16 U Belles
Former NY Liberty Belles standout leads UCONN to Big East final
3/10/09 - 01:25 PM
Tina Charles
HARTFORD, Conn. (March 9, 2009) - Junior Tina Charles (Jamaica, N.Y.) scored 12 first half points to lead the No. 1/1 University of Connecticut women's basketball team on a game changing 11-0 run to end the first half and to help the Huskies take a commanding 72-42 victory over Villanova in Monday night's first BIG EAST semifinal game at the XL Center in Hartford, Conn.
UConn took an early 11-point lead, its largest of the half, on a Charles' layup before the Wildcats climbed back into the game, hitting four three-pointers on four consecutive possessions to cut the lead to one at 24-23. Villanova then tied the game at 26 on another three-pointer by Siobhan O'Connor with 5:36 left in the first half.
The Huskies put together the 11-0 run in the last five minutes of the frame to take a 37-26 lead at the break as Charles led all scorers with 12 points at the half.
With the win, the Huskies improve to a perfect 32-0 and advance to the BIG EAST Tournament Championship game for the 19th time in the last 21 seasons. Villanova falls to 19-13 after tonight's loss.
UConn shot .531 (17-of-32) in the first half, while the Wildcats shot .409 (9-of-22), connecting on 6-of-14 from behind the arc as just three of their field goals came inside the three-point line.
The Huskies came out in the second half and stretched their run to 13-0 before the Wildcats hit their first goal after a 6:38 span. UConn's lead extended to 32 points with 23 seconds left on the clock in regulation to give the Huskies their 114th consecutive victory against non-ranked opponents.
Villanova's three-point shooting went cold in the second half as they hit just 2-of-16 from behind the arc to finish the game shooting .306 (15-of-49) from the floor. UConn surged to victory led by their own offensive efforts, finishing the night shooting .564 (31-of-55) from the field. The Huskies also held the Wildcats to just 16 second half points.
Maya Moore (Lawrenceville, Ga.) had a stellar outing once again, leading the Huskies' charge with a game-high 17 points and seven rebounds, marking her 30th game in double-figure scoring this season and 66th in 69 career games.
Charles' 16 points marked her 10th straight game with double-figure points and her 28th this season. All 11 active UConn players saw time in tonight's contest for the second consecutive game, while nine recorded points, led by four in double-figure scoring.
Renee Montgomery (St. Albans, W. Va.) added 12 points and three assists, while Kalana Greene (Saint Stephen, S.C.) chipped in with 11 points and five rebounds. After today’s win, UConn is 54-6 in BIG EAST Tournament play over the last 20-plus seasons and has garnered 14 BIG EAST Championships. The Huskies’ 32-0 record marks their best start since finishing the 2002 campaign a perfect 39-0. UConn will face the winner of tonight's 8:00 p.m. semifinal game featuring Louisville and Pittsburgh on Tuesday night in the BIG EAST Tournament Championship. Tip for the tournament finale is set for a 7:00 p.m. on ESPN.
