University of Connecticut Athletics
Huskies Fall to LSU, 73-50, in Fresno Regional Final
3/26/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Tonight’s loss snapped UConn’s 15-game winning streak in NCAA Tournament games when it is playing as a No. 1 seed – the last loss was UConn’s first since falling to Notre Dame in the 2001 National Semifinals 90-75 (March 30, 2001).
The Huskies end the season with a 32-4 mark while the Tigers improve to 30-7.
UConn falls to 8-5 all-time in NCAA Regional Final games. UConn moves to 61-14 all-time in NCAA Tournament games.
Sophomores Renee Montgomery (St. Albans, W.Va.) and Kalana Greene (Saint Stephen, S.C.) were named to the Fresno All-Region team. Montgomery finished with 17 points on the night while Greene added eight.
Junior Mel Thomas (Cincinnati, Ohio) collected 13 points with three treys.
The two teams traded points in the opening minutes which saw the Huskies committing seven turnovers in the first seven minutes as LSU went on an 8-0 run to take a 16-8 lead with 13:25 on the clock. Junior Brittany Hunter (Columbus, Ohio) responded with a long-range jumper to close-in on the Tigers’ lead at 16-10 with 11:56 remaining in the first half.
The Huskies cut LSU’s lead to seven after Montgomery knocked down a 3-pointer, but the Tigers hit back-to-back treys to increase their lead to 12 with 6:32 to go.
The Tigers used a 10-0 run to extend their lead to 17 at 34-17 with 3:43 left in the first half. Montgomery ended a 4:48 scoring drought by the Huskies with a jumper which Greene followed with a spin-move in the lane for a bucket with 1:07 to go with LSU leading 34-21.
The Tigers led 34-22 at the halftime break, marking UConn’s lowest-scoring output in a first half this season.
LSU opened the second half with a 5-0 run over the first 3:09, but UConn answered with two straight baskets with the Huskies trailing 39-26 with 16:31 to go. Montgomery hit two free throws followed by a 3-pointer to get within 13 at 43-31 with 14:56 on the clock.
Thomas nailed a 3-pointer in the corner before hitting a jumper on the ensuing possession with the score 50-38 with 10:37 to go in the game. She then drained her third 3-pointer of the contest to pull within 11 at 59-48 with 4:05 on the clock.
The Tigers went 10-of-11 from the charity stripe down the stretch to take the game 73-50.
Syliva Fowles had a double-double with 23 points and 15 rebounds for the Tigers.
Tonight’s loss marked UConn’s biggest margin of defeat in an NCAA Tournament game since it lost 75-47 vs. Vanderbilt in the second round of the 1992 NCAA Tournament (March 21).
UConn’s 50 points marked its fewest in an NCAA Tournament game since it posted 47 against Vanderbilt in the second round of the 1992 NCAA Tournament (March 21).
SCOREBOARD 1st 2nd Final No. 1 Connecticut 22 28 50 No. 3 LSU 34 39 73
Game Notes
- UConn falls to 8-5 all-time in NCAA Regional Final games.
- UConn moves to 61-14 all-time in NCAA Tournament games.
- Tonight’s loss snapped UConn’s 15-game winning streak in NCAA Tournament games when it is playing as a No. 1 seed – the loss was UConn’s first since falling to Notre Dame in the 2001 National Semifinals 90-75 (March 30, 2001).
- Tonight’s loss marked the second consecutive season that UConn has been eliminated in the Regional Final round of the NCAA Tournament.
- Tonight’s loss marked UConn’s biggest margin of defeat in an NCAA Tournament game since it lost 75-47 vs. Vanderbilt in the second round of the 1992 NCAA Tournament (March 21).
- UConn’s 50 points marked its fewest in an NCAA Tournament game since it posted 47 against Vanderbilt in the second round of the 1992 NCAA Tournament (March 21).
