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Tina Charles looks to shoot past Penn State's Julia Trogele (11) during the second half of the Maggie Dixon Classic NCAA college basketball game at Madison Square Garden in New York, Sunday

Charles makes big statement in trip to basketball's 'Mecca'

Center turns in dominating 29 point, 18 rebound performance in Madison Square Garden

By: Brittany Perotti

Posted: 12/14/08

NEW YORK - She shoots, she … misses?
That was the theme of the first half at the Maggie Dixon Classic on Sunday. Though the No. 1 women's basketball team won 77-63 against Penn State, most of the UConn players could not get their shots to fall in the opening minutes.

But one player stood out among the rest, one who was immune to the streak of bad luck that seemed to sweep the Huskies. By the end of the first half, she had a double-double, with 14 points and 12 rebounds.

She was Tina Charles.

While her team struggled, especially from the 3-point range, Charles was having an all-around solid game. She blocked two shots. She hit all but two of her free throws. There was one blemish, however, on the stat sheet for Charles: the six turnovers.

Indeed, she was the main factor in the team's 16-2 run to end the half, scoring eight of those points.

"The way the game started, every time Tina touched the ball, she scored," said coach Geno Auriemma.

Though the team was playing at Madison Square Garden, it was like she was home - especially with the stands comprising mostly UConn fans to cheer her on. Her friends and family traveled to watch her play.

As a kid growing up in Jamaica, Queens, N.Y., she would go to Knicks games with her father and watch Patrick Ewing play, she said.

"I just think it means a lot, just New York basketball alone," she said of playing at the Garden. "It's the Mecca of basketball."

But she could not foresee what the future would hold, including playing on the court where she once watched Hall of Fame basketball stars play.

Her performance Sunday seemed to be contagious for some of the Huskies later in the game. Maya Moore had 21 points and eight rebounds, finishing with four steals and two blocks. Renee Montgomery had 13 points and five assists.

A year ago, there were times when Charles appeared to lack confidence in her basketball abilities. At the end of the season, she saw limited playing time as Auriemma was uncertain about her ability to mentally prepare for games.

It is the biggest hurdle for a player to overcome in college, especially for the post players who are used to physically dominating in high school, he said.

When the team lost to Stanford in the Final Four, he told the team that they had the best point guard returning and possibly the best player returning.

But the one place that was lacking was the post presence. Charles said she took that personally, and dedicated her summer to working on her game.

"I just wanted to show that I could change," she said.

This year, though, there have been no signs of hesitation or self-doubt. Sunday was no exception.

"She was great tonight, offensively and defensively," Montgomery said. "Defensively, she didn't really let anything into the lane. If we got beat off the dribble, she was there. On offense, she was posting up. It was just an all-around good game."

With less than nine minutes left to play, Auriemma pulled Charles with the Huskies leading, 58-47. That was where Moore and Montgomery stepped in, filling the void left by the center's absence.

Five minutes later, with the Nittany Lions down by nine and threatening to draw closer, Charles was back in the game. Within a minute of re-entering the game, she had a block that had the fans at MSG cheering.

It was her second block that both Auriemma and Penn State coach Coquese Washington said prevented the team from closing the gap down further. In fact, it changed the momentum of the game and allowed the Huskies to capitalize on a breakaway basket in transition, breaking open the lead.

"I thought Tina was obviously the big difference in the game," Auriemma said.
Charles finished the afternoon with 29 points and 18 rebounds. The team ended with a standing ovation from the crowd. She received a roar of approval when her stats were announced.

Despite her performance and her elation after making blocks and scoring, she showed respect to her opponents. After teammate Tiffany Hayes fouled Penn State guard Brianne O'Rourke in the second half, Charles went over to O'Rourke and pulled her up.

"When you look at her stats, she really did it to us," O'Rourke said.
It was the Maggie Dixon Classic, after all, a time to honor the memory of the late Army coach.

Now that reserve Cassie Kerns is out with mononucleosis, shortening the already-shallow depth to the team's post, it is critical that Charles continue to play well.

"Every game is going to come down to Renee, Maya and Tina … are going to make the difference in the game," Auriemma said. "One of them, two of them or all three of them are going to be involved in the biggest plays of the game. I'm positive."

Charles' performance has even led to the All-American buzz. She is one of the preseason choices for the first team.

"If a kid can do that every night, she's an All-American," Auriemma said. "And she's playing like an All-American right now. But that means that now you have to play like an All-American every night. You can't just go one night at Madison Square Garden. … You've got to put together dominant games on a regular basis if you want to be an All-American."

Brittany.Perotti@UConn.edu