Spring Break
Hayes excited for first Sweet Sixteen
Brittany Perotti
Issue date: 3/25/09 Section: Sports
Tiffany Hayes stepped up in many ways for the Huskies this season.
She moved into the starting role after Caroline Doty went down in January with an ACL injury.
She had a career night against Georgetown, recording 23 points in 30 minutes off the bench.
Now, as the only freshman playing for the Huskies this season, she will play in her first Sweet Sixteen game.
"I'm really excited," she said. "I just can't wait to get there, and hopefully when we get there we'll play UConn basketball."
For a fleeting second against Florida in the Huskies' 87-59 win Tuesday night, however, Hayes feared that she would not get the chance to play.
Just a minute into the second half, she and one of the players from Florida crashed into each other while chasing a loose ball. Hayes threw it up-court as she fell to the ground. She came up limping, rubbing her right knee and wincing as she attempted to run down the court in transition.
At the next whistle, Kalana Greene and Maya Moore signaled to head coach Geno Auriemma that Hayes needed to get out. Concern spread across his face as he asked her what happened, watching her hobble over to the bench.
Doty sat in the seat over, comforting her. For a second, Hayes said she thought the worst about her knee.
"I tried not to think the worst, but I was like 'Oh my God, it's a lot of pain and I don't want the same thing to happen to me.'"
Yet, less than five minutes and an examination from trainer Rosemary Ragle later, Hayes bounced back into the game.
"I guess I was just scared," she said. "I just needed a little ice, that's all."
She ended the night with five points and three assists.
Wade Trophy Watch
The Big Three - Renee Montgomery, Tina Charles and Moore - are all finalists for this year's Wade Trophy Award. They once again made their case Tuesday, dominating the boards and offense throughout the game.
"This group of young women has a unique blend of talent on the court and despite their limited time, they also serve as positive role models to those in their communities," said WBCA CEO Beth Bass in a press release. "We want to applaud them for all they do."
Montgomery, Charles and Moore were All-Americans last season.
Coach of the Year
On Monday, Auriemma became the first Division I coach to ever receive the WBCA Coach of the Year award in consecutive years. It was the third of his career. The other came in 2002.
The Quotable Renee Montgomery
"We just saw that a team was upset, so we know that we're not entitled to make it to the Sweet Sixteen or the Elite Eight. So we're excited about this win and we're going to be excited to play in the Sweet Sixteen game." - On a 16th straight Sweet Sixteen appearance
Next up
The Huskies will take on No. 4-seeded California Sunday in the NCAA tournament regionals. The game will take place at Rider University in Trenton, N.J. Tipoff will be at either noon or 2:30 p.m.
She moved into the starting role after Caroline Doty went down in January with an ACL injury.
She had a career night against Georgetown, recording 23 points in 30 minutes off the bench.
Now, as the only freshman playing for the Huskies this season, she will play in her first Sweet Sixteen game.
"I'm really excited," she said. "I just can't wait to get there, and hopefully when we get there we'll play UConn basketball."
For a fleeting second against Florida in the Huskies' 87-59 win Tuesday night, however, Hayes feared that she would not get the chance to play.
Just a minute into the second half, she and one of the players from Florida crashed into each other while chasing a loose ball. Hayes threw it up-court as she fell to the ground. She came up limping, rubbing her right knee and wincing as she attempted to run down the court in transition.
At the next whistle, Kalana Greene and Maya Moore signaled to head coach Geno Auriemma that Hayes needed to get out. Concern spread across his face as he asked her what happened, watching her hobble over to the bench.
Doty sat in the seat over, comforting her. For a second, Hayes said she thought the worst about her knee.
"I tried not to think the worst, but I was like 'Oh my God, it's a lot of pain and I don't want the same thing to happen to me.'"
Yet, less than five minutes and an examination from trainer Rosemary Ragle later, Hayes bounced back into the game.
"I guess I was just scared," she said. "I just needed a little ice, that's all."
She ended the night with five points and three assists.
Wade Trophy Watch
The Big Three - Renee Montgomery, Tina Charles and Moore - are all finalists for this year's Wade Trophy Award. They once again made their case Tuesday, dominating the boards and offense throughout the game.
"This group of young women has a unique blend of talent on the court and despite their limited time, they also serve as positive role models to those in their communities," said WBCA CEO Beth Bass in a press release. "We want to applaud them for all they do."
Montgomery, Charles and Moore were All-Americans last season.
Coach of the Year
On Monday, Auriemma became the first Division I coach to ever receive the WBCA Coach of the Year award in consecutive years. It was the third of his career. The other came in 2002.
The Quotable Renee Montgomery
"We just saw that a team was upset, so we know that we're not entitled to make it to the Sweet Sixteen or the Elite Eight. So we're excited about this win and we're going to be excited to play in the Sweet Sixteen game." - On a 16th straight Sweet Sixteen appearance
Next up
The Huskies will take on No. 4-seeded California Sunday in the NCAA tournament regionals. The game will take place at Rider University in Trenton, N.J. Tipoff will be at either noon or 2:30 p.m.
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