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Unbeaten UConn rolls into title game

UConn’s Renee Montgomery shoots in the first half as Stanford’s Jillian Harmon looks on. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)
Doug Feinberg Associated Press
UConn’s Renee Montgomery shoots in the first half as Stanford’s Jillian Harmon looks on. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)

ST. LOUIS – Geno Auriemma has coached perfect teams and national champions before. He’s also worked with some of the best players in the history of women’s basketball.

On the doorstep of another unbeaten season, the Connecticut coach wants to add senior guard Renee Montgomery and the rest of the these Huskies to those lists.

“I don’t want this team to come up short,” Auriemma said. “I don’t want them to stop playing. I wanted them to be in the championship game. You love when your best players, the ones who have given their heart and soul to the program and have accomplished so many things have a chance to win the last college game of the year.”

Montgomery scored 26 points, Maya Moore added 24, and unbeaten UConn cruised to its first title game in five years with an 83-64 victory over Stanford on Sunday night.

UConn will face Big East rival Louisville on Tuesday night.

The Huskies (38-0) already have routed Louisville twice this year, including dismantling the Cardinals 75-36 in the Big East tournament championship game in early March.

“I wish we were playing anyone but Louisville,” Auriemma said. “Anyone, I don’t care who. The last team you want to play is a team you beat the way we beat them the two times we beat them, especially the last time we played them.”

The Huskies have made almost everyone look silly this season, winning by nearly 31 points per game and not allowing a team to come within single digits.

With an imposing lineup that featured five starters over 6-feet, Stanford (33-5) was supposed to be an obstacle. The Cardinal were the last team to beat Connecticut, knocking them out of the Final Four last season.

That challenge didn’t last long – just like most of the other ranked teams UConn has faced this season.

After Jayne Appel got off to a quick start, the Huskies swarmed the Stanford star on defense, sometimes sending four players at her. The Cardinal couldn’t stop Montgomery, who sliced through Stanford’s defense with ease.

“They went on a run where one time we totally lost Montgomery,” Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer said. “For their team they really capitalized any time someone was open.”

Appel finished with 26 points, but she had little help. Nnemkadi Ogwumike added 12 points and 12 rebounds and Kayla Pedersen added 10 points.