Renee Montgomery goes up for a layup in UConn's victory over Georgia Tech.

Paths cross for a second time

San Diego State's Morris and UConn's Montgomery competed at U-20 National Trials

By: Brittany Perotti

Posted: 11/20/08

Two years ago, UConn's Renee Montgomery and San Diego State's Jené Morris (then at UC Berkeley) were invited to the Under-20 National Team Trials.

Montgomery not only made the final roster, but helped the team win the gold in Mexico City. Morris did not make the cut.

Now, the two will meet again. This time, they will be on opposite sides of the court when their teams face each other 7 p.m. at the XL Center (CPTV).

But that does not mean the Huskies are focusing on anything except what they are capable of doing.

The game is the first of two games in three days for UConn. Still early in the season, there are some question marks for head coach Geno Auriemma and company. One of the biggest concerns is contributions from the bench.

"The last time [the starters] played 40 minutes would've been when? Sunday," Auriemma said. "So the next time that they would have to play 40 minutes would be Thursday. So you would think that you're not exactly sending the kids into the coal mines, you know?

"So it's not so much 'can those guys do it or not do it?'. Of course they can. The question is can you develop other players to offset a sprained ankle here and there, a couple bad calls, tonsillitis - whatever the case may be."

With freshman Heather Buck still out for at least the next two weeks with mononucleosis and Jessica McCormack sitting out the season because of NCAA transfer rules, the number of players is already limited.

Thus, so early in the season, it has become crucial for Lorin Dixon and Kaili McLaren to be able to step up and play well.

"We still need to keep that energy going, keep the level of play going," Dixon said. "So, you know, we … it can just roll smoothly and Coach doesn't have to worry about being scared and nervous about [putting] any of us in."

As of Wednesday night, Auriemma said that they were doing just that in practices. He said he still wishes he had played Dixon in the second half of the Georgia Tech game.

It was that game - one that the Huskies fought their way through for the first 35 minutes - that has helped the team.

"I think what it did is it allows you to kind of put something on tape that they can see," Auriemma said. "Sometimes, when you're practicing all the time and when you're playing inferior opponents, you know, that don't force you to do something different, you miss out on that. You tend not to look at the tape the same way if you're a player."

The Aztecs travel from the West Coast after two straight wins. The team almost lost a nine-point lead at the half after a Long Beach State run, but ultimately won, 67-59. Last year, they had the best record in the program's history, 18-13, just two years after going 3-24, (0-16 in the Mountain West Conference).

San Diego State is led by Morris, who transferred from UC Berkeley two seasons ago, and Paris Johnson. Morris averaged 14.1 points a game and scored double digits in 22 games last year. Johnson averaged 12 with 6.4 rebounds per game during the 2007-08 season. The team almost pulled off the improbable, just three points away from clinching an NCAA tournament automatic bid last season.

"I remember them last year and that is going to be a little bit different," Auriemma said. "I remember they were really up-tempo and they want to go, go … they just play. And I'm sure they're going to come in here and do the exact same thing [tonight]."

In the team's season opener this year against Northwestern State, the Aztecs combined for 15 blocked shots. It was the most in the decade-old history of the Mountain West Conference. Johnson posted a double-double in that game, scoring 14 points and hitting the boards for 12 rebounds.

Morris has been dubbed the key to her team's success this season by several California newspapers, including the San Diego Union-Tribune. At the beginning of this season, however, Morris was missing from the Aztec lineup.

She was listed as one of the probable starters for tonight's game.

Another probable starter, for UConn, is Caroline Doty. She was the first freshman to start a season opener since Tina Charles in 2006-07. So far, she has impressed Auriemma.

"Caroline's one of those quick learners, you know, who's got a skill that she knows she can count on," he said. "And I think when freshmen come in and they know that they're really good at something, they have a sense of confidence because they know that there's always something for them to fall back on. So she plays with a lot of confidence and she picks things up quickly and she's a pretty tough kid, physically and mentally."

And that is exactly what Auriemma expected.

"I couldn't be happier with her," he said. "She's one of those old-fashioned, throwback kind of kids."

For now, though, the Huskies will continue to work out their lineup. Auriemma said that there will be points in the game that Tiffany Hayes, Maya Moore, Dixon, Charles and Doty will be on the floor together.

And he is prepared to deal with the highs and lows.

"There's going to be times [tonight] against a team like San Diego State that it's going to look really good and other times it's going to look like it's not going to work," he said. "And that's why it's important to keep in mind that it's only November."