After trailing by 11 points at the half, the #1 UConn Huskies used a 24-7 run to pull ahead of the #3 North Carolina Tar Heels and held on to win 82-71 in front of a sold-out Gampel Pavilion and national television audience on Monday night. The win by the Huskies ended a 3-game losing streak to the Tar Heels.
Whatever head coach Geno Auriemma said to the Huskies worked as the big 24-7 run was anchored by the play of Renee Montgomery, Charde Houston and Maya Moore. With the Huskies up by six at 65-59, the Tar Heels went on a 10-0 run to retake the lead but UConn went on a 9-0 run of their own to go back up by five at 74-69. North Carolina got it down 3 points at 74-71 as the Tar Heels last basket came at the 3:27 mark when Latoya Pringle scored.
Montgomery led the way for the Huskies (18-0) with 26 points. Moore continued her streak of scoring in double figures as she had 19 points to go with 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. Houston added 15 points and 7 boards. Tina Charles was a monster on the glass as she tied her career-high 19 rebounds while chipping in with 15 points.
North Carolina (17-2) was paced by Pringle who scored 20 points. Jessica Breland and Heather Claytor both added 12 points. Rashanda McCants chipped in with 10 points and 8 rebounds. Erlana Larkins scored 7 points, 11 rebounds and a team-high 5 assists for the Tar Heels.
It was an ugly first half for the Huskies as the Tar Heels started out the game hot scoring the 8 points before UConn got on the board. UConn got back into the game but North Carolina used a 16-9 scoring binge to take an 11-point lead into the locker room. It was only the second time the Huskies trailed at the half this season. It was also the first time they trailed by over 9 points all season.
For Houston it was her best game of the season and arguably of her UConn career. For UConn’s success to continue, Houston will have to play like she did tonight. Since moving to the 2 spot for Mel Thomas, Montgomery has scored 53 points in the past two games. Sure the Huskies will miss Thomas down the stretch this season but Montgomery gives them a different threat at the 2 spot as she has a little more speed than Mel. Moore did look like a freshman at times but she stepped her game up as well.
The Huskies will be on national tv again next Sunday when they travel to South Bend, IN to take on Notre Dame in a Big East matchup. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 PM and will be broadcast on ESPN2.
Notes and musings:
The starters were Lorin Dixon, Renee Montgomery, Maya Moore, Charde Houston and Tina Charles.
Mel Thomas was honored before the game tonight with a ceremonial ball commemorating her 1,000th point as a member of the UConn Huskies. Because of her injury, she finishes her Huskies career with 1,098 points. She ends up 4th all-time with 244 career three pointers.
Brittany Hunter’s troublesome right knee kept her out of the game again tonight.
UNC’s Rashanda McCants is the brother of former UNC men’s and current Minnesota Timberwolves player Rashad McCants.
Tonight was the first sellout in a year since last year’s Notre Dame game on January 27, 2007.
This is the 14th straight season the Huskies have played on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. They were 9-4 coming into tonight’s game.
This is the 5th time the Huskies have been featured on ESPN’s Big Monday package. ESPN added women’s basketball to Big Monday back in the 2005-2006 season.
UConn’s last regular season loss was to North Carolina last season, a span of 31 games.
Montgomery came into the game needing 3 points to pass 1,000 in her career. She took care of that with a 3-pointer at the 16:34 mark of the first half. She is the 30th Huskies player to accomplish that feat.
North Carolina came into the game leading the country in blocked shots. They blocked 9 in the game tonight.
