Spring Break
Montgomery finally earns her chance at the title
Mike Northup
Issue date: 4/6/09 Section: March Madness
ST. LOUIS - With UConn just two seconds away from victory, UConn's senior guard Renee Montgomery received a big embrace from coach Geno Auriemma on the sideline. After the game, Auriemma said he wanted Montgomery, UConn's senior captain, to end her career the same way that former UConn stars Rebecca Lobo, Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi did - with a National Championship.
It took her four years to get here, with multiple setbacks along the way, but Montgomery will finally get that chance to play for the National Championship Tuesday.
"I said to Renee, I wanted you to play in your last game of your college career to be the last game [the national championship]," Auriemma said. "And this is the first time that she's had to do that, and I'm really happy for her, as I am for everybody else on our team."
UConn's senior point guard and captain did everything possible to ensure the Huskies would not lose in the national semifinal game to Stanford for the second year in a row, turning in her best performance of the tournament to push UConn to the 83-64 win.
Montgomery spoke after the game about how she uses every practice to prepare herself for moments like Sunday night, something Auriemma has paid attention to all year.
"I don't think there was a drill this year at any one time that I can remember where she didn't treat that drill like it was for the national championship," Auriemma said. "Every dribble move, every coming off a screen, you know, every single thing that she did was at that level every day. And when you do that, as she said, you expect to be in this position."
The practicing appears to have paid off in 2009's Final Four. Montgomery dominated each of the 35 minutes she played in Sunday's semifinal game, finishing with 26 points, six assists and four steals - all game highs. To get there, Montgomery attacked Stanford with her arsenal of 3-pointers, dribble-drives and pull-up jumpers in the lane. She also shot 50 percent from the field (11-for-22) and turned the ball over just once, a marked improvement from one year ago.
It took her four years to get here, with multiple setbacks along the way, but Montgomery will finally get that chance to play for the National Championship Tuesday.
"I said to Renee, I wanted you to play in your last game of your college career to be the last game [the national championship]," Auriemma said. "And this is the first time that she's had to do that, and I'm really happy for her, as I am for everybody else on our team."
UConn's senior point guard and captain did everything possible to ensure the Huskies would not lose in the national semifinal game to Stanford for the second year in a row, turning in her best performance of the tournament to push UConn to the 83-64 win.
Montgomery spoke after the game about how she uses every practice to prepare herself for moments like Sunday night, something Auriemma has paid attention to all year.
"I don't think there was a drill this year at any one time that I can remember where she didn't treat that drill like it was for the national championship," Auriemma said. "Every dribble move, every coming off a screen, you know, every single thing that she did was at that level every day. And when you do that, as she said, you expect to be in this position."
The practicing appears to have paid off in 2009's Final Four. Montgomery dominated each of the 35 minutes she played in Sunday's semifinal game, finishing with 26 points, six assists and four steals - all game highs. To get there, Montgomery attacked Stanford with her arsenal of 3-pointers, dribble-drives and pull-up jumpers in the lane. She also shot 50 percent from the field (11-for-22) and turned the ball over just once, a marked improvement from one year ago.
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