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Sunday, Mar. 19 9:07pm ET
UConn wins 16th straight home game | ||||||||||||||||
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STORRS, Conn. (AP) -- Clemson's success is due to great defense. Then the Lady Tigers ran into Connecticut's defense on Sunday night.
"It was shocking. Just getting across half court was tough," sophomore guard Krystal Scott said after Connecticut routed Clemson 83-45, holding the Lady Tigers to three field goals in the first half. "It seemed like there was an open lane to the basket, and here comes someone at you," Scott said. The Lady Tigers shot just 10-of-49 for the game (20.4 percent), setting a new tournament mark for fewest field goals and tying a record for lowest shooting percentage. Sue Bird scored 16 points, All-American Shea Ralph had 15, and Swin Cash added 10 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Huskies (32-1) into the East Regional semifinals, at Richmond, Va., on Saturday. Cash had to leave the game with 5:36 left after colliding with Bird beneath the Clemson basket and sustaining a concussion. She walked off with the help of a trainer and teammates. All three meetings between the teams have been in the NCAA tournament, and the first two were decided by a total of five points, but Clemson's poor shooting never let this one get close. "We're not an easy team to play against if you have trouble scoring," UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. "Our defense has been great for a while. People are starting to notice it now. We put a lot of pressure on teams to make plays."
The Tigers (19-12) never recovered from their poor first half. Erin Batth's jumper to open the game at 18:41 was one of three Clemson field goals in 21 attempts. UConn, the 1995 national champion, had ball-handling problems early and didn't get on the board until 16:46, when Kelly Schumacher hit two free throws to even the score at 2-all. The up tempo Huskies then went on a 19-4 run, capped by a Svetlana Abrosimova 3-pointer, to go up 21-6. "Our defense was the determining factor in the game," said Ralph, who had three of UConn's 16 steals. "Our defense jump-started our offense." After Nuria Forns hit a pair of free throws for the Tigers, teammate Amirah Leonard scored off a steal for Clemson's second field goal, with 7:52 remaining. The Huskies closed out the half outscoring the Tigers 21-8 to go up 44-17 at the break. The Tigers got an offensive lift from freshman Chrissy Floyd, who had 10 of her 13 points in the second half. But UConn shot 56 percent from the field, and less than five minutes into the second half led 58-25. Floyd was the only Clemson player in double figures. UConn outrebounded Clemson 45-26 and forced 27 Clemson turnovers, which led to 32 points. The Huskies, the 1995 national champs, are making their 12th straight appearance in the tournament. "They have a program most programs would like to emulate," Clemson coach Jim Davis said. "They have size, speed and quickness and 10,000 people up there yelling for them. I brought a team in here (in 1990) and beat them on their floor. Since that time, they have taken off." | ALSO SEE Womens College Basketball Scoreboard
AUDIO/VIDEO Shea Ralph makes the steal and the hoop. avi: 585 k RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1 Sue Bird makes the pull-up jumper. avi: 710 k RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1 Amirah Leonard makes the steal and goes the distance for the layin. avi: 508 k RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1 |