UConn women get ball rolling

Cornell crushed in NCAA 1st-rounder

Connecticut's Brittany Hunter is determined to get past Cornell's Jeomi Maduka on this drive in the first half. (Jessica Hill/Associated Press)

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. - Game 1 began and ended as expected for the top-seeded University of Connecticut women's basketball team. The points multiplied fast for the Huskies and left No. 16 Cornell outmatched in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at the Arena at Harbor Yard last night.

UConn showcased its versatile lineup of scorers as it quickly eliminated the Big Red, 89-47, in front of 6,556. The Huskies move on in the Greensboro Regional tomorrow night to face No. 8 Texas (22-12), a 72-55 winner over No. 9 Minnesota last night.

It was like a 40-minute horror movie for the Big Red, who were unable to defend themselves with 21.4 percent shooting from the field compared with the Huskies' 54.3.

UConn's struggles were limited to the opening minutes of the game, when an airball and a couple of off-balance shots didn't fall. They were short-lived.

UConn used a 20-2 burst in the first half to take a 35-9 lead, the run featuring everything from Ketia Swanier swiping the ball and returning it for a layup to Renee Montgomery stepping outside for a 3-pointer.

"I was happy that we were getting good shots," UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. "It was a matter of time before they would start dropping. Once we changed the tempo and got a couple of guys in the game that could do that, it happened quickly."

Cornell didn't score its first points until Gretchen Gregg hit a 3-pointer nearly five minutes into the half. The best chances for Cornell came from the free-throw line as it converted 11 of 13 in the first half.

By the time the last seconds ticked away in the half, UConn held a 53-23 lead with eight players getting a basket. The Big Red converted 5 of 23 field goals (21.7 percent) and were outrebounded, 24-15, in the half.

"We focused very much on coming out and not being intimidated, knocking a shot down early," Cornell coach Dayna Smith said. "We knew it was coming eventually, we were hoping it would gradually come. It kind of flipped on us and that's where we kind of lost ourselves."

Plenty of success preceded the Big Red before last night's contest. They had won 11 of their last 13 games and captured the Ivy League championship and an automatic berth into the tournament.

But being the 16th seed meant playing UConn in its backyard and facing a team that had won 11 in a row and had been to the NCAA Tournament 19 consecutive times. UConn's 20th straight appearance last night is the third-longest active streak behind Tennessee (27) and Stanford (21).

Even with junior forward Jeomi Maduka, the Ivy League's player of the year and track and field All-American, Cornell couldn't put much together. Maduka had averaged 14.3 points and 7.5 rebounds a game; last night, she was held to 7 points. Only Allie Fedorowicz and Gregg scored more for the Big Red, as each had 8.

Meanwhile, UConn played an uptempo game that included plays that drew the Huskies on the bench to their feet as their teammates flashed snappy passes and converted creative baskets.

UConn's Maya Moore scored a game-high 17 points. She was the Big East freshman and player of the year, the first time both accolades went to one player, man or woman, in conference history.

Charde Houston added 14 points, Brittany Hunter 11, and Montgomery 10.

The Huskies got many of their points by focusing on turnovers and gained extra opportunities by outrebounding Cornell, 44-35.

"That's kind of the way our team operates," Auriemma said. "We have a tendency to go on runs like that. Other than the fact I thought we fouled a lot in the first half; that's one thing you can't do against an Ivy League team. They're good free-throw shooters."

Cornell ended up 16 of 19 from the stripe.

The loss was tough for the Big Red players. Smith consoled the group, which didn't play as well as it would have liked.

"The experience was great when we first came into our hotel," Maduka said. "They were all cheering for us off the bus. It's sad that it's come to an end, but we're excited to hopefully come back next year."

Monique Walker can be reached at mwalker@globe.com