Greene finds a way to break out of slump

Coming into Tuesday night's game against Villanova at Gampel Pavilion, redshirt-junior guard Kalana Greene was riding her biggest two-game slump of the season. Greene was held without a field goal against Providence last Wednesday and Notre Dame last Saturday,

The pressure was beginning to mount for the veteran, but as much as she was struggling, she didn't let it get to her head.

"Coach said that our stars have to go out there and put up some decent numbers," said Greene, who has started every game for the Huskies this year. "I was not going to go out there and take every shot worrying about missing or making."

The mindset paid off for Greene, who finished the night with 15 points on 5-for-8 shooting to go along with six rebounds in the 74-47 home win for the Huskies. The double-digit scoring performance was the first for Greene in over a week and just the second time in the past five games that Greene scored double digits in points.

The stat line was a far cry from her two-point (on 0-for-5 shooting), zero-rebound performance against Notre Dame Saturday and her scoreless performance against Providence last Wednesday.

Greene, who is averaging 8.1 points and 4.1 rebounds per game this season, admitted after the game that she was disappointed by her lack of consistency. While she hasn't been paying attention to her stat lines lately, Greene said that the coaching staff has been reminding her of them often.

"I think that it is unacceptable; I have to contribute in some way," Greene said. "If it is not possible to get points then I have to [get] rebounds and steals. I think, all-around, I have not been playing defense and rebounding like I want to, and the way I used to."

Villanova coach Harry Perretta was extremely impressed with the way Greene played defense all night.

"I just think her defensive skills are so good, and she disrupts," Perretta said. "They get points by her disrupting our offense - not just our offense, but anybody's offense - because of the level of her defense."

Perretta was particularly impressed with one play with 7:10 left in the second half where Greene stole the ball from Villanova guard Tia Grant and finished off with a fastbreak layup.

"Just that one innocent play we ran today, we tried to run a handoff - she stole the ball for a breakaway," Perretta said. "You know what I'm saying; it's like we're running an innocent play and next thing I know, seven seconds later, they're scoring because she makes a defensive play."

Greene got her 15 points through a mixture of midrange jumpers and layups. With about seven minutes left in the first half, Greene got a pass down low from Tiffany Hayes and converted the layup as she was fouled. That was exactly the type of shot that hadn't been falling for her in her previous two games.

"I just wanted to go out there and contribute by doing the things that help the team and myself too," Greene said. "So I went out there and set screens - getting rebounds, taking open shots and the shots that I'm comfortable with."

For Greene, who missed the majority of last season with an ACL tear, effort has never been a question mark.

"I'm giving a lot because coming off the injury, somebody else's 85 percent is like my 115 percent," Greene said. "So I think I'm playing hard and I don't want to take anything for granted."