BRIDGEPORT - Tina Charles sat for most of the first half in foul trouble, Maya Moore's shots did not fall and Renee Montgomery had 10 points. And when the No. 1 women's basketball team needed them to step up, Charde Houston and Brittany Hunter - two seniors who have been battling for time - came through in a big way in the Huskies' 89-47 win over No. 16 seed Cornell.
Houston played with poise that was lacking through most of the regular season. Maybe it was the most outstanding player honor she received for the Big East tournament two weeks ago. But on Sunday night, Houston looked like the player many thought she could be all season, including her teammates and head coach Geno Auriemma.
"That's the best thing about it, is knowing that they're seniors and the way that they're playing … they're stepping up in practice and showing that they really want it," Charles said.
"Charde's been playing great ever since the DePaul game at DePaul. I think she's been really really good," Auriemma said. "Tonight she looked like a Charde you rarely see, you know, under control, making the right plays at the right time, being a good passer, going to the basket, making jump shots. All the things that we've seen Charde do at various times, you know, she kind of put it all together tonight and that kind of takes the pressure off some of the guys."
Hunter said she thought that Houston had the feeling of being left behind and being unable to contribute earlier this season, which had affected her confidence.
"We were blowing teams out by 60, 70 points and she wasn't really playing. You start to feel like 'Well, maybe they don't really need me.' So you kind of try to hide in the background."
"I don't think there's a lot of stuff floating around in Charde's head at this point in time," Auriemma said. "I think she came into the Big East tournament with a lot of self-doubt and a lot of questions about herself and her confidence level and whether she could or couldn't and I think this year has been different for her."
Now, however, he said that Houston has "kind of ridded herself of a lot of that nonsense."
Houston said her attitude has been the biggest factor in her resurgence. Both seniors seem to be focused on what they do have left with the realization that the next game could be their last game.
"[The difference is] just knowing that once I step foot on the court, nothing else matters," Houston said.
During the first half, Houston shot 50 percent with three assists, a steal and three rebounds in 12 minutes. She went on her own 6-0 run in 42 seconds in the middle of the second half and left to a roar from the stands.
"When you're a senior and you've been in the NCAA tournament as many times as they have, I don't think they're as anxious, I don't think they're as hyper maybe," Auriemma said. "But, one of the reasons why we started Brittany is because I wanted to get her back into the mix. And today was the first time in about a month, maybe more, she actually played about her limit, about 13 or 14 minutes … And if I don't start her, I don't think I would be able to do that. So, we accomplished that goal."
Hunter, who has struggled to stay healthy enough to play, had 11 points, two blocks, a steal and three rebounds Sunday. But for her, the recurring injury is no longer an issue. Instead, she has adopted the attitude of "What can I do in these minutes that I'm playing."
"Three weeks ago, it was like 'Your knee hurts, we'll sit you out.' I'm not giving myself that option this time, so I just think I have a different attitude in general," she said. "When am I going to rest my knee? Well, for the next 80, 90 years of my life. So I'm fine. As far as I'm concerned, I'm healthy, I'm good to go, I'm ready to go."
Contact Brittany Perotti at Brittany.Perotti@UConn.edu.
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