History will be the judge of which team is the best, but in terms of Final Fours theres no disputing who was first. Aaliyah Edwards takes a hit from Mhl during practice and breaks her nose. ESPN met UConn at the Louis Armstrong International Airport with Roberts and a camera crew ready to follow the Huskies around New Orleans. 4 St. John's in the quarterfinals 52-43. "Its time we stopped blaming the injuries, stop blaming fatigue, stop blaming tired," Auriemma said after UConn beat Xavier by nine. Regardless of how many times you put the ball in the basket. Then they were off and running all the way to the Final Four in New Orleans. Seventeen conferences had more than one bid, or at least one win in NCAA Tournament play:[7], Seven conferences went 0-1: Big Sky Conference, MAAC, North Star Conference, Ohio Valley Conference, Southern Conference, and WAC[7]. Find out more. Boston . [5], In the other semifinal game, Tennessee defeated Stanford 6860 to advance to the championship game against Virginia. Defense is just a mindset that you either have or you don't. He returns to the sideline the very next game. We would be a pretty decent team that would play in obscurity, win some games and nobody would take serious, Auriemma said. Find out more. Bueckers tears her ACL on August 1 in a pickup game on campus. For all that Bascom's friends knew she was going to Yukon, an Arctic territory in Canada. But had UConn not reached New Orleans, how would that have changed its recruiting landscape? UConns next game was against Clemson, which eliminated the Huskies the year before in the first round as Bascoms buzzer-beater rolled out. Before joining Hearst, she covered all things UCLA athletics for the OC Register. Only 48 teams made the NCAA Tournament in 1991. Auriemma wanted them to see what it was like to win a championship. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. She and Ducharme were the first subs off the bench for UConn. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. UConn was joined by Tennessee, Stanford and Virginia in New Orleans. UConn women's basketball did not exist in its present maddening form. As UConn endures another season plagued by injuries, heres an ongoing list of all the injuries, illnesses and absences the Huskies have faced over the past 15 months: Aubrey Griffin injures her ankle during the preseason. Nov 17, 1995 at 12:00 am. She receives surgery about a week later and misses 19 games. Kerry went to turn around to run back on defense. Learn more and register, College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com Blog and Articles. UConn reached the Final Four and though it lost to Virginia, it represented a formative moment in the programs history. Georgetown went nearly 10 minutes without a field goal to close out the first quarter and open the second. Do you have a sports website? "We weren't supposed to beat them,'' Lishness said. We got there with hard work in practice and in the games., Bascom Poliquin: I dont think anybody could have predicted that this is where UConn would be today., Fiske: There are still fans today that send me a birthday card. Why CT waits for $95 million from OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma. She comes to Connecticut after growing up and working all along the West Coast, including stops at The Seattle Times and The Orange County Register. Women's Basketball: 1990-91 team began UConn's 20-year tradition of winning JOE PEREZ 0:04 0:43 A woman in New Hampshire was recently telling her family about the friendship she's developed with a coworker named Kerry, who once played college basketball. Bettencourt injures her face during practice before UConns game at Creighton. [7], Twenty-one conferences earned an automatic bid. 2 UConn's 91-87 double overtime win against No. The junior forward led UConn with 19 points and 13 rebounds on the same day she was named a finalist for the 2023 Wooden Award. Stanford, Southern California, Washington, Washington St. Long Beach St., Stanford, Cal St. Fullerton, Southern California, Stephen F. Austin, Lamar, Texas, Texas Tech, Seventh seeded South Carolina played tenth seeded Vanderbilt at Vanderbilt, Sixth seeded Maryland played eleventh seeded Holy Cross at Holy Cross, Sixth seeded Iowa played eleventh seeded Montana at Montana, Fourth seeded Michigan State played fifth seeded Oklahoma State at Oklahoma State, Second seeded LSU played tenth seeded Lamar at Lamar, This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 22:22. April 6, 2004UConn 70, Tennessee 61New Orleans Arena I was really happy for her because she was like the first really big recruit.. March 29, 2002UConn 79, Tennessee 56Alamodome, San Antonio This is a carousel. Im like, Thats such a bullshit call. It was so detrimental to our team that