HARTFORD, Conn. – UConn finally celebrated – just a little bit.
The top-ranked Huskies danced and cheered after they cruised to their 72nd straight win and 16th Big East tournament championship with a 60-32 victory over No. 9 West Virginia on Tuesday night.
It was a much more festive atmosphere than the night before when they broke their own NCAA record for consecutive wins.
“We had a lot of miniature goals during the entire season,” said Kalana Greene, who scored 15 points and earned most outstanding player honors of the tournament. “Every championship that’s thrown at us we want to win it. The streak can be thrown at us and if we don’t win the Big East championship it doesn’t mean anything.”
The next challenge – if anything can truly be called a challenge for these Huskies – is the NCAA tournament.
With six more victories, UConn will have its second consecutive national title and seventh overall.
Greene made her first seven shots and grabbed 12 rebounds. She provided the same offensive spark she’s been giving the Huskies all season.
“I thought all year long Kalana’s been really consistent,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. “Whether it’s a defensive spurt, offensive spurt, or rebounding.”
UConn (33-0) stands six wins short of becoming the first team to go through consecutive seasons unbeaten.
The Huskies, who have won both the regular season and conference tournament title the last three years and 14 times in school history, held West Virginia (28-5) to the lowest total in a Big East championship game.
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 79, ORAL ROBERTS 75, OT: Kristin Rotert scored 21 points and made the game-clinching free throw with four seconds left in overtime to lift defending champion South Dakota State in the Summit League tournament final in Sioux Falls, S.D.
The Jackrabbits earned their second straight automatic NCAA tournament bid in their second year as a full-fledged Division I member.
Maria Boever added 18 points and Ketty Cornemann 17 for the Jackrabbits (22-10).
Jaci Bigham scored 28 points, Kevi Luper 17, Jordan Pyle 12 and Janae Voelker 10 for Oral Roberts (23-9).
