By Rusty Miller
The Associated Press

DAYTON, Ohio - Connecticut's players didn't mug for the camera, pile on each other or exchange hugs and tears after holding off Purdue 73-64 in the East Regional final.

"We still have a job to do," forward Jessica Moore said Tuesday night.

The top-ranked Huskies (35-1) took control with a 17-0 first-half run and then survived a late rush by the Boilermakers to earn their seventh trip to the Final Four. They meet Texas, which beat LSU 78-60 in the West Regional final, in Atlanta on Sunday in the semifinals.

"I'm tired," said Diana Taurasi, the All-American guard who led the Huskies with 21 points. "We feel great. It's more of a relief. The season's so long. Just because we're not jumping up and down and diving on the floor - we're still really happy."

Connecticut graduated four starters from last year's unbeaten national champs, but is chasing a repeat with two freshmen in the starting lineup and no seniors on the roster. The Huskies might not be what they were a year ago, but for a 7-minute span early in the game they appeared good enough to defend their title.

The 17-0 run was the crushing blow after Purdue had scored the game's first three points. The Boilermakers went scoreless for almost 7 minutes, missing all 11 shots from the field with three turnovers. They shot 19.4 percent from the field in the first half, hitting just 6 of 31 shots.

"The bottom line was we missed shots and when we missed those shots we lost our confidence," Purdue coach Kristy Curry said. "You can credit UConn's defense - or maybe the ball just wouldn't go into the hoop."

Taurasi scored eight points in the blitz as the Huskies took a 41-22 lead at the half. They led by as many as 22 points in the second half and were still on top 58-38 as the final 10 minutes rolled around.

Just as Connecticut's fans were picking up their cell phones to reserve rooms near the Georgia Dome, the Boilermakers came roaring back.

"When the kids looked at the clock at halftime, it was like, 'Oh, man. We worked so hard and we've still got 20 minutes to go,"' Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma said. "That's why at one point I said to them during a timeout with 10 minutes left, 'Look, guys, we get to the five-minute mark and we're still up 20, you know what? We're going to the Final Four. So you've got five minutes left."'

His countdown didn't work.

"They were awful the next five minutes," he said with a laugh. "That's the worst I've seen us play."

Purdue regained its equilibrium with cloying fullcourt pressure.

"We just didn't want to go out," said Shereka Wright, who scored 25 points for Purdue (29-6). "We wanted to put up a fight. We wanted to be remembered as a team that didn't back down from UConn. We challenged them; we had them rattled. That's something I'm very proud of."

Lindsey Hicks' 3-pointer from the top of the key with 2:02 left cut the lead to 66-60 before the Huskies' guards restored order.

Taurasi made three free throws and often-overlooked point guard Maria Conlon, who had 12 points along with Moore, hit four more foul shots to prevent Purdue from getting any closer.

"That last two minutes, only D and Maria were going to touch the ball," Auriemma said. "Because I know when those guys go to the foul line they're going to make 'em."

The game ended up mirroring the Huskies' season. They frequently streaked to early leads and then had to fight off challenges at the end. After a fourth straight trip to the Final Four - while their coach puzzles over why they can't sustain their best moments - they kept their party a private one.

"We celebrate in our own way," Moore said.