Storm ends UConn's 99-game home win streak
St. John's players celebrate at the end of the second half of an NCAA women's college basketball game against Connecticut. (Feb. 18, 2012) Credit: AP
STORRS, Conn. -- Geno Auriemma knew UConn's incredible home winning streak eventually would end. He just didn't expect it to happen when the Huskies were playing their typical stellar defense.
Shenneika Smith's three-pointer with eight seconds left gave St. John's a 57-56 women's basketball win over No. 2 Connecticut Saturday night, snapping the Huskies' home winning streak at 99 games. It was UConn's first home loss to an unranked opponent in nearly 19 years. Before that shot, Smith was 3-for-22 from three-point range this season.
UConn (24-3, 11-2 Big East) had one final chance, but Bria Hartley's three-point attempt was short.
"Days like today are a reminder that you're only supposed to win when you play really well and beat the other team. We didn't deserve to win. I don't care if we won 900 in a row at home," Auriemma said. "Leading up to that last shot, if that shot goes in -- hey, that's 100 in a row. Realistically, though, St. John's outplayed us today. They did what they wanted to do better than what we wanted to do. It was a fitting end for them."
St. John's (18-8, 10-3) became only the fifth visiting team to win in Storrs since 1993, joining Tennessee, Georgia, Notre Dame and Rutgers. The Storm, which has won seven of its last eight, hadn't had much success anywhere against the Huskies, losing 27 straight.
With the UConn men's loss earlier in the day to No. 12 Marquette in Hartford, it marked the first time that both Huskies teams lost at home on the same day since Feb. 27, 1993. -- AP
