UConn 73 – Tennessee 68
ATLANTA – When it was over, Diana Taurasi fired the ball toward the heavens and let out a scream.
Then she pointed toward the “UCONN” part of her jersey before being swept up by her teammates at center court.
For the second straight season, the Connecticut Huskies are the NCAA champions.
In knocking off archrival Tennessee 73-68 last night at the Georgia Dome, the Huskies won it all for the third time in four years. In the process – and not coincidentally, for the third time in four years – Connecticut also dashed Tennessee’s Final Four dreams. The Huskies have now beaten the Volunteers four straight times, six of the last seven and in every title game (’95, ’00, ’03) the teams have faced each other.
Over the last two seasons, Connecticut is an unbelievable 76-1.
Unlike last year’s championship team, though, this underdog crew did it with only one superstar – but she could well be a player for the ages.
In a performance that typified her brilliance, Taurasi scored a game-high 28 points on 8-for-15 shooting. She also hit 4-of-9 3-pointers and was a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line.
She was named Most Outstanding Player after averaging 26.2 ppg in the six NCAA Tournament games. After she brought the Huskies into the Final Four, coach Geno Auriemma compared her solo influence to that of Larry Bird. He may have to up the analogy now.
Last night, Taurasi received some clutch help from her unheralded teammates.
Freshman Ann Strother played with poise beyond her years, scoring 17 points and calmly hitting one contested shot after another.
Fellow rookie Barbara Turner was all over the place, posting 10 points and throwing her weight around against the Lady Vols’ taller, more experienced post players.
And perhaps most surprisingly, junior guard Maria Conlon scored 11 points, hitting three 3-pointers and running the offense perfectly (six assists, no turnovers). Dubbed “short and slow” by Auriemma before the game, Conlon was one more thing – steady.
With the game tied at 30, the Huskies ripped off a 17-4 run – bridging the final 1:32 of the first half and the opening 3:45 of the second – to take a commanding 47-34 lead. Taurasi scored eight points during the spurt on two 3-pointers and two free throws.
But the Lady Vols came right back with balance, getting their next five scores from five different players. The lead was soon reduced to 50-44.
The poised Huskies responded just as quickly. Strother drilled a baseline jumper and sank a corner 3-pointer. Then Taurasi – back in the game after a three-minute rest – scored five straight on two free throws and a traditional three-point play. With 7:43 to go, the Huskies pushed the lead back up to 63-52.
Tennessee would make one final run, cutting the lead to 70-66 with 1:01 left. But Conlon and Strother hit 3-of-4 free throws to ice it in the final minute.
Although young and inexperienced, the baby Huskies appeared to be as comfortable as if they’d been practicing in Storrs, hitting seven of their first 10 shots.
After going scoreless for the first 8:47, Taurasi scored 11 points in the final 11:13 of the half, hitting four of her final five shots, including a trio of 3-pointers, as the Huskies took a 35-30 lead.
