Connecticut’s A Cut Above Stanford Had No Answer When The Huskies Found Inside Shots

Too tall for Stanford on Saturday, No. 1 Connecticut gave the women’s Final Four its marquee matchup: a championship-game rematch with No. 3 Tennessee.

Kara Wolters, the Huskies’ 6-foot-7 center, led a dominating inside performance with 31 points and nine rebounds in an 87-60 victory over fourth-ranked Stanford.

If the Huskies (34-0) beat the Lady Vols again, they will join the 1986 Texas team as the only unbeaten women’s champions since the NCAA tournament began in 1982.

“Unless you’re un-American, that’s what you should have been hoping for,” said Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma, whose team grabbed the No. 1 ranking with a 77-66 win over Tennessee in January. “Everybody here should have been saying we want to see a ConnecticutTennessee matchup.”

They got it, thanks to Connecticut’s front line of Wolters, Rebecca Lobo and Jamelle Elliott, who combined for 69 points.

Wolters, a sophomore, worked flawlessly with Lobo, the 6-4 national player of the year. They stamped their mark on the game late in the first half.

Wolters, the tallest player in the Final Four, zipped an over-theshoulder pass from the foul line to Lobo cutting for the basket. Her reverse layup pushed the lead to 20 for the first time, and Stanford didn’t get closer than 17.

Wolters and Lobo embraced on the court with the final minutes running down.

“I just said we’re going to be playing for the national championship, and she is one of the biggest reasons why,” Lobo said. “She had a great game. She was unstoppable out there.”

Scoring from 3-point range as well as in traffic, Lobo added 17 points and Elliott matched her season high with 21 as the Huskies advanced to their first NCAA title game.

As awesome as the Huskies were inside, they were even better on defense. Connecticut held opponents to 31.4-percent shooting this season, the best in the nation, and was even better on its way to a 24-point halftime lead.

Stanford (30-3) shot just 22 percent in the first half and 31 percent for the game. Stanford’s leading scorer, sophomore Kate Starbird, was scoreless until 10 minutes remained. She finished with two points, 14 less than her average.

Freshman Kristin Folkl and Anita Kaplan led Stanford, one of the youngest teams in America, with 12 points apiece.

“I thought people felt rushed and almost panicked,” Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer said. “We never really had any type of offensive continuity.”

With a roster that includes 11 freshmen and sophomores, Stanford has the potential to continue its impressive string of NCAA Tournament performances. That record includes four Final Four appearances and championships in 1990 and 1992.

Connecticut 87, Stanford 60

STANFORD (30-3)

Starbird 1-9 0-0 2, Hemmer 2-6 1-2 5, Kaplan 6-11 0-0 12, Paye 4-13 0-1 10, Wideman 0-3 0-0 0, Scott 2-6 0-0 4, Nygaard 2-6 0-0 6, Freuen 0-2 0-0 0, Smith 1-2 0-0 3, Kelsey 0-0 0-0 0, Folkl 5-11 0-0 12, Harrington 0-2 0-0 0, Mulitauaopele 2-7 2-2 6, Owen 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 25-81 3-5 60.

CONNECTICUT (34-0)

Elliott 6-9 9-10 21, Lobo 5-9 5-6 17, Wolters 11-17 9-13 31, Rizzotti 1-9 4-8 7, Webber 0-1 0-1 0, Better 0-0 2-2 2, Rose 1-1 0-0 2, Marquis 0-0 0-0 0, Berube 0-2 2-2 2, Hunt 0-0 0-1 0, Gelfenbien 0-0 0-0 0, Sales 1-2 3-3 5. Totals 25-50 34-46 87.

Halftime-Connecticut 44, Stanford 20. 3-Point goals- Stanford 7-27 (Folkl 2-3, Nygaard 2-6, Paye 2-10, Smith 1-2, Wideman 0-1, Harrington 0-1, Freuen 0-1, Starbird 0-3), Connecticut 3-9 (Lobo 2-3, Rizzotti 1-4, Elliott 0-1, Webber 0-1). Fouled out-Paye, Sales. Rebounds-Stanford 43 (Folkl 9), Connecticut 50 (Lobo, Wolters 9). Assists-Stanford 22 (Paye 9), Connecticut 21 (Rizzotti 6). Total fouls-Stanford 31, Connecticut 13. A-18,038.