she had to sit down in the first half., Bascom Poliquin: Obviously the two non-fouls just changed the whole game for me as far as my approach, how aggressive I was. You're not. And CD and I wouldve been long gone by the time 1995 came around.. Did Rebecca [Lobo] play with you? I always tell people, We were the very first team to go to the Final Four, thats the one thing that that team can hang our hats on. We were just a bunch of country bumpkins. Join our linker program. We present them here for purely educational purposes. If that would have gone a different way, where would UConn be today?. But once the game started, everything that could go wrong went wrong. They came in all cocky, thinking they were just going to roll over us oh my goodness.. Stanford and Virginia were making their second. UConn celebrated that night by renting a room at the hotel with a jukebox. Full Site Menu. They had made only two appearances in the first nine years of the event, losing 72-63 to La Salle at Greer Fieldhouse in 1989 and losing 61-59 to Clemson at Gampel Pavilion in 1990. I was thrilled for them, she said. How to watch the 2023 DII women's basketball selection show. She said the only thing the outcome of that season changed was it forced the next group to aim higher. A CT bill would expand it. One of the motivational tools that UConn used was a poster of the 1991 Final Four in New Orleans that had the regional sites listed on it. F 6-2 McKeesport, Pa. 25 Svetlana Abrosimova So. Rankings from AP poll. The 2023 DII women's basketball championship selection show is set for 10:30 p.m. Culmo: I remember poor Kathy, she had been up all night. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, UConn's Lou Lopez Senechal (11) celebrates with Azzi Fudd (35) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Georgetown in the quarterfinals of the Big East Conference tournament at Mohegan Sun Arena, Saturday, March 4, 2023, in Uncasville, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill), Georgetown's Kennedy Fauntleroy (10) fouls UConn's Nika Muhl (10) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the quarterfinals of the Big East Conference tournament at Mohegan Sun Arena, Saturday, March 4, 2023, in Uncasville, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill), UConn's Caroline Ducharme is hit in the head by teammate Aaliyah Edwards as Edwards comes down with a rebound against Georgetown's Brianna Scott, left, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the quarterfinals of the Big East Conference tournament at Mohegan Sun Arena, Saturday, March 4, 2023, in Uncasville, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill), UConn's Azzi Fudd (35) slaps hands with teammate Ines Bettencourt (21) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Georgetown in the quarterfinals of the Big East Conference tournament at Mohegan Sun Arena, Saturday, March 4, 2023, in Uncasville, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill), Georgetown's Kennedy Fauntleroy (10) passes under pressure from UConn's Nika Muhl and Dorka Juhasz (14) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the quarterfinals of the Big East Conference tournament at Mohegan Sun Arena, Saturday, March 4, 2023, in Uncasville, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill), UConn's Caroline Ducharme (33) holds her head after a collision with teammate Aaliyah Edwards during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Georgetown in the quarterfinals of the Big East Conference tournament at Mohegan Sun Arena, Saturday, March 4, 2023, in Uncasville, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill), UConn's Azzi Fudd (35) shoots over Georgetown's Victoria Rivera (3) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the quarterfinals of the Big East Conference tournament at Mohegan Sun Arena, Saturday, March 4, 2023, in Uncasville, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill), UConn's Aaliyah Edwards (3) shoots over Georgetown's Ariel Jenkins during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the quarterfinals of the Big East Conference tournament at Mohegan Sun Arena, Saturday, March 4, 2023, in Uncasville, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill), Georgetown's Ariel Jenkins (21) blocks a shot by UConn's Ines Bettencourt (21) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the quarterfinals of the Big East Conference tournament at Mohegan Sun Arena, Saturday, March 4, 2023, in Uncasville, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill), UConn's Lou Lopez Senechal (11) shoots over Georgetown's Graceann Bennett (33) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the quarterfinals of the Big East Conference tournament at Mohegan Sun Arena, Saturday, March 4, 2023, in