Connecticut Finds Its Rhythm

Top-ranked Connecticut had no trouble putting up points against No. 3 Oklahoma. Keeping enough players on the court was a little more tricky for the Huskies.

Sue Bird scored 21 points and Asjha Jones had a career-high 18 rebounds as Connecticut won, 86-72, Saturday at Hartford, Conn.

It was a physical game that moved in choppy spurts because of 49 fouls.

Both teams had key players in foul trouble throughout the game. By the end of the game, two Oklahoma starters had fouled out and four of Connecticut’s starting lineup had four fouls.

“It was very difficult to get into any kind of rhythm because there were just too many stops of play,” Connecticut Coach Geno Auriemma said. “You have to be able to play through that.”

The Huskies (11-0) were without sophomore sharpshooter Diana Taurasi for much of the first half because of three fouls.

Stacey Dales, the second-leading scorer for the Sooners (10-1), played only 10 minutes in the second after she picked up her fourth foul in the first 15 seconds of the half.

Taurasi made up for her first-half absence by scoring all of her 18 points in the second period.

“We learned how tough we are tonight. Everyone stepped up,” said Jones, who also had 10 points for Connecticut.

Sooner Coach Sherri Coale sensed her team let an opportunity for an upset slip away.

“It boils down to not taking advantage in the first half when [Taurasi] was down,” she said. “In the second half, Diana got on a roll and we didn’t have an answer to stop her.”

The Sooners made eight of nine free throws to close to 55-50 with 9:22 left, but got no closer. Taurasi scored eight points over the next three minutes, including a three-point basket.

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No. 4 Vanderbilt 75, Vermont 54--Chantelle Anderson scored 16 points and the fourth-ranked Commodores (11-1) made 70% of their three-point shots in a victory at Burlington, Vt.

Vermont (5-4) got out to an 8-2 lead and hung with Vanderbilt for much of the first half, with Morgan Hall scoring all of her team-high 12 points before intermission.

Jillian Danker hit consecutive three-pointers early in the second half to widen the gap to 42-30. Jen MacAulay hit a layup in transition to get Vermont within 46-36, but Vanderbilt’s Abi Ramsey made four three-pointers in the next three minutes to put the game out of reach.

No. 5 Iowa State 95, Northern Iowa 55--Mary Cofield scored a career-high 22 points, including six three-pointers, all in the first half to lead the Cyclones (10-0) over the Panthers (5-6) at Ames, Iowa.

Iowa State Coach Bill Fennelly pulled his starters with 11 minutes left to play and the Cyclones leading, 74-34.

Cofield came into the game averaging just 7.1 points and shooting 28% from the field and hadn’t scored in double figures since she had 11 points in a 75-74 overtime victory against Creighton on Nov. 27.

Northern Iowa took a 9-5 lead, before Cofield led the Cyclones on a 27-4 run. She scored 12 points on three-pointers.

No. 11 Louisiana Tech 78, Arkansas State 54--Erica Smith scored 19 points and Ayana Walker had 13 points and 13 rebounds for the Lady Techsters (5-3) at Ruston, La.

Amber Obaze had 11 points for the Louisiana Tech. Rae-Anne Smith led Arkansas State (5-7) with 20 points.

Pittsburgh 82, No. 18 North Carolina State 65--Mandy Wittenmyer scored 22 points as the Panthers (4-7) upset the Wolfpack (6-5) in the Sports Tour International tournament at Cancun, Mexico.

The Wolfpack lost its fifth consecutive game--the longest winless slide against nonconference competition in school history. Freshman Rachel Stockdale led North Carolina State with 17 points.

No. 24 Louisiana State 68, Prairie View 26--The Tigers (6-3) allowed the fewest points in school history as they romped to the victory at Baton Rouge, La.

Temeka Johnson scored 14 points and had five assists.

The previous low, also against the Panthers (2-6), came in a 104-28 victory on Dec. 1, 1995.

LSU scored the final 22 points of the first half to take a 38-8 lead.