.... 2B The Daily Sentinel • Tuesday, March 9, 2010 BASKETBALL History making Huskies Connecticut women win record 71st consecutive game By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS H ARTFORD, Conn. — The top-ranked Connecticut Huskies made women’s col- lege basketball history Monday night — not that you would have known it by watching them. Tina Charles scored 16 points facing a deficit three times after and Maya Moore added 11 to intermission. None of those help UConn win an NCAA re- scares lasted long. There hasn’t cord 71st straight game, a 59-44 been a need for any late-game victory over No. 6 Notre Dame rallies or last-second shots by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS in the semifinals of the Big East the Huskies. tournament. Notre Dame kept CLEVELAND’S DELONTE WEST The Huskies didn’t this one close for a shoots Monday over San Antonio’s gloat, though. They half. Roger Mason Jr. during the third didn’t even celebrate. UConn only led Just another night’s 25-22 at the break — its quarter of the Cavaliers’ 97-95 work for coach Geno lowest scoring output victory over the Spurs. Cleveland Auriemma’s latest in nearly three years. was without star LeBron James. dynasty. The Huskies then as- At the final horn serted themselves, led they just shook hands with the Irish — the way they have with opponents after nearly be Greene. The senior hit only one of eight shots in the first 20 minutes, Cavaliers every other game dur- but scored the first ing their incredible streak. “I can’t think any- thing is more impor- “I think that group would four points of a deci- sive 13-4 run that gave UConn a 49-35 lead with 9:00 left. Moore’s rally past Spurs tant than winning deep 3-pointer capped and playing in the Big beat this the spurt. East championship for Notre Dame, which these kids,” Auriem- group. But was led by Skylar ma said. UConn surpassed that’s not Diggins’ 10 points, was only able to close to 10. By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS its own mark set from important Even with the Nov. 9, 2001, to March incredible numbers 11, 2003. Unlike that because that this team has put CLEVELAND — Mo Williams made two free throws with 9 amazing run, which ended in a loss in the they’ll neverup, coach Geno Au- riemma is still partial seconds left Monday night and Delonte West made the kind of Big East conference have to play to the 2002 team that plays down the stretch reserved tournament semifi- started its previous for LeBron James as the Cleve- nals to Villanova, this each other.” record streak. Those land Cavaliers won without Huskies team has GENO AURIEMMA Huskies, led by Sue their superstar, beating the San thoroughly dominated UConn coach on Bird and Diana Tau- Antonio Spurs 97-95. its opponents in every rasi, featured four of Williams finished with 17 game, winning all of 2002 Huskies, the first six picks in points for the Cavs, playing them by double digits. which were led the WNBA Draft. their second straight game “After the season, by Sue Bird and “I think that group without the injured James. The the last game we play would beat this NBA’s reigning MVP is nursing we can look back and Diana Taurasi and group,” Auriemma a tender right ankle and the see what we’ve done,” included four of said. “But that’s not Cavs are being extra cautious. said Kalana Greene, the first six picks in important because West had 16 points and made a who scored 15 points. “You don’t want to the WNBA Draft they’ll never have to play each other.” key steal in the final minute as Cleveland became the first team celebrate about wins. West Virginia 56, to reach 50 wins this season. We don’t plan on our Rutgers 49: Sarah Manu Ginobili scored a sea- season being over any time Miles scored 18 points to lead son-high 38 points to lead the soon.” No. 9 West Virginia over Rut- Spurs, playing their first game The Huskies are focused on gers in the Big East semifinals. without guard Tony Parker. He’s bigger goals — not just win- Asya Bussie added 10 points out six weeks with a broken ning a 16th Big East confer- for the Mountaineers (28-4), hand. ence championship but also a setting up a matchup with top- Grizzlies 107, Nets 101: seventh national title. Connecti- ranked and undefeated Con- Mike Conley and Rudy Gay had cut (32-0) faces West Virginia necticut in tonight’s final. 21 points each and Marc Gasol tonight for the conference title. Khadijah Rushdan led Rut- added 19 points and 13 rebounds Even top teams haven’t posed THE ASSOCIATED PRESS gers (19-14) with 12 points and as Memphis withstood a second- much of a challenge for the Monique Oliver had 11. The CONNECTICUT’S TINA CHARLES IS DEFENDED Monday afternoon by Notre Dame’s Becca Bruszewski during the half rally to defeat New Jersey, Huskies since they beat Geor- loss snaps a four-game win- Huskies’ 59-44 win in the Big East semifinals in Hartford, Conn. It was UConn’s record 71st consecutive victory. snapping an eight-game home gia tech to start this run on Nov. ning streak that likely put the losing streak. 