Auriemma now a member of 1,000-win club
Hatchell also earns elevated milestone
UNCASVILLE, Conn. — Geno Auriemma is now a member of one of college basketball’s most elite groups — the 1,000-win club.
Auriemma became the fourth women’s coach to reach that milestone with No. 1 UConn’s 88-64 win over Oklahoma on Tuesday night in the Hall of Fame women’s Holiday Showcase. He joined Pat Summitt, Tara VanDerveer and Sylvia Hatchell, who earned her milestone victory earlier Tuesday. Mike Krzyzewski is the only men’s coach to have won 1,000 games.
“It’s a number that’s significant because so few people have been able to do that. It’s funny, two in one day can’t be that hard. There are just so few opportunities to coach that many games. You feel incredibly fortunate that you’re one of a very, very select few and some of the great coaches that ever have coached.”
He is the fastest of the group to achieve the mark, doing so in his 1,135th game. The Hall of Fame coach has gone 500-36 since winning his 500th game in 2003.
Sitting by Auriemma’s side for the 1,000 wins has been associate head coach Chris Dailey. She’s been with Auriemma since he took over at UConn in 1985. Dailey led the Huskies to seven of those victories while filling in as head coach. Auriemma was suspended for four games in 1989 for playing an extra game that season. That year, the Huskies won their first Big East tournament title with Dailey at the helm.
She also coached three games when Auriemma’s father died in 1997. All seven of those wins are credited to Auriemma.
As the final buzzer sounded, the Huskies dumped Gatorade buckets full of confetti on Auriemma and Dailey. Fake $1,000 bills dropped from the ceiling with Auriemma and Dailey’s pictures on them.
“If you look back and you think about the significant accomplishments, not just in sports, but it’s always done in pairs,” Auriemma said. “Our best teams have been dominated by two people. I don’t think anything this difficult can be accomplished by one person. I don’t think so. My title makes me responsible, me the recipient of all this. There’s no way that we’d be having this conversation if I had hired somebody different.”
NORTH CAROLINA 79, GRAMBLING STATE 63: In Myrtle Beach, S.C., coach Sylvia Hatchell became the third women’s Division I coach to net her 1,000th career victory as her Tar Heels (10-2) beat the Tigers.
Hatchell, who battled leukemia and was declared cancerfree in 2014, is 1,000-376 during a 43-year career that started with 11 seasons at Francis Marion.
This is her 32nd season at North Carolina, and she has led the Tar Heels to eight ACC titles, three Final Fours and the 1994 national championship.
“I still love the game. I was telling the staff before the game, ‘I still get so nervous,’” Hatchell said. “It’s a good nervous, but I still get so nervous.”
Hatchell is the only coach to win national titles at the AIAW, NAIA and NCAA levels, capturing the first two of those at Francis Marion in 1982 and 1986.
State
EMBRY RIDDLE 71, WESTERN
NM 60: In Prescott, Ariz., the Eagles overcame a 34-23 firsthalf deficit to beat the Mustangs (0-12). Freshman Rachel Francisco scored 18 points for WNMU.
NMSU: New Mexico State (4-6) opens play today in the Long Beach Classic when it faces Northeastern (4-5) at 6 p.m. Brooke Salas is averaging 19.9 points and 7.6 rebounds a game for the Aggies, while Zaire Williams averages 5.8 assists an outing.
Men
No. 3 ARIZONA STATE 95,
LONGWOOD 61: In Tempe, Ariz., Tra Holder scored 20 points, Kodi Justice added 18 and the Sun Devils (11-0) overcame a shaky first half to beat the Lancers (3-9). No. 8 TEXAS A&M 64, N.
KENTUCKY 58: In College Station, Texas, senior guard Duane Wilson scored 16 points and the Aggies (10-1) escaped with a victory over the Norse (7-5). No. 9 XAVIER 81, MARSHALL
77: In Cincinnati, Kerem Kanter had 16 points and 13 rebounds and the Musketeers (11-1), playing the second half without three starters, held off the Thundering Herd (8-4). No. 11 WICHITA STATE 89,
ARKANSAS STATE 80: In Wichita, Kan., Samajae Haynes-Jones came off the bench to score 27 points for the Shockers (9-2) in their win over the 29-point underdog Red Wolves (4-8). No. 17 OKLAHOMA 105, NORTHWESTERN STATE 68: In Norman, Okla., freshman Trae
Young had 26 points and tied an NCAA Division I record with 22 assists as the Sooners (9-1) beat the Demons. No. 20 CINCINNATI 77, ARK.PINE BLUFF 49: In Highland Heights, Ky., Cane Broome scored 17 points as the Bearcats (10-2) rolled to a victory over the Golden Lions (0-13), extending the nation’s longest home-court winning streak. Cincinnati has won 32 straight home games, a streak spanning two courts. They’re playing this season at BB&T Arena at Northern Kentucky University while their on-campus arena is renovated. They went 18-0 at Fifth Third Arena last season. No. 21 TEXAS TECH 90, FLORIDA ATLANTIC 54: In Lubbock, Texas, Keenan Evans led six players in double figures for the Red Raiders (10-1) in their win over the Owls (6-5).
MWC/State
N. COLO. 91, WYOMING 84: In Laramie, Wyo., Andre Spight scored 24 points as the Bears (9-3) stopped the Cowboys (9-4). Wyoming was led by Justin James who scored 25 points. NEVADA 88, UC DAVIS 73: In Reno, Nev., Jordan Caroline scored 20 points as the Wolf Pack (10-2) beat the Aggies (7-4). COLO. STATE 87, ARK.-FORT SMITH 73: In Fort Collins, Colo., Deion James scored 22 points, Prentiss Nixon added 17 and the Rams (6-6) rolled over the Division II Lions.
REGIS 68, EASTERN NM 61: In Portales, the Rangers (10-2) got 17 points from Christian Little in their win over the Greyhounds (4-8). Shawn Shelton led Eastern with 13 points and six boards.