COLLEGE BASKETBALL / NCAA WOMEN’S FINAL FOUR : After Overpowering Stanford, UConn Is Ready for Tennessee : Semifinals: Huskies sweep Cardinal aside, 87-60, to set up rematch with Volunteers, who defeat Georgia, 73-51.

Geno Auriemma, the Connecticut women’s basketball coach, didn’t know whether to laugh or leave.

His undefeated team had just overwhelmed Pacific 10 champion Stanford, 87-60, and now he was faced with questions about playing Tennessee today for the national championship.

Auriemma indicated he’d rather go home. Or play Youngstown State, not Tennessee.

Before 18,038 at the Final Four at Target Center Saturday, Tennessee (34-2) reached the title game by routing Georgia (28-5), 73-51. No surprise there.

But 34-0 UConn’s runaway victory over Stanford (30-3) was a major surprise. A close game had been anticipated, and many figured Stanford’s speed and depth would wear UConn down.

Well, the Cardinal did show a lot of depth. Coach Tara VanDerveer used 14 players. The problem was, they weren’t as good as UConn’s.

It was never close.

Behind 6-foot-7 center Kara Wolters, 6-4 Rebecca Lobo and 6-0 Jammelle Elliott, the Huskies dominated Stanford’s big players inside.

Wolters, Lobo and Elliott, who had a combined 24 rebounds, quick-started UConn to a 16-4 lead within five minutes and, by halftime, it was all but over, 44-20.

Afterward, Auriemma immediately was asked about Tennessee. “Can’t we just go home and enjoy this?” he said. “I’m not even going to think about it until after dinner tonight.”

Tennessee started the season ranked No. 1, UConn finished it in the top spot. On Jan. 16, at Storrs, Conn., the Huskies defeated Tennessee, 77-66.

“This is what the fans and the media wanted all year,” Summitt said. “UConn is at its best right now, and so are we.”

Auriemma, whose team has a chance to become only the second unbeaten national champion (Texas went 33-0 in 1986) since the NCAA women’s tournament began in 1982, praised Wolters (who had 31 points in 33 minutes), Lobo and Elliott for Saturday’s victory.

He brought them to the interview room and said: “The reason we’re playing tomorrow is because we have these three players and Tara (VanDerveer) didn’t. These big kids of ours are terrific passers, they find each other.

“Our strength is dominating people in the paint, and we did that today. We knew where we wanted to go with the ball, and we did it.”

For Stanford, nothing worked. VanDerveer started by putting her best defensive inside player, 6-3 Rachel Hemmer, on Wolters. Hemmer couldn’t stop her, nor could anyone else.

Nor could anyone contain Lobo. She had 17 points, including two three-point shots, and was five of six from the line. She also had nine rebounds, three assists, two blocks and three steals.

Wolters’ performance has her being mentioned as a possible 1996 Olympic team prospect. VanDerveer soon is expected to be named to coach the U.S. team for the Summer Games in Atlanta, a move that will require her to take a year’s leave from Stanford.

Wolters’ ability to gain position inside for easy shots spurred Connecticut to its big leads in the early going, then she crushed Stanford with two baskets and a great assist to Lobo, all in the last four minutes of the half.

The Cardinal’s 20-point first half was not only its least productive one-half total of the season, but its lowest in any half for the past eight years.

Stanford played UConn almost evenly in the second half, being outscored, 43-40, but the first-half hole was simply too deep.

Stanford’s best moments came during an eight-minute stretch midway through the second half, when Anita Kaplan and Kristin Folkl led a 20-17 run, but even after that, the Huskies still were ahead, 65-44.

UConn’s biggest lead was 28 points, achieved twice. The final margin, 27, is an NCAA semifinal record.

During the Pac-10 season and the tournament, one of Stanford’s key players was sophomore Kate Starbird. But UConn’s aggressive defense took her out of the game. She was one-for-nine and finished with only two points.

Stanford shot only 31% from the field, UConn 50%.

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Tennessee 73, Georgia 51--Using a tough defense and a powerful inside game, the Volunteers advanced to the championship game with a dominating performance against the Bulldogs, their Southeastern Conference rival.

The third-ranked Volunteers combined their two staples with a dominating performance at both ends of the court by All-American Nikki McCray and will try for their fourth national title under Coach Pat Summitt.

McCray scored 22 points to lead the way in game that was similar to Tennessee’s 83-61 victory over No. 12 Georgia in the regular-season finale. The sophomore-laden Bulldogs weren’t strong enough to stay with their bigger, more experienced opponent.

Tennessee had little trouble getting the ball inside to 6-foot-2 Dana Johnson, 6-4 Tiffani Johnson and 6-6 Vonda Ward. Georgia’s problems were further complicated by foul troubles.

Tennessee had a 51-33 rebounding edge and kept Georgia from getting easy shots inside. The Bulldogs shot 32.8% for the game.