Basketball winning streaks
Encyclopedia
On January 19, 1974, the UCLA Bruins
lost a basketball game to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish
, 71–70. It ended a streak of 88 consecutive victories, ironically begun after losing to Notre Dame almost three years earlier, on January 19, 1971. The streak encompassed 88 games, an NCAA division I basketball record eclipsing the 60 game streak of San Francisco in 1956. The streak is still an active Division I men's basketball streak, but the Division I basketball streak was matched when the University of Connecticut women's basketball team won a game against Ohio State
on December 19, 2010 and the old record was eclipsed when the team their 89th consecutive victory against Florida State
on December 21, 2010. The UConn streak ended at 90 games, after a loss to Stanford, the team who was the last to beat Uconn before the start of the streak.
, a high school coach at the time, took over as head basketball coach of the San Francisco Dons
when Pete Newell
left to coach Michigan State University
. The school had no gym, and arranged for practices at a nearby high school. The team went 44–48 in its first four seasons, and weren't expected to be very good in the 1954–1955 season.
The team started off the season with three wins, then lost to UCLA 47–40. They would go on to win 60 consecutive games, including two national championships, and the first undefeated seasons in NCAA basketball history. Two of the players on the squad for the first 55 games of the streak, Bill Russell
and K.C. Jones, would go on to star for the Boston Celtics
.
After winning their second national championship in 1956, Russell and Jones graduated. The team would go on to win five more games. Before the streak officially ended, they lost a game, when they took on the US Olympic team. Both Russell and Jones were on the Olympic team. The streak ended officially on December 17, 1956, when Illinois beat San Francisco 62–33.
However, on January 23, 1971, UCLA played Notre Dame at Notre Dame. Austin Carr
scored 46 points, leading the Irish to an 89–82 victory. Six days later, UCLA would win their next game against Santa Barbara, the start of the new win streak. The following game was against their local rival USC
, who was undefeated at the time, and ranked number two in polls, one position ahead of UCLA at number three. UCLA won the context 64–60, and would go on to win the rest of the games that season, winning their fifth consecutive Nation Championship (seventh overall) and pushing their winning streak to 15 games. There was little attention to the streak at the time. The 15 game streak wasn't long compared to the existing NCAA Division I basketball record of 60 games, and UCLA itself had longer streaks in its history, having won 47 consecutive games during Lew Alcindor's time. In addition, the media attention was more focused on the NBA-ABA bidding wars, as the professional leagues were attempting to entice college players to join the professional ranks.
Interest in the streak grew late in the 1971–72 season, when the streak reached 40 games. The media reports of the games began including the streak count in the headline about this time. By the end of the season, the UCLA team had won another national championship, and stretched the streak to 45 games. In the following season, Coach Wooden acknowledged the streak, but tried to downplay it. According to Bruins guard Greg Lee "Tonight, Coach Wooden did mention our long win streak, but told us not to think about it. Speaking for the team, I know I'm not thinking about it. I don't worry about losing when I go to bed."
San Francisco, the holders of the record at the time, had chances to end the streak, but they lost twice, accounting for win number 58 and number 73. After UCLA tied the 60 game NCAA Division I record, the following game, with a chance to set a new mark, was against Notre Dame. However, Notre Dame would come up short, losing by 19. Win number 75 was the National Championship of the 1972–73 season. Immediately after the game, rather than staying to celebrate, junior Bill Walton headed to a meeting with Sam Gilbert to discuss a possible offer from the Philadelphia 76ers
for a reported $2 million. However, Walton would return for his senior year.
In the 1973–74 season, UCLA had a close call against Maryland
but ended up winning by a single point for win number 77. They would win number 79 against North Carolina State by 18 points, although they would later lose to the eventual National Champions in the NCAA semifinals, the first team not named UCLA to win the National Championship since 1966.
On January 19, 1974, UCLA played Notre Dame after beating Iowa, 66–44 for its 88th consecutive victory. UCLA had beaten Notre Dame during the streak, although the steak started after a Notre Dame win in 1971. Digger Phelps
, the 32 year old coach of Notre Dame. decided to change up his game plan from his previous strategy. The strategy largely worked. Although Walton would hit 12 of 14 shots, the UCLA team was not often able to lob the ball into Walton. Even during the game, the eventual outcome was far from obvious. The Bruins outplayed the Irish in the opening minutes, building a 17 point lead. The Bruins held a 70–59 lead with under four minutes to go in the game, but the Irish would go on a 12–0 run, winning the game 71–70, and ending the longest NCAA Division I basketball streak.
, an All-American who would be drafted seventh in the WNBA draft, to a season-ending foot injury. The UConn team easily beat Long Island University
101–29 in the opening game, but lost the 2000 Sports Illustrated Player of the Year, Shea Ralph
, to a season ending knee injury. The depleted UConn squad won their next three games to advance to the Final Four
in St. Louis. Their opening game was against Notre Dame, a team they had lost to in the regular season, but had beaten to win the Big East Championship game. The UConn team had a twelve-point lead going into halftime of the semi-final game, but fell behind in the second half, and lost to the eventual National Champion. That would be the last game they would lose until 2003.
UConn started the 2001–02 with two relatively easy wins, beating Fairfield
on November 9, 2001 93–50, and two days, later, beating Florida International 91–47. Next up was perennial power North Carolina, but the Husky team prevailed 94–74. In December, they beat Oklahoma 86–72, the closest game of the season to that point. The next challenge was Tennessee on January 2002, but UConn won 86–72. UConn continued to win throughout the season, ending the regular season with a record of 30–0.
They won the rest of the Big East Conference matches easily, and entered the NCAA Tournament
as a number 1 seed. The semi-final game was against a two seed, Tennessee, but the game was not close, with UConn winning 79–56. The National Championship game was against Oklahoma. The game was close until the final seconds, with UConn winning its third National Championship, completing its second undefeated season, and finishing the year with a 39–0 record.
The 2002–03 opened with a win over Wright State
85–39. After beating North Carolina State
, UConn traveled to Hawai'i, where they would meet their prior year National Championship opponent in the final of the Rainbow Wahine Classic. UConn would again prevailed, winning 73–60 for their 44th consecutive win. The biggest challenge to the streak would come in the 51st game, a home game against Tennessee. The game would go into overtime, with UConn prevailing by a single point 63–62. The following game against Rutgers would also be close, but UConn won 67–62.
UConn played a strong Duke squad at Cameron Indoor Stadium
on February 1, 2003, but managed to win 77–65. They finished up the regular season without a loss, and reached the Big East Tournament with a 68 game winning streak. They won their first two games in the Big East Tournament easily, then faced Villanova, a team they had beaten in January by twenty points, 58–38. This game would turn out much differently, with Villanova achieving an upset, knocking the UConn team out of the Big East Tournament, and ending the win streak at 70 games.
and Mel Thomas
. UConn won the first four games of the NCAA Tournament
, but then faced a rematch with Stanford, who won the semifinal game 82–73. That would prove to be the last loss for some time.
, a team unranked in the pre-season. The game was tied at the half; UConn went on to win by eleven. The fifth game of the season was against Oklahoma, a team ranked number 4 in the polls. Characterized as a "significant test" by ESPN's Graham Hays, Connecticut would win easily by 32 points, 106-72.
After winning their first seventeen games, Connecticut faced the number two ranked team in the nation North Carolina
, also 17–0 for the season. UConn was ranked number one, but had just lost starter Caroline Doty
to a season-ending knee injury in the prior game. Despite the loss of Doty, the game did not turn out to be the close game anticipated. UConn reached a double-digit lead early in the game, extended to a 46-30 halftime lead, and finished with a 30 point victory, 88-58. All five starters, including Lorin Dixon in a her first start of the season, would each score in double digits, led by Renee Montgomery with 21.
During the rest of the regular season, only Notre Dame and Rutgers played UConn to within ten points, with each game being a ten point margin. The team entered the Big East tournament with a 30–0 record.
Neither of the first two rounds of the Big East tournament were close, with UConn defeating South Florida by 37 points, and Villanova by 30 points. The final was expected to be a contest, because Louisville had a record of 29–4 and was ranked seventh in the nation. However, with eight minutes to go in the game, UConn's Maya Moore had scored 28 points, while the Louisville team had only 27. UConn went on to win the game 75–36.
Connecticut won the first four games of the NCAA Tournament
easily. That setup a rematch with Stanford, the last team to beat UConn. This time the UConn team prevailed, winning with a score of 83–64. The National Championship game was between UConn and Louisville, a team UConn had beaten once in the regular season and once in the Big East Championship game. Connecticut won the third meeting as well, 76–54, winning their sixth National Championship and completing their third undefeated season.
Despite working toward their 40th consecutive win, the focus in the early part of the season was not on the streak, but on other accomplishments. In the opening game against Northeastern, Tina Charles
scored her 1000th career rebound. In the same game, Kalana Greene
scored her 100th career point. After winning their ninth game of the season, and extending their streak to 48 games, UConn faced Stanford at home. Both teams were undefeated, and were ranked first and second in the polls. Stanford's last loss was to UConn in 2009, and UConn's last loss was to Stanford in 2008. For the first time this season, UConn trailed at halftime. However, in the second half, UConn moved out to a large lead and ended up winning by twelve points.
After winning its next six games, UConn faced Notre Dame on January 16. The game was notable because it was the first ever ESPN Gameday help before a women's basketball game. Both teams were undefeated; UConn at 16–0, ranked number one in the country and Notre Dame had a record of 15–0, with a number three ranking. However, the game would not be close. UConn led at halftime 42–19, won the game 70–46.
UConn went on to win the rest of their regular season games, ending the regular season with a record of 30–0, and extending their overall streak to 69, just two games shy of the NCAA Division I women's basketball record of 70, established by UConn in 2003. UConn won the regular season Big East title, so they had a double bye into the quarterfinals of the Big East tournament. Their first game would never be close, with UConn leading at the half 44–17, and ended with a 77–41 victory. UConn's Tina Charles would tie her career high with 34 points, while Maya Moore would score the 2000th point of her career, ending the game with 16 points, 14 rebounds and 7 assists. The win would be UConn's 70th consecutive win, tying the record for the longest winning streak in the history of NCAA Division I women's college basketball, set by UConn in 2003.
The Big East Tournament semi-final game was against Notre Dame, the third match up between the two teams this season. UConn won 59–44, to set a new NCAA women's basketball winning streak record at 71 games. However, the team was focused on upcoming games and "didn't even celebrate". UConn would go on to win the Big East title match against West Virginia 60–32.
UConn entered the NCAA tournament as a number one seed. Their first round game was against Southern
—UConn won 95–39. The second round game was against Temple
. Temple is coached by Tony Cardoza, who had been an assistant at UConn for 14 years. This was the first meeting of the two teams since Cardoza took over the position. UConn limited the use of the starting team, but still won 90–36. UConn then beat Iowa State
74–36 and Florida State
90–50 to advance to the Final Four.
The National Championship game was between Stanford and UConn. Stanford's last loss was to Connecticut in December 2009, and Connecticut's last loss was to Stanford, exactly two years before, in the Final Four of 2008. Stanford would go to halftime with a 20–12 lead. The twelve points scored by UConn was the lowest first half total in the history of Connecticut basketball.
Maya Moore led the team after the half, scoring 11 of the team's first 17 points, including the basket that put Connecticut back into the lead, this time for good. Moore would end up with 23 points and 11 rebounds, and earned Most Outstanding Player honors for the Final Four. Connecticut would go on to win 53–47, ending their streak of double-digit victories, but winning their 78th consecutive game, resulting in their seventh National Championship, their second consecutive undefeated season and their fourth overall undefeated season.
scored eight of her nine points in the last four minutes of the game to help UConn hold on for a one point victory 65–54.
UConn's next opponent was Georgia Tech, the team involved in the first game of the streak. The win by UConn was the 81st consecutive, tying Washington University, a Division III team, for the longest streak in NCAA women's basketball. UConn hosted the World Vision Classic over Thanksgiving. In the first of the three games, UConn easily beat Howard
86–25, to set the new record consecutive win streak for NCAA women's basketball at 82 games. UConn then went on to beat the other two opponents in the Classic, Lehigh
and LSU
and then extended the streak to 87 games with wins over USF
, Sacred Heart University
and Marquette
.
The following game was the Maggie Dixon
Classic, held at Madison Square Garden
to honor the memory of Dixon, who had been coach of the Army team, before succumbing to a heart condition at the age of 28. Two of the four teams playing in the double-header were UConn and Ohio State. UConn was ranked number one at the time while Ohio State was ranked tenth. UConn won the game 81–50 to tie the NCAA basketball consecutive wins streak held by UCLA.
On Tuesday, December 21, 2101, UConn hosted Florida State in Veterans Memorial Coliseum at the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut
. Maya Moore scored a career high 41 points, but the emphasis was not on individual stats. The game represented the 89th consecutive victory, the longest winning streak in NCAA basketball history.
The streak reached 90 games with a win over Pacific, but ended with a loss to Stanford on December 30, 2010.
“They play with great sense of team, great purpose, phenomenal execution of fundamentals, relentless attack,” he said. “It is what every team should aspire to, regardless of the sport.”
Dwight Clay, the Notre Dame player who hit the winning shot to end the UCLA streak: "Well, I think it's great. It's great for women's basketball and it's great for sports in general...But, you know, what Connecticut has done, you know, I don't believe you can separate that. Eight-eight games is 88 games. That's a hell of a treat."
, and was coached by Bertha Teague
, inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
in the inaugural class of 1999.
UCLA Bruins
The UCLA Bruins are the sports teams for University of California, Los Angeles . The Bruin men's and women's teams participate in NCAA Division I as part of the Pacific-12 Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation . For football, they are in the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I...
lost a basketball game to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame's nickname is inherited from Irish immigrant soldiers who fought in the Civil War with the Union's Irish Brigade, , recollected among other places in the poetry of Joyce Kilmer who served with one of the Irish Brigade regiments during World War I...
, 71–70. It ended a streak of 88 consecutive victories, ironically begun after losing to Notre Dame almost three years earlier, on January 19, 1971. The streak encompassed 88 games, an NCAA division I basketball record eclipsing the 60 game streak of San Francisco in 1956. The streak is still an active Division I men's basketball streak, but the Division I basketball streak was matched when the University of Connecticut women's basketball team won a game against Ohio State
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
on December 19, 2010 and the old record was eclipsed when the team their 89th consecutive victory against Florida State
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
on December 21, 2010. The UConn streak ended at 90 games, after a loss to Stanford, the team who was the last to beat Uconn before the start of the streak.
San Francisco streak
In 1950, Phil WoolpertPhil Woolpert
Phil Woolpert was an American college basketball coach. He is best known for coaching the University of San Francisco Dons to two straight national championships in 1955 and 1956....
, a high school coach at the time, took over as head basketball coach of the San Francisco Dons
San Francisco Dons men's basketball
The San Francisco Dons basketball team represents the University of San Francisco in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men's college basketball. The Dons compete in the West Coast Conference, in which they have won sixteen regular season and one conference tournament...
when Pete Newell
Pete Newell
Peter Francis Newell was an American college men's basketball coach and basketball instructional coach. He coached for 15 years at the University of San Francisco, Michigan State University and the University of California, Berkeley, compiling an overall record of 234 wins and 123 losses...
left to coach Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
. The school had no gym, and arranged for practices at a nearby high school. The team went 44–48 in its first four seasons, and weren't expected to be very good in the 1954–1955 season.
The team started off the season with three wins, then lost to UCLA 47–40. They would go on to win 60 consecutive games, including two national championships, and the first undefeated seasons in NCAA basketball history. Two of the players on the squad for the first 55 games of the streak, Bill Russell
Bill Russell
William Felton "Bill" Russell is a retired American professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association...
and K.C. Jones, would go on to star for the Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
.
After winning their second national championship in 1956, Russell and Jones graduated. The team would go on to win five more games. Before the streak officially ended, they lost a game, when they took on the US Olympic team. Both Russell and Jones were on the Olympic team. The streak ended officially on December 17, 1956, when Illinois beat San Francisco 62–33.
UCLA Streak
When the 1970–71 basketball season started, the reigning national Champion was UCLA, having won its sixth championship in the spring. They started the season with a five game winning streak from the previous season, and would win their next thirteen games, reaching a winning streak of 18 games. In addition to the consecutive wins streak, the UCLA team had won 49 consecutive games against non-conference opponents.However, on January 23, 1971, UCLA played Notre Dame at Notre Dame. Austin Carr
Austin Carr
Austin George Carr is a retired American professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association. He is known by Cleveland basketball fans as "Mr. Cavalier".-Early years and high school career:...
scored 46 points, leading the Irish to an 89–82 victory. Six days later, UCLA would win their next game against Santa Barbara, the start of the new win streak. The following game was against their local rival USC
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
, who was undefeated at the time, and ranked number two in polls, one position ahead of UCLA at number three. UCLA won the context 64–60, and would go on to win the rest of the games that season, winning their fifth consecutive Nation Championship (seventh overall) and pushing their winning streak to 15 games. There was little attention to the streak at the time. The 15 game streak wasn't long compared to the existing NCAA Division I basketball record of 60 games, and UCLA itself had longer streaks in its history, having won 47 consecutive games during Lew Alcindor's time. In addition, the media attention was more focused on the NBA-ABA bidding wars, as the professional leagues were attempting to entice college players to join the professional ranks.
Interest in the streak grew late in the 1971–72 season, when the streak reached 40 games. The media reports of the games began including the streak count in the headline about this time. By the end of the season, the UCLA team had won another national championship, and stretched the streak to 45 games. In the following season, Coach Wooden acknowledged the streak, but tried to downplay it. According to Bruins guard Greg Lee "Tonight, Coach Wooden did mention our long win streak, but told us not to think about it. Speaking for the team, I know I'm not thinking about it. I don't worry about losing when I go to bed."
San Francisco, the holders of the record at the time, had chances to end the streak, but they lost twice, accounting for win number 58 and number 73. After UCLA tied the 60 game NCAA Division I record, the following game, with a chance to set a new mark, was against Notre Dame. However, Notre Dame would come up short, losing by 19. Win number 75 was the National Championship of the 1972–73 season. Immediately after the game, rather than staying to celebrate, junior Bill Walton headed to a meeting with Sam Gilbert to discuss a possible offer from the Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
for a reported $2 million. However, Walton would return for his senior year.
In the 1973–74 season, UCLA had a close call against Maryland
University of Maryland
When the term "University of Maryland" is used without any qualification, it generally refers to the University of Maryland, College Park.University of Maryland may refer to the following:...
but ended up winning by a single point for win number 77. They would win number 79 against North Carolina State by 18 points, although they would later lose to the eventual National Champions in the NCAA semifinals, the first team not named UCLA to win the National Championship since 1966.
On January 19, 1974, UCLA played Notre Dame after beating Iowa, 66–44 for its 88th consecutive victory. UCLA had beaten Notre Dame during the streak, although the steak started after a Notre Dame win in 1971. Digger Phelps
Digger Phelps
Richard "Digger" Phelps is a former American college basketball coach, most notably of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball team from 1971 to 1991. Since 1993, he has served as an analyst on ESPN.-Career:...
, the 32 year old coach of Notre Dame. decided to change up his game plan from his previous strategy. The strategy largely worked. Although Walton would hit 12 of 14 shots, the UCLA team was not often able to lob the ball into Walton. Even during the game, the eventual outcome was far from obvious. The Bruins outplayed the Irish in the opening minutes, building a 17 point lead. The Bruins held a 70–59 lead with under four minutes to go in the game, but the Irish would go on a 12–0 run, winning the game 71–70, and ending the longest NCAA Division I basketball streak.
UConn 70 game streak
In March 2001, UConn had won their second National Championship a year earlier, and was headed to the NCAA tournament as a number 1 seed. They had only lost two games during the regular season, once to Tennessee, and once to Notre Dame, each of whom were number one seeds in the tournament. However, the UConn squad had lost Svetlana AbrosimovaSvetlana Abrosimova
Svetlana Olegovna Abrosimova is a Russian basketball player who has played in college, the Olympics, and in professional leagues. She currently plays for the Seattle Storm in the WNBA. She is usually called by her nickname, "Svet" or "Sveta".Abrosimova was born in Leningrad, Russian SFSR,...
, an All-American who would be drafted seventh in the WNBA draft, to a season-ending foot injury. The UConn team easily beat Long Island University
Long Island University
Long Island University is a private, coeducational, nonsectarian institution of higher education in the U.S. state of New York.-History:...
101–29 in the opening game, but lost the 2000 Sports Illustrated Player of the Year, Shea Ralph
Shea Ralph
Shea Sydney Ralph is a former collegiate basketball player and current assistant coach for the University of Connecticut Huskies women's basketball team. Ralph was proficient in multiple sports, set state high school records in basketball, and earned multiple national player of the year awards in...
, to a season ending knee injury. The depleted UConn squad won their next three games to advance to the Final Four
2001 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
-West Regional - Spokane, WA:-Midwest Regional - Denver, CO:-East Regional - Pittsburgh, PA:-Final Four - St. Louis, MO :-See also:* 2001 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament* 2001 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament...
in St. Louis. Their opening game was against Notre Dame, a team they had lost to in the regular season, but had beaten to win the Big East Championship game. The UConn team had a twelve-point lead going into halftime of the semi-final game, but fell behind in the second half, and lost to the eventual National Champion. That would be the last game they would lose until 2003.
UConn started the 2001–02 with two relatively easy wins, beating Fairfield
Fairfield University
Fairfield University is a private, co-educational undergraduate and master's level teaching-oriented university located in Fairfield, Connecticut, in the New England region of the United States. It was founded by the Society of Jesus in 1942, and today is one of 28 member institutions of the...
on November 9, 2001 93–50, and two days, later, beating Florida International 91–47. Next up was perennial power North Carolina, but the Husky team prevailed 94–74. In December, they beat Oklahoma 86–72, the closest game of the season to that point. The next challenge was Tennessee on January 2002, but UConn won 86–72. UConn continued to win throughout the season, ending the regular season with a record of 30–0.
They won the rest of the Big East Conference matches easily, and entered the NCAA Tournament
2002 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2002 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament concluded on March 31, 2002 when Connecticut won the national title. The Final Four was held at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas on March 29 - March 31, 2002...
as a number 1 seed. The semi-final game was against a two seed, Tennessee, but the game was not close, with UConn winning 79–56. The National Championship game was against Oklahoma. The game was close until the final seconds, with UConn winning its third National Championship, completing its second undefeated season, and finishing the year with a 39–0 record.
The 2002–03 opened with a win over Wright State
Wright State University
Wright State University is a comprehensive public university with strong doctoral, research, and undergraduate programs, rated among the 260 Best National Universities listed in the annual "America's Best Colleges" rankings by U.S. News and World Report. Wright State is located in Fairborn, Ohio,...
85–39. After beating North Carolina State
North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public, coeducational, extensive research university located in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Commonly known as NC State, the university is part of the University of North Carolina system and is a land, sea, and space grant institution...
, UConn traveled to Hawai'i, where they would meet their prior year National Championship opponent in the final of the Rainbow Wahine Classic. UConn would again prevailed, winning 73–60 for their 44th consecutive win. The biggest challenge to the streak would come in the 51st game, a home game against Tennessee. The game would go into overtime, with UConn prevailing by a single point 63–62. The following game against Rutgers would also be close, but UConn won 67–62.
UConn played a strong Duke squad at Cameron Indoor Stadium
Cameron Indoor Stadium
Cameron Indoor Stadium is an indoor arena located on the West Campus of Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. It is home to the Duke Blue Devils men's and women's basketball teams, the women's volleyball team, and the men's wrestling team....
on February 1, 2003, but managed to win 77–65. They finished up the regular season without a loss, and reached the Big East Tournament with a 68 game winning streak. They won their first two games in the Big East Tournament easily, then faced Villanova, a team they had beaten in January by twenty points, 58–38. This game would turn out much differently, with Villanova achieving an upset, knocking the UConn team out of the Big East Tournament, and ending the win streak at 70 games.
The loss before the streak begins
The 2007–08 season started with a lot of promise. UConn faced fourth-ranked Stanford in the Virgin Islands, but won 66–54. The team would reach the end of the regular season with only a single loss, to Rutgers at Rutgers 73–71, then won the rematch at home 66–46. However, the team lost two starters to injury, Kalana GreeneKalana Greene
Kalana Lanette Greene , is a basketball guard, currently for the Connecticut Sun of the WNBA, and CCC Polkowice in Poland. She played her college career at the University of Connecticut, where the Huskies were the 2009 and 2010 NCAA national Champions.-Early life:Greene grew up in St...
and Mel Thomas
Mel Thomas
Melanie Eileen "Mel" Thomas was born August 26, 1985 in Cincinnati, Ohio, to Jeff and Mary Thomas She is an American basketball player who played for the University of Connecticut Huskies from 2004-2008.-High school:...
. UConn won the first four games of the NCAA Tournament
2008 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2008 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 teams playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the 2007–08 national champion of women's NCAA Division I college basketball. It commenced on March 22, 2008, and concluded when the University of Tennessee Lady...
, but then faced a rematch with Stanford, who won the semifinal game 82–73. That would prove to be the last loss for some time.
2008–09 season—wins 1–39
UConn opened the season against Georgia TechGeorgia Tech Yellow Jackets women's basketball
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets women's basketball team represents the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in NCAA Division I basketball. The team plays its home games in Alexander Memorial Coliseum.-Players:...
, a team unranked in the pre-season. The game was tied at the half; UConn went on to win by eleven. The fifth game of the season was against Oklahoma, a team ranked number 4 in the polls. Characterized as a "significant test" by ESPN's Graham Hays, Connecticut would win easily by 32 points, 106-72.
After winning their first seventeen games, Connecticut faced the number two ranked team in the nation North Carolina
University of North Carolina
Chartered in 1789, the University of North Carolina was one of the first public universities in the United States and the only one to graduate students in the eighteenth century...
, also 17–0 for the season. UConn was ranked number one, but had just lost starter Caroline Doty
Caroline Doty
Caroline Marie Doty plays guard for the UConn women's basketball team, the 2009 NCAA National Champions. She has only lost 2 games during her career at the University of Connecticut.-References:...
to a season-ending knee injury in the prior game. Despite the loss of Doty, the game did not turn out to be the close game anticipated. UConn reached a double-digit lead early in the game, extended to a 46-30 halftime lead, and finished with a 30 point victory, 88-58. All five starters, including Lorin Dixon in a her first start of the season, would each score in double digits, led by Renee Montgomery with 21.
During the rest of the regular season, only Notre Dame and Rutgers played UConn to within ten points, with each game being a ten point margin. The team entered the Big East tournament with a 30–0 record.
Neither of the first two rounds of the Big East tournament were close, with UConn defeating South Florida by 37 points, and Villanova by 30 points. The final was expected to be a contest, because Louisville had a record of 29–4 and was ranked seventh in the nation. However, with eight minutes to go in the game, UConn's Maya Moore had scored 28 points, while the Louisville team had only 27. UConn went on to win the game 75–36.
Connecticut won the first four games of the NCAA Tournament
2009 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
The regionals, held in the city rather than the geographic area as a practice that has been used since 2005, were held there from March 28 to 31 at these sites:...
easily. That setup a rematch with Stanford, the last team to beat UConn. This time the UConn team prevailed, winning with a score of 83–64. The National Championship game was between UConn and Louisville, a team UConn had beaten once in the regular season and once in the Big East Championship game. Connecticut won the third meeting as well, 76–54, winning their sixth National Championship and completing their third undefeated season.
2009–10 season—wins 40–78
The Connecticut team opened the year ranked #1 in both the ESPN Coaches poll and the AP Top 25 Poll , following a 39–0 record leading to a National Championship in the prior season. In both cases, the polling results were unanimous. UConn graduated three seniors, Renee Montgomery, Tahirah Williams and Cassie Kerns, but only Renee was a regular starter. The team added one freshman, Kelly Faris, and Caroline Doty returned to the line-up after missing most of the prior season due to injury.Despite working toward their 40th consecutive win, the focus in the early part of the season was not on the streak, but on other accomplishments. In the opening game against Northeastern, Tina Charles
Tina Charles (basketball)
Tina Charles is an American women's basketball player with the Connecticut Sun of the Women's National Basketball Association and the Galatasaray Medical Park of the TWBL. Originally from Jamaica, New York, Charles was drafted 1st overall in the 2010 WNBA Draft...
scored her 1000th career rebound. In the same game, Kalana Greene
Kalana Greene
Kalana Lanette Greene , is a basketball guard, currently for the Connecticut Sun of the WNBA, and CCC Polkowice in Poland. She played her college career at the University of Connecticut, where the Huskies were the 2009 and 2010 NCAA national Champions.-Early life:Greene grew up in St...
scored her 100th career point. After winning their ninth game of the season, and extending their streak to 48 games, UConn faced Stanford at home. Both teams were undefeated, and were ranked first and second in the polls. Stanford's last loss was to UConn in 2009, and UConn's last loss was to Stanford in 2008. For the first time this season, UConn trailed at halftime. However, in the second half, UConn moved out to a large lead and ended up winning by twelve points.
After winning its next six games, UConn faced Notre Dame on January 16. The game was notable because it was the first ever ESPN Gameday help before a women's basketball game. Both teams were undefeated; UConn at 16–0, ranked number one in the country and Notre Dame had a record of 15–0, with a number three ranking. However, the game would not be close. UConn led at halftime 42–19, won the game 70–46.
UConn went on to win the rest of their regular season games, ending the regular season with a record of 30–0, and extending their overall streak to 69, just two games shy of the NCAA Division I women's basketball record of 70, established by UConn in 2003. UConn won the regular season Big East title, so they had a double bye into the quarterfinals of the Big East tournament. Their first game would never be close, with UConn leading at the half 44–17, and ended with a 77–41 victory. UConn's Tina Charles would tie her career high with 34 points, while Maya Moore would score the 2000th point of her career, ending the game with 16 points, 14 rebounds and 7 assists. The win would be UConn's 70th consecutive win, tying the record for the longest winning streak in the history of NCAA Division I women's college basketball, set by UConn in 2003.
The Big East Tournament semi-final game was against Notre Dame, the third match up between the two teams this season. UConn won 59–44, to set a new NCAA women's basketball winning streak record at 71 games. However, the team was focused on upcoming games and "didn't even celebrate". UConn would go on to win the Big East title match against West Virginia 60–32.
UConn entered the NCAA tournament as a number one seed. Their first round game was against Southern
Southern University
Southern University and A&M College is a historically black college located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The Baton Rouge campus is located on Scott’s Bluff overlooking the Mississippi River in the northern section...
—UConn won 95–39. The second round game was against Temple
Temple University
Temple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional...
. Temple is coached by Tony Cardoza, who had been an assistant at UConn for 14 years. This was the first meeting of the two teams since Cardoza took over the position. UConn limited the use of the starting team, but still won 90–36. UConn then beat Iowa State
Iowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology, more commonly known as Iowa State University , is a public land-grant and space-grant research university located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Iowa State has produced astronauts, scientists, and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, along with a host of...
74–36 and Florida State
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
90–50 to advance to the Final Four.
The National Championship game was between Stanford and UConn. Stanford's last loss was to Connecticut in December 2009, and Connecticut's last loss was to Stanford, exactly two years before, in the Final Four of 2008. Stanford would go to halftime with a 20–12 lead. The twelve points scored by UConn was the lowest first half total in the history of Connecticut basketball.
