The Huskies did not look very sharp by their standards against the Gators on Tuesday night.
Still, No. 1 Connecticut (35-0) defeated No. 8-seed UF (24-8) 87-59 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Storrs, Conn., to advance to the Regional Semifinals.
The Gators put up all the fight they had, trying to stay as close as possible throughout, but it was going to take a lot more than effort for them to pull the upset.
"UConn put it out of reach there in the first half," UF assistant coach Susie Gardner said. "We fought back in the second half, but they're an awfully good team."
UF was hampered by foul trouble early on.
Senior point guard Sha Brooks played sparingly in the first half after picking up three quick fouls in the first seven minutes, including two offensive fouls in the first 1:32 of the game.
All she could do was sit on the bench and watch, a look of disappointment in her eyes she hadn't yet shown this season.
"That was probably, if you want to script something, the worst-case scenario that could have happened," said Gardner, who added that she could see tears in Brooks' eyes after she picked up her third foul.
With the Gators' best player on the sideline, senior forward Marshae Dotson did all she could to spark her team, scoring 12 points before the break. She finished with 22.
"We felt like if we could get the ball to her, she could use her quickness inside," Gardner said. "Marshae kept us in the game."
She didn't get much help elsewhere, however, with only three other Gators getting on the scoreboard in the first half.
The Gators hung tough for the first 12 minutes of the game.
After UF cut the lead to 6, Connecticut's Renee Montgomery hit back-to-back threes - including a 4-point play - to ignite a 13-0 Huskies run that put them up 39-20 and all but sealed the deal.
The Huskies never looked back.
Steffi Sorensen was a small bright spot for the Gators.
The junior guard hit a three from nearly half court at the buzzer of the first half, and UF trailed 47-26 at the break.
Sorensen finished with 9 points on 3-of-9 shooting from 3-point range.
UF, overmatched at every position on the floor, was dismantled on the boards 34-13 before the half.
The Huskies were unstoppable on the offensive end as well, with three players scoring 20 or more points.
Montgomery led all scorers with 25 points.
Junior center Tina Charles added 22 points and 10 rebounds, while sophomore guard Maya Moore finished with 22 points and 14 rebounds.
A radio broadcast contributed to this report.
