The UConn Huskies women’s basketball team took care of business last night after a slow start to advance to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Women’s Tournament at around 12 noon on Sunday, March 29th in Trenton, NJ. The Huskies will take on the Cal Golden Bears. The UConn game will be televised by ESPN and Pam Ward, Debbie Antonelli and Rebecca Lobo will have the call.

It was another great effort by UConn’s big three of Renee Montgomery, Tina Charles and Maya Moore who combined for 69 of the Huskies’ 87 points. Obviously the play of Montgomery and Moore is what we’ve come to expect from them but in the past two years, Charles had been a disappointment in the NCAA Tournament. This year she’s out to prove everyone wrong and is doing just that with another great performance last night.

The UConn men are in Glendale, AZ getting ready for the Sweet 16 matchup with the Purdue Boilermakers. They will have an open practice this afternoon and then meet the media afterwards. Game time on Thursday is 7:07 PM and it will be shown on CBS.

UConn Women’s Basketball links

Next stop: Trenton [Elm City to Eagleville]

Gators fall to No. 1 Connecticut in second round [Jax Sports Daily]

UConn shows Gators its dominance [Gator Country]

UConn Women Overwhelm Florida [Hartford Courant]

Double Standard Was Set In 2004 [Hartford Courant]

UConn’s Dixon, McLaren Contribute Off Bench [Hartford Courant]

UConn Women’s Extras [Hartford Courant]

UConn women roll to Sweet 16 [Waterbury Republican-American]

Longevity records fall as Monty marches on [Waterbury Republican-American]

On to the Sweet 16 [Norwich Bulletin]

Huskies’ Big Three all finalists for Wade Trophy [Norwich Bulletin]

Sweet 16-for-16: UConn keeps Regional semis streak alive [New Haven Register]

Montgomery gets to soak in final game at Gampel [New Haven Register]

VIDEO: Renee Montgomery on UConn women win [New Haven Register]

Wins, not goodbyes, on Montgomery’s mind [New Haven Register]

VIDEO: Geno Auriemma on the UConn victory over Florida [New Haven Register]

VIDEO: Maya Moore, Renee Montgomery and Geno Auriemma after the Florida victory [New Haven Register]

Charles back in charge [New Haven Register]

Florida’s bluster doesn’t work vs. UConn [Connecticut Post]

UConn starts slowly, wins big over Florida [Connecticut Post]

About California’s women [Connecticut Post]

UConn Gives As Good As It Gets, Routs Florida To Reach Sweet 16 [New London Day]

Montgomery Says Goodbye To Gampel In Grand Style [New London Day]

Faris is runner-up [Elm City to Eagleville]

Diver Down – Svet and UMMC Go For Glory [FIBA Europe]

UConn Men’s Basketball links

Price Fixer [Emeka, Nadav and Corny]

The Sweet Profile: Connecticut Huskies [Storming the Floor]

Peering Into The Windows of UConn [Boiled Sports]

Robinson coming alive at right time [Waterbury Republican-American]

Big East has flexed its muscles in NCAA tournament [Norwich Bulletin]

Price going up on NBA draft boards [New Haven Register]

Edwards Looks Forward To Going Home To Phoenix Area [New London Day]

UConn keeps it together [The Washington Times]

More Huskies on Boilers’ plate [The Seattle Times]

UConn on a Mission [UConn Huskies Basketball]

Five Questions with a Purdue Blogger [UConn Huskies Basketball]

UConn Football links

Notes And Updates [UConn | Football]

Beatty Preparing For NFL Draft [Hartford Courant]

UConn Pro Day Information [Hartford Courant]

Second Effort Almost Costs Frazer [Hartford Courant]

Other UConn related links

Jazz….Or Is It “Yazz” With a Soft “J” [Thoughts From a Fat White Guy]

Men’s Baseball: Huskies Down Holy Cross 9-3 in Non-Conference Action [UConnHuskies.com]

Renee Montgomery saved her best NCAA Tournament game for her last game at Gampel Pavilion on Tuesday night.

