Wake Forest University
Connecticut
Huskies Too Much For Deacons To Handle, 88-38
11/26/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov 26, 2001
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) - Coach Geno Auriemma wanted No. 1 Connecticut to get off to a quick start against Wake Forest.
The Huskies didn't disappoint him.
Connecticut hit 15 of its first 16 shots and put all five starters in double figures in an 88-38 romp Monday night.
"These are hard games to play when you're a player," Auriemma said. "If you're not careful, it's human nature that you go into the game thinking that you don't have to expend a lot of energy and you're still going to win.
"Tonight in the first half, we set the tone that yeah, we have better players. But the way we played was a lot different, a lot more indicative of the way we want to play," he said.
Swin Cash had 14 points and nine rebounds, and Diana Taurasi added 14 points for UConn (6-0).
Asjha Jones had 13 points, Sue Bird had 12 points and seven assists and Tamika Williams added 10 points.
Connecticut held Wake Forest (2-2) to 24.2 percent shooting and outrebounded the Demon Deacons 46-33.
The Huskies opened a 35-6 lead with 11:27 left in the half. Taurasi made all four 3-pointers she tried during the run.
In the same stretch, Wake turned the ball over nine times and missed 8-of-11 shots.
"From the beginning, we wanted to make it an up-tempo game," Taurasi said. "We pressed a lot harder than in the Rhode Island game (Saturday), and it showed in turnovers and getting out on the break."
The Huskies never trailed, and have been behind for only 29 seconds this season.
"The beginning of the game reminded me a lot of last year - pressing, getting steals and scoring on the other end," Williams said. "It gets our team going, especially when the five starters get a good lead. That's what we need every game."
Connecticut scored on 10 of its first 12 possessions in the second half and had opened at 70-25 lead with 14:03 left when Auriemma pulled his starters.
Maria Conlon pushed the lead to 50 with a 3-point play at the 8:24 mark.
Eafton Hill led Wake Forest with 10 points, and Tracy Alston had 10 rebounds and five assists.
Wake Forest struggled to get any good shots inside the 3-point line, scoring only eight points in the lane to 48 for UConn.
"When they pressed us, we played behind the press the entire time," Wake coach Charlene Curtis said. "When they backed up into their half-court defense, we were still behind and never attacked the basket."
Curtis served as a Connecticut assistant under Auriemma for the 1996-97 seasons before taking over at Wake. Curtis and Auriemma were both assistants under Debbie Ryan at Virginia for the 1982-83 seasons.
