Angel Mccoughtry

Move Villanova's women off the bubble and into the NCAA tournament. The Wildcats removed all doubts about their worthiness as an at-large team yesterday with a 58-47 win over No. 20 Notre Dame in a Big East Conference quarterfinal at the XL Center in Hartford, Conn. Senior Laura Kurz had an erratic start, missing her first six shots, but the Germantown Academy graduate steadied her way to 21 points and 11 rebounds. Lisa Karcic added 11 points and Heather Scanlon knocked down a pair of three-pointers in the second half when Villanova (19-12)

Two projected starters for Louisville's basketball team were released from jail yesterday after being arrested the night before on misdemeanor charges of resisting law enforcement in southern Indiana. University of Louisville spokesman Kenny Klein confirmed that sophomore forward Terrence Jennings and senior guard Jerry Smith were arrested on the misdemeanor charges in Jeffersonville, Ind. Klein said basketball coach Rick Pitino is aware of the arrests and the issue will be handled inside the program.

Maya Moore scored 28 points, and top-ranked Connecticut cruised to its 15th Big East tournament championship with a 75-36 victory over fifth-ranked Louisville last night in Hartford, Conn. When the sensational sophomore walked off the floor with eight minutes left, she had single-handedly outscored Louisville by 28-27. Moore was selected as the tournament's most outstanding performer. The Huskies (33-0) have won four of the last five conference tournament titles and enter the NCAA tournament unbeaten for the fourth time in school history.

No. 1 Connecticut lived up to its billing in the Big East women's basketball tournament last night, thrashing Villanova, 72-42, at the XL Center in Hartford, Conn., to earn a spot in the championship game. Connecticut (32-0) will try for its 15th tournament title tonight at 7 against No. 5 Louisville, a 69-63 winner over No. 14 Pittsburgh. Sophomore Maya Moore scored 17 points to lead the Huskies. Tina Charles added 16 points and Renee Montgomery 12. Tia Grant tallied 13 points and Siobhan O'Connor 11 for the Wildcats (19-13)

Courtney Paris of Oklahoma yesterday became the first four-time all-American in women's college basketball, and sophomore Maya Moore of Connecticut was a unanimous selection in her second appearance on the Associated Press' all-American team. They were joined on the first team by Connecticut's Renee Montgomery and fellow seniors Angel McCoughtry of Louisville and Kristi Toliver of Maryland. Epiphanny Prince of Rutgers was named to the third team, and Laura Kurz of Villanova and Germantown Academy earned honorable mention.

Timisha Gomez, the most experienced of three St. Joseph's seniors, rescued the Hawks at both ends of the court last night in a 60-59 victory over Lehigh in Bethlehem, Pa., in the opener for both teams. The native of Elkridge, Md., hit a pair of foul shots with 4.4 seconds left to provide the winning points. St. Joseph's had trailed by 15 points with just under eight minutes left in the game. Lehigh still had a chance to deny the Hawks, but Gomez got her hand on the ball when the Mountain Hawks' Kristen Dalton drove for the basket as time expired.

Kristi Toliver had 24 points and eight assists in her return from a one-game suspension as No. 14 Maryland beat Mississippi State, 80-73, yesterday in the final of the Terrapin Classic in College Park, Md. It was the Bulldogs' first defeat of the season. Demauria Liles and Marah Strickland scored 16 points apiece for the Terrapins (11-2). They have won four straight and 11 of 12. Alexis Rack led Mississippi State (11-1) with 24 points. The Bulldogs' 11-0 start matched the best in school history.

Angel McCoughtry had 20 points and a big strip at the end as Louisville (23-8) upset No. 4 Rutgers, 57-56, yesterday in the second round of the Big East tournament in Hartford, Conn. Epiphany Prince and Matee Ajavon each had 13 points for Rutgers (24-6), the defending tournament champion. In three other second-round games, University City product Marcedes Walker collected 18 points and 13 rebounds to help Pittsburgh (22-9) upset No. 9 Notre Dame (23-8), 64-53, for a semifinal meeting today with top-ranked Connecticut.

Episcopal Academy product Gerald Henderson scored 21 points and No. 2 Duke pulled away late to beat North Carolina State, 73-56, last night in Durham, N.C. Nolan Smith hit consecutive three-pointers 30 seconds apart to start the decisive run for the Blue Devils (17-1, 4-0 ACC). They closed the game on a 27-5 run. Brandon Costner and Ben McCauley both scored 15 points for the Wolfpack (10-6, 1-3), who led for much of the way but hit just one field goal over the final 7 minutes, 45 seconds.

Angel McCoughtry bedeviled Villanova with 23 of her 34 points in the second half to lead No. 8 Louisville to a 76-54 win in a Big East Conference women's basketball game yesterday at the Pavilion. The native of Baltimore, who had about 50 family members and friends at the game, is a leading candidate to be the No. 1 overall draft pick in the WNBA in April. "She's as good as there is," Louisville coach Jeff Walz said. "If she continues to play as she is - she already is the first person to lead the Big East in steals, points and rebounds two years, and she'll have a chance to do it three straight years.

