Other than the first game of the season against Georgia Tech, the No. 1 UConn Huskies women’s basketball team was finally tested as the No. 24 Notre Dame Fighting Irish threw everything they had at UConn including the kitchen sink.
Renee Montgomery led the Huskies with 20 points, 8 assists and 5 steals to help them to a 76-66 win over the Irish in front of 14,533, the largest crowd of the season, at the XL Center in Hartford, CT.
The win improves UConn to 27-0 (13-0 Big East) and another win or Louisville loss will give them at least a share of the Big East title. Notre Dame drops to 18-7 (7-6).
Tina Charles added 19 points, 8 rebounds and 4 blocks for the Huskies while Maya Moore chipped in with 18 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Tiffany Hayes had another good all-around game with 10 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists.
Ashley Barlow led the Irish with 18 points while Lindsay Schrader had 17 points and 11 rebounds. Melissa Lechlitner added 10 points and 5 assists for Muffet McGraw’s squad.
It took the Huskies 3 minutes to score to start the game and that point they were trailing 6-2 as they missed their first five shots. They battled back to take an 11-10 lead on a Montgomery 3-pointer. The two teams battled back and forth for the next few minutes before 7 straight points by the Irish gave them a 24-19 lead. Notre Dame pushed the lead 33-28 before the Huskies closed out the final 2:54 of the first half on an 8-0 run to take a 36-33 lead at the break.
Notre Dame wouldn’t go away in the second half though as they battled back to take a 43-41 lead. After that though, it was all UConn as they used a 22-1 run over a span of 6:59 to put the game away. Moore had 12 points, Montgomery had 6 and Charles 4 during the decisive run. The Irish would only get as close as 9 points after this.
It was good to see the Huskies have to face a little adversity. While we all enjoy a blowout, it’s good for this team to be tested once in a while. One thing’s for certain, I wouldn’t want to face the Irish down the road. They were impressive with their 4 guard lineup.
But like any champion, the Huskies found a way to get the job done and kept their perfect record intact for another game.
Next up for the Huskies could be another tough matchup when Geno Auriemma’s friend Harry Perretta and the Villanova Wildcats come to Gampel Pavilion on Tuesday night. Tip is scheduled for 7:30 PM and the game will be televised locally on CPTV.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ UConn Huskies 2.22.09 women’s basketball box score
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