Uncasville, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill), UConn's Aaliyah Edwards (3) shoots over the defense of Georgetown during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the quarterfinals of the Big East Conference tournament at Mohegan Sun Arena, Saturday, March 4, 2023, in Uncasville, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill), UConn's Azzi Fudd, right, smiles toward teammates Paige Bueckers, left, and Jana El Alfy, center, during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the quarterfinals of the Big East Conference tournament at Mohegan Sun Arena, Saturday, March 4, 2023, in Uncasville, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill). The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. Up until then, the Huskies were oblivious to what they could accomplish. UConn forward Dorka Juhasz is tended to by teammate Evina Westbrook after injuring her wrist in No. Bascom was a member of the team that gave Geno Auriemma and associate head coach Chris Dailey a taste of true success, helping to lead the Huskies to their first Final Four in 1991. Bascom had 23 points. Because nobody wouldve seen us play, we never wouldve been on television, never been to the Final Four, nothing. I had the shot, I wanted the shot. I probably wouldve left right after the Final Four team, Auriemma said. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. Or write about sports? Thirty years ago, it was not. Maggie.Vanoni@hearstmediact.com @maggie_vanoni, UConn women's basketball team overwhelms Georgetown as Azzi Fudd returns for Big East Tournament, UConn women's basketball vs. Marquette: What you need to know, Azzi Fudd returns to boost UConn's postseason hopes. The win boosted their confidence and vaulted them back into the national rankings, where they would stay for the remainder of the season. ( Courant photo by Paula Bronstein). But led by two 3-pointers by Grossman and one apiece by Davis and Bascom, UConn used a 16-2 run to take control en route to an 82-71 win. She misses the next 11 games. This set up a game between the Dukes, and the number 1 seed in the East Regional Penn State, with the game played on the Penn State home court. The Huskies werent just a mid-major that made a Cinderella run to New Orleans. UConn says she did not test positive for a concussion. The Mohegan Sun crowd got on its feet when Fudd drained back-to-back 3-pointers to get up to double-digit scoring and extend UConns lead to 30-plus in the final minutes of the third. Instead, that point went in favor of the Huskies. But when the subject of UConn basketball does come up, I'll tell people I played on the '91 team and that we were the first team to go to the Final Four.''. Auriemma said then, laughing: Think about it: Stanford, Virginia, Tennessee and Connecticut.. March 29, 1996Tennessee 88, UConn 83 (OT)Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, N.C. Connecticut's Paige Bueckers holds her crutches while watching in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game between Baylor and Michigan, Sunday, Dec. 19, 2021, in Uncasville, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill). Twenty-five additional at-large teams were selected from ten of the conferences. April 6, 2003UConn 71, Texas 69Georgia Dome, Atlanta In a game identified in 2009 as one of the top ten games in UConn history, Tonya Cardoza scored 16 points for the Cavaliers, including four three throws in the final second to help Virginia defeat Connecticut 6155. Amari DeBerry sits out UConns game against Creighton on Dec. 9 after getting COVID during the programs shutdown. Still, theres something to be said about the first time for anything. It is so far away and it's cold.' Fudd injures her right knee during the first quarter of UConns game at Notre Dame on Dec. 4. This archive photo shows Meghan Pattyson shooting a layup during a game. Associate head coach Chris Dailey took over in his absence. We've tried a lot of things and none of them have really seemed to work," associate head coach Chris Dailey said on Thursday night. Who isn't (amazed),'' Bascom said. If we dont have this building, we dont get the players that we got after Meghan and them. Roberts: They were in our backyard. Two conferences, Metro Atlantic and Patriot sent a single representative as an at-large team. Tyler Sizemore/Hearst Connecticut Media. Oklahoma State faced Michigan State in a game that would go to three overtimes. Griffin tests positive for COVID while home for the holidays and misses two games. Carley Mooney. N.C. State and Clemson, at that time, those were teams that were always ranked, and we looked at them like, Oh, wow, what great teams they are and Oh my goodness, how are we going to compete with them? And then to beat them, we must be pretty good. Right before we were ready to leave, she had to give me a shot so I wouldnt puke on the plane. "It always has and anytime our defense is good as it was it's followed very quickly by really really good stuff offensively. It cut my back.. Theres nothing that youre going to see that you havent seen before, whereas back then you might have worked harder, longer hours and had less free time because you were so wrapped up in your job, because every day you were seeing something you had never seen before., Back then, he said, he wouldnt care if the team was snowed in at Pittsburgh for a few days after a win over the Panthers, because Man, we just beat Pittsburgh.. 