Photo: UConn forward Sarah Strong (21) looks to shoot at Creighton center Elizabeth Gentry defends during first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinals of the Big East tournament, Sunday, March 8, 2026, in Uncasville, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) — Sarah Strong had 23 points, seven rebounds and six steals to lead top-ranked UConn to a 100-51 win over Creighton in the Big East semifinals on Sunday as the Huskies advanced to a conference championship game for the 22nd season in a row.

UConn (33-0) shot 71% from 3-point range in the first three quarters on the way to its 49th consecutive win. It was also the 38th conference tournament win in a row as the Huskies scored 100 points in the Big East tournament for the first time. Kayleigh Heckel added nine points, eight rebounds and seven assists for the Huskies.

Kennedy Townsend had 13 points for Creighton (16-15), which was looking to advance to conference title games in consecutive seasons for the first time since losing in the 2009 and 2010 Missouri Valley Conference championship games.

UConn made 11 of its first 13 shots as the Huskies jumped out to a 27-4 lead, Creighton only hit consecutive shots twice in the first half. Strong had 17 points, four rebounds, four assists, six steals and two blocked shots in the first half. Arnold had 15 points on 7-of-7 shooting at halftime as the Huskies lead 57-22 at the break.

Strong became the first NCAA Division I women's basketball player with at least 500 points, 200 rebounds, 100 assists, 100 steals, 50 3-pointers and 50 blocked shots in the last 25 seasons when she had her first block of the game. Azzi Fudd hit her 100th 3-pointer of the season in the first half. She joined Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis and Katie Lou Samuelson as the only UConn women's basketball players with at least 100 assists and 100 3-pointers in the same season.

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Creighton: Awaiting postseason bid.

UConn: plays Villanova in Big East final.

St. John's star Zuby Ejiofor and UConn trio headline All-Big East team

NEW YORK (AP) — St. John's forward Zuby Ejiofor was the only unanimous selection Sunday to an All-Big East first team that included an unprecedented three players from No. 4 UConn.

Ejiofor propelled the 18th-ranked Red Storm (25-6, 18-2) to their second consecutive outright regular-season title, averaging 17 points, seven rebounds, four assists and 1.8 blocks in league games.

He is the lone player in high-major college basketball to lead his team and rank among the top 10 in his conference in all four of those statistical categories.

Silas Demary Jr., Alex Karaban and Tarris Reed Jr. made UConn (27-4, 17-3) the first school to put three players on the All-Big East first team in one season. Michael Ajayi of Butler and Tre Carroll of Xavier joined them on the squad. Balloting was conducted by the league's head coaches, who were not allowed to vote for their own players.

The award for Player of the Year will go to one of those six Wednesday, when Coach of the Year and Freshman of the Year also will be revealed during a news conference at Madison Square Garden a few hours before the Big East Tournament begins.

UConn guard Solo Ball and St. John's forward Bryce Hopkins headlined the All-Big East second team, which also featured Seton Hall guard Budd Clark, Villanova guard Acaden Lewis and conference scoring champion Jaylin Sellers of Providence.

Because of a tie in balloting, the third team had six players: Villanova teammates Duke Brennan and Tyler Perkins, Butler guard Finley Bizjack, Georgetown guard KJ Lewis, Marquette guard Nigel James Jr. and St. John’s forward Dillon Mitchell.

James and Acaden Lewis were unanimous selections to the All-Freshman Team, along with UConn’s Braylon Mullins and Providence’s Stefan Vaaks. Jamier Jones from Providence made it as well.

Ejiofor, the conference preseason player of the year, also was the only unanimous pick for the inaugural Big East All-Defensive Team, which included Mitchell, Clark, Demary and Chase Ross from Marquette.