Boston College Athletics
Boston College-Connecticut Preview
March 28, 2003 | Women's Basketball
March 28, 2003
GAME: No. 5 Boston College (22-8) vs. No. 1 Connecticut (33-1).
REGIONAL: East, semifinals.
TIME: Sunday, noon EST.
SITE: University of Dayton Arena; Dayton, Ohio
TCU coach Jeff Mittie has some simple advice for teams facing Connecticut.
"Stop Taurasi," he said.
That is easier said than done.
Fresh off the highest-scoring game of her career, Diana Taurasi leads the Huskies into their 10th straight appearance in the round of 16 and a matchup with Big East rival Boston College.
Taurasi scored a career-high 35 points Tuesday in Connecticut's 81-66 second-round win over TCU.
The Huskies, who have trailed only three times in their last 87 games, were down 35-33 at halftime before Taurasi sparked an 18-2 run to start the second half. She had 10 points in the spurt, which gave UConn the lead for good.
"The NCAA tournament is usually won by really talented individuals who make big plays in tough spots, and we happen to have the best player in the country, I think," Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma said. "I think she proved it tonight. Without her, I'm not sure we win the game."
Taurasi's career performance came just one night after she won the Naismith Award, given to the best women's player in the country. She became the third UConn player, along with Rebecca Lobo and Sue Bird, to win the award.
Bothered by nagging injuries late in the regular season, Taurasi was held to 13 points on 5-of-17 shooting, including 0-for-7 from 3-point range, in the 52-48 loss to Villanova in the Big East tournament championship game that snapped UConn's record 70-game winning streak.
But she has rebounded in the NCAA tournament, averaging 28 points and 4.5 assists. She is shooting 61.3 percent (19-for-31) from the floor and 9-of-15 from behind the arc.
Amber Jacobs isn't scoring as much as Taurasi, but she has been even more heroic for Boston College.
Jacobs had her second game-winning basket of the tournament Monday, making a layup with 2.5 seconds left in overtime as the fifth-seeded Eagles beat Vanderbilt 86-85 to move into the round of 16 for the first time.
"It's an amazing feeling. I'm so happy now, I can't explain it," said senior Becky Gottstein, who watched the end of the game in tears after missing two potential game-winning free throws with eight-tenths of a second left in regulation and fouling out in overtime.
"This is what I've wanted to do since I've been here. This is where I've wanted to be."
Jacbos made a jumper with 3.3 seconds remaining in the first round to beat Old Dominion 73-72. She scored 23 points in that game and had 25 in the second round.
Boston College and Connecticut are two of the four Big East teams still in the tournament - the most of any conference. The Big East sent seven teams to the tournament this season, its most ever.
The Eagles lost to Connecticut 83-75 on Feb. 8.
"We're both in the Big East and winning," said Boston College coach Cathy Inglese. "You don't want to be battling each other in the tournament, but they are the number one team in the country, and we want to get another shot at them."
Connecticut leads the all-time series 32-12.
PROBABLE STARTERS: Boston College - F Jessalyn Deveny, F Gottstein, C Kim Mackie, G Brianne Stepherson, G Jacobs. Connecticut - F Morgan Valley, F Ann Strother, C Jessica Moore, G Taurasi, G Maria Conlon.
TEAM LEADERS: Boston College - Deveny, 17.0 ppg; Gottstein, 8.4 rpg; Stepherson, 5.3 apg. Connecticut - Taurasi, 17.0 ppg and 4.6 apg; Barbara Turner, 6.1 rpg.
HOW THEY GOT HERE: Boston College - At-large bid, Big East; beat No. 12 Old Dominion 73-72, first round; beat No. 4 Vanderbilt 86-85, OT, second round. Connecticut - At-large bid, Big East; beat No. 16 Boston University 91-44, first round; beat No. 9 TCU 81-66, second round.
ALL-TIME TOURNAMENT RECORD: Boston College - 4-3, 4 years. Connecticut - 43-11, 15 years.
