Spring Break
Huskies Aim To Clip Eagles' Wings
Women's Basketball
Brittany Perotti
Issue date: 2/20/08 Section: Sports
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The Huskies (24-1, 11-1 Big East) once again returned to the top of the AP poll after defeating Georgetown last week, 80-48, and then-No. 18 Pittsburgh, 90-64. But the team is not looking past the upcoming games to what could be in its postseason future.
"That's been our goal all season, to finally one, just get UConn back on top," said Mel Thomas. "I think for a couple years, people didn't view UConn as the powerhouse they used to and I think we're finally starting to get back in that direction. And with that comes Final Four, national championship, so we're moving in the right direction."
The Huskies have gone 2-0 against the Golden Eagles since Marquette joined the conference, most recently winning by a score of 52-48 in Milwaukee, Wisc. last February. And though the Golden Eagles sit at a 14-11 record, they have battled it out with some of the top teams in the country this season, defeating then-No. 23 DePaul at home 65-56 and falling just short last month against then-No. 5 Rutgers, 65-61. Yet they sit ninth in the Big East with a .500 conference record (6-6), after recent losses to Notre Dame and Syracuse.
That does not mean that UConn is counting Marquette out.
UConn's defense has made sure not to let its opponents rack up the points, especially no one individual since Rutgers' Epiphany Prince's 33-point performance in the team's only loss of the season. Her performance, according to Auriemma, showed his team the consequences of what follows if the players don't do what they're supposed to do.
"What's hard is that if you go into a game and there's a kid that's averaging 25 a game, you let them get 30, then you feel like 'Man, we were lousy,'" he said. "You know, you go out and a kid is averaging 12, 14, 15 and they get 30-something, I don't know how you feel 'cause it's just like 'what happened?'"
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