Renee Montgomery celebrates after the Huskies win over Rutgers Tuesday night.

FINALLY AMONG THE FOUR

Women's Basketball Heads To The Final Four After Win Over Rutgers

By: Tim Ehrens

Posted: 4/2/08

GREENSBORO, N.C. - It didn't look like a typical UConn game. The shots were off and they didn't get a lead until late in the second half.

But this UConn team, especially its four seniors, has longed to hear it - the Huskies are headed to the Final Four.

Elation filled the Huskies bench Tuesday night in Greensboro, N.C. as the No. 1-seeded Huskies beat conference rival and No. 2-seeded Rutgers, 66-56, to win the Greensboro Regional and advance to their first Final Four since 2004.

"The reaction from the players on the bench is something I wouldn't be able to put into words or describe," said UConn head coach Geno Auriemma. "I wouldn't do it any justice if I tried to. This one, for some reason, just feels different. This one feels pretty incredible, pretty incredible."

Rutgers head coach C. Vivian Stringer, with her head in her hands at the post-game press conference, said her team looked tired in the second half as her team relinquished a five-point first-half lead to give the Huskies confidence and their ninth Final Four berth.

"This game was decided by the team who made the fewest errors. In this case, Connecticut did that," Stringer said. "The mistakes that were made were what I consider to be tired mistakes."

The game started out cold for UConn and hot for Rutgers, who went on an 18-8 run in the first 8:15, behind Essence Carson's 10 points, to put the Huskies on the ropes early. An 8-0 run within a 4:26 span mid-way through the half put the Scarlet Knights ahead by 14 at the 8:11 mark for the game's largest lead.

"We focused on knowing personnel and crashing the boards," said Matee Ajavon, who had a game-high 18 points. "We really limited their second chance points."

The only Husky who stood out in the first half was Charde Houston, who had eight points to lead the team. Scoring threats Maya Moore, Renee Montgomery and Tina Charles were held firmly in check by the staunch Scarlet Knights defense, combining for eight points and shooting a dismal 3-for-13 from the field. The only shots that fell for Moore and Montgomery's were breakaway lay-ups, as their jump-shots clanged off the rim.

Towards the end of the half, UConn gained new life when Houston and Montgomery combined for six consecutive points to cut the Rutgers lead to eight with 2:35 remaining in the half. The Huskies ended the half by going on a 6-3 run, thanks to four points by Houston, to cut the Scarlet Knights' lead to five heading into halftime.

"We played absolutely terrible [in the first half] and everything was going Rutgers' way and we couldn't hit anything," said Ketia Swanier, who tied with Montgomery for the team lead in points with 15. "I felt like we couldn't play more terrible."

It didn't take long for the Huskies to get back into the game and make things interesting in the second half. It took less than two minutes for Montgomery to hit a jumper that gave the game its first tie.

The teams traded baskets in the next seven minutes until Kaili McLaren hit a lay-up at the 6:47 mark to give UConn its first lead of the game to put the score at 48-46.

"In a game of this magnitude any great team is going to try and fight back and make a run," said Essence Carson, who scored all of her 12 points in the first half. "We expected that. We knew what we had to do to withstand it."

However, the Scarlet Knights would not lie down and Epiphany Prince hit her only three-pointer of the game to tie it up with 5:21 to go. But it was Moore's three-pointer with just under three minutes left that gave the Huskies the lead they would not surrender.

"I just tried my best to keep moving and I think once our team started setting good screens within our offense it was easier to get open and to get other people open," Moore said about the three-pointer. "Tina Charles set a great screen for me, I caught it at the top and didn't see anybody in front of me so I just shot it. I'm just glad it went in."

Stringer admired Moore's momentum-changing score, echoing the words of many awe-struck opposing coaches praising her abilities.

"I think the great ones wait for their moment," Stringer said.

UConn went a perfect 14-for-14 from the free-throw line in the closing minutes to put the game firmly out of reach.

"We struggle at times just like other teams struggle. But this particular team didn't necessarily make it to the Final Four on talent and the experience of having been there and having three or four college All-Americans on the team," Aureimma said. "This team got there with the intangibles that make you appreciate coaching."

Contact Tim Ehrens at Timothy.Ehrens@Gmail.com.