March 23, 2002

Box Score | Photo Gallery | Video Highlights

By JR ROSS
Associated Press Writer

MILWAUKEE - Connecticut posted its customary double-digit win. But the Huskies didn't win this one in the usual way.

Sue Bird scored 24 points and the top-seeded Huskies held fourth-seeded Penn State to 13 points in the final 15 minutes to win 82-64 Saturday in a Mideast Regional semifinal game.

Connecticut will play the winner of Saturday's Kansas State-Old Dominion game on Monday for a berth in the Final Four.

Connecticut (36-0) did not look like a team that had given up just 50.2 points a game and beaten its opponents by an average of 37.4 points.

Penn State (23-12) hung tight, allowing Connecticut to push its lead to 10 points just once in the first half. The Nittany Lions pulled to 55-51 with just under 15 minutes to play.

The Huskies clamped down on defense.

Connecticut went on a 21-7 run over the next nine minutes - including seven points from Bird and five from Diana Taurasi - and pushed its lead to 76-58.

Connecticut outrebounded Penn State 50-33, including 22 offensive rebounds.

Taurasi added 15 points for the Huskies and Asjha Jones scored 14. Tamika Williams had 13 points and 12 rebounds.

There were subtle signs in the first half Connecticut wouldn't have its usual easy go of it. Tanisha Wright stripped Bird three minutes into the game as she nonchalantly dribbled the ball up court and forced Bird to commit a quick foul.

Wright also caused Connecticut headaches, slashing and driving for a team-high 18 points that included 8-of-10 shooting from the line.

The most remarkable thing for the Lions was they were able to keep close despite an off night from Kelly Mazzante, a sophomore guard who leads the country with a 25.2 scoring average.

VIDEO FROM

UConn's Sue Bird hits the jumper, then steals the inbounds pass and drains a 3-pointer. 56k | 100k | 300k Penn State's Tanisha Wright penetrates and spins her way to the basket. 56k | 100k | 300k Penn State's Jess Strom comes off the screen and drains a 3-pointer. 56k | 100k | 300k UConn's Diana Taurasi buries the 3-pointer from the corner. 56k | 100k | 300k Audio: Geno Auriemma describes the adjustments UConn made in the second half. 14kk | 28k | 56k

Mazzante threw up anything and everything as soon as she got enough room between herself and the defender to put up a shot - 3-points falling away, jumpers off-balance and falling shots in the lane.

She shot 6-of-21, including 1-of-8 from 3-point range, and scored 15 points.