HARTFORD, Conn. - Boston College picked the right time to snap the Huskies jinx.
The No.23 Eagles shot a season-high 63 percent to stun No.3 Connecticut 73-70 in the semifinals of the Big East tournament on Monday before a roaring UConn partisan crowd of more than 10,000 at the Civic Center.
UConn had won 27 of 28 against the Eagles, including both regular-season matchups this season. But not this time.
"I'm overjoyed," BC coach Cathy Inglese said. "To beat them in this circumstance was probably the best. I'm so happy for this team. They were not going to let it slip from their hands. They refused to lose."
Jessalyn Deveny scored 20 and Kathrin Ress added 18, including a go-ahead free throw with 26.2 seconds left to lead the fifth-seeded Eagles (24-6), who play Rutgers tonight in the title game.
UConn (25-4) fell short of the title for the second straight year after winning a league-best nine in a row. Diana Taurasi led the Huskies with 17 points.
"I said before the tournament there were no easy games in this tournament anymore," UConn coach Geno Auriemma said.
NO.1 DUKE 63, NO.9 UNC 47: The Blue Devils, who moved up to No.1 earlier in the day, won their record fifth consecutive ACC tournament title, getting 17 points and nine rebounds from Iciss Tillis in Greensboro, N.C. It marked the third straight year Duke (27-3) beat North Carolina (24-6) in the final as the women matched the Duke men (1999-2003) as the only teams to win five straight ACC titles.
NO.6 PURDUE 59, NO.4 PENN ST. 58: Shereka Wright hit two free throws with 4.8 seconds left and blocked a potential winning shot to carry the Boilermakers to the Big Ten tournament championship in Indianapolis. Purdue (27-3) snapped a three-game losing streak against the Nittany Lions by winning its second straight tournament crown.
Penn State (25-5) lost for just the second time in 20 games. The Nittany Lions, the Big Ten regular-season champs, were led by Kelly Mazzante with 22 points.
ATLANTIC 10: Christena Hamilton, sister of Detroit Pistons guard Richard Hamilton, scored 14 and sank a late free throw to lead Temple to a 53-48 win over Saint Joseph's in the title game.
FLORIDA: Senior center Vanessa Hayden was a unanimous choice to the All-SEC first team.
