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Tag: university of connecticut

  • Stefanie Dolson Leads UConn to NCAA National Title

    17 points, 16 rebounds, and 7 assists – Stefanie Dolson’s stat-line from Tuesday night’s Women’s NCAA National Championship game screams of the pro-potential she will bring to the WNBA next season. Dolson’s impressive performance against Notre Dame helped lead the University of Connecticut past the Fighting Irish to captures its ninth NCAA title – more than any other women’s program in Division One history.

    If one was to ask Dolson if she would have found herself in such a position four years ago, however, the answer most likely would have been no.

    In telling her favorite story concerning her relation with coach Geno Auriemma the afternoon before the title game tipped-off, Dolson gave the world a bit of an insight as to her struggles to get to where she currently is – at the top of collegiate women’s basketball. During the middle of a practice her freshman year at UConn, Coach Auriemma stopped the session to share some crucial information with the 6’5″ center:

    “He took out a piece of paper and put it on the floor and said, ‘You just jumped over that to get the rebound,” Dolson said. “At the time I was thinking ‘Dang, man!’ It was blunt and I was little thrown off. At the same time, Coach has a way of throwing in humor to get you to laugh things off. But I remember what the message meant and I grew from that moment. I started thinking, ‘Okay, I am not the best rebounder and I can’t jump that high but I am going to work to a point where I am now with my body.”‘

    And work Dolson did. Not only was she able to lead UConn to its second consecutive national title by helping the Huskies dominate the paint (52-22 point advantage in the paint and a 54-31 rebounding margin), but Dolson also racked-up numerous personal awards in recognition of her outstanding senior year.

    Dolson was named to the All-American second-team by Associated Press and to the WBCA’s All-American team for the second consecutive year. She was also named to the American Athletic Conference’s first team, was announced as its Defensive Player of the Year, and also won the AAC sportsmanship award. On Friday, Dolson was also awarded the 2013-14 Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School (CLASS) award.

    “I’m extremely honored and I know my family will be so proud and excited. This award is special because it recognizes more than just basketball and celebrates what student-athletes also do in the classroom and in the community. I take a lot of pride in being a leader on this team, so I’m very happy to be recognized,” stated Dolson.

    In post-game interviews following their victory against Notre Dame, Dolson displayed her enduring confidence and comedienne demeanor:

    “We knew we were going to win tonight.Right from the beginning we went into it so excited and so pumped. Everyone said we had a lot of pressure on our backs, but we didn’t. We went in there having fun, we were loose and playing great. We knew it right at the beginning.”

    Dolson continued her interview by pleading with Jimmy Fallon to invite her to the show, stating, “Oh, Jimmy Fallon, please hit me up,” after which she challenged President Obama to a personal battle:

    Fortunately for Dolson, her future does not depend on whether she wins her dance-off against President Obama or not. As of now, Dolson is slated to be the top-pick in this year’s WNBA draft.

    Image via Facebook

  • Uconn Gunman Commits Suicide Following Standoff

    The Uconn gunman who was spotted on campus Monday afternoon took his own life after a tense all-night standoff with local authorities. After communications broke down with police, the man, whose name has not been released to the public, shot himself on the shoreline near the university. According to reports, no one else was harmed during the incident.

    Around 5 p.m. on July 23rd, area police were altered to a peculiar individual lurking near the University of Connecticut’s Avery Point campus. Witnesses claimed the man was armed with some sort of handgun, though his intent was unclear at the time. Upon locating the man’s car around 10 p.m., authorities decided to close down the campus. Students who were attending the oceanography camp at the time were kept under police guard.

    The search led police to the shoreline, where they found the individual wielding a handgun. Although authorities attempted to communicate with the man repeatedly during the standoff, he eventually became irritated with the process. As a result, he threw away his cellphone and refused to continue negotiations.

    Sadly, things began to worsen as the night progressed. After the man began behaving in an increasingly erratic manner, police tried using non-lethal methods to bring him down. Neither bean bag guns nor flash bombs could make the man surrender his weapon. Just before dawn, the individual turned the gun on himself, ending his own life in the process.

    University spokeswoman Stephanie Reitz explained that none of the students were ever in danger, though, according to Lt. J Paul Vance of the state police, the situation was dangerous for “everyone involved”. The school was expected to reopen this morning at 8 a.m.

    Image provided courtesy of Uconn Today