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Top-ranked UConn beats Hofstra 91-46

Nov 28, 2009 - 3:58 AM By PAT EATON-ROBB Associated Press Writer

STORRS, Conn.(AP) -- Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma said he left the court Friday thinking more about his team's 23 turnovers than his 700th career win.

That may be why he wins so much.

Maya Moore scored 23 points to lead UConn to a 91-46 rout of Hofstra in the WBCA Classic.

Tina Charles added 17 points and eight rebounds for the Huskies (4-0), who have now won 43 in a row.

Auriemma, who will coach the 2012 Olympic team, becomes the eighth active coach to reach 700 Division I wins, and the fastest to do it, needing just 822 games. In his 25th year, he has coached UConn to 6 national championships and three perfect seasons.

"I try not to spend a lot of time thinking about that sort of thing," Auriemma said. "I guess that's kind of what keeps me going in the direction that I always want to go is I'm not thinking about the next milestone."

After the game, Connecticut's players lined up wearing T-shirts with their coach's image on it, each with a letter on the back that spelled out "Congrats 700." They then gathered around the coach and tried to mess up his always-perfect hairdo, which stayed in place.

"He won't say it, but it's amazing, it's incredible," said senior forward Kali McLaren, who was a freshman when Auriemma got his 600th win. "It's unbelievable."

Nicole Capurso had nine points for previously unbeaten Hofstra (3-1), which had 32 turnovers and shot just 33 percent from the floor.

Coach Krista Kilburn-Steveskey said she wanted to show her players just how hard a team like Connecticut competes on every possession.

"Kids that don't have that same level like UConn, (it's about) getting them to compete like that every day and to play every possession like that," she said.

UConn led just 8-7 early, before a pair of lay-ups by Moore started a 12-0 run. The reigning national player of the year scored 18 in the first half, and hit eight of her first nine shots, helping UConn build a 43-23 halftime lead. She also had eight rebounds and five steals.

"It's really important to come out and physically be the aggressor," Moore said. "I question that about our team today. It took us a little bit to really focus in mentally."

The Huskies opened the second half by outscoring the Pride 20-5 and the rout was on.

Kalana Greene had 14 points for the Huskies, 12 after intermission, and Tiffany Hayes and Meghan Gardler each added 10 points.

UConn is now 89-14 all-time in November, and has not lost a game before Dec. 1 since 2004 when it was beaten by North Carolina.

Connecticut has won 12 straight titles at in-season tournaments and has not lost at home since Jan. 6, 2007, a string of 41 consecutive games and the nation's longest active streak.

Auriemma, who is in his 25th season, won his first game against on Nov. 23, 1985, 73-67 over Iona. He is 309 wins behind Tennessee's Pat Summitt and joins Rutgers' C. Vivian Stringer, North Carolina's Sylvia Hatchell, Stanford's Tara VanDerveer, Montana's Robin Selvig, Georgia's Andy Landers and Virginia's Deb Ryan on the career wins list in women's college basketball.

"I don't know what to say, it's a lot of wins," Auriemma said. "Every time I speak at a function, I say the same thing over and over again. There are two types of coaches in the world, those who coach great players, and ex-coaches. There are a lot of guys that I know who are really, really good coaches, and they're not coaching anymore, and I'm still here."

UConn will face Richmond on Saturday and Clemson on Sunday. The Spiders beat the Tigers 86-67 in Friday's first game.