Bridgeport, Conn. – Duke was blazing through the NCAA Tournament, winning by an average of 43 points.
Finally faced with an equal opponent in UConn and the Huskies’ home crowd, the Blue Devils showed they have what every Final Four team needs – the guts to grind out a close one.
“That was the most beautiful, ugly win we’ve ever had,” Duke coach Gail Goestenkors said after the Blue Devils’ 63-61 overtime victory Tuesday night. “We’re just elated to be going back to the Final Four.”
The top-seeded Blue Devils shot 29 percent, let the smaller Huskies team push them around for long stretches, scored fewer points than they had all season and still fought through it all to win the first NCAA Tournament meeting of the two national powers.
“I think this was probably really good for us,” Goestenkors said. “They say almost every tournament, there’s always one game where you don’t play well and you’ve got to find a way to win. Hopefully this was our one game.”
Duke advances to Boston – where it will play LSU – after ending the Huskies’ run of tournament victories in Connecticut at 29.
Alison Bales dominated inside with 15 points, 13 rebounds and eight blocks, and ThunderRidge High School graduate Abby Waner added 10 points to lead the Blue Devils (30-3) to their fourth Final Four.
Barbara Turner led second- seeded UConn (32-5) with 19 points and 12 rebounds but could only watch from the bench in the closing minute when leg cramps forced her out of the game. Senior Ann Strother, a graduate of Highlands Ranch High School who scored 17 and 14 points in national-title victories over Tennessee in her freshman and sophomore years, was held to two points on 1-of-6 shooting.
CONNECTICUT (32-5)
Montgomery 6-16 1-2 15, Crockett 6-12 3-5 15, Thomas 4-5 0-0 8, Turner 8-13 1-2 19, Strother 1-6 0-0 2, Swanier 0-3 0-0 0, Wolff 0-0 0-0 0, Houston 0-5 0-0 0, Greene 1-5 0-0 2, Hunter 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 26-65 5-9 61.
DUKE (30-3)
Williams 3-9 2-4 8, Harding 2-10 3-4 7, Smith 1-6 1-2 3, Currie 3-12 7-10 14, Bales 5-13 5-6 15, A. Waner 4-9 0-0 10, Black 2-8 2-2 6, Foley 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 20-69 20-28 63.
Halftime – Duke 31-26. Regulation – Tied 55-55. 3-point goals – Connecticut 4-14 (Turner 2-3, Montgomery 2-7, Strother 0-1, Greene 0-1, Swanier 0-1, Thomas 0-1); Duke 3-16 (A. Waner 2-6, Currie 1-3, Foley 0-1, Harding 0-3, Smith 0-3). Fouled out – None. Rebounds – Connecticut 35 (Turner 12), Duke 57 (Bales 13). Assists – Connecticut 12 (Strother 3), Duke 12 (Harding 3). Total fouls – Connecticut 21, Duke 15. A – 9,091.