Montgomery scored 25 points to help the slow starting No. 1 seed UConn Huskies to an 87-59 win over the No. 8 seed Florida Gators in front of 8,237.

The Huskies (35-0) now advance to the Sweet 16 in Trenton, NJ where they will take on the Cal Golden Bears on Sunday. The time of the game will be announced in the next day or two. The Gators finish up the season at 24-8.

Montgomery had five 3-pointers and added 4 rebounds and 5 assists. Maya Moore chipped in with a double-double with 22 points and 14 rebounds while Tina Charles continued her great tournament play with a double-double of her own (22 points and 10 rebounds). Lorin Dixon came off the bench to add 5 points and 3 assists.

Marshae Dotson led the Gators with 22 points and 6 rebounds. Lonnika Thompson added 11 points and Steffi Sorenson had 9 points on 3 three-pointers.

The Huskies got started slowly in this one as they missed their first 6 shots but got out to a 5-0 lead by holding the Gators scoreless for the first 4:09 of the game. Florida then cut the lead to 10-7 on an old fashioned 3-point play by Dotson. UConn worked the lead up to 21-12 as Moore got hot for the Huskies.

Despite dominating the boards and having their leading scorer Sha Brooks in foul trouble, the Gators didn’t give in as they cut the UConn lead to 26-20. Montgomery then went on a personal 7-0 run that started a 21-6 run for the Huskies to close out the half with a 47-26 lead.

Any hopes of a Gators comeback were put to bed by Charles who scored 9 of the first 11 points for the Huskies to push the lead to 25. The Huskies kept increasing the lead that swelled to as high as 36 points before finishing up the game with the 28 point margin.

It was a strange game at the beginning for the Huskies who uncharacteristically looked out of sync. But once they found their rhythm, it was all she wrote for the Gators.

Charles continued her stellar play from the first game and was just everywhere for the Huskies tonight. She’s playing like a woman possessed.

Editors note: I do apologize for posting this so late. I locked out myself out of the house tonight and had to wait 1½ hours to get back in, only to find out that the only place I didn’t look outside was where the spare key was.

Continue reading →

We’ve got the Boston Red Sox vs New York Yankees on tap tonight. Yes it’s spring training baseball but it’s still the Red Sox and the Yankees. It’s a rivalry that never dies no matter what time of the year it is.

Tim Wakefield gets the start for the Red Sox while A.J. Burnett is on the bump for the Yanks. The game is scheduled to start at 7:15 PM and you can watch it on NESN, YES and the MLB Network or you can catch it on WRKO on your AM radio dial in the Boston area.

Here are the lineups for tonight’s game:

1. CF Jacoby Ellsbury
2. SS Jed Lowrie
3. DH David Ortiz
4. LF Chris Carter
5. RF Rocco Baldelli
6. C George Kottaras
7. 1B Brad Wilkerson
8. 2B Nick Green
9. 3B Angel Chavez

— SP Tim Wakefield

1. LF Johnny Damon
2. SS Derek Jeter
3. 1B Mark Teixeira
4. DH Hideki Matsui
5. C Jorge Posada
6. 2B Robinson Cano
7. RF Xavier Nady
8. 3B Cody Ransom
9. CF Brett Gardner

— SP A.J. Burnett

Francona on Schilling [Extra Bases]

Jeter returns to Yanks [Extra Bases]

Smoltz and Daisuke next steps [Extra Bases]

Lester throws six innings [Extra Bases]

News and notes [Extra Bases]

Some notes about the Bards [Full Count]

Red Sox outline plan for Matsuzaka’s return [Full Count]

Lester struggles in latest outing [NESN.com]

Drew, recovering from hand injury, should play tomorrow [Projo Sox Blog]

Schilling hardly an open-and-shut case [Tony Mazz]

Audi sponsors New York Yankees: loses Red Sox fan sales? [Luxvelocity.com]

In case you were wondering and you know you are, the UConn Huskies women’s basketball game tonight against the Florida Gators will tipoff at approximately 7:11 PM on ESPN2. Please remember that if you are going to watch the game, watch it on the ESPN2 standard definition channel. ESPN2HD will have the game that is the most compelling to it’s viewers.

