UConn seniors seek elusive title

Hard to believe as it is, this group hasn’t even made it to a Final Four.

STORRS, Conn. (AP) — For Connecticut’s seniors, this is their last chance.

If UConn doesn’t earn a trip to Tampa and the Final Four this season, the class of 2008 will become the first at the school in 20 years not to have played in at least a national semifinal.

“It means a lot to us,” senior guard Ketia Swanier said. “But, we’re just taking it day-by-day and game-by-game. That’s all you can do right now.”

Swanier’s recruiting class, with forwards Brittany Hunter and Charde Houston and the injured Mel Thomas, wasn’t as highly touted as most that come to Storrs, but their final season at UConn has been a memorable one so far.

The Huskies (32-1) come into this year’s tournament as the top-ranked team in the nation and the top seed. They will begin their quest for a sixth national title in Bridgeport, 82 miles from campus, against No. 16 seed Cornell (20-8) in the Greensboro Regional. The Big Red beat Dartmouth 64-47 on Sunday to win the Ivy League in a playoff.

But to make it past the regional final, where UConn has been ousted in each of the last two seasons, the Huskies will have to get by conference rival Rutgers, the only team to beat UConn in the regular season. The Scarlet Knights were seeded No. 2 seed in the region.

“With so many teams to choose from it’s kind of ironic,” Auriemma said.

“I guess Rutgers is the No. 8 seed in the country? I find that hard to believe, but I guess they are. If I were them, I’d be questioning a little bit what’s going on.”

UConn avenged its 73-71 loss at Rutgers with a 66-46 rout at home in the regular-season finale.

A huge cheer erupted from the Connecticut locker room when the first-round matchup was announced; equally loud boos and jeers could be heard when it was announced that Rutgers was in the same region.

UConn is making its 20th consecutive appearance in the NCAA tournament, and is a top seed for the 11th time.

The Huskies, who won both their 16th Big East regular season title and their 14th tournament title in 20 years, are favorites to win the school’s first national title since 2004.

“We never really think about not having been to the Final Four,” junior guard Renee Montgomery said. “The past is the past. We think we definitely can get there this year. We have to just work hard, and continue doing what we’re doing.”

Their success this season has come despite the loss of two starters, forward Kalana Greene and Thomas, to season-ending knee injuries in December and January.

Thomas was the team’s top 3-point threat and Greene was one of its top defenders. They had combined to average almost 19 points and eight rebounds per game.

A third starter, center Brittany Hunter, has played in 25 games, averaging just 11 minutes because of problems with her surgically repaired right knee.

The injuries forced Auriemma to move freshman Maya Moore, the Big East player and freshman of the year, into a starting role, and ask more of sophomore center Tina Charles and Montgomery.

The three combine for about 47 of the Huskies 81 point average per game.

But Moore averaged just 11 points a game during the Big East tournament, six below her season average, and Auriemma said it’s not fair of him to ask the freshman to lead them to a title.

“I’m definitely going to try and fight through any nerves and just play,” Moore said.