UConn captured its record 16th Big East Tournament title thanks to a suffocating defensive effort which held West Virginia scoreless for 11:23 of the second half en route to a 60-32 UConn victory.

The 32 points were the fewest for a team in the Big East championship game.

"People think we are a pretty, finesse team and we don't like to be physical but we can do a lot of little things," said UConn senior guard/forward Kalana Greene, who was named the tournament's most outstanding player. "That is what we have done all season, people don't really pay attention to that, they look at the points and the top ten plays and stuff like that. We are a team that can get down to the nitty, gritty, get tips on defense and lock teams down and get rebounds when we needed to."

West Virginia pulled with five points with 15:32 to go only to look on helplessly as UConn responded with a 27-2 run.

"We cut it to five and we had a couple of bad shots, they got a couple of offensive rebounds and a three-point play," West Virginia coach Mike Carey said. "Then the game got really physical and we are not going to win that battle with them. They are too big and strong."

Greene finished with 15 points, 12 rebounds and three assists and Tiffany Hayes added 15 points and seven rebounds to help offset a combined 9 for 31 shooting effort from Tina Charles and Maya Moore.

While UConn coach Geno Auriemma and most of his players tend to downplay the current NCAA Division I record 72-game winning streak, sophomore guard Tiffany Hayes was giddy when I asked her about opening her collegiate career with a 72-0 record.

"It's pretty nice, me Caroline and Heather Buck we always talk about it, we are still undefeated, we are 72-0," Hayes said. "A lot of peopple don't get to experience that so it is a great feeling."

WALKER, CHAMINADE JULIENNE ADVANCE
UConn incoming freshman Samarie Walker and her Chaminade Julienne of Dayton, Ohio team lived to play another day. Walker, a 6-foot-1 forward/guard, had 15 points as the Eagles defeated DeSales 46-37 in a Ohio Division II regional semifinal on Tuesday.