The Associated Press

HARTFORD, Conn. - Diana Taurasi turned in one last stellar performance in front of the home fans and helped Connecticut add one more sterling accomplishment to its legacy.

Connecticut's Liz Sherwood listens as head coach Geno Auriemma gives instructions during practice. (AP photo)

Taurasi scored 27 points and Connecticut blew open the game in the second half to beat Penn State 66-49 Monday night and earn an unprecedented fifth straight trip to the women's Final Four.

Barbara Turner matched Taurasi almost shot for shot in the East Regional final and added 26 points as the Huskies (29-4) stayed in the running for a third straight national championship and fourth in five years. Only Tennessee has won three in a row, from 1996 through 1998.

It will be a Connecticut double at the Final Four because the men's team qualified on Saturday, making UConn the fifth school to send both teams in the same year.

The women will play the winner of tonight's Duke-Minnesota game in the national semifinals in New Orleans next Sunday night. Duke would have teams in both Final Fours if the Blue Devils win that game.

Top-seeded Penn State (28-6), seeking its second Final Four trip, buckled under Connecticut's intense defensive pressure in the first half, but recovered to make a run at the second-seeded Huskies after they opened a 21-point lead midway through the second half.

The Lady Lions got the lead down to nine before Turner and Taurasi combined for nine straight points to return the momentum to UConn, which had the backing of a boisterous crowd at its second home, the Hartford Civic Center.

While Taurasi is a two-time All-American, Turner looked the part in this one, shooting 8-for-11 and adding six rebounds and three assists. She was 4-for-5 from 3-point range.

Tanisha Wright led Penn State with 16 points and All-American Kelly Mazzante finished with 14 after scoring only two in the first half.

Penn State was 6-for-30 in the first half and shot 28 percent for the game. Connecticut led 21-13 after the choppy opening half, then got it going in the first few minutes of the second half. Turner had a 3-pointer, two three-point plays and two free throws in a 16-6 run that made it 37-19.

LSU 62, Georgia 60

SEATTLE - Back in Baton Rouge, Sue Gunter must have been leaping off her couch.

Seimone Augustus scored 29 points on 12-of-19 shooting and gritty point guard Temeka Johnson added 16, leading LSU to its first Final Four.

The Lady Tigers (27-7), seeded fourth in the West Regional, will make about an hour drive from their campus to play in New Orleans. They'll meet the winner of today's Midwest regional final between Stanford and Tennessee.

It was a close contest, but Gunter's team will finally go to the Final Four in her 40th season of coaching. She hasn't been with the team for the past two months, staying home with acute bronchitis.

Gunter was expected to make the trip to New Orleans, but she'll probably sit in the stands or remain at the team hotel.

Christi Thomas had 19 points and 10 rebounds for Georgia, but she missed four of five free throws in the final five minutes. Coming into this one, she was 19-for-19 from the line in the SEC and NCAA Tournaments. Janese Hardrick added 18 points.