UConn wins its 22nd Big East Tournament championship. Texas, Iowa State will

UNCASVILE, Conn. (AP) — Paige Bueckers scored 27 points and had five blocks to help No. 10 UConn beat Georgetown 78-42 on Monday night to win its 22nd Big East Tournament title.

It was the 29th title overall for the Huskies, who haven’t lost in a conference championship contest since 2013, when Notre Dame beat them for the Big East title.

UConn (29-5), which has been in 20 consecutive conference tournament championship games, has won all four titles since rejoining the Big East in 2020-21 after taking seven straight during its run in the American Athletic Conference.

Georgetown was making its first appearance in the championship game in school history. The Hoyas (22-11) already have the most wins since the 2011-12 team had 23. That was the last time the school made the NCAA Tournament. Despite making the title game, they are a long shot to make the NCAAs with a very weak non-conference schedule.

NO. 6 TEXAS 71, NO. 16 KANSAS STATE 64

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Madison Booker scored 17 points, Shay Holle hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with just over a minute to go, and Texas beat Kansas State to set up a Big 12 Tournament title game rematch against Iowa State.

Aaliyah Moore added 14 points and Holle finished with 11 for the second-seeded Longhorns (29-4), who blew a 14-point, first-half lead before rallying from a 57-55 deficit with four minutes to go to earn a shot at their second title in the last three years.

The No. 4-seeded Cyclones, who knocked off top-seeded Oklahoma earlier in the day, beat Texas 67-58 in the finale a year ago.

Ayoka Lee had 25 points and 10 rebounds to lead the third-seeded Wildcats (25-7). Serena Sundell added 12 points but also had six of their 17 turnovers.

NO. 14 GONZAGA 72, PACIFIC 61

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Eliza Hollingsworth had 20 points and 12 rebounds, Yvonne Ejim also had a double-double and Gonzaga defeated Pacific in the West Coast Conference Tournament semifinals for the Bulldogs’ 24th straight win.

Ejim had 18 points and 13 rebounds for Gonzaga (30-2), which had its closest game against a league opponent this season. Brynna Maxwell added 17 points and Kaylynne Truong had 13 with seven assists.

The Zags face the winner of Portland-Santa Clara in the Tuesday championship game.

The Tigers gave the Bulldogs their closest regular-season game, falling 91-78 on Feb. 17. Ironically, two weeks earlier, Gonzaga had its largest-ever win over a Division I opponent when it beat Pacific 104-39. The Zags beat conference teams by 30.7 points a game.

IOWA STATE 85, NO. 19 OKLAHOMA 68

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Audi Crooks had 25 points, Addy Brown added 16 and fourth-seeded Iowa State romped over top-seeded Oklahoma, giving the Cyclones a chance to defend their women’s Big 12 Tournament title.

Emily Ryan added 12 points and 10 assists for the Cyclones (20-10), who beat the Sooners in last year’s semifinals before topping Texas for the title. Iowa State will now…