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College basketball

Women: UConn neutralizes Dickson to rout USF

Associated Press
Published January 25, 2006

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HARTFORD, Conn. - Connecticut's Mel Thomas was up for the challenge.

She helped shut down USF's Jessica Dickson, the nation's leading scorer, and the fifth-ranked Huskies cruised to a 77-47 victory over the Big East newcomer Tuesday night.

Dickson was averaging 24.7 points but finished with a season-low six and snapped her streak of double-figure games at 34.

"We just take it personally," Thomas said. "This girl is the leading scorer in the country and you don't want her to score. Everywhere she goes, that's all we were thinking: She's not getting the ball."

UConn used the same strategy in a 51-48 win last week over LSU, holding reigning player of the year Seimone Augustus and powerful center Sylvia Fowles below their averages.

Against the Bulls, UConn did pretty well on offense, too.

Barbara Turner, sidelined the previous game with a calf sprain, returned with 16 points and seven rebounds for UConn (18-2, 7-0), which won its sixth straight to remain one-half game ahead of Rutgers in the Big East.

A fatigued Dickson came out for good with nine minutes left after shooting 2-of-9 and missing all four of her 3-point attempts.

"I had to work to get open and it did have an effect on me," she said. "My legs got a little tired."

Shantia Grace led the Bulls (13-7, 3-4) with 12 points and five assists.

Top 25

NO. 10 RUTGERS 69, NO. 21 NOTRE DAME 43: Matee Ajavon scored a season-high 28 and Cappie Pondexter had 20, and the host Scarlet Knights (14-3, 6-0) held the Irish (12-6, 3-4) to one point over the first 11 minutes.

[Last modified January 25, 2006, 00:56:11]

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