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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Monday, April 7, 2003

Taurasi toughs it out as UConn tops Texas, 71-69

By Paul Newberry
Associated Press

ATLANTA — Her right ankle was aching, her back was sore, her game was off.

Connecticut's Diana Taurasi, left, battles Texas' Kala Bowers. Taurasi scored 26 points.

Associated Press

Diana Taurasi wasn't about to let those annoyances stand in the way of another trip to the women's national championship game.

Taurasi made big baskets down the stretch and a key defensive stop at the end to give Connecticut a 71-69 victory over Texas last night.

"I say it over and over again," UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. "We have Dee and they don't. That's probably the biggest reason we won."

Taurasi, the national player of the year, scored 26 points to bring the Huskies back from a nine-point deficit in the second half. Now, they'll get a chance to play for their third championship in four years.

The title game is tomorrow night. The opponent is longtime rival Tennessee.

"There's just something about this team," Taurasi said. "We just don't want to go home."

It helps to have the country's best player. Taurasi's 3-pointer from well behind the arc gave the Huskies the lead for good, 67-66, with 2:07 remaining.

Texas still had a chance, but Taurasi knocked the ball away from Alisha Sare as the little-used Texas player raced down the court trying to set up a buzzer-beating shot.

Taurasi grabbed the loose ball and held up her right index finger as the horn sounded. Yes, the Huskies still have a chance to finish No. 1 again.

"The biggest thing you can say about her is she's not afraid," said Auriemma, who picked up his 500th career victory. "She wants the ball in the crucial situations."

Earlier, Tennessee beat Duke, 66-56, in the other semifinal to advance to a seemingly inevitable meeting with the Huskies.

"I know that's the game everyone's been waiting for," Auriemma said. "Now that it's here, let's enjoy it."

UConn (36-1) closed the semifinals with an 11-3 run to send home the Longhorns (29-6), who were in the Final Four for the first time since 1987.

"I was worried about just what happened," Texas coach Jody Conradt said. "You know when you're playing against a great team and a great player like Diana, you leave yourself open."

Taurasi, who had not practiced since the regional final in an attempt to heal, appeared a bit tentative and pulled off few of the flashy moves she's known for.

But she came through when her team needed her most.

With Texas leading 66-60, Taurasi zipped a no-look pass from outside the arc to Willnett Crockett standing alone under the basket, sparking the game-ending run.

On UConn's next possession, Taurasi worked into the lane, made the shot and drew a foul, leading to a three-point play that drew the Huskies closer.

Finally, she put them ahead to stay with the long 3-pointer.

"She's the player of the year for a reason," Texas' Stacy Stephens said. "At the end of the game, she took over."

The Longhorns went nearly three minutes without scoring, finally breaking the drought on Jamie Carey's 3-pointer with 28 seconds left. That was the last basket of the game.

Crockett gave Texas a chance when she missed two free throws with 8.2 seconds left. Sare raced up the court and tried to set up a pass to Carey in the corner. But the ball slipped away when Taurasi stepped into her path.

"I am glad we had the opportunity, but that is not where the game was lost," Sare said.

UConn has won five straight since its NCAA-record 70-game winning streak was snapped by Villanova in the Big East final.

"There's a championship at stake, and we let one get away earlier," Taurasi said. "We'll be ready."

Taurasi rarely drove to the basket, preferring to shoot jumpers. She was shadowed by Kala Bowers and Tai Dillard, who worked hard to deny the UConn star.

Grimacing at one point after a miss, Taurasi made 10 of 22 from the field — including 4 of 11 from behind the arc. An 82 percent free-throw shooter, she went only 2 of 5 at the line.

It was barely enough.

Stephens scored 16 points to lead the Longhorns, but she missed a crucial shot in the final minute.