Now onto some UConn links that I’ve come across today.And yes I know that picture is of the Tennessee women after their loss. I posted it because I can.

UConn Women’s Basketball links

Maria Conlon: It’s Gameday [UConn | Women’s Basketball]

Do NOT read unless you knock wood: Trenton ticket info [UConn | Women’s Basketball]

One last time, with feeling [Joe Perez – UConn women’s basketball]

Montgomery, Charles, Moore Named Wade Trophy Finalists [SOX & Dawgs]

What do covering the NCAAs and flying coach have in common? [UConn | Women’s Basketball]

A Bit Premature, But Here’s How To See The Huskies In Trenton [Rich Elliott – UConn women’s basketball]

Reminder Served Kalana Well [Rich Elliott – UConn women’s basketball]

PRE-GAME PRIMER [Elm City to Eagleville]

UConn Men’s Basketball links

Know thy NCAA Tournament Opponent Round 3: Connecticut Huskies [Hammers & Rails]

A look at Thursday’s games . . . [Sully’s Court]

Hardwood to helmets in the Big East [ESPN.com]

West Regional, Glendale, Arizona [UConn | Men’s Basketball]

Miles Away [In Storrs Now]

UConn Football links

Chiefs Draft Prospect: DE/LB Cody Brown [Arrowhead Pride]

Donald Brown & Darius Butler on ESPN’s First Take [SOX & Dawgs]

Other UConn related links

This Week’s Sign Of The Apocalypse [Thoughts From a Fat White Guy]

As they prepare for the upcoming NFL Draft, former UConn Huskies football players Donald Brown and Darius Butler are making the rounds. Today, they stopped by ESPN’s First Take to talk about the draft and other topics as well.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40Y_GX4JvCI[/youtube]

The State Farm Wade Trophy Committee along with the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and the National Association for Girls and Women in Sport (NAGWS) announced the 12 finalists in contention for The State Farm Wade Trophy.

Four Big East stars highlight the list, including three Connecticut players, senior guard Renee Montgomery, junior center Tina Charles and sophomore forward Maya Moore. Louisville senior forward Angel McCoughtry is also on the list.

“I look forward to announcing the 12 finalists for the State Farm Wade Trophy each year as it honors the best-of-the best, and this year is no exception,” said WBCA CEO Beth Bass. “This group of young women has a unique blend of talent on the court and despite their limited time, they also serve as positive role models to those in their communities. We want to applaud them for all they do.”

The candidates were selected by a vote of committee members comprised of leading basketball coaches, journalists and basketball administrators. Members of the committee will select the winner of The State Farm Wade Trophy from the 10-member Division I State Farm Coaches’ All-America Team and will be announced at the State Farm Coaches’ All-America Team Press Conference and The State Farm Wade Trophy Announcement during the WBCA National Convention on Saturday, April 4, 2009, at 9:45 a.m. CT.

The State Farm Wade Trophy Finalists:

• Jayne Appel, Stanford Univ., Jr., C
• DeWanna Bonner, Auburn Univ., Sr., G
• Tina Charles, Univ. of Connecticut, Jr., C
• Marissa Coleman, Univ. of Maryland, Sr., G/F
• Jantel Lavender, Ohio State, Soph., C
• Angel McCoughtry, Univ. of Louisville, Sr., F
• Renee Montgomery, Univ. of Connecticut, Sr., G
• Maya Moore, Univ. of Connecticut, Soph., F
• Courtney Paris, Univ. of Oklahoma, Sr., C
• Kristi Toliver, Univ. of Maryland, Sr., G
• Ashley Walker, Univ. of California, Berkeley, Sr., F
• Monica Wright, Univ. of Virginia, Jr., G

The State Farm Wade Trophy, now in its 32nd year, is named after the late, legendary three-time national champion Delta State University coach, Lily Margaret Wade. This most prestigious award, regarded as “The Heisman of Women’s Basketball”, debuted in 1978 as the first-ever women’s national player of the year award in college basketball.

