Coach Geno Auriemma isn't interested in talking about the gap between his No. 1 Connecticut team and the rest of women's college basketball. He might not have much of a choice after the way that the Huskies dismantled second-ranked North Carolina last night.
"I told the players in the locker room that the only gap I'm interested in is the one that exists between when we're playing great and when we're playing poorly," he said. "If that gap keeps narrowing, then I'll be happy."
That's perhaps the toughest competition that the Huskies will face at this rate.
Renee Montgomery scored 21 points to help the Huskies beat the Tar Heels 88-58, dominating a matchup of unbeaten teams from start to finish and handing North Carolina its worst loss in six years.
Maya Moore had 19 points and 12 rebounds for Connecticut (18-0), which turned one of the most anticipated games of the season into just another lopsided victory. Connecticut built a double-digit lead early in the game and led 46-30 at the break, then increased the margin in the second half.
The Huskies constantly beat the Tar Heels' trapping defense for easy baskets and dominated the glass.
Auriemma had told his team to focus on defense and rebounding over offense. The Huskies controlled the game by taking a 53-32 edge on the boards and grabbing 21 offensive rebounds -- with several coming as the Tar Heels (17-1) desperately tried to get back in the game midway through the second half.
By the end, Connecticut had made North Carolina look just as helpless as everyone else has against the Huskies this year, including third-ranked Oklahoma -- which lost 106-78 in Storrs in November.
"Carolina's really good. There aren't going to be a whole lot of teams that beat them," Auriemma said. "We just played really, really, really great basketball tonight."
UConn hasn't played a game closer than 11 points all season and improved to 9-2 in games featuring the nation's top two teams. The Huskies also ended the Tar Heels' 31-game home winning streak and handed North Carolina its first nonconference home loss since falling to Oklahoma in January 2001, a span of 76 games. It was UNC's worst loss since falling 97-63 at Duke in February 2003.
When asked what it would take for someone to beat the Huskies, Coach Sylvia Hatchell of UNC quipped, "Why don't you tell me?"
"They came into our house and showed us how to play basketball," she said. "I wish we could've given them a better game.
"They compete hard and they are extremely physical. This game was much, much more physical than any game we've played this year. And I think it bothered us, it got to us. We didn't go rebound with them. But this is the way a game is going to be when you get into the NCAA and play for a national championship."
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement