No. 89: UConn tops UCLA in winning streak

HARTFORD - Maya Moore pumped her fist in the air before affectionately pointing at the crowd. Her teammates, Tiffany Hayes and Samarie Walker, ran toward each other and chest-bumped high in the air, their momentum nearly forcing them to the ground.

Those final seconds before the buzzer had been nerve-racking, yet oh so satisfying for the Huskies. "That right there just represented how proud we were of how we played that game," Moore said. "Because we played so well, that's the excitement you guys saw."

Connecticut accomplished what it had set out to do: win more consecutive games than any Division I basketball program - male or female - in history. And the Huskies made it look easy in the record-breaking 89th victory, a 93-62 defeat of Florida State last night at XL Center in downtown Hartford.

John Wooden's 88-game winning streak with UCLA never stood a chance with Moore on the court. The Huskies' senior forward dominated, netting a career-high 41 points and 10 rebounds. North Babylon's Bria Hartley, who shot 8-for-10 from the floor, chipped in 21 points - including 4-for-4 shooting from downtown in the first half. Hayes added 14.

The sellout crowd of 16,294 rose to its feet when Moore and Hartley were substituted with 1:49 remaining and everyone stood during the final minute of the game, holding up small signs with the No. "89" and the Huskies logo underneath.

"It's been a long time since we've had this kind of an electricity in this building and I want to thank you all for that," coach Geno Auriemma said to the crowd. "Mostly what I'm going to remember about tonight is that - forget about all the other stuff you may have heard - tonight really more than anything for me was about Maya Moore and Tiffany Hayes and the fact that they have been through all 89 of these."

Hartley is a newbie to the Huskies' steady string of success. "It's an honor to be a part of this team, especially being so young," the former Miss New York Basketball player said. "All five of us [starters] take some ownership in this."

Florida State tried to make it a game, but the Seminoles never really stood a chance against the Huskies - not with 6-foot Moore bullying defenders for offensive rebounds, driving in the lane with ease and hitting the occasional three-pointer. "She just reminds me of Kobe Bryant out there," Florida State coach Sue Semrau said of Moore. "What player in our game stops and pops like she does? . . . I pulled [freshman forward] Natasha Howard out of the game and told her to watch Moore."

By halftime, the Huskies led 54-27 and it only snowballed from there for the 9-3 Seminoles, ranked No. 22 by The Associated Press. Top-ranked UConn (11-0), which entered with an average victory margin of 33.3 points, led by as many as 34 late in the second half.

"It wasn't easy being a part of all this," Auriemma said, addressing the Florida State team. "I hope you don't feel disrespected. You guys played a heck of a game."

Later, Auriemma took a a call from President Barack Obama, the nation's No. 1 basketball fan. After a long pause while listening on the phone, Auriemma said with a laugh, "No, we have not lost since you've been inaugurated, so let's keep that streak going."

Semrau said she and her players didn't discuss the streak. Instead the Seminoles focused on learning from the experience of facing a perennial power.

"I didn't think it would be possible," she said of breaking Wooden's record. "But I'm not surprised it's Connecticut."