University of Connecticut Athletics
No. 3 Huskies Send Mountaineers Packing, 97-34
2/20/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
DONNA TOMMELLEO
AP Sports Writer
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| Connecticut's Sue Bird bumps West Virginia's Brandi Batch as she dribbles downcourt in the first half. (AP Photo/Bob Child) |
With three key players - Svetlana Abrosimova, Tamika Williams and Diana Taurasi - in street clothes, the Huskies were still too much for the overmatched Mountaineers.
Abrosimova is out for the season with a foot injury; Williams is nursing a bruised rib and Taurasi has a mild ankle sprain. They average 33 points and 14 rebounds.
UConn (23-2, 13-1 Big East) got plenty of help from its remaining reserves. Freshman Maria Conlon had a career-high 20 points and was 4-of-6 from the 3-point line. Starter Shea Ralph had 14 points and nine rebounds as the Huskies dominated the glass 56-29.
Kennitra Johnson, who started in place of Taurasi, finished with 15 points, four assists and two steals.
The Mountaineers (5-20, 3-11) struggled against UConn's up-tempo game from the opening tip and were held scoreless for the first nine minutes. By the time Zsofia Horvath hit the first Mountaineers bucket, UConn was up 19-2 and the rout was on.
West Virginia shot just 15 percent in the half, and 19 percent for the game.
The Huskies got 31 points off 25 West Virginia turnovers and outscored the Mountaineers 42-10 in the lane.
Darya Kudryavtseva led West Virginia with 16 points. Kate Bulger, the leading scorer among Big East freshmen, was held to six points, eight below her team-leading average.
