University of Connecticut Athletics
Huskies Dominate Old Dominion 78-63
3/30/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
GREENSBORO, N.C. (March 30, 2008) – Freshman Maya Moore's (Lawrenceville, Ga.) 25 points and 11 rebounds marked her 11th double-double of the season as the No. 1 seed University of Connecticut women's basketball team earned a trip to the Elite Eight by defeating No. 5 seed Old Dominion 78-63 in the Sweet 16 of the 2008 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament on Sunday afternoon at the Greensboro Coliseum.
Moore's 11th double-double of the year ties teammate Tina Charles' (Jamaica, N.Y.) BIG EAST and UConn freshman record for most double-doubles in a single-season. Her 25 points pushed her season total to 651, moving her past Tamara James' (Miami, Fla.) BIG EAST Freshman record scoring total of 650. Moore also became the new UConn freshman record holder for most points in an NCAA Tournament game.
Today's performance was the 35th time in 36 games that Moore registered double-figure points as she picked up her second straight double-double of the NCAA Tournament. She finished the game shooting 10-for-20 from the floor while adding three blocked shots.
With the win, UConn improves to 35-1 overall and advances to the Elite Eight for the third consecutive season and the 14th time in the program’s history. The Huskies advance to the Greensboro Regional Final, which is scheduled for Tuesday, April 1 against No. 2 seed Rutgers for a berth in the 2008 NCAA Final Four in Tampa. With the loss, Old Dominion concludes the season with a 31-5 overall record.
The UConn win also marks UConn’s 35th victory this season, its highest single-season win total since the 2002-03 campaign when it posted 37 victories and the fifth time in the program’s history it has recorded at least 35 wins.
UConn used an early 11-3 run in the first to take a nine point lead in the first 10 minutes of the game, which was capped off by two free throws from sophomore Charles. But Old Dominion went on a 10-3 run of their own and closed the game to within four at 28-24 on a Shadasia Green put-back jumper with 9:09 left in the first half.
A 13-4 point advantage in a two-minute span to make the score 41-28 extended the Huskies' lead to 13, their largest lead of the half. UConn posted a 10 point lead at the break as Moore led her team with 14 points on 6-for-11 shooting from the floor, while adding seven rebounds. Charles chipped in with nine points in the first half as the Huskies tallied a shooting percentage of .486 (17-for-35). The Lady Monarchs were held at .351 (13-for-37) from the floor as UConn held the rebounding edge in the first half, 26-20.
Old Dominion struck first in the second half, connecting on an early three pointer by T.J. Jordan to cut the lead to seven at 43-36. But the Huskies shut the door on the Lady Monarch's rally attempt in the second half as they out scored Old Dominion 30-4 in the first 6:37 of the half.
The Lady Monarchs were able to come back within 15 with 1:51 left in the game but two free throws by Moore with 1:26 left on the clock clinched the UConn victory.
Junior Renee Montgomery (St. Albans, W. Va.) finished the afternoon with 13 points and four assists for her eighth straight game in double-figure points and her 25th in the last 28 games overall. Charde Houston's (San Diego, Calif.) 10 points marked the fifth game that she had registered double-figure points over the Huskies' six postseason games this season while Charles' 10 points marked her 28th game with double-figure points this season and the 51st of her career. Brittany Hunter (Columbus, Ohio) added 10 points marking her third straight game with double-figure points and her eighth this season.
The Huskies finished the game shooting .475 (29-for-61) while holding the Lady Monarchs to .388 (26-for-67). UConn out-rebounded ODU 44-41 while scoring 36 points in the paint compared to ODU's 24.
UConn will face No. 2 seed Rutgers on Tuesday, April 1 for the Greensboro Regional Final en route to the Final Four in Tampa Bay, Fla. Tip is set for approximately 9:00 p.m. on ESPN.
SCOREBOARD 1st 2nd Final 11/14 Old Dominion 33 30 63 1/1 Connecticut 43 35 78
Postgame Notes
- UConn advances to the Elite Eight for the third consecutive season and the 14th time in the program’s history.
- UConn advances to the Greensboro Regional Final, which is scheduled for Tuesday,
April 1 against either No. 2 seed Rutgers or No. 6 seed George Washington for a berth in the 2008 NCAA Final Four in Tampa.
- UConn improves to 64-14 all-time in NCAA Tournament play (over 20 appearances) following today’s regional semifinal win over Old Dominion.
- UConn extends its current winning streak to 14 consecutive games following today’s NCAA Regional Semifinal win over Old Dominion.
- UConn moves to 14-2 overall in the regional semifinals of the NCAA Tournament following today’s win over Old Dominion.
- UConn has won 29 of its last 31 NCAA Tournament games overall following today’s win over Old Dominion.
- UConn improves to 39-4 in NCAA Tournament games since the 2000 season.
- UConn improves to 48-10 all-time in NCAA Tournament games when it received an automatic berth.
- UConn improves to 46-6 all-time when playing in the NCAA Tournament as a No. 1 seed.
- UConn has won 18 of its last 19 NCAA Tournament games when playing as a No. 1 seed.
- Tonight’s win marks UConn’s 35th this season - its highest single-season win total since the 2002-03 campaign - when it posted 37 victories - and the fifth time in the program’s history it has recorded at least 35 wins. UConn won the National Championship the previous four times the Huskies recorded at least 35 victories.