The Wade Trophy Coalition was established in June of 2000 when the WBCA partnered with The National Association of Girls and Women in Sport (NAGWS). For the past six years the two have worked together to present The State Farm Wade Trophy Player of the Year Award. A committee comprised of coaches, administrators and media from across the United States selects the winner.

The State Farm Wade Trophy winner will be formally presented her award at the WBCA Awards Luncheon presented by State Farm and Jostens on Tuesday, April 7, at Noon CT in the Hyatt Regency St. Louis Riverfront. The State Farm Wade Trophy Player of the Year presentation is part of the WBCA National Convention, held in conjunction with the NCAA® Women’s Final Four in St Louis, Mo.

It’s game day for the No. 1 seed UConn Huskies women’s basketball team as they will take on the No. 8 seed Florida Gators in the second round of the NCAA Tournament being hosted at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, CT. The game is expected to start a little after 7 PM and will be covered on ESPN2.

Remember, if you want to watch the whole game, you will need to do so on the ESPN2 standard definition channel. You can also catch the game on ESPN360 if that’s available to you and of course you can always listen to the game on WTIC-1080 AM here in CT and online at WTIC.com.

UConn Women’s Basketball links

UConn Women’s press conference 3/23 [CBS Sports]

Busy day at the old ballpark [Elm City to Eagleville]

Ball State Shocked The World [Rich Elliott – UConn women’s basketball]

Auriemma says UConn should learn from Vols loss [AP]

UF women’s basketball team has nothing to lose against UConn [Florida Times-Union]

Huskies Did Great In Round 1, But They Can Do Moore [Hartford Courant]

Butler Has Gators On The Right Track [Hartford Courant]

No. 8 Seed Florida vs. No. 1 UConn Women [Hartford Courant]

UConn Women Face Florida In Second Round [Hartford Courant]

Nightmare Loss, Or A Ray Of Hope? [Hartford Courant]

UConn women focused on Florida [Waterbury Republican-American]

Auriemma picks up another coaching award [Waterbury Republican-American]

Huskies on a Sweet Roll [New Haven Register]

Facing adversity is nothing new for Stewart [New Haven Register]

For starters, Montgomery to set record [Connecticut Post]

UConn women’s notebook [Connecticut Post]

Ball State bolsters Florida’s upset hopes [Connecticut Post]

UConn women’s game day [Connecticut Post]

Auriemma named WBCA’s top coach again [Norwich Bulletin]

UConn-Florida showdown marks return for coach [Norwich Bulletin]

Butler: True Gator [New London Day]

No. 1 UConn Vs. No. 8 Florida [New London Day]

WBCA Names Auriemma National Coach Of The Year [New London Day]

Sweet streak [Journal Inquirer]

Lou who? [Journal Inquirer]

Gators not afraid of task ahead [Gator Country]

UConn Men’s Basketball links

Purdue’s Painter talks Huskies [theday.Com – Gavin Keefe Blog]

Heading West For UConn-Purdue [UConn | Men’s Basketball]

Will UConn make me look stupid? [Off the Glass]

Cats and Huskies next year? [Kentucky Sports Radio]

Purdue coach speaks well of UConn [Connecticut Post]

Healthy outlook for Calhoun, UConn [MSNBC]

UConn-Purdue Offers Big Matchup Inside [Hartford Courant]

UConn men wary of Purdue [Waterbury Republican-American]

A Purdue Primer [New London Day]

Purdue Keeps Proving Pundits Wrong [New London Day]

Get to know Purdue [UConn Huskies Basketball]

Bandwagon Jumping [UConn Huskies Basketball]

Lasting memory [Journal Inquirer]

UConn Football links

Butler knows what it’s like to play UConn [New Haven Register]

Other UConn related links

Top 10 Mascots of the 2009 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament [Petside]

UConn President Upset at Obama Pick [WTIC.com]