Spring Break
FINALLY AMONG THE FOUR
Women's Basketball Heads To The Final Four After Win Over Rutgers
Tim Ehrens
Issue date: 4/2/08 Section: News
Towards the end of the half, UConn gained new life when Houston and Montgomery combined for six consecutive points to cut the Rutgers lead to eight with 2:35 remaining in the half. The Huskies ended the half by going on a 6-3 run, thanks to four points by Houston, to cut the Scarlet Knights' lead to five heading into halftime.
"We played absolutely terrible [in the first half] and everything was going Rutgers' way and we couldn't hit anything," said Ketia Swanier, who tied with Montgomery for the team lead in points with 15. "I felt like we couldn't play more terrible."
It didn't take long for the Huskies to get back into the game and make things interesting in the second half. It took less than two minutes for Montgomery to hit a jumper that gave the game its first tie.
The teams traded baskets in the next seven minutes until Kaili McLaren hit a lay-up at the 6:47 mark to give UConn its first lead of the game to put the score at 48-46.
"In a game of this magnitude any great team is going to try and fight back and make a run," said Essence Carson, who scored all of her 12 points in the first half. "We expected that. We knew what we had to do to withstand it."
However, the Scarlet Knights would not lie down and Epiphany Prince hit her only three-pointer of the game to tie it up with 5:21 to go. But it was Moore's three-pointer with just under three minutes left that gave the Huskies the lead they would not surrender.
"I just tried my best to keep moving and I think once our team started setting good screens within our offense it was easier to get open and to get other people open," Moore said about the three-pointer. "Tina Charles set a great screen for me, I caught it at the top and didn't see anybody in front of me so I just shot it. I'm just glad it went in."
Stringer admired Moore's momentum-changing score, echoing the words of many awe-struck opposing coaches praising her abilities.
"I think the great ones wait for their moment," Stringer said.
UConn went a perfect 14-for-14 from the free-throw line in the closing minutes to put the game firmly out of reach.
"We struggle at times just like other teams struggle. But this particular team didn't necessarily make it to the Final Four on talent and the experience of having been there and having three or four college All-Americans on the team," Aureimma said. "This team got there with the intangibles that make you appreciate coaching."
Contact Tim Ehrens at Timothy.Ehrens@Gmail.com.
"We played absolutely terrible [in the first half] and everything was going Rutgers' way and we couldn't hit anything," said Ketia Swanier, who tied with Montgomery for the team lead in points with 15. "I felt like we couldn't play more terrible."
It didn't take long for the Huskies to get back into the game and make things interesting in the second half. It took less than two minutes for Montgomery to hit a jumper that gave the game its first tie.
The teams traded baskets in the next seven minutes until Kaili McLaren hit a lay-up at the 6:47 mark to give UConn its first lead of the game to put the score at 48-46.
"In a game of this magnitude any great team is going to try and fight back and make a run," said Essence Carson, who scored all of her 12 points in the first half. "We expected that. We knew what we had to do to withstand it."
However, the Scarlet Knights would not lie down and Epiphany Prince hit her only three-pointer of the game to tie it up with 5:21 to go. But it was Moore's three-pointer with just under three minutes left that gave the Huskies the lead they would not surrender.
"I just tried my best to keep moving and I think once our team started setting good screens within our offense it was easier to get open and to get other people open," Moore said about the three-pointer. "Tina Charles set a great screen for me, I caught it at the top and didn't see anybody in front of me so I just shot it. I'm just glad it went in."
Stringer admired Moore's momentum-changing score, echoing the words of many awe-struck opposing coaches praising her abilities.
"I think the great ones wait for their moment," Stringer said.
UConn went a perfect 14-for-14 from the free-throw line in the closing minutes to put the game firmly out of reach.
"We struggle at times just like other teams struggle. But this particular team didn't necessarily make it to the Final Four on talent and the experience of having been there and having three or four college All-Americans on the team," Aureimma said. "This team got there with the intangibles that make you appreciate coaching."
Contact Tim Ehrens at Timothy.Ehrens@Gmail.com.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
William "PHD" Meehan
posted 4/02/08 @ 9:34 AM EST
What a game. The best shot was after the game when Little Mel and Geno hugged. That tear and photo reminded me of Tiger woods after a Masters victory when he hugged his dad Earl Woods a tear in his eye. (Continued…)
Post a Comment