The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Huskies snap skid with AAC win over the Pirates
UConn wins 99th straight regular-season game
TAMPA, Fla. — The road to a record 99th straight regular-season victory followed the script of so many of the previous 98 as the sweet-shooting UConn women’s basketball team rolled past host South Florida on Saturday at the Sun Dome.
Napheesa Collier scored in double figures for the 12th game in a row with 25 points and 11 rebounds in the top-ranked Huskies’ 100-49 victory.
The Huskies (13-0, 3-0 in the American Athletic Conference) were clicking offensively when the game started making 12 of their first 16 shots, including seven in a row. In one span of 2:44, the Huskies were 4 for 4 from 3-point range.
UConn was 14 for 20 from the field in addition to having 11 assists and no turnovers to take a 33-11 lead at the end of the first quarter. The play dipped in the second quarter as UConn only made consecutive baskets once. While the offense seemed out of sorts, there were no such issues with the defense. The Bulls went 4 for 17 from the floor in the second quarter and the Huskies took a 51-20 lead into the locker room at halftime.
Kitija Laksa, who came into the game as the second-leading scorer in the American Athletic Conference, was held scoreless. Laksa, who ranked second
among Division I players in 3-pointers made per game, was 0 for 8 from 3-point range. The Bulls’ top three scorers (Laksa, Maria Jespersen and Laura Ferreira combined to go 2 for 23 in the first two quarters. Laksa and Ferreira were held scoreless until Ferreira hit a 3-pointer with 3:46 left in the game as they were 1 for 27 including 1 for 18 from 3-point range.
Katie Lou Samuelson had 15 points, Azurá Stevens had 15 points and nine rebounds, Crystal Dangerfield had 10 points and five assists while Gabby Williams added nine points, nine rebounds and six assists. Kia Nurse finished with eight points and five assists but more importantly played suffocating defense on Laksa.
UConn never trailed, marking the 57th time in its current 99-game regular season winning streak that has been the case. It is the ninth time in 13 games that the Huskies did not trail in a game this season. Ironically, during the current regular-season winning streak South Florida has led UConn for 24 minutes and 40 seconds, the second most of any program.
Earlier this season Notre Dame led for 25:19 marking the only time during the streak that the opponent led for more time than the Huskies. The Fighting Irish have led the Huskies for 37:50, the most of any program.
Alyssa Radar had 11 points while Jespersen had nine points and eight rebounds for USF (12-4, 2-1).
In the first quarter, Williams became the 10th UConn player to record her 250th career steals and broke a tie with Leigh Curl and Jessica Moore to move into sole possession of 11th place om UConn’s career rebounding list.