UConn women win 91st straight
Winning 91 in a row, that’s nice. Now Geno Auriemma and his UConn Huskies can focus on the real goal — a return to Dallas to play for a fifth straight national championship.
UConn broke its own NCAA record with its 91st consecutive victory Saturday, an 88-48 romp at SMU after scoring the game’s first 21 points.
“Even afterward, there’s a feeling of accomplishment. They feel like they’ve done something significant,” Auriemma said. “But there isn’t this over-the-top screaming and yelling as if we just won a national championship.”
UConn (16-0, 4-0 AAC) broke the record of 90 consecutive wins that his team first had more than six years ago.
“I’m not taking for granted at all this is one of the coolest things I’ve ever been a part of,” said Katie Lou Samuelson, who scored 28 points.
The four-time defending national champion Huskies haven’t lost a game since falling in overtime at sixth-ranked Stanford on Nov. 17, 2014.
Their first 90-game winning streak broke the Division I record of 88 straight wins by the UCLA men’s basketball team and famed coach John Wooden. That UConn streak also started after a loss to Stanford, in the 2008 national semifinals, and ended with a loss at Stanford on Dec. 30, 2010.
#3 Maryland 98, Iowa 82: Brionna Jones had 25 points and 10 rebounds and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough scored 20 of her 22 points in the second half for the visiting Terrapins (17-1, 5-0 Big Ten).
MEN UCLA barely survives
#4 UCLA 83, Utah 82: Lonzo Ball had 17 points, eight assists and six rebounds as the visiting Bruins (18-1, 5-1 Pac-12) overcame a nine-point deficit in the second half. Aaron Holiday hit a deep three-pointer with 1:52 left to give UCLA an 81-80 lead and Utah forward Kyle Kuzma missed a contested three in the final seconds. Thomas Welsh then made two foul shots for the Bruins and Lorenzo Bonam scored in the waning moments for the Utes (12-5, 3-2), providing the final margin. #13 Oregon 85, Oregon St. 43: The host Ducks romped, leading 41-13 at halftime. Payton Pritchard’s 17 points led Oregon (16-2, 5-0 Pac-12), and the Beavers (4-14, 0-5) were led by Drew Eubanks’ 19 points. #1 Baylor 77, #25 Kansas St. 68: Manu Lecomte scored 26 points after battling early foul trouble, and Ish Wainright and Al Freeman (15 points each) had key baskets down the stretch for the visiting Bears (15-1, 3-1 Big 12), who bounced back from a lopsided loss at No. 10 West Virginia in their first game as the nation’s No. 1 team. D.J. Johnson scored 20 points for Kansas State (13-4, 2-3). #2 Kansas 87, Oklahoma St. 80: Frank Mason III had 22 points, five rebounds and four assists for the host Jayhawks (16-1, 5-0), who rallied for their 16th straight win and could move into the top spot when the AP poll comes out on Monday. #3 Villanova 70, St. John’s 57: Redshirt freshman Dante DiVincenzo had a season-high 19 points, helping the Wildcats (17-1, 5-1 Big East) pull away at Madison Square Garden.
#6 Kentucky 92, Auburn 72: Malik Monk scored 24 points and the host Wildcats (15-2, 5-0 SEC) shot 57 percent from the field and placed five players in double figures. #14 Louisville 78, #7 Duke 69: Anas Mahmoud had 17 points and 11 rebounds, Donovan Mitchell added 15 points and the host Cardinals (15-3, 3-2 ACC) shot 59 percent in the second half. Duke pulled within five on Luke Kennard’s two foul shots with 5:35 left, but Mitchell responded with a three-pointer. Mitchell hit another three with 4:03 left, giving the Cardinals a 69-60 lead. Grayson Allen, a target of boos from the red-clad crowd, scored 23 points for the Blue Devils (14-4, 2-3), who have lost two in a row and three of five. #8 Creighton 101, Truman St. 69: Marcus Foster scored 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting, and the host Bluejays (17-1) rolled over the Division II Bulldogs. #11 N. Carolina 96, #9 Florida St. 83: Joel Berry II scored 26 points and Justin Jackson and Isaiah Hicks each added 22 points for the host Tar Heels (16-3, 4-1 ACC). The Seminoles (16-2, 4-1) had won 12 in a row and stood at 4-0 in the ACC for the first time in their history. #10 W. Virginia 74, Texas 72: Teyvon Myers scored 16 points and the visiting Mountaineers (15-2, 4-1) avoided one of the bigger upsets of the Big 12 season. #12 Butler 83, #15 Xavier 78: Freshman Kamar Baldwin scored each of his 21 points in the second half, and the host Bulldogs (15-3, 4-2 Big East) improved to 5-1 against ranked opponents this season. Edmond Sumner had 22 points for the Musketeers (13-4, 3-2). #19 Virginia 77, Clemson 73: London Perrantes scored a season-high 25 points for the visiting Cavaliers (13-3, 3-2 ACC). #20 Notre Dame 76, Virginia Tech 71: Steve Vasturia scored 20 points and the Fighting Irish (16-2, 5-0 ACC) rebounded after blowing a 19-point lead. The Hokies (13-4, 2-3) had won 15 in a row at home. #23 Florida 80, Georgia 76: Canyon Barry scored 27 points, including four in overtime, and John Egbunu sealed the victory with a free throw with 5.8 seconds remaining for the host Gators (14-3, 5-0 SEC). Penn St. 52, #24 Minnesota 50: Tony Carr made two free throws with 5 seconds left to lift the host Nittany Lions (11-7, 3-2 Big Ten), who recovered from a 32-22 halftime deficit.