Vols, Huskies make for a dream final
Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA -- And now, the matchup that seemed such a
certainty all season long.
Presenting Connecticut-Tennessee, Part III.
The nation's two most visible programs in women's basketball,
the teams ranked 1-2 nationally, will meet Sunday night to decide
the NCAA championship. These are the teams that everyone knows,
both with All-Americans, both with talent that runs deep into the
bench.
And these are the teams that most expected to meet on the final
night of the season.
Second-ranked Tennessee (33-3) comes in with six national titles
-- four more than anyone else -- and is in the championship game for
the fifth time in six years. Top-ranked Connecticut (35-1) has just
one title, but the Huskies are always in the hunt and no one has a
better record (230-17) over the past seven years.
Both made it with hard-earned victories in Friday night's
semifinals. Tennessee finally solved Rutgers' baffling matchup zone
in the second half and won 64-54. Connecticut pulled away from Penn
State in the last 13 minutes to win 89-67.
It's a rematch of the 1995 title game, which UConn won 77-66,
and it will be the third time they've met this season. Each won on
the other's floor.
Sue Bird scored 25 points to lead Connecticut to a 74-67 victory
at Tennessee on Jan. 8 as the Huskies proved their mettle before a
crowd of 23,385. Tennessee won 72-71 at Connecticut on Feb. 2,
Semeka Randall scoring the winning basket with 4.4 seconds left.
The two have played 10 times in all since starting a
regular-season series in 1995, each winning five. This will be the
fourth time they've met in the NCAA Tournament.
"Knowing their personnel is going to be real important,"
Tennessee guard Kristen Clement said. "We've played them two times
and we know them pretty well. It's all going to come down to how we
execute."
That execution will depend in large measure on the point guard
play.
Bird, a sophomore, has been outstanding this season after
sitting out most of last year with a torn knee ligament. The
Huskies often lacked direction in her absence, but she has kept
them on a steady course all season long.
Tennessee hasn't lost since coach Pat Summitt moved freshman
Kara Lawson from the wing to point guard after a 27-point loss at
Georgia. The Lady Vols' winning streak now stands at 20.
Lawson led Tennessee with 19 points against Rutgers.
"When we call something, I know she's going to make good
decisions for us," Summitt said.
Bird also scored 19 points in Connecticut's victory, making
5-of-7 3-pointers. She played 34 minutes and had five assists with
no turnovers.
Three of the five first-team All-Americans will be in the game:
Shea Ralph and Svetlana Abrosimova for UConn, Tamika Catchings for
Tennessee. Randall was a second-team pick.
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