Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
UConn rolls into women’s national title game
their guard play, and then they’re so big inside,” Auriemma said. “If you make TAMPA, FLA. >> Breanna a mistake on their guards, Stewart and Morgan Tuck you’ve got the big guys to have UConn back in the deal with. We needed to championship game for the try and make sure that we third straight year. Now only gave up one thing, that the Huskies are one victory we didn’t give up both. So away from a third straight we tried to concentrate on title. taking away their 3s, which
Stewart scored 25 points they’re really good at. And and Tuck added 24 to lead then try to create some misUConn to an 81-58 win over matches on this end with Maryland on Sunday in the Tuck and Stewie because I Final Four. thought that’s where we had
UConn will face Notre the advantage.” Dame for the title on Tues“These guys are great day night in a rematch of to coach. You give them last season’s championship a game plan and they folgame. lowed it.”
“Every time we play Notre The Terrapins took it Dame, it’s something. I just right at them from the start, have a lot of respect for hanging with UConn for what they’ve been able to the first 10 minutes. Marydo,” UConn coach Geno Auland only trailed 22-19 beriemma said. “They’ve got fore UConn scored seven a heck of a team and their straight points capped by team has gotten a lot better Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis’ as the season has gone on. 3-pointer that made it a Jewell’s a great player, ob10-point game. Maryland viously, but all their other (34-3) didn’t back down getplayers have gotten signifting back and pulled within icantly better since the be39-33 on Lexie Brown’s ginning of the season.” 3-pointer with 1:52 left in
The Huskies have won the half. nine titles overall and a vicThen Tuck took over. tory over the Irish would tie She scored the final five Auriemma with vaunted points of the half to give UCLA men’s coach John the Huskies a double-digit Wooden for the most alladvantage going into the time with 10. It would also break. be the second three-peat for Tuck missed last season’s UConn, which won three championship run while she straight championships was recovering from mifrom 2002-04. crofracture surgery on her
Making the Final Four right knee that allowed her seems like a rite of spring to only play in eight games. for the Huskies (37-1) lately The redshirt sophomore as the team has appeared in made her presence felt on the last eight national semithe game’s biggest stage, finals. finishing just two points
UConn had cruised short of her career high. through the NCAA Tourna“We talked about that ment, but Maryland coach we had a mismatch in the Brenda Frese said her team post and me and Stewie are wouldn’t be intimidated by both quicker than them, so the Huskies. we just tried to put it on the
“I think the biggest thing floor and go by them,” Tuck said.againstMarylandisthey
can break you down with She
started
the
sec- ond half with another 3 as UConn scored the first nine points to break the game open. Her layup capped the burst and gave UConn a 5333 advantage. The Terrapins could only get within 14 the rest of the way as Stewart and Tuck answered every Maryland run.
“Tuck was a big time Xfactor for them tonight,” Frese said. “The stat line of Kaleena, she hits one three but gives seven assists. goes into facilitator, get everyone else going.”
Stewart, who was The Associated Press Player of the Year for the second straight season, added eight rebounds.
The loss ended a schoolrecord 28-game winning streak for Maryland, which hasn’t won in its four meetings with the Huskies.
Brionna Jones scored 14 points and Lexie Brown added 12 to lead the Terrapins, who cruised through the Big Ten in their inaugural season in the conference going undefeated.
Brown had some extra support at the game as her father, former NBA slam dunk champion, Dee Brown was in attendance. He is an assistant coach with the Sacramento Kings and was able to skip their game Sunday and see his daughter play for the first time this season.
He was sitting near former Celtics teammate Pervis Ellison, whose daughter Aja also plays for the Terrapins. Former NFL star Donovan McNabb was also in the crowd cheering on his niece Kia Nurse, who is a freshman at UConn.
The former athletes weren’t the only stars at the game. Three-time Academy Award nominee Tom Cruise was sitting in a suite, though it wasn’t clear who he was rooting for.