University of Connecticut Athletics
No. 9/10 Huskies Pound Pittsburgh, 89-53
1/26/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
PITTSBURGH, Pa. (January 26, 2005) – Senior Jessica Moore (Palmer, Alaska) had a 17-point first half on her way to tying her season-high of 19 points as the No. 9/10 University of Connecticut women’s basketball team throttled BIG EAST foe Pittsburgh 89-53 on Wednesday night. UConn’s fifth-straight win moves the team to 13-4 overall and 6-0 in conference games. Pittsburgh falls to 11-7 (3-4 vs. league opponents).
The two teams opened the game exchanging baskets, with Pittsburgh pulling within one, 18-17, in the ninth minute. The Huskies then went on a 9-0 run to move the score to 27-17, a double-digit lead UConn would hold the remainder of the game.
A 17-0 run over the closing five minutes of the first half was stopped by two Panthers free throws with 36 seconds left. The Huskies entered intermission with a 47-29 lead on hitting 19-of-31 shots in the opening half. The 61.3% mark was the third-best shooting in a half for UConn this season as nine Huskies scored in the first.
The Huskies continued to expand their lead in the second half, including a 14-0 run in the middle of the period that opened the UConn lead to 31 over the Panthers. Connecticut out-scored the Pittsburgh 42-24 in the second while holding the Panthers to 10-of-27 for 37% shooting.
For the game, Connecticut shot 57.8% (37-of-64) for its second-best percentage of the season. Pittsburgh shot 39.2% (20-of-51). The win, in which the Huskies scored its highest point total on the road this season, is UConn’s 18th-consecutive over Pittsburgh.
The Huskies continued their strong defensive play, out-rebounding the Panthers 35-25 while forcing 25 Pittsburgh turnovers.
Along with Moore, three other Huskies scored in double-figures. Freshman Charde Houston (San Diego, Calif.) (pictured to the right) notched 15 points to score double-digits in seven of the last eight games. Senior Ashley Battle (Pittsburgh, Pa.) returned to her hometown to register 14 points, while junior Barbara Turner (Cleveland, Ohio) added 11 for the Huskies. Sophomore Nicole Wolff (Walpole, Mass.) scored six while dishing out a career-high seven assists.
Moore’s 19-point performance on 8-of-9 shooting is her fourth-straight game with double-figure scoring, after starting the season with just one double-digit game over the first 13 contests.
Katie Histed led the Panthers in scoring with 17 points, while Allisha Morris added 14.
No. 9/10 Connecticut looks to extend its season-high win streak when it plays host No. 6/7 Notre Dame on Sunday, January 30 at Gampel Pavilion. The game starts at 7:00 p.m. and will be aired on ESPN2.
GAME NOTES
- UConn is 139-3 over its last 142 games vs. unranked teams.
- UConn has won 43 of their last 46 road games.
- UConn is 63-2 in its last 65 BIG EAST games.
- Ann Strother scored her 162nd career three-pointer to move past Kerry Bascom to rank sixth all-time in UConn history.
- UConn’s 89 points are the second-highest scored this season (107 vs. Buffalo in season opener on Nov. 19).
