Hartford - It was a typical game against Villanova, tied 26-26. Villanova had six 3-point field goals, got back on defense every time and generally made the opening portion of the first half slow, slower and slowest for top-ranked UConn.

Then Maya Moore, the two-time Big East Conference Player of the Year, set things in motion Monday night.

”Maya happens to make the right play at the right time,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. “The great players know when it's great-player time. I think Maya Moore is what makes us a great team.”

Following the tie, Moore hit a 3-pointer to break it, executed a steal and a layup and then vehemently blocked a shot that sailed over the UConn bench, causing the Huskies' subs to leap in the air and begin doing a celebratory jig. Moore followed that with assists on the final two baskets before halftime with the Huskies now comfortably ahead.

Top-seeded UConn topped No. 4 Villanova 72-42 in the semifinals of the Big East Conference Tournament at the XL Center, cruising into tonight's championship game against No. 2 Louisville (7 p.m., ESPN). Louisville defeated No. 3 Pittsburgh, 69-63, in the second game of Monday's doubleheader.

Moore finished with 17 points, seven rebounds, six steals and three assists for the Huskies (32-0). She had the first four points of the second half, eight of the first 10, as UConn quickly extended its 37-26 halftime lead to 48-28.

”It was kind of a rough first half for us,” Moore said. “I was trying to keep playing, to keep working hard. That's one of the things in our program. We're going to always work hard. When we do that, good things happen.”

”Her ability is just unique,” said Villanova coach Harry Perretta of Moore. “There's not many players in the country that have her talent. That's obvious. I'm scared because she's only a sophomore.”

Auriemma said earlier this week he's asked Moore to be more offense-oriented.

”It's a really, I think, simple thing,” Moore said with a smile when asked about the added responsibility. “It's what every player wants their coach to tell them.”

Auriemma added Monday that during the regular season there was a great deal of analysis of Moore's game.

”See this possession here, this possession here, this possession here,” Auriemma said.

Now?

”Take a bunch of stuff from the first 30 and just play,” Auriemma said. “I don't want her to think about being Maya Moore. I just want her to be Maya Moore.”

”I think it was badly needed,” UConn point guard Renee Montgomery said of Moore's outburst at the end of the first half. “It wasn't necessarily her offense. It was really her defense.”

Tina Charles had 16 points and seven rebounds for UConn, followed by Montgomery with 12 points and three assists and Kalana Greene with 11 points and five rebounds on the heels of her 20-point performance in Sunday's quarterfinal victory over South Florida.

UConn freshman Tiffany Hayes was also employed to defend Villanova's top scorer in Laura Kurz, a first-team All-Big East selection averaging 18.1 points per game. Kurz was held scoreless Monday.

Villanova (19-13) did make enough shots early against UConn, going six for its first nine from 3-point range, including five straight without a two anywhere in between to knot the score at 26 with 5:35 left in the first half.

Maria Getty hit a 3-pointer to pull Villanova within 24-23 with 7:11 to go in the half and, following a driving layup by UConn's Lorin Dixon, Siobhan O'Connor tied it for the Wildcats. Villanova, however, finished the game 8-for-30 from 3-point range, going two for its final 21.

”I thought the first 15 minutes were pretty much played the way most normal Villanova games are played,” Auriemma said. “It doesn't matter the level of competition they're playing against, that's the way the game is going to be played … the score is going to be 26-20 at the end of the first half, one way or another.”

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