The Huskies had a pretty easy time of it in the Jimmy V Classic, using an 8-0 run midway through the second half to put the game on ice.
Connecticut's Brianna Banks goes up for a shot as Maryland's Alyssa Thomas backs off in the first half Monday in Hartford.
By DOUG FEINBERG
AP Basketball Writer
HARTFORD – Stefanie Dolson scored 14 points and Breanna Stewart added 13 to lead No. 2 Connecticut to a 63-48 victory over No. 9 Maryland Monday night in the Jimmy V Classic.
Kelly Faris added eight points, eight steals, seven rebounds and seven assists for the Huskies (7-0). She helped hold Maryland All-American Alyssa Thomas to just six points. Trailing by 13 at halftime, Maryland whittled its deficit to seven before UConn scored eight straight points, including a 3-pointer by Brianna Banks and a three-point play by Bria Hartley. Kiah Stokes capped the run with a lay-in midway through the second half.
Maryland, which had a season-high 26 turnovers, couldn't get within single digits the rest of the way.
Tianna Hawkins scored 14 points and freshman Chloe Pavlech added a season-high 10 to lead the Terrapins (4-2).
The Terrapins were playing without guards Laurin Mincy and Brene Moseley. Both suffered ACL injuries this season. Mincy tore the ACL in her right knee early in the second half of Maryland's win over Nebraska Wednesday. Moseley injured her left knee Oct. 21. Moseley was the third ACL injury for the Terps this season. Senior center Essence Towsend tore hers in an exhibition game in early October.
Without the guards, Maryland couldn't take care of the basketball. The Terps came into the game averaging only 16 turnovers.
UConn couldn't take advantage of the miscues early. Trailing 17-8, Maryland scored seven straight points to make it a two-point game. Stewart finally ended a 5½-minute drought, scoring seven straight points during a 10-0 run by the Huskies. She started it with a 3-pointer and connected on a falling-down layup, following up her own miss. Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis capped the burst with a 3-pointer that made it 27-15. The Huskies led 33-20 at halftime.
Mosqueda-Lewis didn't return for the second half after bruising a left quad. She missed the Huskies' previous game against Colgate after suffering a concussion against Purdue Nov. 24.
Monday's game had special meaning for Maryland coach Brenda Frese, whose 4-year-old son Tyler continues to battle leukemia.
"It means a lot," Frese said. "Obviously, there was no question when we got the invite that we knew we wanted to play in it. And, obviously, for me personally with my son Tyler going through leukemia and with his diagnosis and his treatment, I think it just helps us to be able to, with a national audience and on TV, bring even more awareness to all the people out there that are battling cancer. And, obviously, our family is one that's directly impacted, but the fact that we can play a game and bring exposure is really important and we're just really fortunate to be a part of it."
Tyler was diagnosed with leukemia when he was 2½ years old. Frese said at this point he is "doing really well."
"He's got one more year of treatment," Frese said. "He takes chemo and medicine every single day. It's a three-and-a-half-year treatment that he's going on with (Johns) Hopkins (Pediatric Oncology Center) up in Baltimore. December of 2013 will be his last day of medicine, and then he's got to go a year and a half after that to be deemed cancer-free. But all signs are great. He's not showing any cancer at the moment and he's doing extremely well."
The teams will play again in the Jimmy V Classic next season at Maryland. This was the first meeting between the programs. UConn continued its domination of ACC opponents, winning its 20th straight, with an average winning margin of 28 points.