UConn did it again. One day after UConn won the men’s basketball championship, the women’s basketball team won the national championship on Tuesday, defeating Notre Dame 79-58. It was UConn’s ninth national title, which is a record.
Both teams entered Tuesday’s game undefeated. It was the first NCAA basketball championship game to have two undefeated teams in it. UConn went on a 16-0 run early to get a 22-8 lead. Notre Dame came back as Jewell Loyd and Michaela Mabrey made two three-pointers each and Kayla McBride made one three-pointer to cut the lead to five with less than a minute in the first half. The Huskies lead at halftime 45-38.
The second half started with the Huskies going on a 14-4 run. They had a 60-42 lead with 14 minutes left. The Fighting Irish trailed by as much as 24 for the rest of the game and couldn’t get the lead under 17, according to Fox Sports.
''It means we've done something no one else has ever done,'' Huskies coach Geno Auriemma said. ''Flattered and grateful and all the things that come with this kind of accomplishment. ... I'm more proud of the legacy that exists and what Connecticut basketball is as opposed to the number of championships.''
Breanna Stewart led the Huskies with 21 points, according to the Associated Press. She was also the AP Player of the Year. Stefanie Dolson had 17 points, 16 rebounds and seven assist for the Huskies. McBride led the Fighting Irish with 21 points.
As CBS Sports notes, the Huskies have now won five titles while going undefeated. It’s the eighth undefeated championship in NCAA women’s basketball history. The last undefeated championship in women’s basketball was Baylor in 2012.