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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
STORRS, Conn. (AP) -- Svetlana Abrosimova had a feeling. Tamika Williams had the moves.
Williams had 16 points and Abrosimova had a career-high 10
assists as No. 1 Connecticut beat Boston College (No. 16 ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, No. 17 AP) 79-54 on Monday in the semifinals of the Big East tournament.
|  | | Swin Cash jumps high in the air as Boston College's Kim Mackie, left, tries to guard her. |
"Every time I passed it to her, I was so sure she was going to
make it," said Abrosimova of Williams.
Williams nearly did, shooting 8-of-10 from the field. She was
7-of-8 in UConn's 85-41 quarterfinal victory over St. John's.
"It's March. You can't lose," Williams said. "This is why you
come to Connecticut, to play the big games."
UConn (29-1) will play No. 8 Rutgers in the championship game
Tuesday night. Rutgers beat No. 5 Notre Dame 81-72 in overtime in the second semifinal.
It was BC's first appearance in the semifinals since 1990. The
Eagles have not been to a final since 1987 when they lost to
Villanova.
The Huskies outscored Boston College 50-18 in the paint using a
deep and talented bench to wear down the Eagles (25-8). UConn
reserves accounted for 39 points.
UConn's defense pressured BC into 16 first half turnovers, and
on the offensive end, the Huskies went inside to Williams early and
often.
With UConn up 6-4, the power forward scored eight of the next 14
points. Shea Ralph and Asjha Jones combined for six in the 14-0 run
to give UConn its biggest lead of the half, 20-4 with 12:48
remaining.
Five straight BC turnovers kept the Eagles scoreless for nearly
five minutes.
"They put us back on our heels and made us a little
tentative," BC coach Cathy Inglese said. "If they get on a run or
two, it can be a long night."
The Eagles' inside game began to heat up midway through the
half, and the spark was sophomore forward Becky Gottstein, who
finished with 19 points. She hit three of BC's last four field
goals and the Eagles trailed 34-23 at the break, but would get no
closer.
The Huskies continued the pressure in the post to start the
second half got the same results. They opened with a 12-4 on five
inside baskets and a pair of free throws to go up 46-27 with 13:52
left. UConn led by as much as 32 in the period.
UConn capitalized with 31 points on 25 BC turnovers.
Gottstein was playing in her third straight game since returning
from a right ankle stress fracture that sidelined her for six
weeks. Before the injury she led the conference with 10 rebounds a
game and was the second leading scorer on the team. She got five
boards in the first half, but was held to a pair in the second.
UConn outrebounded the Eagles 39-31. Abrosimova and Kelly
Schumacher had six apiece.
Alissa Murphy had 13 points for the Eagles.
The teams met just once in the regular season, and BC's speedy
guards took control early. UConn fought back from a 3-point
halftime deficit and held on for an 84-77 win.
Defense and depth made the difference on Monday, said UConn
coach Geno Auriemma.
"Tonight the defensive effort was outstanding by everyone, and
that gave us an opportunity to do what we did on the offensive
end," said Auriemma, who rotates six players in the post.
"BC's inside kids were going to have to contend with a lot of
our post players, not just one or two."
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ALSO SEE
Womens College Basketball Scoreboard
Boston College Clubhouse
Connecticut Clubhouse
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