Spring Break
'Horns Get Hooked
Women's Basketball: Huskies Beat Longhorns, Head To Sweet Sixteen
Kevin Meacham
Issue date: 3/26/08 Section: Sports
The opening knockout blows came quickly and often for the Longhorns. Brittany Hunter got it started with a layup and a putback for a quick 4-0 lead.
Moments later, Montgomery's 3-pointer with 15:39 left in the first half put the Huskies up 13-2. Twelve of UConn's next 14 points came off Moore 3s, and the Huskies were up 18 points by the 11:04 mark.
UConn shot 67.7 percent from the field in the first half (60 percent for the game), and led 48-30 at the break. Not all was perfect in the first half, of course, - UConn committed 11 turnovers in the opening 20 minutes, leading to just a seven-point output over the last six minutes of the half.
But UConn's lead was more than big enough, especially as the Huskies methodically increased their 18-point lead to as many as 37 in the second half.
Carla Cortijo led the Longhorns (22-13) with 18 points and six assists.
"We were going a little too fast [at the beginning of the game]," said Texas guard Brittainey Raven, who was held to a season-low four points. "We were a little rattled at the end of the first half."
Cortijo was one of the only reasons Texas could even keep it that close - she provided 18 points and six assists, both team highs. Earnesia Williams added 12 points on 4-for-10 shooting.
"We came into this game thinking it was hard to defend some of the stuff they do," Auriemma said. "We were concerned about their rebounding and athleticism. But the first 10 minutes of the game set the tone."
Aside from Moore, the Huskies got balanced contributions from the rest of the lineup for the second straight game.
Four other players - Montgomery, Hunter (10), Charde Houston (10) and Tina Charles (15) - scored in double-figures, while the latter three combined for 16 rebounds.
"It wasn't our best basketball," Montgomery said. "But I think our intensity level and how aggressive we were made it a good game."
The victory marked the second straight NCAA Tournament victory by at least 34 points. The Huskies have not pulled off that feat since the first two rounds of the 2002 tournament, when they beat St. Francis (Pa.), 86-37, and Iowa, 86-48. That team went on to win the national title with a perfect 39-0 record.
Contact Kevin Meacham at Kevin.Meacham@UConn.edu.
Moments later, Montgomery's 3-pointer with 15:39 left in the first half put the Huskies up 13-2. Twelve of UConn's next 14 points came off Moore 3s, and the Huskies were up 18 points by the 11:04 mark.
UConn shot 67.7 percent from the field in the first half (60 percent for the game), and led 48-30 at the break. Not all was perfect in the first half, of course, - UConn committed 11 turnovers in the opening 20 minutes, leading to just a seven-point output over the last six minutes of the half.
But UConn's lead was more than big enough, especially as the Huskies methodically increased their 18-point lead to as many as 37 in the second half.
Carla Cortijo led the Longhorns (22-13) with 18 points and six assists.
"We were going a little too fast [at the beginning of the game]," said Texas guard Brittainey Raven, who was held to a season-low four points. "We were a little rattled at the end of the first half."
Cortijo was one of the only reasons Texas could even keep it that close - she provided 18 points and six assists, both team highs. Earnesia Williams added 12 points on 4-for-10 shooting.
"We came into this game thinking it was hard to defend some of the stuff they do," Auriemma said. "We were concerned about their rebounding and athleticism. But the first 10 minutes of the game set the tone."
Aside from Moore, the Huskies got balanced contributions from the rest of the lineup for the second straight game.
Four other players - Montgomery, Hunter (10), Charde Houston (10) and Tina Charles (15) - scored in double-figures, while the latter three combined for 16 rebounds.
"It wasn't our best basketball," Montgomery said. "But I think our intensity level and how aggressive we were made it a good game."
The victory marked the second straight NCAA Tournament victory by at least 34 points. The Huskies have not pulled off that feat since the first two rounds of the 2002 tournament, when they beat St. Francis (Pa.), 86-37, and Iowa, 86-48. That team went on to win the national title with a perfect 39-0 record.
Contact Kevin Meacham at Kevin.Meacham@UConn.edu.
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