STORRS, Conn. (AP) – Third-ranked Connecticut put on a
dominating performance Sunday before the governor and 10,000 fans.
On Monday, they could be playing to a near empty house.
The Huskies advanced to the semifinals of the Big East
tournament with a 96-53 win over Boston College just as a major
snowstorm began sweeping into the region. Gov. John G. Rowland has
already called on schools and businesses to shut down and ordered a
tractor-trailer ban on state highways.
|  | | Filling in for the injured Svetlana Abrosimova, Connecticut's Diana Taurasi scored 22 points in her seventh start for the Huskies on Sunday. |
Rowland met with the team after the game.
"The feeling I get is that they want this to go if possible,"
said UConn coach Geno Auriemma. "The indication he gave me is that
we're going to play."
Auriemma said he wants to play but realizes it would be unfair
to the fans. Big East officials said they were monitoring the storm
and had not made any decision late Sunday.
The second-seeded Huskies (26-2) play Rutgers in the semifinal.
the Scarlet Knights advanced with a 69-58 win over Providence in
the late game Sunday.
Freshman Diana Taurasi led the Huskies with 22 points. Her six
3-pointers, most from NBA range, matched her career high.
"She could shoot from half court, but Geno probably tells her
to move closer," BC coach Cathy Inglese said. "She was coming off
the post-guard screen well. I hate seeing her for the next four
years."
Taurasi, making her seventh start for the Huskies, was 8-of-14
from the floor. She has been filling the void left by scoring
leader Svetlana Abrosimova, out for the season with a foot injury.
The Huskies hit their first three baskets in the paint then
began to pull away with outside shooting. Taurasi scored eight
straight points on consecutive 3-pointers and 2-pointer, giving the
Huskies a 15-8 lead at 14:22.
"My teammates were giving me the ball in good spots, and they
kept going in," said Taurasi.
UConn broke the game open with a 16-0 run with 9 minutes left in
the first half.
UConn led 43-27 at the break and opened the second half by
hitting 10 straight shots. The Eagles (14-15) trailed by as much as
48 points in the second half.
The Huskies held Jamie Cournoyer to four points one night after
the 6-foot-3 center scored a season-high 24 points against Miami.
"You have to give UConn credit. They were fired up and on a
mission for 40 minutes," said Cournoyer. "We struggled and I'm
disappointed, but you can't play the game again."
UConn outscored Boston College 40-16 in the paint. The Eagles
struggled from the line, hitting just 11-of-19. The Huskies shot
24-of-34.
The teams were whistled for a total of 42 fouls.
The Huskies got 37 points from 27 BC turnovers and had 17
steals. Shea Ralph and Sue Bird had three steals apiece for UConn.
Bird played just 15 minutes due to back spasms and sat out the
second half.
"When Sue went down it was known, especially from the guards,
that we needed to cover for her," said Ralph. "She is the
general. But at the same time, when you have Diana playing like she
did tonight, it is hard to notice in the second half much of a
change."
Auriemma said he expects Bird to be ready for the semifinal.
UConn's Tamika Williams was 5-of-5 from the field, all from the
inside, and went 4-of-9 from the line for 14 points.
Ralph finished with 16 points and a team-high five assists.
Nicole Conway led the Eagles with 13 points. Janelle McManus had
10.
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ALSO SEE
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Boston College Clubhouse
Connecticut Clubhouse
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Big East Conference tournament schedule
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