With an easy 90-45 victory over East Carolina, the UConn Huskies women’s hoops team won its 89th consecutive game, surpassing UCLA’s 88-straight wins for the second time as a program.
“They did something by winning tonight that people thought would be impossible to do and it’s happened twice now,” head coach Geno Auriemma said. “I don’t even know what to say because no matter what you say, it doesn’t really do it justice.”
Three players on the team have been around for all 89 wins: Senior Saniya Chong and juniors Kia Nurse and Gabby Williams.
“This has been one of the most exciting, life-changing, growing experiences of my career,” said Nurse, who scored 14 points on 6-of-12 shooting. “To be a part of a program that has a legacy like this has been nothing short of amazing.”
Williams understands the history that she and her teammates are making with every game.
“It’s just crazy looking back at the people who did the record before us and now people are going to mention our name with those names. It’s an honor to be a part of that tradition.”
UConn started the game hot, scoring on its first five possessions. The Huskies found the basket with ease and had no trouble stopping the Pirates defensively. The entire Husky starting five had scored before the first media timeout.
Displeased with her team’s performance, ECU head coach Heather Macy subbed out her entire starting five. The message was well-received and the Pirates came out with more energy and at least played more competitively, even if the deficit continued to grow.
With the “Core Four” getting such heavy use during the non-conference schedule, Auriemma took advantage of the lead and used his bench more often starting in the second quarter.
Without two of their top scorers in Katie Lou Samuelson and Napheesa Collier, the Huskies struggled in the second quarter. They went back-and-forth with the Pirates and only finished with 17 points after 10-0 run before the end of the half.
As they’ve done most of the season, UConn came out of halftime break with spirit and put the game away in the third quarter. The Huskies worked on pushing the ball upcourt with pace and getting inside to shoot, finishing with 52 points in the paint to go along with 20 fastbreak points.
The Pirates were held scoreless for over four minutes in the third quarter as UConn scored 12 unanswered. With a 43-point lead, Geno used his bench for the entire final quarter, giving his starters some well-earned rest. The game ended with UConn’s 89th-consecutive win.
The Huskies now own the two longest winning streaks in the history of college basketball, breaking a record previously believed to be impossible twice in less than a decade.
With the way the UConn women have played over the past three years, it seems that this second streak has been taken for granted. This should be the biggest story in sports right now. Even though it’s not being covered like the big deal it is, do yourself a favor: Enjoy every second of this dominance. It may not be a once-in-a-lifetime event, but it’s hard to imagine something like this ever happens again.
Photo Gallery:
Geno Auriemma Postgame Press Conference:
Kia Nurse, Napheesa Collier, Gabby Williams Postgame: