About time somebody fought back

Storrs

Finally. Finally, finally, finally. In lieu of excuses, wouldas, shouldas and couldas, an underdog women's basketball team, thought to be the 262nd straight unranked victim of the UConn women, growled back.

They are women of Jamaica Queens. Hear them roar.

And so it was Saturday night at Gampel Pavilion. The game that began UConn 11, St. John's 3, finished St. John's 57, UConn 56. How many times had we seen 11-3 morph into 22-5, 45-10 and all the way to dizzying levels of boredom? How many times had we seen the 261 other victims quit? Not this time.

Note to St. John's: Thank you.

Not necessarily for rewriting Senior Night's script, but for illustrating that when women's basketball is good, it's really, really good.

And thanks for pushing back, too.

It's only, like, the point.

Basketball fans of Connecticut should rejoice today. This is the kind of outcome that redistributes the juices. Think about it: What is the lone component lacking within the UConn women's program? Answer: competition. It's harbored a sense of dread around UConn women's games for everyone but the masochists who enjoy 40-point waltzes.

Sorry. But many of us approach UConn women's games now wondering whether we can endure another snoozer. It's not UConn's fault. It's the responsibility of all the others, save a few of the other Gatsbys, to get better.

Meanwhile, we wait. Impatiently. Because what compels us to watch sports - the unwritten script and the daunting reality that your team might lose - just isn't part of their games. There's no drama around the UConn women. At least not usually until the Final Four. Some program defenders would suggest that we're not appreciating the Huskies enough, especially their penchant for playing the game the way Dr. Naismith intended.

But you can only watch UConn fertilize opponents for so long before appreciation turns into been there, done that, yawn, rinse, repeat.

Now we have St. John's, whose kids hung around like yellow police tape all of Saturday night, surely long enough for a kid named Shenneika Smith to make her fourth three-point shot of the season. It was 56-54 UConn with time growing desperate when Kim Barnes Arico, the underappreciated coach of the Red Storm, asked her coaches during a timeout: go for the tie or the win? And if we go for the win, who takes the shot?

The decision was unanimous: Shenneika Smith.

Boom.

"Days like today are a reminder that you're only supposed to win when you play really well. We didn't deserve to win. I don't care if we won 900 in a row at home," UConn coach Geno Auriemma said, alluding to his team's 99-game home win streak that ended. "Leading up to that last shot, if that shot goes in - hey that's 100 in a row. Realistically, though, St. John's outplayed us today. They did what they wanted to do better than what we wanted to do. It was a fitting end for them."

Only an excellent answer.

Auriemma, ever gracious in defeat, knows he can get serious mileage from this outcome. It doesn't imperil the season in any way, but sure gives Auriemma plenty of fodder. It's doubtful Auriemma will need to trot out his A-level motivational speeches the rest of the way.

Besides, while Connecticut's team lost this game, Connecticut's team also won. Have you checked the St. John's roster?

Briana Brown (Norwalk). Keylantra Langley (Bridgeport). Da'Shena Stevens (Stamford). Video coordinator Vinny Bruno (UConn grad). Graduate assistant Eric Thibault (East Lyme, also a special assistant to the Connecticut Sun, where his dad is the head coach).

They should be proud. For many reasons, not the least of which is a refusal to genuflect to the mighty Huskies. Even moments after the game ended, the Red Storm stood strong. CPTV replays showed UConn's Tiffany Hayes and Smith, the woman of the hour, engage in some minor friction. Hayes and Smith may or may not have incidentally bumped moments after the final horn. But Hayes discarded Smith with her right arm, before making her way back toward her teammates.

Finally.

Conflict is good. It makes you want to watch. Surely more than blowout city.

The Red Storm will return to their de facto home state in two weeks for the the Big East Tournament in Hartford. UConn's road to the title could feature St. John's and Notre Dame, giving the tournament some intrigue.

Can't wait.

And when's the last time you heard that about a UConn women's game?

This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro.