TicketsJan. 19, 2008
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -Renee Montgomery scored a career-high 27 points and top-ranked Connecticut beat Cincinnati 86-49 Saturday to remain undefeated.
Montgomery, who moved from point guard to shooting guard to replace an injured Mel Thomas, hit 7-of-11 from 3-point range, and was 10-of-17 from the floor. She finished three points shy of 1,000 for her career.
Freshman Maya Moore had 21 points and 11 rebounds, and Kaili McLaren had 10 points and 10 rebounds for UConn (17-0, 5-0 Big East).
Kahla Roudebush had 16 points to lead Cincinnati (10-7, 1-4 Big East), which took 28 shots from behind the arc, hitting just eight. Jill Stephens added 15 points and seven rebounds.
UConn has now won 30 consecutive regular-season game and 12 in a row in the Big East. The Huskies (17-0, 5-0 Big East) host No. 3 North Carolina on Monday night.
UConn freshman Lorin Dixon made her first career start at the point and went more than 20 minutes without a turnover before being stripped of the ball on a drive early in the second half. She finished with seven assists and three turnovers.
Moore hit five of her first six shots and had 19 first-half points, but Cincinnati stayed in the game early. The Bearcats were down just 13-10 before UConn went on 9-0 run to take a 22-10 lead. The Huskies built that to 45-25 at the half, with Montgomery hitting 4-of-6 from behind the arc.
Coach Geno Auriemma was forced to move Montgomery to shooting guard after Thomas, who had been averaging just over 10 points a game, tore a ligament and cartilage in her right knee during the closing minutes of Tuesday night's 63-59 win at Syracuse.
Center Brittany Hunter missed her second consecutive game because of soreness in her surgically repaired right knee. She was replaced in the lineup by senior Charde Houston, who had eight points had five rebounds.