Playing deep into March Madness is nothing new for the Connecticut women?s basketball program.
The Huskies are making their 19th straight NCAA tournament appearance, which ranks fifth all-time and trails only Tennessee (26) and Stanford (20) among current active streaks. UConn also ranks second overall in NCAA tournament games played (71), wins (58) and in tournament winning percentage at .817.
Connecticut (29-3) also has won its last 14 opening-round tournament games, a streak the Huskies look to continue when they face the University ofMaryland-Baltimore County at 9:30 p.m. Sunday at the Hartford Civic Center in Hartford, Conn.
While the odds point to an easy win, don?t expect the Huskies, the top seed in the Fresno Region, to take the 16th-seeded Retrievers (16-16) lightly. UMBC comes into the game on a three-game winning streak, including a 48-46 win against Hartford in the America East Conference final.
Connecticut goes into the tournament coming off a 55-47 loss to Rutgers in the Big East final. Also, the Huskies are going to do what they can to ensure that they don?t become only the second-ever No. 1 seed ? and the first since Stanford in 1998 ? to lose to a 16th seed.
“When you?re in the NCAA tournament, I think there?s a little more bounce in your step and more excitement,” Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma said in a press conference Monday. “The kids feel a little more important. I also thought I could see today a little bit of edge, like they want to play.”
Connecticut sophomore Renee Montgomery said that despite losing to Rutgers in the Big East tournament, the Huskies have a positive mind set and are looking to get to Cleveland, home of this year?s Final Four. But she knows that beating UMBC must come before any of that.
“Right now, my main thought is that we?ve got to take it one game at a time,” she said. “If you think about going to the Final Four, then you are going to overlook some games and end up getting beat before you get there. I am just thinking about the first game.”
