Yawn! Excuse as I shake the cobwebs out here after watching the UConn women destroy yet another team.
Freshman sensation Maya Moore led three Huskies in double figures with 17 points as UConn easily defeated the BYU Cougars 80-34 at the Hartford Civic Center. Moore’s 17 points came in just 15 minutes of action tonight and was just short of her 18.6 ppg average.
Mel Thomas started out the night shooting cold but heated up later in the game and finished with 14 points. Tina Charles rounded out the Huskies in double figures as she had a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds.
Shawnee Slade led the Cougars with 10 points on 4 of 11 shooting. Coriann Wood added 8 points and 5 rebounds to the losing cause.
It was an ugly start for the Cougars as UConn (6-0) took advantage of turnovers and got out to a 23-0 lead. BYU (3-3) finally got on the board with 10:16 left in the first half when Mallary Carling hit a jumper. UConn would go into the locker room with a 42-11 lead, holding BYU to 16% (4 of 25) shooting in the first half.
UConn came out firing as Thomas began to find her touch from 3-point land. The Huskies just continued to roll it on the Cougars as they weren’t able to match the athleticism of UConn’s players.
The Huskies will next take the court on Wednesday when they face Geno Auriemma’s old boss, Deb Ryan, and her Virginia Cavaliers at the Hartford Civic Center at 7 PM. After that the Huskies will be off for exams and will return to the court on December 17th against South Carolina at Gampel Pavilion.
Notes and observations:
The starters were Renee Montgomery, Mel Thomas, Kalana Greene, Tina Charles and Brittany Hunter
BYU head coach Jeff Judkins was drafted by the Celtics in the 2nd round of the 1978 NBA Draft. Some guy named Larry Bird was drafted in front of him.
This was UConn’s first home game in 15 days.
Meghan Gardler finally scored this season as she hit a free throw late in the game.
Thomas’ 14 points leaves her just 5 short of 1,000 for her career. I’d think she’ll make that milestone in their next game.
The UConn bench scored as many points as the Cougars did tonight.
Here comes my daily free throw rant. UConn was awful at the line tonight. They made only 8 of 24. I could make that with my eyes closed. Greene (2-2), Charles (1-4), Montgomery (2-3), Thomas (1-1), Hunter (0-1), Houston (0-2), Gardler (1-4), Dixon (0-1), Williams (1-2), Moore (0-3), Fernandes (0-1). Totally unacceptable numbers. I wouldn’t be surprised if Geno didn’t have them in the pool tomorrow.
UConn shot 52.4% (33-63) in the game while holding BYU to 26% (13-50) from the floor.
The Huskies added 22 assists on those 33 made baskets with Ketia Swanier leading the way with 4 assists. Thomas and Gardler both added 3.
BYU committed 21 turnovers with 12 of them coming in the first half. UConn converted 26 points off those turnovers.
