UConn beats Tennessee in first meeting in 13 years
HARTFORD, CONN. >> The latest chapter in the UConn-Tennessee rivalry was different for Geno Auriemma. Pat Summitt was no longer on the sideline for the Lady Vols.
“It wasn’t the same. I miss having her there,” an emotional Auriemma said after UConn’s 60-45 victory Thursday night. “I miss looking forward to having her there.”
Crystal Dangerfield scored 14 points and No. 3 UConn used a dominant third quarter to beat
23rd-ranked Tennessee in the first matchup in 13 years between the teams whose rivalry dominated the sport for over a decade.
Trailing by three at the half, the Huskies (17-1) scored 17 of the first
19 points in the third quarter, taking a 45-33 lead on Dangerfield’s
3-pointer with 1:45 left in the period. UConn led by 11 after three and Tennessee could get no closer in the fourth quarter.
“I felt like they came out with a different intensity defensively in the second half,” Tennessee coach Kellie Harper said. “The game plan might have changed a little bit . ... We lost our composure in the third quarter.”
Rennia Davis scored 16 points to lead the Lady Vols (15-4). They had only 14 points in the second half — the lowest total in program history.
“It was a great to play in this environment with the history between both programs,” Davis said.
Thursday night provided a little bit of nostalgia for those who remembered how these two teams carried women’s basketball for over a decade since their first historic meeting in 1995 that was a 1 vs 2 showdown. They played 22 times over a 12-year span, with each one being a circle-the-calendar game whether it was in Tennessee, Connecticut or the NCAA Tournament.
“It felt good seeing them out there playing. Obviously, look down the sidelines and its completely different on the sidelines and the floor. Only thing similar was their uniforms,” Auriemma said. “I got texts from lots of people that it was great for women’s basketball. I guess. Things change, everything has a cycle. Could it still be something special? Who knows?”
The series ended after the 2007 season when Summitt called it off. Geno Auriemma said at the time that Summitt had accused the Huskies
of a recruiting violation. Summitt never went public into specifics about why she ended the series. She died in 2016 at age 64 of Alzheimer’s disease.
Former Tennessee coach Holly Warlick, a longtime assistant of Summitt’s who helped set up Thursday’s game, told The AP that the reason she agreed to restart the series was because it will benefit the Pat Summitt Foundation. The two teams will play in Knoxville next season. Proceeds from both games will go to it, along with the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
UConn donated $10,000 to Summitt’s foundation with Auriemma and Harper taking part in a ceremony at the half. The Huskies also are auctioning off the black uniforms they wore for the game with the proceeds going to the foundation.
“That’s kind of the only reason that this game came about,” said Auriemma about raising money for the foundation.
(8) NORTH CAROLINA STATE 88, PITTSBURGH 44 >> Jakia BrownTurner scored 13 points and North Carolina State used a 30-4 scoring outburst in the third quarter to beat Pittsburgh.
The Wolfpack (18-1, 7-1 ACC) had a 28-2 run around the halftime break and used the lopsided scoring advantage in the third period to turn it into a round.
Dayshanette Harris had 16 points for Pittsburgh (3-15, 0-7).
(14) FLORIDA STATE 70, WAKE FOREST 65 >> River Baldwin scored all
12 of her points in the second half to help Florida State beat Wake Forest.
Nicki Ekhomu scored all 14 of her points and Kiah Gillespie eight of her 14 in the first half when the Seminoles (16-3, 5-3 ACC) jumped out to 35-19 lead.
Ivana Raca scored 14 of her 27 points and grabbed six of her seven rebounds in the third quarter when the Demon Deacons (11-8, 4-4) scored 25 points to get within eight.
(17) INDIANA 76, PENN STATE 60 >>
Ali Patberg had 18 points and nine assists, Mackenzie Holmes also scored 18 points and Indiana (155, 5-3 Big Ten) beat Penn State (712, 1-7).
Kamaria McDaniel
State with 24 points.
GEORGIA 64, (21) ARKANSAS 55 >> Gabby Connally scored 18 points and Georgia bridged the third and fourth quarters with a 15-0 run to beat Arkansas.
Que Morrison added 11 points for Georgia (12-7, 3-3 SEC). Erynn Barnum led Arkansas (15-4, 3-3) with 14 points.
(22) NORTHWESTERN 76, MICHIGAN STATE 48 >> Lindsey Pulliam and Veronica Burton each scored
22 points and Northwestern (17-2,
7-1 Big Ten) beat Michigan State (118, 4-4) for its fifth straight victory. led Penn