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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -- How do you improve on a team that breezed through the Final Four by an average of 30 points a game?
Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma had the answer Sunday.
|  | | Georgia's Kiesha Brown drives past Connecticut's Sue Bird, but it wasn't enough to beat the Huskies. |
"I think we're bigger, stronger and quicker than last year,"
he said.
It sure looked liked it as the top-ranked and defending national
champion Huskies beat No. 3 Georgia 99-70 in the State Farm Tip-Off
Classic to open the new season.
"For a first game out it's hard to find a lot of faults with
the way we played," Auriemma said.
All of his starters are back from last year and Auriemma has
blended in the talents of one of the top recruiting classes in the
nation.
Connecticut's pressure defense shut down Georgia's twin stars,
Kelly and Coco Miller, for most of the first half. Coco Miller made
her first field goal with 50 seconds left in the half. Kelly had
only four points and Coco had six at the break, and by the time
they started hitting their shots in the second half, it was too
late.
"We did not play with heart, we did not play with fire," said
Georgia coach Andy Landers. "Somebody should have come out of the
stands and ripped the 'G' off our jerseys."
Svetlana Abrosimova, a player of the year candidate, had 18
points and 11 assists for UConn. She had four of the Huskies' 15
steals and had zero turnovers.
"She seems to get as much pleasure out of getting other players
involved and getting an assist," said Landers. "That's rare with
great players."
Georgia got as close as 71-59 midway through the second half
with a 10-2 run. Abrosimova countered on UConn's next possession
with a 3-pointer as the Huskies outscored Georgia 28-11 the rest of
the way.
Abrosimova scored 10 points as UConn raced out to a 54-31 lead at halftime on 62 percent shooting.
The Bulldogs struggled to slow down UConn's fastbreak, which
seemed to get fresher with each wave of Huskies' substitutes. UConn got 32 points from its reserves.
"I don't recall many teams being as deep as this one," Landers
said. "We could never go 10, 11 deep."
Auriemma used 12 players. His freshman class includes high
school player of the year Diana Taurasi, who had eight points.
"I just stepped in and tried to go with the flow. Once I got
warmed up, I wasn't nervous," Taurasi said.
"Our defense kind of smothered them. To their credit, they came
back and played with a lot of heart in the second half. I expected
that," Auriemma said.
Tamika Williams had 12 points and Sue Bird 11 for UConn, while
Swin Cash added 10 rebounds.
Christi Thomas led Georgia with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Coco
Miller finished with 15 points.
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ALSO SEE
Womens College Basketball Scoreboard
Georgia Clubhouse
Connecticut Clubhouse
Luke posts a couple of lucky 13s for No. 13 Penn State
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Shea Ralph dishes to Svetlana Abrosimova in the lane for the hoop.
avi: 792 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Shea Ralph plays give-and-go with Kelly Schumacher for the score.
avi: 818 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Kiesha Brown picks up the rebound and goes the distance for the layup.
avi: 648 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Sue Bird takes it coast to coast for the hoop.
avi: 499 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Sue Bird dishes to Swin Cash for the hoop.
avi: 585 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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