Skip to content
Link copied to clipboard
Link copied to clipboard

No. 8 UConn’s 169-game conference win streak ends to Nova

Lior Garzon scored 19 points and Maddie Siegrist added 17 to lead Villanova to a 72-69 win over No. 8 UConn, ending the Huskies’ 169-game conference winning streak.

Villanova's Bella Runyan, center, reacts to being fouled with teammates Villanova's Brianna Herlihy, left, and Villanova's Maddy Siegrist, right, in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Connecticut, Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2022, in Hartford, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
Villanova's Bella Runyan, center, reacts to being fouled with teammates Villanova's Brianna Herlihy, left, and Villanova's Maddy Siegrist, right, in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Connecticut, Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2022, in Hartford, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)Read moreJessica Hill / AP
    by Pat Eaton-Rob, The Associated Press
    Published 

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Lior Garzon scored 19 points and Maddie Siegrist added 17 to lead Villanova to a 72-69 win over No. 8 UConn, ending the Huskies’ 169-game conference winning streak.

UConn last lost a conference game back in the old Big East Conference in 2013.

Brianna Herlihy added 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Wildcats (16-6, 10-3 Big East), who led by as many as 19 points in the second half and held off a furious fourth-quarter charge from the Huskies. It was the eighth straight win for Villanova, which beat the Huskies for the first time since February 2004.

Freshman Azzi Fudd had a season-high 29 points for UConn (15-5, 9-1). Christyn Williams added 24 points.

Villanova, which shot 52% from the floor, never trailed. The Wildcats led by as many as 15 points in the first quarter and 41-34 at halftime.

Three consecutive 3-pointers from Brooke Mullin, Lior Garzon and Brianna Herlihy pushed the lead to 59-40 late in the third quarter.

UConn outscored the Wildcats 24-10 in the fourth, cutting the deficit to just 71-69 on a layup by Fudd with 9 seconds left.

But Herlihy hit one of two free throws and UConn, which had no timeouts left, could not get another shot up.

The Wildcats dominated on the boards, outrebounding UConn 37-21.

UConn, which had won six in a row, including a victory over then-No.7 Tennessee on Sunday had just eight healthy players, and just six who saw playing time.

Caroline Ducharme (12.6 ppg) didn’t dress for a second consecutive game with a head injury and center Olivia Nelson-Ododa (10 ppg, 8.2 rpg) was a late scratch from UConn’s lineup with an illness.

BIG PICTURE

Villanova: The Wildcats improved to 18-37 all-time against the Huskies. Their last win against UConn was a 59-56 win on Feb. 28, 2004. Villanova improved to 2-1 this season against ranked teams. The Wildcats lost 88-67 at No. 4 Maryland and beat No. 23 Oregon State 56-52 at home.

UConn: UConn has had six players miss at least two games with either an injury or illness and has had eight different starting lineups this season. Reigning player of the year Paige Bueckers remains on track to return before the end of the year from the left knee injury that has kept her out since early December.

UP NEXT

Villanova: The Wildcats return home to host Marquette on Friday night.

UConn: The Huskies return to campus Friday to host DePaul