STORRS, Conn. -- A second NCAA basketball title brought a
second night of rowdy celebration at the University of Connecticut.
Two hours after the women's basketball team won its third
straight championship, fans overturned two cars and set one of them
on fire Tuesday night at an apartment complex about a mile from
campus. There were no reports of injuries.
It was at the same apartment complex Monday night, after the
men's basketball team won its second title in five years, where
revelers overturned two cars and set several bonfires. Police
arrested 35 people on and off campus after the men's game.
UConn police Wednesday reported six arrests for charges ranging
from breach of peace to criminal mischief and reckless
endangerment. State police made three additional arrests, two for
drunken driving and one for breach of peace.
"Overall, I believe, the students reacted and celebrated on a
very high level, really a compliment to the national
championship," Sgt. J. Paul Vance, the state police spokesman
said.
Several thousand people who watched the women's game on large
screen televisions in Gampel Pavilion spilled out onto the UConn
campus. Fans set a small bonfire outside the arena, yelled, waved
pompoms, jumped on a TV satellite truck and climbed trees.
"It's history in the making," said Leticia Flowers, a
sociology major.
"It's domination just like Taurasi said," said Charmaine
Smith, referring to UConn star Diana Taurasi, the tournament MVP.
The UConn women beat Tennessee 70-61 in New Orleans, a night
after the men defeated Georgia Tech 82-73 for the title in San
Antonio. No other university has won both titles in the same year.
Tuesday night's celebrations were more subdued than the ones
after the men's championship game.
"It is a very well controlled celebration," UConn police Maj.
Ron Blicher said early Wednesday, before fans overturned the cars.
The women's team was expected to arrive at Bradley International
Airport at about 3:30 p.m. Wednesday and take center stage at a pep
rally at Gampel Pavilion at 5:30 p.m.
Earlier in the day, thousands of boisterous fans welcomed the
men's basketball team home at the airport and a rally at Gampel,
home of Huskies basketball.
Emeka Okafor, the Huskies' star center and the most outstanding
player of the men's Final Four, was weary from the trip back to
Storrs on Tuesday. He hadn't had much sleep, and he was still
finding the accomplishment somewhat unbelievable.
"We were actually in the championship game and we actually won
the dang thing," Okafor said. "We made a lot of people proud."
When Ben Gordon got on stage to address the Gampel crowd of
5,500, the arena erupted into chants of "One more year." Gordon,
a junior guard, was expected to forgo his senior year for the pros.
"I just want to thank everyone in this building," Gordon said.
"It's been a great three years here."
Men's coach Jim Calhoun, the architect of the Huskies' two
national titles, was greeted with shouts of "Hall of Fame." He
learned on Monday that he had fallen one vote short of being
inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.