Lady Vols get UConn-like breaks

HARTFORD, Conn. — They are the breaks that UConn always managed to get in this series.

Breakdowns on the defensive end. Loose balls and rebounds that seemed to lead to big plays. Missed free throws in the final minute.

But for the first time in six meetings, all those things went in favor of the Lady Vols — at least for the last five minutes of the game. Those plays were enough to lift No. 10 Tennessee to a 68-67 win over No. 15 Connecticut yesterday in front of a sellout crowd of 16,294 at Hartford Civic Center.

''I just felt this morning when I got up, it's just about time Tennessee won one of them,'' said UT Coach Pat Summitt, whose senior class was 0-for-6 against UConn before yesterday.

''I wanted so much for these seniors to have this opportunity, and without our freshmen they may not have had it.''

When UConn junior Ann Strother was fouled by freshman Alexis Hornbuckle while attempting a 3-pointer with 3.9 seconds left on the clock, it looked like the seniors might get denied a win over the Huskies for the seventh consecutive time.

But Strother, UConn's best pure shooter, made only the first of three free throws, and UT's Tye'sha Fluker pulled down the rebound to send the Tennessee bench into a frenzy.

''There comes a time when you just want to say it's not going to happen anymore,'' UT senior point guard Loree Moore said.

''I felt like it was our turn to beat Connecticut.''

The last time the Lady Vols beat the Huskies was February 2001 in Knoxville.

Tennessee (10-3) trailed almost the whole way and found itself down by as much as 12 points in the second half. UT took its first lead when Hornbuckle made a layup off a pass from Shyra Ely with 2:37 left for a 62-61 advantage.

But UConn (8-4) jumped right back in front, and it took a 3-pointer and a 3-point play from freshman Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood to put Tennessee back in front.

''For the kids from Tennessee to make the shots that they made in the last five minutes and make the plays that they made ... I remember those days,'' UConn Coach Geno Auriemma said.

''It wouldn't be much of a rivalry if we won them all, would it?''