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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, February 4, 2009

No. 1 UConn women still perfect

Advertiser Staff and News Services

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Maya Moore

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HARTFORD, Conn. — For the past few seasons Rutgers has been the one Big East opponent to give Connecticut fits.

Now the Scarlet Knights are just another blowout win for the top-ranked Huskies.

Maya Moore scored 24 points and Kalana Greene added a season-high 17 to help Connecticut beat Rutgers, 75-56, last night.

"I said going into the game it's going to be played like a Big East final no matter what their record is and our record is," Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma said.

Connecticut (22-0, 8-0 Big East) has run over its opponents, winning by an average of 33 points. The Huskies have blown out No. 2 Oklahoma, dismantled then-No. 2 North Carolina and routed No. 5 Louisville. No team has come within single digits of UConn.

UConn is 22-0 for the first time since 2002-03 when the Huskies won their first 31 games before losing to Villanova in the Big East tournament. Connecticut was 21-0 last season before falling to Rutgers on Feb. 5. It was the Huskies' lone blemish before losing to Stanford in the Final Four.

Epiphanny Prince scored 19 points and Khadijah Rushdan added a career-high 18 to lead Rutgers (12-8, 4-5), which has five conference losses for the first time since 2003-04.

"We're not that good right now," Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer said. "We need to work hard. For us to be able to compete we have to pay attention to the little things."

Rutgers gave UConn all it could handle until the Huskies opened the second half with a 14-4 run to take control.

"It was back and forth there for a minute and then we just kind of took it away," said Moore, who added 10 rebounds for her 11th double-double of the season. "You've got to be patient. You can't get anxious or frustrated. Get stops and rebounds and then go to the other end."

NO. 5 LOUISVILLE 78, SYRACUSE 57

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Angel McCoughtry had 18 points and 20 rebounds for her 10th double-double of the season, and Deseree' Byrd added 12 points and 10 assists, leading the Cardinals (21-2, 8-1 Big East) past the Orange (14-8, 3-6).

NO. 22 PITTSBURGH 82, NO. 19 NOTRE DAME 70

PITTSBURGH — Senior guard Shavonte Zellous scored 29 points, surpassing 2,000 in her career, and Xenia Stewart and Taneisha Harrison both contributed 17 points as the Panthers (17-4, 7-2 Big East) beat the Irish (16-5, 5-4) for their sixth straight win.

PACWEST WOMEN

GRAND CANYON 87, HAWAI'I PACIFIC 76

Samantha Murphy had 30 points with four 3-pointers and Rosalyn Nelson added 22, leading the visiting Antelopes (13-6, 6-0 Pacific West Conference) over the Sea Warriors (8-11, 5-2) last night at Blaisdell Arena.

The game was tied at 37 at intermission, but Grand Canyon pulled away in handing HPU its second straight loss.

Mana Hopkins scored 22 points, and Mackenna Karasawa and Taylor Craig each added 10 for HPU.

RANKED MEN

NO. 3 N. CAROLINA 108, MARYLAND 91

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Wayne Ellington scored a season-high 34 points and the Tar Heels (20-2, 6-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) hit a season-best 16 3-pointers in routing the Terrapins (14-8, 3-5) for their sixth straight victory.

Tyler Hansbrough had 24 points and Ty Lawson added 21 for the Tar Heels, who hit 11 of their first 14 attempts from behind the arc. Freshman Sean Mosley scored 19 points and Cliff Tucker added 18 for the Terrapins.

NO. 8 MARQUETTE 76, DEPAUL 61

ROSEMONT, Ill. — Jerel McNeal scored 26 points and the Golden Eagles (20-2, 9-0 Big East) opened a 24-7 lead with 12:04 left in the first half in beating the Blue Demons (8-15, 0-10) for their 12th straight victory, matching their longest winning streak in seven years.

OHIO STATE 80, NO. 12 PURDUE 72

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Evan Turner scored six of his 26 points in overtime, including two free throws to break a 66-all tie and the Buckeyes (16-5, 6-4 Big Ten) never trailed thereafter in ending the Boilermakers' (17-5, 6-3) six-game winning streak.

PACWEST MEN

HAWAI'I PACIFIC 78, GRAND CANYON 65

Jason Curtis scored 18 points and the host Sea Warriors (8-9, 2-5 Pacific West Conference) hit 6 of 14 3-pointers en route to a 40-20 halftime lead in beating the Antelopes last night at Blaisdell Arena.

Mike Helton added 17 points and Jeff Ingram 16 for HPU. Engen Nurumbi scored 31 points for Grand Canyon.