UConn beats Memphis for 83rd straight conference win

With the victory, Huskies improve to 11-0 on the season

Gabby Williams scored 20 points, making all 10 of her shots, to lead six UConn players in double figures as the top-ranked Huskies routed Memphis 97-49 in the conference opener for both teams Sunday.

Kia Nurse had 16 points and Napheesa Collier added 14 for the Huskies (11-0) who have never lost in 83 American Athletic Conference games.

The win was their 71st straight conference win in the regular season to go along with all four postseason tournament titles.

Brea Elmore had 20 points for Memphis (5-9), which came into the game on a four-game winning streak, but falls to 0-8 alltime against the Huskies. Jasmine James chipped in with 13 points for the Tigers.

The Huskies never trailed. Memphis shot 50 percent from the floor in the first quarter (6 of 12), but was behind 29-15 after UConn hit 14 of its 21 shots.

Elmore tried to keep the Tigers close. She scored 15 points in the first half. But Williams and Collier had 12 points each and the Huskies led 54-29 at the break, with a 30-point advantage in the lane.

UConn scored 24 points off 18 Memphis turnovers and outscored the Tigers 62-18 in the paint.

Big picture

Memphis: The loss snaps a four-game winning streak for the Tigers, who opened the year 1-8. Memphis falls to 0-3 against ranked teams, with losses to Ohio State and DePaul.

UConn: The 71st straight regular-season conference win moves the Huskies into third place on the alltime list, passing Stanford, which won 70 straight Pac12 games between January, 2009 and September, 2013 . ... The win also was the Huskies 70th straight at home, giving them the third longest winning streak in Division I history, behind an 82 game streak from Stanford and their own 99 game home winning streak, which ran between 2007-2012.

Up next

Memphis: The Tigers have five days off before a home game next Saturday against East Carolina.

UConn: The Huskies will also face ECU in their next game, which will come Wednesday on the road.

STEPHEN DUNN — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma, second from right, and associate head coach Chris Dailey, second from left, are honored with jerseys commemorating their 1,000th win as coaches of the women’s basketball team Sunday before an NCAA college...