Spring Break
Huskies very much aware of NCAA Tournament upsets
Mike Northup
Issue date: 3/27/09 Section: Sports
Just minutes after top-seeded UConn's second-round blowout of No. 8 seed Florida, fellow No. 1 seed Duke fell hard in their second-round match-up against No. 9 seed Michigan State, losing 63-49 in Blue Devils coach Joanne P. McCallie's first game against her former team.
The upset was yet another in a long string of surprises in the women's NCAA Tournament this year. UConn head coach Geno Auriemma is excited about the direction that the NCAA Tournament is headed in light of the upsets.
"The tournament's getting great," Auriemma said. "As much as everybody, you know, focuses on Connecticut, that's what I tried to tell those guys [the NCAA officials running the tournament]. We're really good, but there's going to be some great stories coming out of this tournament."
Just two nights before, perennial powerhouse Tennessee - a No. 5 seed - was knocked out of the first round for the first time in the school's history, losing to No. 12 seed Ball State. It doesn't end there, though.
Two No. 3 seeds, Florida State and North Carolina, were both ousted in the second round - by No. 6 seeds Arizona State and Purdue respectively. No. 2 seed Auburn was blown out by Rutgers 80-52 in the second round. Baylor, also a No. 2 seed, survived two nailbiters over the first two rounds, needing overtime to beat No. 15 seed Texas-San Antonio and a last-second layup to edge No. 7 seed South Dakota State.
Senior captain Renee Montgomery, who has played in 15 NCAA Tournament games so far in her UConn career, said all the upsets are good for women's basketball.
"It means there's a lot of parity," Montgomery said. "It means there's a lot of good basketball play, not only at the top level. But there's people in the lower rankings that are playing good basketball and it's good that it's recognized."
The upsets have been eye-opening to Montgomery, who acknowledged that there is still much work to be done if the Huskies are to reach their National Championship goal.
"Every game is exciting because it's not entitled," Montgomery said. "We don't have our name written going to the Final Four."
This year's Big Dance has stood out in contrast to the 2008 version, where all the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds advanced to the Elite Eight. So while the Huskies have rolled to a 35-0 record and a 16th straight Sweet 16 berth, they aren't resting on their laurels.
"The tournament has just become an unbelievable event for these kids," Auriemma said. "We always think we can get better. There's no guarantees."
The upset was yet another in a long string of surprises in the women's NCAA Tournament this year. UConn head coach Geno Auriemma is excited about the direction that the NCAA Tournament is headed in light of the upsets.
"The tournament's getting great," Auriemma said. "As much as everybody, you know, focuses on Connecticut, that's what I tried to tell those guys [the NCAA officials running the tournament]. We're really good, but there's going to be some great stories coming out of this tournament."
Just two nights before, perennial powerhouse Tennessee - a No. 5 seed - was knocked out of the first round for the first time in the school's history, losing to No. 12 seed Ball State. It doesn't end there, though.
Two No. 3 seeds, Florida State and North Carolina, were both ousted in the second round - by No. 6 seeds Arizona State and Purdue respectively. No. 2 seed Auburn was blown out by Rutgers 80-52 in the second round. Baylor, also a No. 2 seed, survived two nailbiters over the first two rounds, needing overtime to beat No. 15 seed Texas-San Antonio and a last-second layup to edge No. 7 seed South Dakota State.
Senior captain Renee Montgomery, who has played in 15 NCAA Tournament games so far in her UConn career, said all the upsets are good for women's basketball.
"It means there's a lot of parity," Montgomery said. "It means there's a lot of good basketball play, not only at the top level. But there's people in the lower rankings that are playing good basketball and it's good that it's recognized."
The upsets have been eye-opening to Montgomery, who acknowledged that there is still much work to be done if the Huskies are to reach their National Championship goal.
"Every game is exciting because it's not entitled," Montgomery said. "We don't have our name written going to the Final Four."
This year's Big Dance has stood out in contrast to the 2008 version, where all the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds advanced to the Elite Eight. So while the Huskies have rolled to a 35-0 record and a 16th straight Sweet 16 berth, they aren't resting on their laurels.
"The tournament has just become an unbelievable event for these kids," Auriemma said. "We always think we can get better. There's no guarantees."
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