INDIANAPOLIS — Under the category of first things first, Connecticut walked into the Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Sunday intent on advancing its timeline to immortality.
There would be no championship Tuesday if there wasn’t a survival Sunday. And the Huskies knew it because that’s just the way it goes at this time of the year.
They also understood Oregon State was not afraid of them. The Beavers were industrious, eager to test their mettle against the three-time defending national champion.
But UConn could not afford to be deferential. This was business. This was history. And that seemed clear almost from the moment the game tipped off.
With their eye on the prize just a little bit down the road, the Huskies put on a consummate performance and defeated Oregon State, 80-51, in the national semifinals.
Leading the way was Morgan Tuck, the freshly minted All-American. Tuck scored 16 of her game-high 21 points a first half in which Oregon State held Breanna Stewart to two shots and two points in 18 minutes.
The Huskies (37-0) play either Syracuse or Washington for the national championship on Tuesday.
The Huskies will have to do it without freshman Katie Lou Samuelson. Samuelson missed much of Saturday’s work day with an undisclosed ailment and then emerged in the second half with a boot on her left foot in which she had broken a bone.
UConn, which has won 74 straight games, can close out its sixth undefeated season. Its senior class will be trying for an NCAA-record 151st victory. And the grand prize: The Huskies are after their fourth straight and record 11th overall national championship.
Sydney Wiese led Oregon State with 13 points. Stewart ended the game with 16 points and eight rebounds.
The Beavers came into the game with the nation’s finest field goal percentage defense and one of its top shot blockers, center Ruth Hamblin.
But the mathematics did not add up, just as it hadn’t for the first 36 teams who tried to match up with the Huskies. There was just too much room to cover. And the Beavers were no cover band.
Most of the trouble was created by Tuck, particularly in the first half when she helped the Huskies to a 47-26 lead. She had 13 points in the first quarter, shooting 5-for-8 in the process.
It was an unusual half for the Huskies. Stewart, the national player of the year, picked up two fouls in the first 2:05 of the game and did not take her first shot until she tried an offensive tip with 6:55 to play in the second quarter. By that time, the Huskies were well in control of the game.
Stewart did not score until there were 3 minutes to play in the half and her basket out the Huskies ahead, 41-26.
The Huskies first 10-point lead came on a 3-pointer from Samuelson with 4:20 to play in the first quarter. And the Huskies built a 16-point lead (24-8) with 1:40 to play.
The Beavers fought back. They cut the lead to eight (32-24) on a 3-pointer from Jamie Weisner and looked like they might come close. But a 3 from Tuck was in the middle of a 15-2 run that ended the second half with the Huskies ahead, 47-26.
The Huskies shot 58.6 percent in the first half against a defense that had held opponents to just 31.7 percent this season. And they forced 13 turnovers from a team not known for its sloppiness, partly by making eight steals.
Stewart rebounded with 10 points in the third quarter and the Huskies maintained their big margin, heading into the fourth quarter leading 64-41.
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