Deacons downed by No. 1 Connecticut
By Matt Gallagher
Old Gold and Black Reporter

So, there’s a reason why Connecticut is ranked No. 1 in the country in women’s basketball.

The Huskies descended upon Lawrence Joel Coliseum Nov. 26 to face off against a Demon Deacon squad which was coming off three solid outings--and had a 2-1 record to show for their efforts. Nevertheless, Connecticut breezed its way through the game, rolling to an 88-38 victory.

After opening up a 35-6 lead in the first half by canning 15 of their first 16 shots, the Huskies never looked back, and saw all five starters reach double figures.
“All of your team’s weaknesses are glaring against a team like Connecticut,” said Deacon Head Coach Charlene Curtis. “I have to put that game aside. Hopefully, we learned a lot.”

Sophomore forward Eafton Hill led the Deacons with 10 points and sophomore forward Tracy Alston chipped in with 10 rebounds and five assists, but overall the Deacs were out-rebounded 46-33 and shot 24 percent from the field for the game.
The Huskies ran their record to 6-0 while the Deacons fell to 2-2.

The Demon Deacons opened their regular season with two solid home victories over Appalachian State and Radford, held Nov. 19 and Nov. 21, respectively.
Sophomore guard Tonia Brown carried the team to a 70-66 victory over Appalachian State, and cemented the victory with a clutch three-pointer with just over two minutes to play to make the score 68-66.

Brown had 19 points on the night, while junior forward Tiffani Listenbee exploded for15 points and nine rebounds. Hill scored 15 points and recorded four blocks.
Defense was the key for icing out the victory over the Mountaineers, as the Deacs forced 19 steals, led by sophomore Bianca Brown, who swiped five.

No such late-game heroics were needed two days later against Radford, as the Demon Deacons dominated every facet of the game, seizing a 79-65 victory.
Senior center LaChina Robinson led the charge, pouring in 15 points and hauling down 20 boards. Brown added 13 points as the team roared out of the gates to a 43-23 halftime lead and never looked back.

For the first road trip of the season, the Deacons traveled to Alabama-Birmingham on Nov. 24. UAB’s Head Coach Jeannie Milling was searching for her 400th career win, and found it against the Deacs with an 80-61 victory.
Hill led the team with 17 points in the losing effort, and Robinson had 11 points and eight rebounds.

The young Deacons, who have started three sophomores and one junior thus far, and have seven underclassmen on the roster, have frustrated Curtis with their inconsistent early season play. “Our young players have to continue to mature to provide steady play,” she said. “We have to be a better rebounding team … but, in the end, we will be a better team (than last year).”

The squad took a heavy blow when Hill, one of the team’s few steady performers, injured both her feet. She fractured one foot and has a stress fracture in the other. She will be sidelined for at least two weeks, according to Curtis.

The Demon Deacons next head to Western Carolina Nov. 29 for a non-conference meeting before heading to Chapel Hill Dec. 5 to face North Carolina in their first conference game. The Tar Heels have a 5-1 record and are ranked 24th in the nation.