WOMEN'S NCAA UConn dispels doubters with rout of Penn State

Sophomore Barbara Turner had 26 points for the Huskies.
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -- No more doubts, and no more speculating about Connecticut being vulnerable.
The Huskies are going back to the women's Final Four -- for a record fifth straight time. The program that has become the standard for women's basketball raised the bar again.
Connecticut (29-4) earned a trip to New Orleans with a 66-49 victory over Penn State in the East Regional final Monday night, keeping the Huskies on target in their quest for a third straight national championship, fourth in five years and fifth overall.
"I've been really fortunate over the last 10 years or so to have kind of like a fairy-tale existence here at Connecticut," UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. "You always hope for the seniors that the fairy tale ends with a happy ending."
Diana Taurasi scored 27 points and quashed Penn State's most serious second-half threat with a 3-pointer from the left corner.
Sophomore Barbara Turner had a big night, too, with 26 points -- double her season average.
"That was the biggest problem we had. We had no answer for [Turner]," Penn State coach Rene Portland said. "She had a very special night on a night that her team needed her to have a special night."
The Huskies took Penn State out of the game with suffocating defense and blew it open in the second half with Taurasi and Turner.
"It couldn't have played out any better," Taurasi said. "It is just an unbelievable feeling, not only for myself, but for everyone. This has been a hard year, but this is great."
No answer
Penn State (28-6), the No. 1 seed in the region, buckled under second-seeded Connecticut's intense defensive pressure. The Lady Lions managed only 13 first-half points and shot 28 percent for the game.
Kelly Mazzante, Penn State's two-time All-American, missed eight of her first nine shots and finished 5-for-17 while scoring 14 points. Tanisha Wright led Penn State with 16.
"Not a fun way to end the season," Portland said.
The Huskies frustrated the Penn State players by bumping them as they cut through the lane and surrounding them when they got the ball anywhere near the basket. UConn also kept good pressure on the perimeter shooters and twice in the first half Mazzante had to heave the ball from beyond 30 feet to beat the shot clock.
"It's my understanding the off-the-ball contact was a point of emphasis this year," Portland said. "The physical nature of this game was a concern, but if that's the way the game was going, we had to adjust our game to it."
Penn State managed a run after Connecticut opened a 21-point lead midway through the second half. The Lady Lions started pressing and when Mazzante turned a leaning shot into a three-point play, Penn State trailed only 51-42 with 7:20 remaining.
Moments later, Turner fired a pass to Taurasi in the corner and she buried the 3-pointer, sending the Huskies on a 9-0 run that choked off Penn State's last hopes.
LSU 62, Georgia 60
SEATTLE -- Seimone Augustus scored 29 points on 12-of-19 shooting, and point guard Temeka Johnson added 16 points, leading LSU to its first Final Four.
The Lady Tigers (27-7), seeded fourth in the West Regional, advanced to New Orleans with interim coach Dana "Pokey" Chatman filling in for Hall of Famer Sue Gunter, out the last two months with acute bronchitis.
Gunter is expected to make the trip to New Orleans, but she'll probably sit in the stands or remain at the team hotel.
Christi Thomas had 19 points and 10 rebounds for third-seeded Georgia (25-10).