KANSAN.COM / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / THURSDAY, APRIL 1, 2010 / SPORTS
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Huskies defeat Seminoles win 76th straight game
UConn takes victory, goes on to its third Final Four appearance
MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE
Enter Florida State, in the Elite Eight for the first time, full of vigor, but a huge underdog. The Seminoles played UConn last season and lost. They played UConn this season and lost. Perhaps they could write the foreword?
DAYTON, Ohio — There is no guidebook to beating the seemingly unbeatable UConn women. Who would write it? Stanford? It would be two years old by now, as irrelevant as a guide to making money in the stock market.
Nor does the key lie in repeated opportunities. Ask Louisville last season. Three up, three down. How about Notre Dame this season? Three pitches, three strikes.
Then they played UConn again Tuesday night for the right to go to their first Final Four. And they lost again, 90-50, before 5,280 at the University of Dawton Arena.
"Boy, they make you play ugly," she said. "We couldn't stop them. Obviously, giving up 90 points in an NCAA game isn't going to get you a win."
At least Florida State coach Sue Semrau has a good opening paragraph working.
It was the Huskies' 76th straight win.
Led by first-team All-Americans Maya Moore (22 points, eight rebounds) and Tina Charles (20 points, 14 rebounds), the Huskies rolled into their third consecutive Final Four.
"It doesn't matter how many times you get to go to the Final Four." UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. "This is one of the great days in college basketball for a player and a coach. Everyone may have thought this was a foregone conclusion. But that's not how we think."
Moore was named the Dayton Regional's Most Outstanding Player. Charles and Kalana Greene, who had 15 points (6-for-6) and six rebounds Tuesday, made the All-Regional team. Tiffany Hayes had 13 points, seven assists and five rebounds.
Florida State (29-6) was led by senior center Jacinta Monroe, who ended her college career with 15 points and eight rebounds before fouling out with 4:09 to play.
As usual for UConn opponents, the Seminoles could not score. They shot only 18-for-63 (28.6 percent)
"We didn't give UConn a good showing," Monroe said.
The Huskies (37-0) are two wins away from their second consecutive unbeaten national championship season. Sunday night at 9:30, UConn plays No.14 Baylor in the second national semifinal.
Press All-Americans — Moore for the third time — Charles and Moore dominated the first half. And they took turns doing it.
This will be UConn's 11th Final Four appearance.
"I'm definitely looking forward to going to the Final Four." Charles said. "This is the last go-round for the seniors, and Kalana and I talk about that all the time."
"Now that will be one of the more intriguing matchups you'll see," Auriemma said. "At least (Brittney Griner, Baylor's 6-foot-8 center) won't be blocking my shots."
"Boy, they make you play ugly. We couldn't stop them."
Moore scored 11 of UConn's first 15 points but picked up two fouls early and was out for the half, with 13:12 remaining and the Huskies up 17-9.
Two years ago in Tampa, Fla., the Huskies lost to Stanford in the semifinals. Since then, 76 doublefigure victories line the highway to history.
The Huskies have won their first four tournament games by a total of 188 points.
Once Moore left, Charles took over. She scored all of her 16 first-half points in the final 12:20 and also ended the half with 11 rebounds.
"That is a great example of our team," Moore said. "We nick
On the day they were both named first-team Associated
SUE SEMRAU Florida State coach
up for each other.
It's frustrating to have put myself in that position (with two fools), but my teammates were there and stuck with what was working. And that was Tina Charles."
So it was clear Florida State was
no clearer on how to take either Moore or Charles out of the offensive flow. UConn's other players accounted for only 15 points in the half, but the Huskies led 42-28 at the break.
"It was a good first half, but a difficult first half," Auriemma said.
Moore returned to start the second half like she did the first, scoring seven of UConn's first nine over 2:56 to increase the lead to 52-32. Her three-pointer with 17:04 left seemed to take the heart out of the Seminoles.
The Huskies outscored them 27-8 in the first eight minutes and thoughts suddenly shifted to San Antonio.
Sun salutation
Mia Nelson/KANSAN
Xin Lia, a freshman from Hefei, China, holds the extended side angle pose during the Power Yoga class on the front lawns of Ambler Student Recreation Center. KU Fit Power Yoga class meets Mondays and Wednesdays.
Mia Iverson /KANSAN
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