No. 1 Connecticut Demolishes Army, 82-33

Mel Thomas scores 19 points as Huskies start second week at No. 1 in AP poll

Dec. 31, 2007

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - Mel Thomas scored 19 points and showed off her long-range game as Connecticut opened its second week as the No. 1 team in the nation by routing Army 82-33 on Monday.

Thomas hit her first seven shots, five of 3-pointers, and the Huskies (11-0) put away the Black Knights (6-6) early in this New Year's Eve matinee, opening the game with a 17-3 run. Army (6-6) scored the next eight, but the Huskies responded with a 14-2 spurt and were not challenged again. They led 47-15 at the break, and sat their regulars for much of the second half.

Thomas played just 26 minutes, and finished 5-of-8 from 3-point range, after hitting just two from behind the arc in UConn's previous four games. She moved past Sue Bird and Jennifer Rizzotti into fourth place on UConn's career 3-point list with 212.

Army (6-6) was led by Cara Enright's seven points. Erin Anthony added four points and nine rebounds for the Black Knights.

UConn's Renee Montgomery had 12 points and freshman Maya Moore added 11 points and six assists. She has been in double figures in all 11 games.

Charde Houston, starting for the first time since Nov. 22, scored 10 points and had four steals. Houston had not scored more than six points all season, and had lost her starting job to Brittany Hunter.

Hunter aggravated her surgically repaired right knee in Saturday's win over Hartford, did not play on Monday, and could miss Thursday's Big East opener at Villanova.

The Huskies, who won their first 10 games by an average of 41 points, again dominated on defense. They held Army to just 28 percent shooting, forced 24 turnovers and outrebounded the Black Knights 40-28.

Army became the ninth UConn foe this season to lose by at least 30 points.