Virginia Tech was knocked out of the NCAA women’s tournament Tuesday night by the Connecticut Huskies, who used a 20-2 first half run to build a comfortable lead and coast to a 79-56 victory. The loss ends Tech’s season at 21-10 and is the Hokies’ only out of conference loss on the season.
Tech was led by Kerri Gardin with 16 points and seven rebounds, and Dawn Chriss had 15 points. Carrie Mason added 11. UConn’s Ann Strother led four Huskies in double figures with 22 points, and Barbara Turner added 16.
The 7th-seeded Hokies scored a quick bucket off the opening tip and played 2nd-seeded UConn even for the early part of the game, down just 9-8 early on. But then Dawn Chriss, who was guarding UConn sharpshooter Ann Strother, picked up her second foul and took a seat on the bench. Connecticut, on the strength of 4-of-6 three-point shooting and a cold streak by the Hokies, went on a 20-2 tear that put them up 29-10 with about eight minutes left in the half.
The two teams battled evenly for a few minutes, and with just over four minutes left in the half, the Huskies held a 36-18 lead. UConn’s three-point shooting went cold, and the Hokies heated up, bolting on a 14-2 run to close the gap to 38-32. Strother closed the half out with a three-pointer with nine seconds left, and Tech headed into the locker room trailing 41-32.
During the first half, both teams shot 44%, but UConn outrebounded Tech 25-15 and outscored the Hokies 9-0 in second-chance points.
As the second half opened, the Huskies played a box and one defense, with a defender chasing Tech’s Carrie Mason around the floor while the rest of the UConn team played zone. The strategy worked, as Mason was shut down in the second half, scoring just three points after the break, and the Hokies struggled offensively.
At first, Tech was able to cut into UConn’s lead, trimming the margin to eight on a Kerri Gardin layup that made it 46-38 with 17:55 left. A jumper by Tech’s Laura Haskins made it 55-44 Huskies with 14:44 remaining, but that was as close as VT would get. The Hokies fell victim to poor shooting and turnovers, and Connecticut, one of the top defensive teams in the nation, went on a 19-3 run over ten minutes. Mason finally broke Tech’s long drought with a three-pointer that made the score 74-50 with 3:53 left, but by then, the Hokies were long past done.
The loss ends the careers of Mason, Gardin, Chriss, Megan Finnerty, and Roshana Jackson. After four straight NCAA tournament appearances, the Hokies will have to regroup behind current juniors Kirby Copeland and Nare Diawara in 2006-07 and try to make it five straight.
Virginia Tech was knocked out of the NCAA women’s tournament Tuesday night by the Connecticut Huskies, who used a 20-2 first half run to build a comfortable lead and coast to a 79-56 victory. The loss ends Tech’s season at 21-10 and is the Hokies’ only out of conference loss on the season.
Tech was led by Kerri Gardin with 16 points and seven rebounds, and Dawn Chriss had 15 points. Carrie Mason added 11. UConn’s Ann Strother led four Huskies in double figures with 22 points, and Barbara Turner added 16.
The 7th-seeded Hokies scored a quick bucket off the opening tip and played 2nd-seeded UConn even for the early part of the game, down just 9-8 early on. But then Dawn Chriss, who was guarding UConn sharpshooter Ann Strother, picked up her second foul and took a seat on the bench. Connecticut, on the strength of 4-of-6 three-point shooting and a cold streak by the Hokies, went on a 20-2 tear that put them up 29-10 with about eight minutes left in the half.
The two teams battled evenly for a few minutes, and with just over four minutes left in the half, the Huskies held a 36-18 lead. UConn’s three-point shooting went cold, and the Hokies heated up, bolting on a 14-2 run to close the gap to 38-32. Strother closed the half out with a three-pointer with nine seconds left, and Tech headed into the locker room trailing 41-32.
During the first half, both teams shot 44%, but UConn outrebounded Tech 25-15 and outscored the Hokies 9-0 in second-chance points.
As the second half opened, the Huskies played a box and one defense, with a defender chasing Tech’s Carrie Mason around the floor while the rest of the UConn team played zone. The strategy worked, as Mason was shut down in the second half, scoring just three points after the break, and the Hokies struggled offensively.
At first, Tech was able to cut into UConn’s lead, trimming the margin to eight on a Kerri Gardin layup that made it 46-38 with 17:55 left. A jumper by Tech’s Laura Haskins made it 55-44 Huskies with 14:44 remaining, but that was as close as VT would get. The Hokies fell victim to poor shooting and turnovers, and Connecticut, one of the top defensive teams in the nation, went on a 19-3 run over ten minutes. Mason finally broke Tech’s long drought with a three-pointer that made the score 74-50 with 3:53 left, but by then, the Hokies were long past done.
The loss ends the careers of Mason, Gardin, Chriss, Megan Finnerty, and Roshana Jackson. After four straight NCAA tournament appearances, the Hokies will have to regroup behind current juniors Kirby Copeland and Nare Diawara in 2006-07 and try to make it five straight.
Virginia Tech was knocked out of the NCAA women’s tournament Tuesday night by the Connecticut Huskies, who used a 20-2 first half run to build a comfortable lead and coast to a 79-56 victory. The loss ends Tech’s season at 21-10 and is the Hokies’ only out of conference loss on the season.
Tech was led by Kerri Gardin with 16 points and seven rebounds, and Dawn Chriss had 15 points. Carrie Mason added 11. UConn’s Ann Strother led four Huskies in double figures with 22 points, and Barbara Turner added 16.
The 7th-seeded Hokies scored a quick bucket off the opening tip and played 2nd-seeded UConn even for the early part of the game, down just 9-8 early on. But then Dawn Chriss, who was guarding UConn sharpshooter Ann Strother, picked up her second foul and took a seat on the bench. Connecticut, on the strength of 4-of-6 three-point shooting and a cold streak by the Hokies, went on a 20-2 tear that put them up 29-10 with about eight minutes left in the half.
The two teams battled evenly for a few minutes, and with just over four minutes left in the half, the Huskies held a 36-18 lead. UConn’s three-point shooting went cold, and the Hokies heated up, bolting on a 14-2 run to close the gap to 38-32. Strother closed the half out with a three-pointer with nine seconds left, and Tech headed into the locker room trailing 41-32.
During the first half, both teams shot 44%, but UConn outrebounded Tech 25-15 and outscored the Hokies 9-0 in second-chance points.
As the second half opened, the Huskies played a box and one defense, with a defender chasing Tech’s Carrie Mason around the floor while the rest of the UConn team played zone. The strategy worked, as Mason was shut down in the second half, scoring just three points after the break, and the Hokies struggled offensively.
At first, Tech was able to cut into UConn’s lead, trimming the margin to eight on a Kerri Gardin layup that made it 46-38 with 17:55 left. A jumper by Tech’s Laura Haskins made it 55-44 Huskies with 14:44 remaining, but that was as close as VT would get. The Hokies fell victim to poor shooting and turnovers, and Connecticut, one of the top defensive teams in the nation, went on a 19-3 run over ten minutes. Mason finally broke Tech’s long drought with a three-pointer that made the score 74-50 with 3:53 left, but by then, the Hokies were long past done.
The loss ends the careers of Mason, Gardin, Chriss, Megan Finnerty, and Roshana Jackson. After four straight NCAA tournament appearances, the Hokies will have to regroup behind current juniors Kirby Copeland and Nare Diawara in 2006-07 and try to make it five straight.
Virginia Tech was knocked out of the NCAA women’s tournament Tuesday night by the Connecticut Huskies, who used a 20-2 first half run to build a comfortable lead and coast to a 79-56 victory. The loss ends Tech’s season at 21-10 and is the Hokies’ only out of conference loss on the season.
Tech was led by Kerri Gardin with 16 points and seven rebounds, and Dawn Chriss had 15 points. Carrie Mason added 11. UConn’s Ann Strother led four Huskies in double figures with 22 points, and Barbara Turner added 16.
The 7th-seeded Hokies scored a quick bucket off the opening tip and played 2nd-seeded UConn even for the early part of the game, down just 9-8 early on. But then Dawn Chriss, who was guarding UConn sharpshooter Ann Strother, picked up her second foul and took a seat on the bench. Connecticut, on the strength of 4-of-6 three-point shooting and a cold streak by the Hokies, went on a 20-2 tear that put them up 29-10 with about eight minutes left in the half.
The two teams battled evenly for a few minutes, and with just over four minutes left in the half, the Huskies held a 36-18 lead. UConn’s three-point shooting went cold, and the Hokies heated up, bolting on a 14-2 run to close the gap to 38-32. Strother closed the half out with a three-pointer with nine seconds left, and Tech headed into the locker room trailing 41-32.
During the first half, both teams shot 44%, but UConn outrebounded Tech 25-15 and outscored the Hokies 9-0 in second-chance points.
As the second half opened, the Huskies played a box and one defense, with a defender chasing Tech’s Carrie Mason around the floor while the rest of the UConn team played zone. The strategy worked, as Mason was shut down in the second half, scoring just three points after the break, and the Hokies struggled offensively.
At first, Tech was able to cut into UConn’s lead, trimming the margin to eight on a Kerri Gardin layup that made it 46-38 with 17:55 left. A jumper by Tech’s Laura Haskins made it 55-44 Huskies with 14:44 remaining, but that was as close as VT would get. The Hokies fell victim to poor shooting and turnovers, and Connecticut, one of the top defensive teams in the nation, went on a 19-3 run over ten minutes. Mason finally broke Tech’s long drought with a three-pointer that made the score 74-50 with 3:53 left, but by then, the Hokies were long past done.
The loss ends the careers of Mason, Gardin, Chriss, Megan Finnerty, and Roshana Jackson. After four straight NCAA tournament appearances, the Hokies will have to regroup behind current juniors Kirby Copeland and Nare Diawara in 2006-07 and try to make it five straight.
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