NEW ORLEANS - Make it a double for UConn.
Connecticut's women completed a championship sweep for the school by beating Tennessee 70-61 last night, one day after the men's team won their tournament.
With key contributions from everyone and the incomparable Diana Taurasi leading the way, the Huskies captured their third straight title by holding off the Lady Vols. It was further confirmation that UConn has supplanted Tennessee as the top program in the women's game.
So now there's a new Titletown: tiny Storrs, Conn., the Huskies' home. The victory by the women followed UConn's win over Georgia Tech in the men's championship game Monday night, making Connecticut the first Division I school to sweep both titles.
It was the fifth title overall for the women and it came at the expense of the only other school that has won three straight championships. Tennessee and coach Pat Summitt still lead all teams with six NCAA titles, but the Huskies and coach Geno Auriemma are closing fast.
They started fast in this one, racing to a 17-point lead in the first half. Tennessee got the lead down to six at halftime, closed to three early in the second half and trailed by just two after Brittany Jackson hit a 3-pointer from 3 feet behind the arc with 9:50 to play.
Connecticut got the lead back to eight, but the Lady Vols kept coming. Ashley Robinson blocked Barbara Turner's turnaround shot, raced to the other end, caught a no-look pass from Shanna Zolman and made a layup, drawing the Lady Vols to 59-55.
It would get no closer. Willnett Crockett's three-point play, her only points of the night, stopped Tennessee's momentum and the Huskies finished it off with free throws.
Taurasi, who has tormented Tennessee with big games against the Lady Vols throughout her career, led the Huskies with 17 points in her final college game and was named the Final Four's outstanding player for the second year in a row. And she had plenty of help.
Jessica Moore and Ann Strother each scored 14 points and Moore grabbed nine rebounds. Turner had nine rebounds, 12 points, four assists, two blocks and two steals.
Moore scored 12 of her points in the second half to help keep UConn ahead and her biggest rebound came at her most painful moment of the game. She twisted her left knee after grabbing an offensive rebound and crashed to the floor after getting rid of the ball.
With Moore still down, Strother was fouled on a 3-point shot and hit all three free throws, giving UConn a 57-49 lead.
Zolman led Tennessee with 19 points, Robinson had 13 and Shyra Ely 10.
So the brash, fast-talking Auriemma once again got the best of Summitt, whose frosty relationship with the UConn coach has become legendary. The Huskies have defeated Tennessee six straight times and, even more important, they're 4-0 against the Lady Vols in national championship games, including a 73-68 victory last year
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The Associated Press
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Connecticut's Diana Taurasi is mobbed by teammates after UConn won the NCAA Division 1 Women's championship with a 70-61 over Tennessee Tuesday, April 6, 2004, in New Orleans.
