DePaul nearly beats No. 1 UConn
Top-ranked Connecticut was ready to fall.
The Huskies trailed DePaul by 17 in the second half Saturday night and were on the verge of being blown out of the cozy and noisy 3,000-seat McGrath Arena.
But as Blue Demons coach Doug Bruno painfully pointed out after UConn rallied for a 77-76 victory, "They're No. 1 for a reason."
Turning up the defense, the Huskies got back in the game and then used a big steal from Maya Moore and a go-ahead layup by Ketia Swanier with 1.6 seconds left to finally subdue the Blue Demons.
"That's why playing games like this at the end of the year is unbelievable," UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. "Everybody's got something at stake. This was a bunch of kids at their best tonight. It doesn't get better than that."
The Huskies (28-1, 14-1) close the season at home Monday against Rutgers -- the only team to beat UConn this season -- with the winner claiming the Big East regular-season title.
DePaul (18-10, 7-8) hopes to win its regular-season finale at Seton Hall and then do well enough in the conference tournament to get an NCAA Tournament bid.
After DePaul let its huge lead get away, Allie Quigley's baseline jumper with 30.9 seconds to go put the Blue Demons ahead 76-74.
After a UConn timeout, Renee Montgomery attempted a 3-pointer but Quigley fouled her with 14.6 seconds left. Montgomery missed the first free throw, made the second and then missed the third.
"That was not a 3-point foul. That was a foul on the floor and that's a fact," Bruno said. "I don't need to see the tape. ... I'm glad they made 1 out of 3, but the first one was a miss and it should have been a 1-and-1."
In a scramble after Montgomery missed the third free throw, the ball was knocked out to DePaul's Missy Mitidiero, who raced ahead toward the Blue Demons' basket with the clock racing down.
But Moore came from behind to steal the ball and call a timeout with seven seconds left.
"I don't think there's anybody in the building who didn't think the game was over when they're dribbling down the floor ready to run out the clock. But Maya Moore didn't think the game was over," Auriemma said. "That gave Ketia a chance to make her play."
Swanier then drove the floor and through the lane for a layup with 1.6 seconds left putting the Huskies up 77-76.
DePaul's Taylor Pikes missed a shot from in close at the buzzer and the upset bid was over.
Notre Dame 70, Seton Hall 55: Charel Allen scored 22 points and No. 14 Notre Dame (23-6, 11-4) made all 8 of its free throws in the final 1:25 to beat visiting Seton Hall (13-14, 3-12) and clinch a first-round bye in the Big East tournament.