52 Kara Wolters C Jr. 6-7 33 13 38 94 6.2 15.2. I felt like we were underestimated.. Is CT recycling going into the trash? 23 Swintayla Cash Fr. Ducharme immediately fell to the floor and grabbed her head, visibly in pain. DeBerry misses UConns Dec. 28 game at Creighton after a severe snowstorm in Buffalo, New York prevents her from flying out and meeting the team in Nebraska. "The guy just didn't have enough sense to just run off the court and go hide and let everybody scream and yell the next day,'' Auriemma said. There was so much history in the building. Azzi Fudd warms up before UConn's . UConn's Kerry Bascom Poliquin, center, gets congratulated by teammates Meghan (Pattyson) Culmo, left, and Heidi Law, right, after being named Most Valuable Player for the 1991 East Regional during the NCAA Tournament. Some haulers caught, Arming guidance counselors? Lori Riley is a reporter for the Hartford Courant. NCAA Tournament. The tournament featured 48 teams. Thats how far removed it seems to me to be. The game was inconsequential (good luck finding stats for it) so much so that Geno Auriemma cant recall anything about it. Dawn Staley snagged a long rebound. Gambling problem? The teams were seeded, and assigned to four geographic regions, with seeds 1-12 in each region. Now you say UConn and everybody knows. Yolett McPhee-McCuin says she loves coaching the Rebels, who secure back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time in 18 years with a 74-52 victory over Kentucky. I wouldve left as soon as I couldve. 2022-23 Season Stats (PDF) 2022-23 BIG EAST Stats (PDF) Additional Links. Learn more and register, College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com Blog and Articles. Odds & lines subject to change. Is CT recycling going into the trash? Because they were typical moves for me and whos calling the fouls is a Big East ref who has seen my moves. Do you have a sports website? ET on Sunday March 5. A rain garden is an area dug slightly below the surrounding area that can catch and collect rainfall and keep it from carrying pollutants downstream. Caroline Ducharme suffers a head injury and is out for four games. "We've tried the sage burning, we've tried a lot of holy water. You're not going to win. Lou Lopez Snchal tweaks her foot and sits out for the final four minutes against Princeton on Dec. 8. . Oklahoma State won 9694. March 30, 1991Virginia 61, UConn 55Lakefront Arena, New Orleans Two days later, the Huskies avenged the 1990 loss to Clemson, 60-57. 2022-23 Media Center. UConn rallied and trailed 55-53 points with 26 seconds left. April 6, 2008Stanford 82, UConn 73St. These days, a Final Four berth is the norm for the UConn women's basketball team. That only scratches the surface of how much has changed between then and today, when UConn and the Final Four are synonymous. Schools . UConn will face No. Check out the detailed 1991-92 UConn Huskies Roster and Stats for College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. I should have made them take this more seriously. So the next time we went to the Final Four, I got it right.. She's ruled out and doesn't play in the game's second half because of the injury. Dailey faints on the court immediately following the national anthem before UConns game against NC State on Nov. 20. UConn lost to Virginia and Auriemmas mentor, Deb Ryan, 61-56. I just had a good feeling. But they didnt. She misses three games. But it was UConns defense that sealed the win and dismantled the Hoyas (14-17, 6-14). The arena just made sure he built that type of program at UConn, not elsewhere. We won, which is really cool, but I really remember vividly how bright it was and how curious the people on campus were to see what was going on.. Auriemma sits out UConns games against Florida State (Dec. 18) and Seton Hall (Dec. 21) due to "flu-like symptoms." Auriemma, who went on to coach UConn to its first national championship in 1995 and has won 10 more since, got coaching offers after returning to Storrs. They thought I meant Yukon. In the 1990 NCAA Tournament second-round game, Bascom missed a 3-pointer against Clemson and fourth-seeded UConn lost 61-59. Three weeks later, the Huskies were 4-2 and unranked when they defeated No. Fudd has a stomach bug the night before the national championship game and only plays 16 minutes after attempting just three shots. Culmo now has it hanging in the basement of her home. In the first two rounds, the higher seed was given the opportunity to host the first-round game. "We did what we wanted to do defensively. Its the 30th anniversary of the 1991 UConn womens basketball Final Four team that paved the way for all the other teams to come. Five of the UConn players were from Pennsylvania, so it was a homecoming. I dont think it was until afterward or even until years later when you really appreciate it., Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. They were the top seed out of the Midwest Regional and had a 30-2 record coming back to the Final Four for the second straight year. Sarah Darras. UConn's up-and-down year featuring more gutting injuries and historic losses. UConn's Laura Lishness brushes off a defender during the 1991 Final Four game against Virginia. In that span, UConn took over the lead, outscoring the Hoyas 18-4 in the second quarter. But things haven't changed as the Huskies have moved through the new year. The Wolfpack were wearing Final Four T-shirts during practice the day before the game. She played a significant part in laying the foundation for what is now the most recognized women's basketball program in the country. These days, a Final Four berth is the norm for the UConn womens basketball team. Patterson injures her finger in practice ahead of UConn's game at Creighton on Dec. 28. Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed.''. And then they go to the Final Four.. Two seconds later, Michael puked all over him. CT proposal causes confusion, concern. The coaches compared seasons. But I think if it wasnt our set of players, he would have done it with another set of players.. To the point where I find the grind even harder now than it was 20 years ago.. 1 NC State in the NCAA women's basketball tournament Elite Eight matchup at Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport, Conn. Monday, March 28, 2022. And if you have kids that want to stop others, then you have a good defense. I said, Damn. Virginia with 16 points The lasting impact the Huskies made on the program, however, is immeasurable . Whos UConn? Christyn Williams sits out of UConns game at Oregon on Jan. 17 due to contracting COVID-19. UConn was to play Virginia. March 31, 2000UConn 89 Penn State 67First Union Center, Philadelphia The selection show, set to air . The 1991 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament began on March 13 and ended on March 31. Fudd finished with 10 points, four assists, two rebounds and one steal in 17 minutes. The Cavaliers would lead by five points with under two minutes to go, but Tennessee's Dena Head scored, was fouled, and converted the free throw to cut the margin to two points. Return to Top; . Below is the . 3 seed Tennessee (22-10, 13-3 SEC) has advanced to the semifinal round of the Southeastern Conference Tournament for the third straight season and 36th time in history. Nobody knew us. Ill take it 100 times over. If UConn loses that game, it doesnt go to the first Final Four and Auriemma drops to 0-3 in the NCAA Tournament. We would be like every other Big East team, like every other team in the Northeast. With that, Auriemma fell to 0-2 in the big dance in his career. "But, you know, Carol(ine) says she wants to play more. Gampel Pavilion was built with an eye towards UConns burgeoning mens basketball program more so than the womens basketball team especially considering the disparity between the two sports at the time. Bascom Poliquin: I remember the shot, I remember where I was. Kathy Auriemma, Genos wife, couldnt go to the regional games because their son Michael had an ear infection. Freshman Ice Brady dislocates her patella during practice on Oct. 21. Evina Westbrook twists her ankle during the national championship game. AZ, CO, CT, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, (select parishes), MD, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY, CA-ONT only.Eligibility restrictions apply. DateResultSite The 2023 Big East women's basketball tournament is the postseason women's basketball tournament for the Big East Conference to be held March 3 to 6, 2023, at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. If we stayed where we were, we wouldve stayed what we were and I wouldve left. It wasnt hard for me to go to John Walsh, our managing editor at the time, and say, Hey, I know were not local but theyre our local team. NC State thought we were a big joke at the Palestra. I let it just evolve into whatever it wanted to be. They would play Virginia, where Auriemma had been an assistant coach before coming to UConn, in the national semifinal. Preview: No. The Huskies trailed by seven with 15:47 left in the game. But Dailey believed there was plenty of good karma coming the teams way. Virginia won 61-55 to advance to play Tennessee in the final. The coach decided to stress defense and it helped, but Penn State held a 4129 lead at halftime. