Boston College Athletics
Boston College
Connecticut
Eagles Drop To No.3 UConn, 78-53
February 11, 2001 | Women's Basketball
Feb. 11, 2001
By JIMMY GOLEN
AP Sports Writer
BOSTON - The UConn women's basketball team doesn't lose often, and the players seem to take it personally each time they do.
"I remember the last time we were here, the way they were (showing off) in the cameras," said Shea Ralph, who had 10 points and eight rebounds on Sunday as the third-ranked Huskies beat Boston College 78-53. "I don't like them. I wanted to go out on a good note."
UConn was the No. 2 team in the country when it was upset by Boston College 78-66 on Jan. 23, 1999, in its last visit to the Conte Forum. The loss snapped the Huskies 16-game Big East winning streak, as coach Geno Auriemma reminded his players before Sunday's game.
"I said the last time we came up here it was not a pleasant experience for us. It was probably as low as I've seen our team," he said. "We came in here, and BC beat our butts - and they beat us good, fair and square."
Swin Cash and Diana Taurasi made sure it wouldn't happen again, scoring 16 points apiece on Sunday as UConn (20-2, 10-1 Big East) coasted to an easy victory.
"I think they just wanted to put on a good performance," Auriemma said. "Revenge is not a good enough reason to win. If you want a reason to win, it's because you want to be the No. 1 seed in the tournament."
Janelle McManus had 20 points and Becky Gottstein scored 16 with 12 rebounds for BC (8-14, 2-9), which dropped into a four-way tie for 11th in the Big East. Only the top 12 teams in the conference qualify for the postseason tournament.
"It is not over," BC coach Cathy Inglese said. "We could pick up three or four more wins, get into the Big East tournament, and upset a team."
The crowd of 8,606 - the BC women's first sellout of the year - was mostly rooting for Connecticut, which is based just 90 minutes away.
BC tied it at 17 on Amber Jacobs' free throw with 9:25 left in the first half. But Cash hit a jumper to give the Huskies the lead, Ralph hit a 3-pointer, then Cash made a pair of baskets to complete a 10-0 run.
UConn nursed its lead until it went on a 16-2 run midway through the second half, turning a 12-point game into a 66-40 blowout.
UConn lost to then-No. 3 Tennessee Feb. 1, but since then the Huskies had beaten Villanova and Virginia Tech by a combined score of 165-77.
BC has lost nine of its last 10, all in the Big East. The Eagles have lost to Nos. 1, 2, 3 (twice) and 5 and are 0-7 against top 25 teams.
