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Huskies Too Much For Bulls

The Associated Press

Connecticut's Maya Moore outruns South Florida's Jasmine Wynne to the basket during the second half.

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By BRETT McMURPHY | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 7, 2009

TAMPA - With 4:29 remaining, Connecticut's Lorin Dixon was leveled by a screen set by a University of South Florida player. When she returned to the bench, Huskies coach Geno Auriemma held up two fingers, like an old fight doctor checking on a punch-drunk boxer.

There was no need for Auriemma to check on the Bulls - his Huskies had knocked them out in the first half.

In a matchup of the nation's two highest-scoring women's teams, USF was no match for No. 1-ranked UConn. The Huskies KO'd the Bulls 83-37 on Tuesday night before the second-largest Sun Dome crowd (4,290) in USF history.

"Our energy ... I think that wore the South Florida kids down a little bit, because the shots they're used to getting, the things they would generate up to this point, just weren't there," Auriemma said. "And then what happens, you kind of lose your game plan at some point and it gets away from you."

UConn (14-0, 1-0 Big East) held USF to 11 second-half points, tied for the second-fewest in a half. USF's 37 points tied for the 11th-fewest in school history.

"They played like they were the No. 1 team in the nation, and we didn't play like a team that had won 13 games," USF coach Jose Fernandez said. "They were not going to be upset in their Big East opener."

UConn forward Maya Moore had 24 points and eight rebounds, while center Tina Charles had 17 points and 12 rebounds.

Five minutes before halftime, USF (13-3, 0-2) trailed only 30-18, but UConn built a 45-26 halftime lead. The Huskies then crushed the Bulls with a 26-5 run to open the second half.

"They're not No. 1 for nothing," USF senior guard Shantia Grace said. "But as a whole we played a bad game. You can't play like that. You have to play a perfect game. We didn't."

Porche Grant led USF with 10 points. Brittany Denson had six points and 12 rebounds. Grace, Jazmine Sepulveda and Janae Stokes, USF's top three scorers, were a combined 3-for-29 from the field and combined for 12 points.

Reporter Brett McMurphy can be reached at (813) 259-7928.

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