No. 1 Connecticut women breeze past Chattanooga 79-31

By foxsports
Published

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) Moriah Jefferson scored 15 points and didn't miss a shot Monday night as No. 1 UConn breezed past Chattanooga 79-31 for its 41st consecutive victory.

The Huskies' winning streak is the third-longest in school history. The three-time defending national champions have beaten each of their first four opponents by at least 40 points and haven't lost since falling 88-86 at Stanford on Nov. 17, 2014.

Jefferson made all five of her shots and four free throws. Breanna Stewart and Gabby Williams each added 14 points for the Huskies (4-0).

Jasmine Joyner and Keiana Gilbert each scored eight for Chattanooga, which ended a 17-game home winning streak.

The Huskies scheduled the home-and-home series with Chattanooga due to the long friendship between Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma and Chattanooga coach Jim Foster, both Hall of Famers. Chattanooga visits Connecticut next season.

Auriemma began his coaching career by working as an assistant on Foster's staffs, first at Bishop McDevitt High School in the Philadelphia area and later at St. Joseph's.

This marked the seventh time the two good friends had faced off, and it was Auriemma's fourth straight victory over his former mentor. Connecticut beat Foster's Ohio State team in 2010 and knocked off Foster's Vanderbilt squads in the 1996 NCAA Tournament and the 2001 Preseason WNIT. Foster beat Connecticut while at St. Joe's in 1987 and while at Vanderbilt in the 1991 NCAA Tournament and in December 1992.

Having the top-ranked team in town attracted a boisterous crowd of 6,104 for Chattanooga's seventh-largest home crowd ever - and its biggest since 8,468 watched the Mocs upset Tennessee 80-71 on Nov. 9, 2012, in the Lady Vols' first game of the post-Pat Summitt era.

Chattanooga entered the night having won 57 of its last 58 home games. Chattanooga's only loss during that stretch was a 59-57 decision against South Florida on Nov. 15, 2014. Chattanooga's 17-game home winning streak included victories last season over a fourth-ranked Tennessee team and a seventh-ranked Stanford squad.

Connecticut proved a much more formidable challenge.

After trailing by 20 late in the first half, Queen Alford's 3-pointer got Chattanooga within 37-26 in the opening minute of the third quarter. But the Huskies scored the next 16 points and never looked back. After that Alford 3-pointer, Connecticut outscored Chattanooga 42-5 the rest of the way.

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TIP-INS

Connecticut: Stewart got four blocks to reach 300 in her career, becoming the fifth player to reach that milestone.

Chattanooga: Junior center Jasmine Joyner became the Mocs' all-time leading shot blocker as she swatted away four shots Monday. Joyner has 225 career blocks to shatter the mark previously held by Alex Anderson, who blocked 221 shots from 2003-08. Joyner entered the night averaging 4.7 blocks per game (33) to lead all Division I players.

NEXT UP

Connecticut: At No. 23 DePaul on Wednesday.

Chattanooga: At No. 24 South Florida on Dec. 13.