The worst case had caught up to USC.There was no more outrunning the reality that loomed over this entire NCAA tournament, not with Paige Bueckers at the height of her powers and the full weight of the Connecticut onslaught raining down on them.

The UConn guard scored 71 points in two games, leading the Huskies back to the Final Four. She is chasing her first championship.

USC put up a fight. But ultimately, Paige Bueckers and Sarah Strong — and the absence of JuJu Watkins — proved too much to overcome.