Big Monday Recap: UConn vs UNC

It's been almost a week since these two stalwarts played. But it took that long for me to recover from watching it.

Marked off on my calendar as one of the most important games on UConn's schedule (second only maybe to the home and home series vs Rutgers), this game lived up to all the hype. It reminded fans that March isn't the only time college basketball is fun.

#1 vs #3 is certainly a game with a feasible chance of an upset and in the first half it certainly looked as if that's exactly what would happen. UNC came out of the gate strong with an 8-0 run that quieted down a capacity crowd in Hartford.

It took nearly 5 minutes for UConn to get a rebound by which NC had 7 and 2 second chance shots. Charde Houston, after starting just her 5Th game this season, had been relegated to the bench because of lack of effort. She was once again in Geno's proverbial dog house. Tina Charles remained on the court mostly because without aching Brittany Hunter there was a lack of depth at the post position.

All this resulted in an 11 point galf time lead for the Tar Heels. A lead that could have been substantially bigger if it were not for the hot shooting of Renee Montgomery who was 4/6 from behind the arc.

The second half started with the run that you knew the #1 team in the country was bound to make. The run was 15-3 and it gave the Huskies their first lead of the night.

It was any body's game from there and both teams knew it. The Huskies built a 65-59 lead before the Tar Heels rattled off 10 straight. But UConn wasn't finished yet and they responded with a 9-0 run to give themselves a 74-69 lead. Latoya Pringle would cut the deficit to 3 at the 3:27 mark but that would be the last basket UNC scored.

During the second half Charde Houston redeemed herself scoring a season high 15 points. A performance that everyone involved with UConn hopes is the start of her season turning around. Sh ewent on to say that it was Having Mel Thomas (who is out for the season with a torn acl) sitting behind the bench yelling at her to play to her potential inspired her to that performance.

The Huskies ended the game on a a barrage of free throws. The ladies of Uconn seemed determined to come out victorious in the first real test since losing Thomas to her injuries. Thomas is the second starter to go down this season so UConn's depth is not what it used to be.

It was a hard fought game that truly had a final four feeling to it. Two Teams. Two Hall of Fame coaches. Two freshman point guards. Two All American post players. This was about as good a matchup as one could find at any point in the season.

Game Notes:
-The crowd of 10,167 marks the first women’s basketball sellout at Gampel Pavilion since Jan. 27, 2007 vs. Notre Dame.
-UConn senior Mel Thomas was honored prior to the game for scoring her 1,000th career point on Dec. 5 vs. Virginia.
-UConn improves to 177-9 when playing as the nation’s No. 1 ranked team
-UConn junior Renee Montgomery became the 30th player in UConn history to register 1,000 career points

Click Here For Box Score

Next Up..Tennessee Vs Duke

JayD

The Greastest Dynasty in Sports (That no one talks about)

Now when speaking of dynasties your almost always going to start a debate. Whether it be the Cleveland Browns(1946-55), the UCLA Bruins basketball team(1964-75) The Boston Celtics(1956-69), The New York Yankees (1936-43). Even now new dynasties are questioned such as the modern day San Antonio Spurs and their 4 rings in 9 years. You can even legitimately throw the UT Lady Vols and UConn Husky women’s basketball teams in the mix. But what may be the most unnoticed yet greatest dynasty of them all is the University of North Carolina women’s soccer program.

UNC women’s soccer has one 19 championships in 26 years including 8 consecutive from 1986- 1994. The only teams (in any sport) with more consecutive championships are also soccer teams. (Rosenberg [13] and Skonto Riga [14])

So that means that there is no greater the dynasty in the history of the United States of America than UNC lady Tar Heel Soccer. As of 2006, UNC had 62 players gain first team All America recognition. The next two schools with the greatest number of All Americans were tied with twenty-two each. This includes 6 national player of the year winners. The laundry list of great players is highlighted by the most known women’s soccer player in the world Mia Hamm. During Mia’s 5 year tenure she sat out in 91 for the world championships) the Tar heels were 121-0 (96-0 w/ her active).


Even as I write this the Tar Heels have already been eliminated from championship contention this year in a 3-2 decision by Notre Dame. But that doesn’t seem to diminish the job that Coach Anson Dorrance (603-27-18 [.930]) has done in not only building great teams but building a fantastic program. He is undoubtedly a great coach. How else do you explain having the national player of the year from 1989-2000. Don’t get me wrong, there are coaches in other sports with more wins but very few with a better winning percentage. But this isn’t about Coach Dorrance individually its about the whole Lady Tar heel soccer family.

Now with all that being said, can you find a team more dominant in its own sport than this program has been since 1981?

Signing Out,
JayD

Remember when "you play like a girl" was an insult. Now you only wish you did.