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UConn Huskies' 'other starters' are threats, too [St. Louis Post-Dispatch](St. Louis Post-Dispatch (MO) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Apr. 7--Rarely imperiled during this season of near-perfection, Connecticut found itself in trouble March 29 in its Sweet 16 women's basketball matchup with California in Trenton, N.J. The top-ranked and unbeaten Huskies trailed by eight points with just over six minutes remaining in the first half. Suddenly, UConn's glass-smooth road to the national championship was becoming fretfully bumpy. Coming to the rescue was one of the Huskies' pups. Tiffany Hayes, a freshman guard, slipped into openings in the Bears' triangle-and-two defense and began to rain down shots. "She hit some big 3's," senior Renee Montgomery said, "and they weren't guarding her when she hit those 3's." At the end, Hayes had connected on nine of 10 shots, including five of six 3-pointers, and poured in a career-high 26 points. Finally steadied, UConn cruised to a 77-53 triumph. In amassing the 38-0 record that it will take into tonight's NCAA Tournament title game against Big East Conference comrade Louisville (34-4) at Scottrade Center, Connecticut has prospered largely behind its two All-Americans -- Montgomery and forward Maya Moore -- and center Tina Charles, a second-team All-American. The do-everything Moore, a 6-foot sophomore, earned national player-of-the-year honors by averaging 19.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.5 blocks per game. Montgomery, a 5-7 guard, is chipping in 16.5 points and 5.1 assists, and Charles, a 6-4 center, adds 16.2 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.6 blocks. Naturally, that trio soaks up most of the glare from the spotlight that shines so brightly on the seemingly invincible Huskies. But to underestimate the contributions of the "other two" starters -- Hayes and Kalana Greene -- would be to misunderstand what makes UConn perk, Montgomery emphasized. "Everybody pretty much knows what Maya, Tina and I are going to do," she said. "Our teammates are the difference-makers." Hayes and Greene, both 5-10 guards, arrived here from a similar direction -- the South. Hayes is from Lakeland, Fla., and Greene from St. Stephen, S.C. They were drawn north by the lure of the glitzy UConn program and a solid shot at a national championship. Greene is a fourth-year junior. She missed all but eight games last season because of a torn knee ligament. She's averaging 8.7 points (on 58.3 percent shooting) and 4.6 rebounds per game. In Connecticut's 83-64 semifinal win over Louisville on Sunday night, Greene had 10 points and five boards. She hit two jumpers in the last 4 1/2 minutes of the opening half that helped break open the game. "It's huge. People don't realize it, but teams' game plans would have to completely change if (Hayes and Greene) they didn't step up when they needed to," Montgomery said. "We've seen a lot of triangle-and-two, and if they didn't score and if they weren't aggressive, it'd be really hard for me and Maya and Tina to score." Just over a year ago, Hayes would've been ramping up for Winter Haven High's No. 1 rival, Lake Gibson. "We played them four times a year, and we had to play them to go to the state tournament every year," she said. "That would've been the game." Now, the game is for the hardware perched on a far grander stage. But Hayes, who has started 16 times for coach Geno Auriemma, appears unfazed by her fast rush to the top. "I didn't expect for it to come so fast," she acknowledged. "But we've been working so hard all year long, and it would've just seemed wrong for us not to make it to this point." And the Huskies wouldn't be here if not for the input of others not named Moore, Montgomery or Charles. Or even Hayes or Greene. Aureimma has nine players who average double-digit minutes. "We don't really look at it as if Maya, Renee and Tina are any better players than the rest of us. We just take it as, we have roles on our team and everyone has to do their roles," Greene said. "That's what makes a complete team. Everyone knows their role, and they're doing their part. "That's how we win games." |