16, 2008. Scarlet Knights into the NCAA 23 points and Ta’Shia Phillips Lauren Bell scored 16 points Memphis got help from De- With Monday’s win over WEST COAST CONFERENCE Tournament. had a season-high 21 rebounds for the Waves (20-11), whose Marre Carroll and Sam Young, Notre Dame (27-5), UConn The Mountaineers used a 12-3 Gonzaga 76, Pepperdine 48: otherwise successful season who scored 10 points each, end- for the No. 5 Musketeers. improved to 13-0 against top-10 run in the second half to build Courtney Vandersloot scored included three one-sided losses ing the Nets’ three-game road Xavier (27-3) won its 18th opponents, winning by an aver- a 12 point lead, and held on 19 points and Heather Bowman to Gonzaga, the nation’s fifth winning streak. age of 26.2 points. Even second- straight game, third conference added 14 as the No. 17 Bulldogs from there. highest-scoring team. Hornets 135, Warriors 131: ranked Stanford lost by 12 when title in four years and an auto- earned their 17th straight vic- The trip to the finals is the Darren Collison had 16 points the teams met in late December. West Virginia’s first since they matic NCAA bid. The Muske- tory and an NCAA bid. SOUTHERN CONFERENCE and a career-high 20 assists as UConn has rarely even teers appear to be in line for a Kayla Standish had 10 points Chattanooga 72, Sam- host New Orleans snapped a lost to UConn 50-44 in 2006. trailed during its streak. The No. 2 or No. 3 seed in the NCAA for the Bulldogs (27-4), who ford 67: Shanara Hollinquest four-game losing streak. Huskies have been behind ATLANTIC 10 tournament. dominated the conference with scored 22 points and Michelle Collison’s assists total tied for a total 86 minutes in the Xavier 57, Temple 55, OT: They joined 2004-05 Temple as a 14-0 regular-season run fol- Davis added 16 and hit two key Phoenix’s Steve Nash for the 71 games. It’s been even more Conference player of the year the only A-10 teams to make it lowed by tournament blowouts 3-pointers late as Chattanooga most in an NBA game this sea- uncommon for UConn to be and tournament MVP Amber through both without a blem- of Santa Clara and Pepperdine rallied to win its eighth confer- son. down in the second half — only Harris tied a season high with ish. at the Orleans Arena. ence title in 10 years. Mavericks 125, Timber- wolves 112: Shawn Marion Zags zapped had a season-high 29 points and ROAD TO THE FINAL FOUR 14 rebounds as visiting Dallas stretched the league’s longest active winning streak to 12 straight games. Dirk Nowitzki scored 24 points and Caron Butler had 23 for Dallas, which has flour- ished since acquiring Butler NCAA TOURNAMENT AUTOMATIC BIDS Saint Mary’s upsets Gonzaga and Brendan Haywood from the Washington Wizards at the trade deadline. Men Cornell, Ivy League East Tennessee State, Atlantic in West Coast title game Knicks 99, Hawks 98: The New York Knicks beat the At- lanta Hawks for the third time Sun Conference this season when video replay Murray State, Ohio Valley By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS showed Al Horford’s basket Conference came after the buzzer. Northern Iowa, Missouri Valley LAS VEGAS — Mickey Mc- tournament for just the second Wilson Chandler stopped Conference Connell scored 26 points Mon- time since it began in 1987, beat- Josh Smith’s drive to the basket Old Dominion, Colonial Athletic with seconds to play and the day night and Ben Allen added ing Gonzaga for the first time in Association ball bounced out to Horford in Siena, Metro Atlantic Athletic 20 as Saint Mary’s upset No. 18 10 tourney meetings. Gonzaga with an 81-62 victory Siena 72, Fairfield 65, OT: the lane. Referees originally Conference ruled his short jumper good, Winthrop, Big South Conference in the West Coast Conference Edwin Ubiles scored 27 points but replay clearly showed the St. Mary’s, West Coast Conference tournament title game. and Alex Franklin added 22 light was on above the back- Omar Samhan had nine points and 12 rebounds as Siena board with the ball still in his Women points and seven rebounds for rallied from a double-digit half- hands. Austin Peay, Ohio Valley Conference the Gaels (26-5), who earned the time deficit to beat Fairfield to Chattanooga, Southern Conference sixth NCAA tournament berth win the Metro Atlantic Athletic NUGGETS’ MARTIN EXPECTED Duke, Atlantic Coast Conference in the small Bay Area school’s Conference tournament for the BACK BEFORE END OF YEAR East Tennessee State, Atlantic Sun history with a remarkable third straight season. Denver Nuggets forward Ken- Conference shooting performance against Old Dominion 60, William yon Martin will receive therapy Gonzaga, West Coast Conference the top-seeded Zags (26-6), the & Mary 53: Darius James on his aching left knee and is Marist, Metro Atlantic Athletic 10-time regular-season WCC scored 12 points and Kent expected to return before the Conference champions. Basemore had 10 as top-seeded end of the season. Ohio State, Big Ten Conference McConnell and Allen hit four Old Dominion beat William & The team announced Monday Princeton, Ivy League 3-pointers apiece, propelling the Mary in the Colonial Athletic THE ASSOCIATED PRESS that Martin will begin platelet Tennessee, Southeastern Confer- Gaels to a first-half lead before Association tournament cham- rich plasma therapy, a treat- ence GONZAGA’S STEVEN GRAY SHOOTS Monday night over Saint Mary’s an electric 18-7 run down the pionship to earn the league’s ment which uses a patient’s own Xavier, Atlantic 10 Conference second-half stretch. automatic berth in the NCAA Mickey McConnell during the first half of the Bulldogs’ 81-62 loss in the blood components to stimulate Saint Mary’s won the WCC tournament. West Coast Conference championship. healing.