December 29, 1998

Box Score

VILLANOVA, Pa. (AP) - Top-ranked Connecticut followed the biggest blowout in school history with what coach Geno Auriemma called the team's best first half of the season.

The second half? That was another story.

Swin Cash had 13 points as the Huskies, coming off a 97-point victory, beat Villanova 74-43 Tuesday night despite being outscored in a half for the first time this season.

"I'm glad this one's over," Auriemma said. "I'll tell you what I told them: That first half was probably the best 20 minutes we've played defensively all season. The first 10 minutes of the second half was completely typical of what it's like to play Villanova."

UConn (10-0, 3-0 Big East), coming off a school-record 117-20 victory over Quinnipiac, was held well below its 103-point average but still easily won its 15th straight regular-season game. The Huskies led 46-13 at halftime, but were outscored 30-28 in the second half.

Somehow, the hangover from the 97-point victory was delayed until after halftime.

"We don't learn from 97-point victories," said Shea Ralph, who had 11 points. "That's not what we consider competition."

The Huskies appeared headed for another record-setting blowout, rolling to leads of 18-2, 25-4 and 44-8 - their largest - in the first half. Villanova had a four-minute drought and two 5 1/2-minute droughts without a field goal.

"I said to them, Relax, because we can't win,' " Villanova coach Harry Perretta said. "We knew it was over, so we played better."

The Wildcats (4-6, 0-2) started the second half with a 10-0 run, getting three baskets from Brandi Barnes, who scored 19 points, one from Stephanie Baker and a running jumper by Shanette Lee to close the gap to 46-23 with 16:23 left.

"When they made their run, I think we started getting more motivated," said Cash, the Big East rookie of the week. "They didn't give up, and that is something we respected about them."

The Wildcats, with their slowdown style, tend to give UConn trouble. The last time they played at Villanova, UConn won 75-71 - a far cry from the 67-27 victory at UConn earlier in the season.

UConn, which hasn't lost a regular-season game since a 74-70 defeat at Rutgers last season, restored a 30-point lead - 61-30 - on Amy Duran's 3-pointer with 6:22 left.

"I challenged the team. I told them that Villanova makes young, immature, experienced teams look bad," Auriemma said.

Comparing this UConn team to the other national powers Auriemma has coached in the '90s, Ralph said this group wants a national title even more.

"We're more tenacious, more hungry for it," she said. "We understand what we have to do."

"I hope she's right," Auriemma said. "I hope every kid on this team has a chance to do something really special."

The game was supposed to be part of a women's doubleheader at Villanova, but the ABL game between New England and the Philadelphia Rage was wiped out because the league folded.