Jan 2, 2002

Box Score

By DONNA TOMMELLEO
AP Sports Writer

STORRS, Conn. - Led by Swin Cash's 19 points and 10 rebounds, top-ranked Connecticut tuned up for No. 2 Tennessee by blowing out Pittsburgh 112-43 Wednesday night.

UConn plays the Lady Vols on Saturday in Knoxville in the annual clash of the perennial powerhouses.

Cash's production for the Huskies (15-0, 2-0 Big East) came in a matchup of the Big East's top offense team against the league's worst defensive club.

Coming in, the Huskies averaged 88.6 points while the Panthers (5-8, 0-2) were giving up 72.3. It turned lopsided in a hurry. UConn raced out to a 22-4 lead in the first six minutes of the game and was never threatened.

Amy Kunich led Pittsburgh with 11 points.

Cash anchored a dominating inside defense, denying Pittsburgh few second chances and even fewer open looks. Pittsburgh shot just 12 percent in the first half, hitting just 4-of-33 attempts. Cash, who led seven Huskies in double figures, had 14 points and 10 rebounds in the first 14 minutes of the game.

The Huskies finished with a 56-25 rebounding edge and outscored the Panthers in the paint 54-12. UConn shot 62 percent from the floor and was 10-of-15 from behind the arc - getting 4-of-6 from Diana Taurasi.

The Panthers shot 23 percent on 15-of-65 shooting.

Pitt was without second-leading scorer Laine Selwyn for most of the first half. She caught an elbow from Taurasi in a scramble for the ball with 13:38 left and had a cut under her right eye that required stitches. Selwyn, averaging 12.6 points, returned in the second half and finished with 5 points.