UConn-Notre Dame Women's Basketball Recap: Morgan Tuck has a career day in Huskies win

Flashback...it was March 4, 2013. Morgan Tuck was at the line with the UConn women's basketball team up three with 13 seconds left at the end of the first overtime against Notre Dame at Purcell Pavilion. Tuck missed a free throw which could have put the Huskies up four and given the Huskies an eventual win and share of the Big East regular season championship. Instead, Tuck missed the shot and the Irish would tie the game forcing a second overtime and a third would follow.

The Irish would win that game and also beat the Huskies a week later in the Big East Tournament. Despite two regular season losses, the Huskies were victorious when the two teams met again in the Final Four.

Last year, Tuck missed most of the season with an injury. She missed out on beating undefeated Notre Dame for the national championship. The red-shirt sophomore and her teammates went back to Purcell Pavilion. This time, Tuck wanted to prove to the Irish that she would not be denied.

Tuck led the Huskies with a career-high 25 points and added nine rebounds as No.3 UConn (6-1) defeated No. 2/No. 1 Notre Dame 76-58 in front of 9,149 in the Jimmy V Women's Classic.

Kiah Stokes came off the bench to grab 18 rebounds, four blocks and six points.

Notre Dame (8-1) had their 34 game home winning streak and 66-game regular season winning streak snapped. The Irish have lost their last three games to the Huskies.

Three other Huskies scored in double figures. National Player of the Year Breanna Stewart finished with 15 points and nine rebounds. Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis and Kia Nurse finished with 12 points each.

Jewell Loyd finished with 31 points for the Fighting Irish on 10-of-27 shooting. Freshman Brianna Turner did not play due to an injury suffered in their previous game.

Lindsey Allen was the only other Notre Dame player to score in double-figures, finishing with 11 points.

In the first few minutes of the game, the teams went back and forth before the Irish went up 28-18 with over 10 minutes to go in the half. Geno Auriemma called a quick timeout and the Huskies shutdown Lloyd and the Irish offense for the rest of the half as the Huskies went on a 22-4 run. UConn went into the locker room up 40-32 at the half.

As the teams started the second half, UConn continued the defensive pressure. Nurse followed Loyd around the court with intense ball pressure. Loyd would eventually get her points, but mostly when the game was out of reach. The UConn defense held the prolific Irish offense to 31.4% shooting, missing 48 shots.

UConn won the battle of the boards, 52-34. They were held to a season-low 76 points, however they shot 47.5%. But they did struggle with turnovers (24) and poor three-point shooting (4-for -17).

The Huskies are off until Dec. 19^th when they host former Big East foe DePaul at the Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, Conn.