College basketball

Huskies muzzle powerful Tigers

By wire services
Published January 17, 2006

HARTFORD, Conn. - Charde Houston had 22 points, including the winning free throw with 17 seconds left, and No.5 Connecticut handed No.3 LSU its first loss of the season 51-48 Monday night.

The Huskies (16-2) were playing their fifth game in 10 days, a stretch that began with an 89-80 loss at top-ranked Tennessee. But they showed no signs of fatigue, putting the Tigers (14-1) on their heels early and holding them to their fewest points this season.

LSU had no answer for Houston, who finished with a career-high 14 rebounds, three steals and a block. UConn led by as many as 16 points.

Reigning national player of the year Seimone Augustus finished with 15 points for LSU but had few good looks most of the game. Sylvia Fowles, LSU's dominant 6-foot-6 center, had her hands full with two and three UConn defenders, especially Houston. Fowles finished with 12 points and 15 rebounds.

Fowles and Augustus combined for eight points in LSU's 10-0 run that tied it at 48, capped by Fowles' putback with 26 seconds left. Houston was fouled on UConn's next possession and made a free throw.

NO.2 DUKE 84, HOLY CROSS 36: Abby Waner scored 17 and Wanisha Smith 15 as the visiting Blue Devils rebounded from their lowest-scoring game this season. Alison Bales had 13 points and 11 rebounds for Duke (17-0), coming off a 66-52 win at Boston College on Saturday.

UVA 78, NO.18 VA. TECH 59: Lyndra Littles had 19 points and 12 rebounds to lead the visiting Cavaliers (13-3, 1-2 ACC), who turned 22 Hokies turnovers into 27 points and shot 51.6 percent to Virginia Tech's 40.4 percent.

AP POLL: George Washington entered at No.25 as one of two newcomers, putting both the school's teams in the Top 25. BYU was the other newcomer at 23rd. Missouri and North Carolina State dropped out.

AILING PLAYER RETIRES: Washington guard Kayla Burt ended her career four days after her internal heart defibrillator went off during a game.

The senior, 23, had the defibrillator implanted in her chest after her heart stopped on New Year's Eve 2002. She was in her off-campus apartment then for a holiday gathering, and teammates performed CPR until paramedics arrived.

The Huskies team doctor, Kim Harmon, said the team still doesn't know why Burt's defibrillator went off Thursday night during a home game against UCLA.

State

NO.6 MARYLAND 75, FSU 57: Crystal Langhorne had 19 rebounds and 12 points and Kristi Toliver scored 16 for the host Terrapins (15-2, 2-1). Held without a rebound eight days earlier in a loss to Duke, Langhorne recorded her 26th career double double, most of any active ACC player.

[Last modified January 17, 2006, 01:25:19]