Huskies Overwhelm Wright State, 97-39
Box score
DAYTON, OH (Dec. 31, 2001) -- Senior Tamika Williams (Dayton, OH) had a
season-high 20 points in a homecoming and classmate Sue Bird (Syosset, NY) also
posted 20 points on a perfect shooting performance as the No. 1 University of
Connecticut women’s basketball team overwhelmed Wright State, 97-39, Monday
afternoon in Dayton, OH. UConn is now 14-0 to open the season for the
fourth-best start in the program’s history.
Wright State managed to keep the game close, holding the Huskies to a 6-4
advantage early in the game. However, UConn then went on a devastating 30-0 run
before Angie Ott could answer with a three-pointer for Wright State to make the
score 36-7 at the 7:30 mark in the first half. Bird had 10 of UConn’s 30 points
in the run, which was the longest string of unanswered points by the Huskies
this season.
UConn cruised to the 56-18 halftime advantage. The halftime point total was
the most the Huskies had scored in any half this season, bettering efforts of 54
in the first half against both Ball State and Cal State Northridge.
The second half was more of the same. After a Katie Bussan layup gave Wright
State the first points of the second half, UConn registered an 11-0 run to make
the score 67-20 with 14:57 remaining in the game.
The Huskies would eventually open up their largest lead of the game with the
score 97-35 at the 1:42 mark before the Raiders scored the last four points of
the contest.
Williams, who hails from Dayton, OH, added a team-high eight rebounds to her
20 points, narrowly missing her third double-double of the season, while Bird
was a perfect 7-for-7 from the field and 2-for-2 from the line and drilled four
three-pointers in the contest.
Seniors Swin Cash (McKeesport, PA) and Asjha Jones (Piscataway, NJ) joined
Williams and Bird in double figures with 13 and 11 points, respectively.
For the Raiders, Iesha Gray had nine points, including the game’s first
points to give Wright State its only lead of the contest at the 19:33 mark in
the first half.
Frustrated by the UConn defense, Wright State shot only 29.1% from the field
and committed 21 turnovers in the contest.
UConn returns home to Gampel Pavilion for its next contest on Wednesday, Jan.
2, versus BIG EAST foe Pittsburgh. Gametime is 8 p.m. |
