TAMPA, Fla. -- UConn leads 44-33 after 20 minutes. A look at how the first half went down:
How the half was won: This was not the best half of basketball Connecticut has ever played, but it perfectly exemplified its ability to get production from anywhere and exploit the hot hand. Morgan Tuck (13 points), Moriah Jefferson (11) and Breanna Stewart (10) each scored in double figures. The Huskies assisted on 10 of their 17 field goals. When they ran their offense patiently, Maryland eventually broke down. The relentless pressure UConn puts on a defense was on full display.
Player of the half: UConn's Jefferson. Maryland had no answer for the Huskies' junior point guard. Jefferson made an early 3-pointer, went right by Terrapin perimeter defenders on consecutive possessions around the 14-minute mark, and assisted on three of UConn's first nine field goals. With her scoring and passing, Jefferson helped account for 16 of UConn's first 22 points.
Player of the half II: UConn's Tuck. The most unheralded of UConn's starters, Tuck was at her efficient, productive best in the first half. She and Jefferson combined to score 15 of Connecticut's first 20 points, and she finished with 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting, with six rebounds.
Turning point: At the 7:05 mark, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis scored her first points on a 3-pointer from the right wing, her only points of the half. Less than a minute later, Stewart canned a 3-pointer from the left wing and UConn upped its lead to 32-21.
Key stat: Maryland shot 48.4 percent in the first half (15-for-31), but it could have been even better. Of 14 Maryland jump shots, 12 were uncontested -- but the Terps made five, including a 2-for-6 effort on uncontested 3-point attempts.
Key stat II: In the half, Maryland didn't get to the free throw line once. UConn averages just 11.4 fouls per game (second fewest in the nation behind Chattanooga's 11.1) and gives up an average of 8.4 free throws, the fewest in the nation. UConn was 5-of-6 at the foul line.
Three things UConn has to do to win:
1. Keep the ball in Jefferson's hands as much as possible. No one on the court has the ability to create offense, whether for herself or others, better than Jefferson.
2. Run the offense the way the Huskies do in practice. UConn's precision in the half court was spectacular when the Huskies ran their sets. Open jumpers or uncontested drives were routinely there as long as Connecticut was patient.
3. Play more zone. Maryland was almost too willing to take 3-pointers and was just 3-of-10 in the first half. Three times the shot clock expired on the Terps against UConn's matchup zone.
Three things Maryland has to do to win
1. Keep fighting. UConn tends to bury teams with runs and put one on the Terrapins, but it only reached 12-2 before Maryland had an answer. UConn's lead never got out of hand because the Terps dug in on defense just enough.
2. Push the tempo. The Terps' offense has been at its best when in transition and Maryland is not as good a half-court team as Connecticut.
3. Stay in the moment. Each possession will be critical if Maryland is going to come back against Connecticut, which doesn't happen often. Limiting turnovers and fouls and getting Lexie Brown (nine first-half points) as many clean looks as possible will be the Terps' best chance to spring the surprise.