UCONN Women Beat Up On the Louisville Cardinals

Renee Montgomery, one of four Huskies in double figures, led UCONN past the Louisville Cardinals 84-56 at Gampel Pavilion. Montgomery had 20 points while Mel Thomas and Charde Houston each had 19 points. Ketia Swainer came off the bench to score 12 points to round out the Huskies in double figures. Angel McCoughtry of Louisville led all scorers with 28 points. She also added 6 steals.

UCONN started the half out on a 19-2 run including 16-0 to start the game. Thomas had 2 three pointers during the run while Montgomery had 6 points. UCONN had 14 assists on 17 first half baskets. The second half was much of the same as UCONN used many small runs to provide the final margin of victory.

Notes and Observations:

• The starters were Montgomery, Thomas, Greene, Charles and Houston.
• Tina Charles was named the Big East freshman of the week for the fourth time in five weeks on Monday. She didn’t really have that great of a game tonight but it wasn’t really needed. She finished with 3 points and 9 rebounds. Her 3 points came from the free throw line.
• Thomas moved into 7th place on the career 3 point list at UCONN. She finished the game with a career high tying 5 three pointers made. It was nice to see Mel a little more involved in the offense during the game. She hadn’t really been playing all that well lately. So this was a good way for her to bounce back.
• Brittany Hunter was not dressed for the game. She has missed the past 3 games with her troublesome right knee. She is expected back next week.
• Kaili McLaren only played six minutes. I’d have to think she might be in the doghouse of Geno Auriemma.
• Houston played brilliantly during the game. Besides her 19 points, she had 8 rebounds and 8 steals.
• Kalana Greene kept up her good play with 9 points and 9 rebounds.
• UCONN has now been ranked for 260 consecutive weeks.
• Where were all the people tonight? The lower bowl area behind the scorers table looked like it had tumbleweed blowing thru it. And the upper seating areas of Gampel looked like there might be cobwebs up there. Makes me wonder, did someone use CGI animation and put a crowd in.

I’ll be honest with you. I expected a lot more from Louisville. They are the 19th ranked team (22-3 record) in the country but they played more like one of the lesser quality teams in the Big East. A good win for the Huskies as they move towards their goal of winning the Big East regular season championship. They had won 11 in a row until two years ago. So needless to say, winning the Big East will give this junior class their first regular season championship.

With the win, UCONN moves to 23-2 (12-0 in the Big East). Next up for the Huskies is the Pittsburgh Panthers on Saturday afternoon at the Hartford Civic Center. Game time is 12 noon. Former Husky and current Panthers assistant, Shea Ralph, will receive her plaque commemorating her induction into the ‘Huskies of Honor’.

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