Taurasi's 21 Points Lift UConn into Elite Eight

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HARTFORD, CT (March 27) – Naismith Player of the Year Diana Taurasi led all scorers with 21 points and Jessica Moore was a force underneath scoring ten points and snaring ten rebounds as the No. 2 seed University of Connecticut women’s basketball team defeated No. 11 seeded University of California Santa Barbara 63-55 in regional semifinal action of the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship at the Hartford Civic Center. 

With the victory, the Huskies improve to 28-4 on the campaign.  UCSB completes its season at 27-7. 

The Huskies will square-off with No. 1 seed Penn State in the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight on Monday, March 29 with the winner advancing to the Final Four in New Orleans, La.  Game time is 7:00 p.m.    

Taurasi’s second assist of the day at the 8:27 mark of the first half was the 638th of her career, surpassing former Husky great Jen Rizzotti’s all-time record of 637.  

The Huskies led 28-22 at halftime and the two teams went back and forth in the early stages of the second session.  The Gauchos rallied midway through the second half and pulled to within two, 36-34, with 11:40 remaining in regulation after putting together a 7-2 mini-run.  The Huskies would answer though, mounting a 9-0 run, which began with an Ashley Battle 3-pointer and ended with a pair of Battle free throws as the Huskies constructed a 45-34 advantage at the 9:20 mark.  The Gauchos would pull to within five with under a minute to go, but the Huskies would ice the game with clutch free throw shooting and marched onto the Elite Eight. 

Barbara Turner was the third Husky in double-figures with 13 points.  Turner also grabbed five rebounds and dished out four assists.  Battle was tremendous on the boards this afternoon, pulling down eight caroms in 20 minutes of action. 

The Huskies out-rebounded the Gauchos 41-to-34 on the afternoon, including 25-to-18 on the defensive glass.  UConn’s dominance underneath is best manifested in its 24-to-14 advantage in points in the paint. 

April McDivitt led the way for UCSB with 20 points. 

Connecticut stormed out of the gate in the first half and held an 8-3 advantage just 1:30 into the contest after Taurasi hit her first 3-pointer of the afternoon.  However, Santa Barbara scored six unanswered to take a 9-8 edge.  The first half displayed remarkable parity, as the stanza saw six lead changes and four ties.  However, the Huskies would charge out to a 9-1 run to finish the half to seize a 28-22 lead at intermission.

UConn-UCSB Postgame Quotes
 

Head Coach Geno Auriemma on playing UC Santa Barbara…
I’m worn out. That team takes a lot out of you and I didn’t even play. As I told the players in the locker room after the game; I don’t think it was a great game. In terms of artistically, it was not a masterpiece. It was a pretty great win. The shots were really hard to come by. Both teams played really, really hard defensively. It was a very physical game to win and I think that our players really showed what they are made of in the last five minutes. I’m real proud of them right now.

Diana Taurasi on the close game at the end……
I don’t think we panicked at all. We’ve been in that situation a couple of times. When you see it, I don’t think you start to panic.

 Diana Taurasi on facing UCSB’s April McDivitt…
She is a competitor. She showed it today. Until the last four seconds when she fouled out; she was trying to get a steal. That just shows you what kind of player she is. Every time she is on the floor, she just gives you 110 percent. I think it kind of rubbed off on her team. She’s tough.

 Diana Taurasi on breaking Jen Rizzotti’s career assist record at Connecticut…
Whenever you break a record it is kind of special. This record is a little bit different because you need other players around you. I’ve been fortunate for four years to play with tremendously talented players.

Barbara Turner on meeting Penn State in the East Regional on Monday…
We know that they are a good team. At this point, every team is good. We just look forward to playing.

Head Coach Geno Auriemma on when he knew that Connecticut was in control of the game…
When we got up ten with like four seconds to go. There were a lot of things happening in the game that never made you feel real comfortable. I don’t think that we were ever in control of the game; ever. Obviously that is a credit to them and how hard they compete.

Head Coach Geno Auriemma on defending UCSB center Lindsay Taylor…
We tried to not stay in the same defense for a real long time. It’s kind of a little chess match. Every time we would do something (change defensively), they (UCSB) would do something. Every time we’d make a change, they’d make a change. We were kind of always adjusting to each other. That is why in these situations, the players decide what the outcome is going to be. I don’t think you can play one way (against Taylor).

UConn-UCSB Postgame Notes

• Connecticut now leads the all-time series vs. UC Santa Barbara 2-0.
• UConn is now 50-11 all-time in the NCAA Tournament and the Huskies have won 15 straight in the NCAA Tournament. UConn is now 27-3 in NCAA games played in the state of Connecticut including the last 25 straight.
• UConn is 9-2 at the Hartford Civic Center this season and 43-6 all-time at the HCC,
• UConn is now 6-1 all-time as  #2 seed and 35-7 in the East Region
• UConn is now 10-3 as an at-large team in NCAA Tournament play and 11-1 in Regional Semi’s.
• UConn is now 172-9 overall since 1999-2000.
• Diana Taurasi became UConn’s career assist lead with her current total of 640 surpassing Jennifer Rizzotti’s mark of 637. (The record breaker came at 8:37 of the first half on a basket by Conlon).
• Barbara Turner scored the 800^th point of her career today.
• Jessica Moore grabbed her 600^th career rebound today and posted her second double-double in the NCAA Tournament. She leads the Huskies with five double-doubles this season and has seven for her career.
• Diana Taurasi moved past Penny Taylor (Long Beach St./San Diego St.) into third place among the NCAA Tournament all-time field goal leaders with her current total of 131.
• The 63 points for UConn is the lowest total in an NCAA Tournament game since it scored 58 vs. Iowa State in the 1999 Mideast Regional Semifinal.
• UConn has won 25 of its last 26 NCAA Tournament games.
• UC Santa Barbara was making its first trip to the Sweet Sixteen and first trip to Connecticut
• UC Santa Barbara had its eight-game winning streak snapped. The Gouchos were the only team in the East Regional to win its conference tournament.
• UC Santa Barbara, making its eight straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament, is now 7-10 all-time in NCAA Tournament play and 4-1 as a No. 11 seed.
• UC Santa Barbara equaled the fewest first half points scored this season with its 22 points at halftime (also scored 22 at Texas Tech on 11/20/03)
• April McDivitt scored a career-high 20 points and a career-high tying five three-pointers.
• Kristen Mann scored in double figures for the 28^th time this season.
• Lindsay Taylor’s five points equaled the lowest output for her, she had done it twice before.