No. 1 UConn Cruises Past No. 3 Vanderbilt, 69-50, to Claim WNIT Crown
Senior Swin Cash Selected as WNIT MVP

Box score

STORRS, CT (Nov. 18, 2001)- With four of its starters in double figures, the No. 1 University of Connecticut women’s basketball team utilized an early run to cruise over No. 3 Vanderbilt, 69-50, in the WNIT Final Sunday afternoon. Senior Swin Cash (McKeesport, PA) scored all of her game-high and season-high 19 points in the first half to give the Huskies a halftime lead that they never relinquished.

Cash opened the game with a layup for UConn, but Jenni Benningfield answered with a three-pointer to give Vanderbilt an early 3-2 edge. The advantage would be the Commodores’ only one of the night, as UConn went on a 15-5 run to put the score at 17-8 with 13:08 left in the half. Behind Cash, the Huskies never looked back, posting a 36-27 lead at the half.

In the second half, senior Sue Bird (Syosset, NY) emerged as UConn’s key offensive threat. After registering only two points in the first half, Bird scored 11 in the second half of play, finishing the contest with 13 points and five assists. Bird scored six points in a 15-4 Connecticut run to make the score 51-31 at the 11:51 mark.

Vanderbilt closed the gap to 51-34 on a three-pointer by point guard Ashley McElhiney, but UConn responded with another run, outscoring the Commodores 15-2 to open up its largest lead of the game with a 66-36 advantage with 6:15 left in the contest.

Sharpshooting from McElhiney narrowed the final score to 69-50. McElhiney finished with 10 points while Zuzi Klimesova led the Commodores with 16 points. Preseason Naismith Award candidate Chantelle Anderson also posted double figures with 10 points.

Sophomore Diana Taurasi (Chino, CA) and senior Tamika Williams (Dayton, OH) rounded out the Husky double-digit scorers with 12 and 11 points, respectively.

Cash finished with her third double-double of the season with 19 points and 10 rebounds.

Anderson and Klimesova were named to the WNIT All-Tournament team as were Bird, Tera Bjorklund of Colorado and Leah Metcalf of North Carolina. Cash was selected as the Tournament MVP.

The WNIT crown is the second in UConn’s history. The Huskies also opened the 1997-98 season with the tournament title.

UConn returns to action next Saturday in a 1 p.m. contest against Rhode Island at the Hartford Civic Center. The game is the first of a record six for Connecticut at the Civic Center this season.