Two projected starters for Louisville's basketball team were released from jail yesterday after being arrested the night before on misdemeanor charges of resisting law enforcement in southern Indiana. University of Louisville spokesman Kenny Klein confirmed that sophomore forward Terrence Jennings and senior guard Jerry Smith were arrested on the misdemeanor charges in Jeffersonville, Ind. Klein said basketball coach Rick Pitino is aware of the arrests and the issue will be handled inside the program.

Angel McCoughtry and Louisville played the second half as if they belonged in their first Final Four. McCoughtry scored 14 of her 18 points in the second half and added 11 rebounds, helping Louisville crawl out of an early hole to beat Oklahoma, 61-59, in the national semifinals last night in St. Louis and end Courtney Paris' stellar career. "We have not one high school All-American on this team, but these guys have worked so hard," McCoughtry said. "I'm so proud of them. " Oklahoma's Nyeshia Stevenson had a good look on a three-point attempt in the final seconds that rattled out. Paris promised to pay back the cost of her four-year scholarship if the Sooners failed to win the title.

Angel McCoughtry and Louisville played the second half as if they belonged in their first Final Four. McCoughtry scored 14 of her 18 points in the second half and added 11 rebounds, helping Louisville crawl out of an early hole to beat Oklahoma, 61-59, in the national semifinals last night and end Courtney Paris' stellar career. Keshia Hines added 10 rebounds and nine points for the Cardinals (34-4), who will face unbeaten and top-ranked Connecticut in the first all-Big East final in NCAA women's basketball history.

Courtney Paris of Oklahoma yesterday became the first four-time all-American in women's college basketball, and sophomore Maya Moore of Connecticut was a unanimous selection in her second appearance on the Associated Press' all-American team. They were joined on the first team by Connecticut's Renee Montgomery and fellow seniors Angel McCoughtry of Louisville and Kristi Toliver of Maryland. Epiphanny Prince of Rutgers was named to the third team, and Laura Kurz of Villanova and Germantown Academy earned honorable mention.

Maya Moore scored 28 points, and top-ranked Connecticut cruised to its 15th Big East tournament championship with a 75-36 victory over fifth-ranked Louisville last night in Hartford, Conn. When the sensational sophomore walked off the floor with eight minutes left, she had single-handedly outscored Louisville by 28-27. Moore was selected as the tournament's most outstanding performer. The Huskies (33-0) have won four of the last five conference tournament titles and enter the NCAA tournament unbeaten for the fourth time in school history.

No. 1 Connecticut lived up to its billing in the Big East women's basketball tournament last night, thrashing Villanova, 72-42, at the XL Center in Hartford, Conn., to earn a spot in the championship game. Connecticut (32-0) will try for its 15th tournament title tonight at 7 against No. 5 Louisville, a 69-63 winner over No. 14 Pittsburgh. Sophomore Maya Moore scored 17 points to lead the Huskies. Tina Charles added 16 points and Renee Montgomery 12. Tia Grant tallied 13 points and Siobhan O'Connor 11 for the Wildcats (19-13)

Move Villanova's women off the bubble and into the NCAA tournament. The Wildcats removed all doubts about their worthiness as an at-large team yesterday with a 58-47 win over No. 20 Notre Dame in a Big East Conference quarterfinal at the XL Center in Hartford, Conn. Senior Laura Kurz had an erratic start, missing her first six shots, but the Germantown Academy graduate steadied her way to 21 points and 11 rebounds. Lisa Karcic added 11 points and Heather Scanlon knocked down a pair of three-pointers in the second half when Villanova (19-12)

Angel McCoughtry bedeviled Villanova with 23 of her 34 points in the second half to lead No. 8 Louisville to a 76-54 win in a Big East Conference women's basketball game yesterday at the Pavilion. The native of Baltimore, who had about 50 family members and friends at the game, is a leading candidate to be the No. 1 overall draft pick in the WNBA in April. "She's as good as there is," Louisville coach Jeff Walz said. "If she continues to play as she is - she already is the first person to lead the Big East in steals, points and rebounds two years, and she'll have a chance to do it three straight years.

Episcopal Academy product Gerald Henderson scored 21 points and No. 2 Duke pulled away late to beat North Carolina State, 73-56, last night in Durham, N.C. Nolan Smith hit consecutive three-pointers 30 seconds apart to start the decisive run for the Blue Devils (17-1, 4-0 ACC). They closed the game on a 27-5 run. Brandon Costner and Ben McCauley both scored 15 points for the Wolfpack (10-6, 1-3), who led for much of the way but hit just one field goal over the final 7 minutes, 45 seconds.

Kristi Toliver had 24 points and eight assists in her return from a one-game suspension as No. 14 Maryland beat Mississippi State, 80-73, yesterday in the final of the Terrapin Classic in College Park, Md. It was the Bulldogs' first defeat of the season. Demauria Liles and Marah Strickland scored 16 points apiece for the Terrapins (11-2). They have won four straight and 11 of 12. Alexis Rack led Mississippi State (11-1) with 24 points. The Bulldogs' 11-0 start matched the best in school history.