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PHILADELPHIA -- Connecticut gave its coach the greatest gift
of all: a national championship in his own backyard.
With hustle and a ball-hawking defense, plus a little bit of the
Philadelphia attitude so characteristic of coach Geno Auriemma,
Connecticut overwhelmed Tennessee to win the NCAA women's title for
the second time.
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Sunday, April 2
I thought UConn dominated the post. Swin Cash, Tamika Williams and Asjha Jones beat Tennessee to the spot time after time. In the second half, Tennessee didn't make any adjustments with regards to the back-doors. The Lady Vols didn't stay between their player and the basket. It was an absolute clinic. I have not seen a more dominant performance this year in a college basketball game between two top-flight teams.
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Dozens of friends and family members, including Auriemma's
68-year-old mother, Marziello, watched his top-ranked team
dismantle the Lady Vols 71-52 Sunday night to finish off an
incredible homecoming for the brash, smooth-talking coach.
Auriemma grew up in the Philadelphia suburb of Norristown after
moving to this country with his family from Italy when he was 7
years old. He honed his basketball skills on the playgrounds in a
city where everyone has an opinion and it's always the right one.
"A lot of guys that were coaching when I was playing said I'd
never be any good as a player. They were right," Auriemma said.
"But I turned out to be the coach of a championship team and they
were all there in the stands happy for me."
Marziello Auriemma, who cheered and clapped determinedly
throughout the game, even sprinkled some holy water on the team
beforehand. Not that any extra help was needed.
The top-ranked Huskies (36-1) beat No. 2 Tennessee for the
second time in three meetings this season and did it in a way that
left the Lady Vols (33-4) dazed and looking helpless.
"I thought if we could play 40 minutes of really solid
basketball, we'd be all right," said Auriemma, who left his
postgame news conference to take a call from President Clinton.
"We did. Our defense was just spectacular tonight."
Tennessee was in the Final Four for the 12th time and was
seeking its seventh national championship. But the Lady Vols could
offer little more than token opposition to the UConn machine, which
completed an impressive run through the NCAA Tournament.
No one in the tournament came closer than 15 points to the
Huskies, whose only loss was a 72-71 setback to Tennessee on Feb.
2.
|  | | Connecticut's Swin Cash beats Tennessee's Gwen Jackson, center, and Michelle Snow to the rebound. |
"Our guards were not strong enough to handle the pressure
defense they applied," Tennessee coach Pat Summitt said.
"Offensively, they just schooled us -- even some of our veteran
players."
Shea Ralph led UConn with 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting, and also
had seven assists, six steals and one block. She was named the most
valuable player in the Final Four.
Svetlana Abrosimova had 14 points and Asjha Jones 12 for
Connecticut, which shot 59 percent in the second half (16-for-27)
and 51 percent for the game. The Huskies also got a big lift from
Kelly Schumacher who had six points and had a Final Four-record
nine blocks.
Connecticut kept sending fresh waves of substitutes into the
game, and that eventually wore out Tennessee, which made just
5-of-27 first-half shots and hit only 31.4 percent for the game.
Tennessee had been averaging 80 points a game. It took the Lady
Vols, who had four of their first five shots blocked, almost 13
minutes to even get 10 points in this one.
"I was extremely disappointed by the performance of our
basketball team," Summitt said. "It was a very painful loss. I
don't think any of us expected this."
National player of the year Tamika Catchings drew the brunt of
Connecticut's defense as first Swin Cash, then Jones and Ralph took
turns guarding her. Catchings got only one shot in the first 11
minutes -- and it was blocked. She finished with 16 points to lead
the Lady Vols.
When it was over, Auriemma joined his players as they piled on
top of each other at center court in celebration. They hoisted him
and carried him briefly across the floor, and then he embraced his
mother.
"He has been our father figure," Ralph said. "He has taken
some of us under our wing and done so much for us. We did this for
him and for ourselves."
In the first title game matching the top two ranked teams since
1989, Connecticut asserted itself early by pushing the ball up the
floor quickly and frustrating Tennessee with its traps and double
teams.
The Huskies built a 15-point lead a little more than 12 minutes
into the game, and Tennessee never found a way to get back in it.
Auriemma also guided Connecticut to its other title in 1995,
when the Huskies beat Tennessee 70-64 in Minneapolis to finish
35-0.
It's the third straight year and the eighth time overall that
the team finishing No. 1 in the rankings has won the championship.
The top-ranked team has never lost in the title game.
Tennessee played without starting guard Kristen Clement, an
emotional leader and one of the team's most experienced players.
Clement sprained her right ankle during practice Sunday morning,
and despite undergoing a full day of treatment, she wasn't able to
go.
Kyra Elzy, a strong defender, started in Clement's place and
scored eight points.
Kara Lawson, the star of Tennessee's semifinal victory over
Rutgers, was held to six points on 3-for-13 shooting. First-team
All-American Semeka Randall was 1-for-11 and also had just six
points.
With Connecticut contesting almost every shot, Tennessee started
1-for-13 from the field, yet trailed only 9-4. But when Jones hit a
turnaround shot in the lane with 14:28 left, UConn took off.
A 12-2 run that included three baskets by Jones opened it up.
When she hit another turnaround at the 7:49 mark, Connecticut led
21-6 and Tennessee had only two field goals -- and seven turnovers.
"They got the turnovers, they got the hustle plays and they
converted on almost everything," Catchings said.
Connecticut led by as many as 27 points and only a late rush
saved Tennessee from a season-low point total.
Ralph set the tone defensively with her quick hands and scrappy
play. At times, it seemed she was guarding everyone on Tennessee
and came up with almost every loose ball. Once, she dove onto the
floor to force a jump ball that gave possession to UConn.
"We came out with a vengeance. We deserve it," Ralph said.
There was still time for Tennessee to regroup after Connecticut
took a 32-19 halftime lead. But Ralph and her teammates quickly
dashed those hopes by starting to second half with an 8-0 run.
Ralph made a layup, then drove into the lane, jump stopped,
faked once and banked the ball softly off the glass. Schumacher
followed with a jumper and Ralph fired a two-handed overhead pass
to Abrosimova for a wide-open layup.
That made it 40-19, and if it wasn't apparent before it was
then: this one was going into the books for Connecticut.
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ALSO SEE
Womens College Basketball Scoreboard
Tennessee NCAA Team Report
Connecticut NCAA Team Report
Huskies arrive to heroes' welcome
Frozen moment: Schumacher's block party
Ralph steals the show, and every loose ball in sight
Tennessee struggles early, never recovers
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Shea Ralph drives the lane and gets the hoop and the harm.
avi: 827 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Svetlana Abrosimova feeds Asjha Jones, who scores the basket.
avi: 479 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Tamika Catchings makes the tough shot inside the lane.
avi: 491 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Kelly Schumacher shows off her all-around game.
avi: 885 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
The Huskies celebrate their national championship.
avi: 822 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
 Geno Auriemma credits the Huskies' defense for the win.
wav: 200 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Pat Summitt says it was a frustrating night for Tennessee.
wav: 119 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Shea Ralph says a national championship has been the ultimate goal.
wav: 181 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Kelly Schumacher says Connecticut played great defense all year.
wav: 151 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Tamika Catchings says Connecticut converted on turnovers.
wav: 63 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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