SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) -- Not even their 29th straight win could
make the UConn Huskies smile.
Even though Asjha Jones and Diana Taurasi each scored 14 points
and Swin Cash added 12 in top-ranked Connecticut's 76-63 victory Tuesday night over Syracuse, there was more jubilation among the
Orangewomen because they had rallied back from a 28-point deficit
in the final 11 minutes.
|  | | UConn's Asjha Jones takes a forearm to the face from Jakia Ervin. Jones was one of UConn's few bright spots with 14 points. |
"We've gone two games in a row now where we haven't played as
well as we're capable of playing," coach Geno Auriemma said after
his 405th win in 500 games at Connecticut. "We're not playing well
at all. For 10 minutes we played the way we wanted to play."
That was enough to beat Syracuse (7-6, 1-2 Big East) and give
UConn (12-0) its third straight conference win without a loss.
Not lost on the Huskies were their 21 turnovers and the fact
that Shea Ralph and Svetlana Abrosimova each scored only three
points. Combined, they were averaging over 26 points per game.
"Getting the win was important," said Ralph, who was 1-for-6
shooting. "But it's the way we got it that we're upset about. This
is the second game in a row that we've been flat. We're happy that
we won, but it's not really the way we want to win."
Leading 35-25 at halftime, the Huskies outscored the Orangewomen
16-6 in the first seven minutes of the second half to take control.
Taurasi's three-point play boosted the Connecticut lead to 51-31
with 13:31 remaining and Abrosimova's 3-pointer at 10:50 made it
61-33.
"We started the second half really well," Auriemma said.
"It's really hard to guard our post players inside. We made sure
we got it in to the low post. But it's hard for me to understand
how we can be so good and turn the ball over 21 times against a
team that never presses you."
The Huskies outscored Syracuse 44-22 in the paint and finished
with a 49-36 rebounding edge.
But to their credit, the Orangewomen, who have lost seven
straight to UConn, fought back and finished with a 14-4 run in the
final five minutes.
"That almost made me cry," Syracuse coach Marianna Freeman
said. "We didn't quit. We showed great, great heart. I'm so proud
of them for that."
Jaime James, Paula Moore and Leaf Newman each scored 11 points
for Syracuse and Leigh Aziz had 10 points and a game-high 10
rebounds.
Syracuse and Rutgers are the only Big East teams to defeat
Connecticut since the 1994-95 season. The Orangewomen's stunning
62-59 win here five years ago still stings because it broke UConn's
33-game conference winning streak. There would be no miracle finish
on this night despite some ragged early play by the Huskies.
Both teams had trouble getting started, each going just 2-for-11
from the floor in the first five minutes of play.
The Huskies failed to score on their first five trips down the
floor before Cash's follow shot finally got them on the scoreboard
after nearly three minutes of futility against the inspired
Orangewomen.
Beth Record kept Syracuse in the game, scoring seven of the
Orangewomen's first 10 points.
But after Record hit a follow shot to give Syracuse an 8-4 lead
with 15:12 left in the opening half, UConn slowly assumed control
of the game with its tough defense, which forced Syracuse into
three shot-clock violations in the game.
Layups by Taurasi and Tamika Williams tied the score and Ralph
gave UConn the lead for good with a 3-pointer with 13:23 to play in
the period.
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ALSO SEE
Women's College Basketball Scoreboard
Connecticut Clubhouse
Syracuse Clubhouse
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