Maya Moore led the team after the half, scoring 11 of the team's first 17 points, including the basket that put Connecticut back into the lead, this time for good. Moore would end up with 23 points and 11 rebounds, and earned Most Outstanding Player honors for the Final Four. Connecticut would go on to win 53–47, ending their streak of double-digit victories, but winning their 78th consecutive game, resulting in their seventh National Championship, their second consecutive undefeated season and their fourth overall undefeated season.
2010–11 season—wins 79–90
UConn opened the 2010–11 season with a win over Holy Cross, 117–37. The next game was against Baylor, the number 2 ranked team in the country. Baylor jumped to an early lead 8–3, but UConn came back, and held an eight point lead at the half 35–27. Although UConn hit a three pointer in the opening seconds of the second half to extend the lead to double digits, Baylor responded with a 29–10 run to take an eight-point lead 56–48 with about seven minutes to go. Bria HartleyBria Hartley
Bria Hartley is an American basketball player at the University of Connecticut. She played on the USA Basketball U18 team, where she helped the team win the gold medal and qualify for the 2011 FIBA U19 Women's World Championship.-Early years:...
scored eight of her nine points in the last four minutes of the game to help UConn hold on for a one point victory 65–54.
UConn's next opponent was Georgia Tech, the team involved in the first game of the streak. The win by UConn was the 81st consecutive, tying Washington University, a Division III team, for the longest streak in NCAA women's basketball. UConn hosted the World Vision Classic over Thanksgiving. In the first of the three games, UConn easily beat Howard
Howard University
Howard University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university located in Washington, D.C., United States...
86–25, to set the new record consecutive win streak for NCAA women's basketball at 82 games. UConn then went on to beat the other two opponents in the Classic, Lehigh
Lehigh University
Lehigh University is a private, co-educational university located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the United States. It was established in 1865 by Asa Packer as a four-year technical school, but has grown to include studies in a wide variety of disciplines...
and LSU
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
and then extended the streak to 87 games with wins over USF
University of South Florida
The University of South Florida, also known as USF, is a member institution of the State University System of Florida, one of the state's three flagship universities for public research, and is located in Tampa, Florida, USA...
, Sacred Heart University
Sacred Heart University
Sacred Heart University is a Roman Catholic university located in suburban Fairfield, Connecticut, United States. Sacred Heart was founded in 1963 by the Most Reverend Walter W. Curtis, Bishop of the Diocese of Bridgeport, Connecticut. Sacred Heart University was the first Catholic university in...
and Marquette
Marquette University
Marquette University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1881, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities...
.
The following game was the Maggie Dixon
Maggie Dixon
-External links:****...
Classic, held at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
to honor the memory of Dixon, who had been coach of the Army team, before succumbing to a heart condition at the age of 28. Two of the four teams playing in the double-header were UConn and Ohio State. UConn was ranked number one at the time while Ohio State was ranked tenth. UConn won the game 81–50 to tie the NCAA basketball consecutive wins streak held by UCLA.
On Tuesday, December 21, 2101, UConn hosted Florida State in Veterans Memorial Coliseum at the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
. Maya Moore scored a career high 41 points, but the emphasis was not on individual stats. The game represented the 89th consecutive victory, the longest winning streak in NCAA basketball history.
The streak reached 90 games with a win over Pacific, but ended with a loss to Stanford on December 30, 2010.
UCLA and Notre Dame player reactions
Bill WaltonBill Walton
William Theodore "Bill" Walton III is a retired American basketball player and television sportscaster. The "Big Red-Head", as he was called, achieved superstardom playing for John Wooden's powerhouse UCLA Bruins in the early '70s, winning three straight College Player of the Year Awards, while...
“They play with great sense of team, great purpose, phenomenal execution of fundamentals, relentless attack,” he said. “It is what every team should aspire to, regardless of the sport.”
Dwight Clay, the Notre Dame player who hit the winning shot to end the UCLA streak: "Well, I think it's great. It's great for women's basketball and it's great for sports in general...But, you know, what Connecticut has done, you know, I don't believe you can separate that. Eight-eight games is 88 games. That's a hell of a treat."
Girls' basketball
The Byng High School girl's basketball team won 98 consecutive games between 1936 and 1938, including three consecutive state championships. The high school is located in Ada, OklahomaAda, Oklahoma
Ada is a city in and the county seat of Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 16,008 at the 2000 census. As of 2009, the city population was estimated at 17,019....
, and was coached by Bertha Teague
Bertha Teague
Bertha F. Teague was an American basketball coach. She coached Byng High School team in Ada, Oklahoma for 42 years with a career record of 1,157-115 . Her teams won 8 Oklahoma state titles and 98 consecutive games from 1936 to 1939...
, inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame honors men and women who have contributed to the sport of women's basketball. The Hall of Fame opened in 1999 in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA...
in the inaugural class of 1999.