HARTFORD, Conn. _ Thirteen years had passed since UConn and Tennessee last played. Pat Summitt wasn't on the sideline, neither team is quite what it once was, and most players who stepped onto the XL Center court on Thursday weren't even old enough to remember the storied rivalry at its peak.
But whatever the reason _ understanding the implications of the rivalry, feeling spurned by those who are already proclaiming UConn's downturn or playing with extra motivation on behalf of their ineligible and injured teammate, former Tennessee guard Evina Westbrook _ the Huskies dug deep and outhustled a young Tennessee team in ways they hadn't demonstrated earlier this season. Behind a stellar performance from Aubrey Griffin, the Huskies climbed out of an early eight-point deficit to pull out a 60-45 victory and improve to 17-1.
With the win, UConn improved to 14-9 in the all-time series against Tennessee.
Griffin was all over the floor and wherever UConn needed her to be with 13 points, seven rebounds (five on offense), three assists, five steals and one block. Crystal Dangerfield only slightly outpaced her with 14 points, while Olivia Nelson-Ododa added 10 and Megan Walker and Christyn Williams chipped in nine apiece.
UConn's 31.5 field goal percentage on the night was its lowest in a win since 2003. But the Huskies took advantage of 27 Tennessee turnovers to score 21 fast-break points.
It was a slugfest to start off, with UConn going cold offensively early and Tennessee turning the ball over 15 times in the first half alone. The Huskies received a spark off the bench from Griffin, whose breakaway layup off a steal made it a two-point game going into the second quarter.
Griffin scored six of UConn's 14 points in the second quarter, including a layup off an Anna Makurat steal that made it a one-point game with 3:42 left in the half. A 3-pointer from Walker following a Tennessee turnover tied the game with a minute to go, but Rennia Davis responded with a 3 of her own to ensure the Lady Vols went into the break with a lead.
But UConn came out of halftime with a spark, jumping out on a 6-0 run. Williams converted her first two baskets of the night to give UConn its first lead since 2-0, while Griffin cleaned up a missed Makurat breakaway layup to put the Huskies up by three and cause Kellie Harper to call a timeout.
The Huskies closed out the third on a 14-5 run, capitalizing off Tennessee turnovers and getting out in the break. A pair of free-throws from Nelson-Ododa, who sat most of the first half and third period with two fouls, extended UConn's lead to double digits going into the final period.
Nelson-Ododa scored all of her 10 points of the game after re-entering the game, including three baskets in the fourth period that helped put the game away for UConn. The Huskies ultimately outscored Tennessee 32-14 in the second-half, allowing seven points in each of the third and fourth quarters.
