No. 1 Connecticut 92, Louisville 71

1/12/2008 6:35 PM

By WILL GRAVES
AP Sports Writer

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -The largest crowd to see a women's basketball game in the country this season was in full throat, roaring as Louisville trimmed top-ranked Connecticut's lead to 10 with nine minutes to go.

For the first time all year, the Huskies were being challenged. Time for Renee Montgomery and Ketia Swanier to go to work.

The UConn guards knocked down four 3-pointers during a game-turning run, silencing the 19,123 fans packed into Freedom Hall as the Huskies surged past the Cardinals 92-71.

``Ketia, Renee, they were unbelievable,'' UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. ``We were able to, I think, answer some questions that the kids probably had, and I know everybody else had about how we were going to handle a close game on the road.''

The Huskies (15-0, 3-0 Big East) handled it by showcasing their depth. Five players scored in double figures, and UConn overcame foul trouble to Montgomery, Tina Charles and freshman star Maya Moore to offset a spirited effort by the Cardinals (11-5, 0-3).

``We're not a one-person team,'' Auriemma said. ``Individuals don't win championships. Our team is built to win a national championship and that means when players don't play particularly well, some people have to step up and fill that void.''

Auriemma didn't lack for volunteers. While Moore led UConn with 23 points and seven rebounds and Charles added 19 points and 14 rebounds, it was the performance of role players like Swanier (12 points) that allowed the Huskies to win their 28th straight regular-season game, even if Auriemma said his team hardly played like the best in the country.

``We know we're not going to win every game we play by 40 or 50,'' Auriemma said. ``That's not realistic, not in our league. There's too many good teams. We also know we're not going to play great every night. We're not going to look like the No. 1 team in the country on every possession.''

The Huskies entered the game winning by an average of 43 points per contest. But with Angel McCoughtry pouring in 30 points, the Cardinals responded every time it appeared the Huskies were ready to run away.

``I thought Louisville didn't back up,'' Auriemma said. ``A lot of times when you hit them with a couple of early runs, they back up.''

Playing in front of the first sellout crowd in program history, Louisville coach Jeff Walz hoped his team would keep its composure in the early going and gain some confidence.

It worked thanks to McCoughtry. Hitting on an array of midrange jumpers, the reigning Big East Player of the Year managed to keep Louisville afloat despite horrific shooting by her teammates.

While McCoughtry was 8-for-12 from the field in the half, the rest of the Cardinals were just 5-for-30 from the field and 2-for-9 from the foul line. Louisville ended up shooting just 7-of-20 from the line on the game.

But with Montgomery and Moore both in early foul trouble, UConn only led 41-30 at the break, the second-closest first half the Huskies have played all year.

Louisville never managed to get it to single digits in the second half, though the Cardinals kept it interesting, getting to 64-54 before Montgomery and Swanier went to work.

``There's a reason they're No. 1 in the country,'' Walz said. ``They hit some big-time shots. I thought we did a really good job of defending them and they come down the floor and hit three straight 3s. ... But I thought our kids battled.''