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UConn women win 89th straight, break UCLA's mark

Dec 22, 2010 - 5:05 AM Hartford, CT (Sports Network) - It's 89 and counting for the Connecticut women's basketball team.

The top-ranked Huskies set a Division I basketball record Tuesday, winning their 89th consecutive game to break the mark set by the UCLA men's team from 1971-74.

Connecticut (11-0) was simply dominant in the 93-62 victory over No. 22 Florida State at the XL Center. Maya Moore turned in a career-high 41 points and pulled down 10 rebounds, while sharpshooting freshman Bria Hartley netted 21 points.

The Huskies have not lost since the national semifinals of the 2008 NCAA tournament, and got the landmark win with Greg Wooden, the grandson of late UCLA head coach John Wooden, in attendance, along with a number of former UConn players.

The significance of the victory was not lost on the Huskies, who celebrated on court after securing the win and wore commemorative t-shirts. It was also not lost outside the arena, including President Barack Obama, who called UConn head coach Geno Auriemma during his post-game press conference.

"It just keeps getting more ridiculous by the day as you try to sort this out and what it means," Auriemma said.

For Florida State head coach Sue Semrau, the streak represents consistent excellence. She referenced the fact that her team tripped up at Yale last Saturday.

"When you put the streak in that type of perspective, upsets happen all of the time, and for them to not be upset during the streak is just amazing," Semrau said. "It really is mind-boggling."

UConn had its streak threatened in mid-November, but edged No. 2 Baylor, 65-64. Since then the Huskies have recorded a string of dominant victories, including the win that tied the UCLA mark, Sunday's 81-50 defeat of Ohio State.

Tuesday was not much different. UConn used an early run to take a 21-8 lead, and that was all the advantage it needed. The Huskies' defense stifled Florida State in the first half and made it extremely difficult for the Seminoles to take good shots.

The defensive effort provided fuel for the offensive end, as UConn made a practice of getting points in transition and scored before FSU could get into a defensive rhythm.

The Seminoles made several short runs to trim their deficit, and were within 34-23 with 7 1/2 minutes left, when Courtney Ward sank a layup to end an eight-point burst.

But UConn kicked into high gear and scored the next 16 points to take total control. Moore put her skills on display during the run, converting teammate Stefanie Dolson's missed free throw into a three-point play and making quick cuts to get open looks. Hartley used her quick release to drill back-to-back threes before Moore sank a jumper to end the run, making it a 50-23 game.

The Huskies rolled into the break with a 54-27 advantage, maintained a comfortable advantage during the second half, and were able to enjoy the win as time ran out.

"It was great," Moore said. "That right there just represented how proud we were of how well played during that game. We would have been excited just winning, but because we played so well, that's part of that excitement you guys saw."