seven assists.

Brionna Jones scored 14 points to lead Maryland (34-3), which hasn't made the championship game since winning the tournament in 2006. Brene Moseley and Lexie Brown added 12 points apiece.

The Terrapins stayed within striking distance in the first half, never trailing by more than 13. Tuck's 3-pointer with a minute left in the half sent UConn into halftime leading 44-33.

But Maryland went nearly six minutes of game time around halftime without a basket, allowing Connecticut to create some distance. Tuck's triple early in the second half sparked a 9-0 run that made it 53-33.

The closest Maryland got after that was 14 points.

Connecticut will play Notre Dame on Tuesday in a rematch of last season's title game. The Huskies won 79-58, then beat the Irish on Dec. 6 in South Bend by a similar margin, 76-58.