UConn cruises to third crown
Connecticut applied pressure inside and out against Oklahoma and the result was a third Women's NIT title for the Huskies.
Charde Houston scored 22 points and Mel Thomas added 20 yesterday to lead ninth-ranked UConn to an 82-62 win over the Sooners in the WNIT championship game in Storrs, Conn.
The five-time national champs have dominated this tournament, taking the title in all three appearances. The Huskies (4-0) won their first two WNIT titles in 1997 and 2001. Teams are eligible for the WNIT every four years.
''One of the reasons why we want to play in this tournament when we're eligible is because it's usually a good field and you end up playing pretty good teams," UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. ''You find out quickly early in the season where you stand. We're a lot better today than we were last week."
UConn shot 57 percent from the floor and held the No. 25 Sooners (3-1) to 38 percent shooting.
Thomas, the tournament MVP, finished 8 of 9 from the floor. The sophomore guard had four 3-pointers and four of UConn's 13 steals.
UMass 64, Holy Cross 55 -- Pam Rosanio scored 15 points and tied a career high with nine rebounds as the host Minutewomen pulled away from the Crusaders.
Duke 93, Old Dominion 56 -- Abby Waner scored 17 points and Lindsey Harding had 16 to lead the top-ranked Blue Devils past the host Monarchs.
Tennessee 83, Stetson 33 -- Candace Parker marked her debut with the host second-ranked Vols with a double double, scoring 19 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.
Michigan St. 86, Western Carolina 61 -- Liz Shimek had a career-high 28 points and 10 rebounds, shooting 13 for 16 from the field for the host 10th-ranked Spartans.
Minnesota 84, Stanford 77 -- Shannon Schonrock scored 15 points, leading six Minnesota players in double figures as the 16th-ranked Gophers subdued the 11th-ranked Cardinal and won the Subway Classic in Minneapolis.
Maryland 93, Xavier 68 -- Shay Doron scored 23 points for host 14th-ranked Maryland, reaching the 1,000th-point milestone faster than any player in Terrapins history (64 games).
Notre Dame 71, Western Michigan 68 -- Megan Duffy scored 19 points, including four straight free throws in the final minute, to lead the visiting 15th-ranked Irish.
St. Joseph's 54, N.C. State 52 -- Whitney Ffrench made two free throws in the final seconds of the upset of the visiting 23d-ranked
Babson 50, Nazareth 49 -- Colleen Burke hit a baseline jumper as time expired, giving the Beavers the victory in the final of the Babson Invitational.
