University of Connecticut Athletics
Huskies Defeat Tennessee in National Title Game
4/8/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
ATLANTA, GA (April, 8) – Naismith Player of the Year Diana Taurasi (Chino, CA) poured in 28 points and the University of Connecticut women’s basketball team never trailed en route to a 73-68 triumph over Tennessee in the Championship Game of the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship in front of a sellout crowd at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.
With the victory, UConn successfully defends its National Title, and remains undefeated (4-0) in NCAA Championship games. The Lady Vols finish the season with a 33-5 mark.
Freshman Barbara Turner (Cleveland, OH) scored the game’s first two points just fifteen seconds into the contest and Connecticut (37-1) would not trail for the entire game. The Huskies took their largest lead of the half at the 15:20 mark, 14-7, thanks to a Jessica Moore (Palmer, AK) bucket, but Tennessee would battle back to tie the score at 30 with 1:30 remaining. Diana Taurasi answered by draining a three-pointer with the shot clock running down at the :30 mark. With just ten seconds left in the stanza, junior Maria Conlon (Derby, CT) stole the ball and started a fast-break capped off by a Willnett Crocket (Harbor City, CA) acrobatic lay-up with only two seconds left to give UConn a 35-30 advantage heading into the locker room.
UConn roared out of the gate to start the second half, extending its 5-0 run to end the first half, to a 17-4 tear to take its largest lead of the game, 47-34, with 16:15 left in the season. Tennessee would rally though, mounting a 10-3 run over the next 3:15 to shrink the Husky lead to six, 50-44. With 9:50 remaining, and the Huskies up, 55-49, freshman Ann Strother (Castle Rock, CO) buried her third three pointer to spark a 12-5 UConn run over the next 4:05, allowing Connecticut to take a 67-54 lead with just 6:10 left. But UConn would not score for the next 2:30 and Tennessee took advantage, mounting an 8-0 run to pull to within five, 67-62 at the 2:40 mark. The Lady Vols whittled the lead down to three, 71-68, with 21 seconds left, but Strother hit two huge free-throws with 20 seconds remaining and Battle stole the ensuing inbounds pass and the Huskies played keep-away for the rest of the game to successfully defend their title.
Strother was sensational in the win, notching 17 points while shooting a sound six-for-11 from the field. Conlon was rock-solid at the point for Connecticut, scoring 11 points and dishing out six assists without turning the ball over once, and Turner finished off her terrific tournament debut with 10 points. UConn shot a steady 51% from the field (25-for-49) but was out-worked on the glass by the Lady Vols. Tennessee held a 40-to-22 rebounding advantage including 20-to-five on the offensive glass. However, UConn's stingy defense only allowed 16 second chance points off those 20 offensive rebounds.
Kara Lawson led the way for Tennessee with 18 points.
