honoluluadvertiser.com

Sponsored by:

Comment, blog & share photos

Log in | Become a member
The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, December 24, 2009

No. 1 UConn routs No. 2 Stanford


Advertiser News Services

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Connecticut's Maya Moore is fouled while driving to the basket past Stanford's Kayla Pedersen yesterday at Hartford, Conn. No. 1 UConn beat No. 2 Stanford, 80-68.

SEAN D. ELLIOT | Associated Press

spacer spacer

UConn turned its showdown with No. 2 Stanford into another rout.

Still, the top-ranked Huskies considered it just another win.

Maya Moore scored 23 points and Tina Charles added 20 to help Connecticut win its 49th straight game, an 80-68 victory last night in front of a sellout crowd of 16,294 at Hartford, Conn.

"We're 10-0 and beat a really good team," UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. "But we get no trophies, no rings, no nothing. Hopefully we get a chance to play them again in the Final Four."

The Huskies won their first nine games this season by at least 25 points and an average of 46. UConn hadn't faced a team the caliber of the Cardinal, who the Huskies beat last season in the national semifinals en route to a 39-0 record and sixth NCAA title.

The Cardinal (9-1) proved to be no match as UConn extended the third-longest winning streak in women's basketball history. UConn won 70 straight from 2001-03 and Louisiana Tech had a 54-game streak from 1980-82.

"They are definitely head and shoulders above us and play at a different pace," Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer said. "I'm proud of our team. We've had a really tough stretch. We can learn a lot from this game. We'll benefit from it. For us call it a little 'w.' "

MEN'S BASKETBALL

NO. 16 LOBOS FALL

Michael Craion had 18 points and 13 rebounds, Dominique Morrison scored 17 points and Oral Roberts handed No. 13 New Mexico its first loss of the season, 75-66, last night at Tulsa, Okla.

Oral Roberts (7-6), already with wins over Missouri and Stanford this season, took an early 13-point lead but then had to make another charge after the Lobos (12-1) rallied to take the lead in the second half.

Warren Niles hit a jumper from the right side to give the Golden Eagles a 59-58 lead with 6:32 to play and ignited a 10-0 run.

UTAH STATE ROLLS

Tai Wesley scored 19 points and pulled down eight rebounds to lead host Utah State past Weber State, 85-73, last night at Logan, Utah.

The win was the final game of the Basketball Travelers Invitational, hosted by Utah State (9-4).

Damian Lillard scored 22 for Weber State (7-6).

OSU WINS 1,600TH

Calvin Haynes tied a career high with 25 points to lead host Oregon State to a 73-65 victory over Fresno State last night.

The Beavers (6-5) became the 15th Division I team with 1,600 victories. Paul George had 15 points for Fresno State (6-7).

BOISE ST. HANGS ON

Kurt Cunningham had 14 points last night to lead host Boise State to a 58-56 victory over Montana State.

Cunningham hit two free throws with 4:48 remaining to put Boise State (8-4) ahead to stay. Bobby Howard and Erik Rush scored 14 apiece to pace Montana State (7-5).

SJSU TRIUMPHS

Adrian Oliver had 23 points and 12 rebounds in helping visiting San Jose State hold off Santa Clara, 74-68, last night.

The Spartans (6-5) won for the third time in four games. Robert Smith had 16 points to lead the Broncos (7-6), who had won three of their previous four.

NEVADA ROMPS

Luke Babbitt had 24 points and 11 rebounds to lead Nevada over Tulsa, 99-68, in the final round of the Las Vegas Classic last night.

Brandon Fields and Armon Johnson each added 17 points for the Wolf Pack (7-5). Jerome Jordan led the Golden Hurricane (9-3) with 15 points and 10 rebounds.

BASEBALL

UMPIRES HAVE DEAL

Major League Baseball ensured its first decade of labor peace since the 1960s by agreeing to a five-year contract with umpires that runs through 2014.

The deal announced yesterday, which is subject to ratification next month, was the second straight achieved without acrimony since a failed mass resignation in 1999 led to 22 umpires losing their jobs.

"I think both sides acted very professionally in trying to work through a tough time, and we ground it out," said World Umpires Association president Joe West, who lost his job in the 1999 dispute and regained it three years later.

Owners are expected to vote on the deal when they meet in the Phoenix area on Jan. 14, and umpires are set for balloting four days later.

YANKS SIGN JOHNSON

Nick Johnson returned to the New York Yankees yesterday, finalizing a $5.75 million, one-year contract.

Johnson gets a $5.5 million salary next season, and the deal includes a $5.5 million mutual option with a $250,000 buyout.

Johnson, who will be used as a designated hitter, hit a combined .291 for Washington and Florida last season with eight homers, 62 RBIs and 99 walks.