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Mhl suffers a concussion after a hard fall during the Princeton game. Its been eight years since Pitt last beat UConn. Gov. This tournament was the first to adopt the FIBA's 10ths-second clock during the final minute of each period, unlike whole seconds as in past seasons. April 2, 1995UConn 70, Tennessee 64Target Center, Minneapolis, Minn. If you have this information and would like to share it with us, please let us know. Now we were going to the Final Four, Im not even sure we knew what that meant. 32 Courtney . The Huskies entered the 1991 NCAAs having won 25 of their previous 27. [7], Twenty-seven additional teams were selected to complete the forty-eight invitations. He likes it here. I dont think including the national championships I dont think theres ever been a time in my life, in my career as a coach, that Ive ever been more emotional than I was that night, Auriemma said. April 2022 The lead extended, with the Nittany Lions pulling out to a 249. However, the Huskies brought back the same roster the year after in 1991. They were 26-4 heading into the NCAA Tournament. To me, it all began our freshman year when we won the Big East regular season and tournament for the first time and went to the first NCAA Tournament, thats where it started., Roberts: Kerry Bascom reminded me of me (as a player at Southeastern Louisiana University). Paige Bueckers suffers a tibial plateau fracture and a partially torn meniscus in her left knee in the final minute of UConns game against Notre Dame game on Dec. 5. The building represented the programs aspirations, while the players on the court were the ones that would eventually help it get there. The Huskies had to foul, and Cardoza hit four free throws in the final 22 seconds. I wasnt doing anything more or less than I was doing throughout the season.. UConn's Lou Lopez-Senechal (11) looks to shoot as Xavier's Courtney Prenger (30) defends in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Monday, Feb. 27, 2023, in Storrs, Conn. (AP Photo . Connecticut's Paige Bueckers stumbles injured as Connecticut's Nika Mhl and head coach Geno Auriemma looks on the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Notre Dame, Sunday, Dec. 5, 2021, in Storrs, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill). Its harder because all the innocence is gone, all the newness is gone, Auriemma said. Staley, who was the WBCA Player of the Year that year and is now the South Carolina and Olympic coach, shot 3 for 15 and had 11 points. "But I don't know how much of it we were really cognizant of. Ducharme undergoes hip surgery on April 28 following the conclusion of the season to repair a torn labrum injury she initially suffered in high school. So I think tournament time, if your team's not committed to the defensive end, then you're not going anywhere. Shes out for the Final Four and the National Championship games. April 2, 2000UConn 71, Tennessee 52First Union Center, Philadelphia Connecticut defeated Clemson in the Regional final to earn their first trip to a Final Four. -- RICH ELLIOTT, MINNEAPOLIS - APRIL 2: University of Connecticut Huskies star center Rebecca Lobo exults as her team defeats the University of Tennessee Lady Vols to win the NCAA Womens Basketball Championship on April 2,1995 in Minneapolis, Michigan. It was his hometown. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Until halftime of the Virginia game when I was pissed. In the opening round of the 1991 tournament, UConn eked out an 81-80 win over the Rockets at Gampel where unlike the previous year Bascom converted a three-point play in the final 30 seconds to advance the Huskies to the regionals at the Palestra in Philadelphia. The tournament featured 48 teams. Pete Times Forum, Tampa, Fla. January 31, 1990 UConn womens basketball defeated Georgetown 76-54. With star sophomore Azzi Fudd available for the first time since Jan. 15, the No. After heartbreak the previous two seasons, Auriemma knew it was now-or-never for his budding program. Along with fellow senior Laura Lishness and juniors Debbie (Baer) Fiske, Wendy Davis, Meghan (Pattyson) Culmo and Orly Grossman, Bascom helped UConn carve its spot on the landscape of a sport that had been dominated by teams such as Tennessee, USC, Louisiana Tech, Old Dominion and Auburn since the dawn of the NCAA in 1982.