HARTFORD, Conn. --- The Connecticut Huskies took note of the upsets in the Big East tournament and wouldn't let it happen to them.
Tina Charles scored 21 points, and Renee Montgomery added 15 to help top-ranked Connecticut cruise past Pittsburgh 74-47 on Monday night in the Big East Tournament semifinals.
Connecticut will face the winner of the game between No. 16 West Virginia and No. 23 Louisville in tonight's championship game. It's the fourth consecutive year Connecticut has made the title game.
UConn (31-1) jumped all over Pittsburgh, scoring 11 of the first 12 points. Leading 20-10 midway through the first half, Connecticut went on a 19-2 run over the next 61/2 minutes to put the game away.
Connecticut held a 44-22 halftime lead, and Pittsburgh (22-10) could get no closer than 20 in the second half.
Maya Moore, the Big East Player of the Year, was held to just seven points. Moore was tied with Diana Taurasi for the school record with 31 consecutive games with 10 or more points.
NO. 3 TENNESSEE 61, NO. 7 LSU 55 (SUNDAY)
In Nashville, Tenn., Candace Parker hit a jumper with 1:57 left that put Tennessee ahead to stay, and the Lady Vols won their record 13th Southeastern Conference title and third in four years by beating the Lady Tigers late Sunday night.
The past three all have come against LSU, but this win is a little sweeter for Tennessee after the Lady Tigers won the SEC regular-season title by defeating the Lady Vols 78-62 on Feb. 14.
The Lady Vols (30-2) reached 30 wins for the sixth season in a row and for the 18th time in coach Pat Summitt's 34 years.
AUTOMATIC BIDS
SCHOOL...CONFERENCE
Chattanooga.....Southern
East Tennessee State.......Atlantic Sun
Marist........Metro Atlantic Athletic
Murray State......Ohio Valley
North Carolina........Atlantic Coast
Purdue.......Big Ten
San Diego........West Coast
SMU........Conference USA
Tennessee.........Southeastern
Xavier........Atlantic 10

