Published: January 21, 2007
NEW YORK, N.Y.
Senior guard Kia Wright scored her
1,000th-career point en route to a 19-point, five-assist
performance, but the St. John's women's basketball team fell to No.
5/6 Connecticut, 84-63, Sunday at Madison Square Garden.
Sophomore guard Monique McLean added 17 points
for St. John's, which fell to 5-12 overall (1-5 BIG EAST). With the
win, Connecticut improved to 16-2 (6-0 BIG EAST).
"When Connecticut made some runs, we hung in there, we fought
back, we hung tough," Red Storm head coach Kim Barnes
Arico said. "Monique and Kia did a fabulous job for us,
and our goal right now is to make the BIG EAST Tournament."
Wright's 19 points gives her 1,015 for her career and moved her
into 14th place on St. John's all-time charts, as St. John's moved
to 3-1 all-time at MSG. The senior point guard also had five steals
and four rebounds.
With the Huskies leading 16-12 early in the first half,
Connecticut used a 15-2 run to stretch its lead to 31-14 on two
free throws by Charde Houston at the 7:59 mark.
Over the final 3:43 of the half, St. John's went on an 8-2 run
to pull within 13 points at halftime, 37-24.
Mel Thomas led the Huskies with five 3-pointers in the first
half, while Tiina Sten and Wright each scored
eight points. Wright scored her 999th and 1,000th career
points on two free throws in the first half, then surpassed the
mark with a layup at the 6:38 mark.
UConn scored nine unanswered points to start the second half to
extend its lead to 20 points, where it stayed for much of the
second half. St. John's got as close as 17 points at the 12:58 mark
on a Sten jumper, but the Huskies won by the final score of
84-63.
Sten finished with 14 points for St. John's, while Thomas led
UConn with 19 points.
St. John's is back in action on Saturday, Jan. 27, at VIllanova.
Tipoff is at Noon and the game will be broadcast on CSTV.