- Today’s Greensboro Regional Semifinal game marked the second time UConn has played an NCAA Tournament game in the state of North Carolina, with the previous coming in 1996 when it lost to Tennessee 88-83 in the National Semifinals in Charlotte.
- UConn improves to 2-0 all-time vs. opponents from the Colonial Athletic Association in NCAA Tournament games following today’s win over Old Dominion.
- UConn improves to 6-1 in the all-time series with Old Dominion and has won the last five straight.
- UConn improves to 192-10 all-time when playing as the nation’s No. 1 ranked team in the Associated Press poll.
- UConn moves to 12-1 in nationally-televised games this season following today’s win over Old Dominion.
- UConn improves to 129-52 all-time against ranked opponents following today’s win over No. 11 Old Dominion and have posted a 10-1 mark against ranked opponents in 2007-08.
- Maya Moore's 25 points marked her 35th game in double-figure points over 36 games this season.
- Maya Moore 25 points and 11 rebounds marks her 11th double-double this season which ties teammate Tina Charles' BIG EAST and UConn freshman record for most double-doubles.
- Brittany Hunter's 10 points marked her third straight game with double-figure points and her eighth this season.
- Tina Charles' eight rebounds moved her past Rebecca Lobo UConn's sophomore record total of 326 with her current total of 333.
- Renee Montgomery's 13 points marks the eighth straight game in double-figure points and her 25th in the last 28 games overall.
- Tina Charles' 10 points marks her 28th game in double-figure points this season and her 14th over the last 16 games.
- Charde Houston's 10 points marks the fourth straight game with double-figure points and her ninth this season.
- Maya Moore's 25 points pushed her season total to 651 moving her past Tamara James' (Miami, Fla.) BIG EAST Freshman record scoring total of 650.
- UConn has won its opening three games of the 2008 NCAA Tournament by an average of 30.3 ppg.
Post Game Quotes
Head Coach Geno Auriemma
Opening Remarks
"We didn’t expect anything less than what happened out there. Somebody made a comment that Old Dominion isn’t going to be 40 points better than they were in November, I don’t think we’re going to be 40 points better either. It was a typical NCAA game where we had to come out in the second half and rely on the things that have gotten us here.
“We’re just happy to be back in that situation, in the Final 8, where we were last year and the year before. So, everybody can start asking questions now about why we haven’t been to the Final Four. These two guys can answer those. I’m not answering any questions about that. (joking).
On the spark from Brittany Hunter at the end of each half…
“Well unfortunately for Brittany, it’s been kind of a frustrating career for her. There just hasn’t been any time when she has been 100% healthy. We had a glimpse a little bit where she could have been and what she still can do. She has a sense of purpose. She has grown up a lot and she has matured an awful lot. I think that showed today.”
What is the status of Tina Charles and Renee Montgomery?
“Tina got hit in the shoulder. All of the signs point to that she will be able to play Tuesday night. Renee just twisted her knee a little bit and all the signs point that she will be able to play Tuesday night.”
A physical game overall - is that what you were expecting coming in?
“I thought it was going to be extremely physical and I think the players thought the same thing. It was extremely physical. We went in at halftime and we had given up 33 points. Again, I didn’t expect any less.”
Would you stay for the second game?
“Yes, our normal procedure for something like this is we stay for the first half and we would do that regardless of who we may play. We are going to get the tape of the entire game right after the game, so we’re not going to miss anything. I think some of the coaches are going to stay for the whole game.
“As far as having played Rutgers already twice, you know Rutgers is one of our teams in the Big East. Whether we have played them or not doesn’t make much of a difference to us. The fact is that if they do win, one of the Big East teams will go to the Final Four. That’s something that has been happening quite regularly for sometime now. I also think I am also rooting for Rutgers because I think they got short changed a little bit in this tournament with their seeding. So I hope to see them. I hope they play well and I hope they win today… and that’s the last nice thing I will say about them (laughing).”
Senior Guard Ketia Swanier
On responding to ODU at beginning of second half
“I think the difference after she (Moore) hit the three was (that) we were more patient on offense and we were running through our plays well. People were getting open and, like you said, Maya was hitting the open shots.”
Junior Guard Renee Montgomery
On responding to ODU at beginning of second half
“I think that we got some more fast break points. We started boxing out and getting the first rebound. A lot of times, they were getting the offensive rebounds and just pulled us back in our breaks, getting easy looks. Once we started getting rebounds and getting out on the break we got a lot more easy shots.”
On defending Tiffany Green
“She was tough in the post. Everything she did was just really aggressive. She went after every rebound. Every time she caught the ball in the lane she was going to get to the basket. She didn’t care if she was going to get a charge or not. She was just tough to guard. I think she did a get job. She was aggressive every time she caught the ball and every time the ball went up on the rim.”
On defensive strategy against Jordan and Williams Question
“Our strategy was the same as every other game. We really just don’t want to give people open looks, especially if you know they are a shooter. We don’t want them doing what they feel comfortable doing. So our strategy was the same as every game. We come in and try to make people do things they’re uncomfortable with or things they are not great at.”
On the end of the game Question
“It’s the NCAA tournament and nobody is going to lay down and die. I think that’s what happened. Usually at the end of the game, stuff just starts flowing and (we) start getting a lot of easy baskets. But this is the NCAA tournament and no one is going to lay down and die. I think they showed that they fought till the buzzer. They didn’t give up or just let us score and run our offense. They played hard until the buzzer went off and I commend them for that.
