Entering Sunday's American Athletic Conference game between the UConn Huskies women's basketball team and the Louisville Cardinals, both teams came into it undefeated in conference play.
Only one team could emerge perfect in conference play. Only one team team could remain perfect in conference play and the season. Only one team had Breanna Stewart.
Stewart's double-double helped UConn to an 81-64 win over Louisville in front of a sold-out pink-clad crowd and nationally televised audience at Gampel Pavilion.
The Huskies improve to 25-0 (12-0 American) while the Cardinals fall for the second time this season (23-2, 11-1).
Stewart's double-double was with 24 points and 10 rebounds. And she led the team with six assists as well. Moriah Jefferson added a career-high 18 points and had five assists while Stefanie Dolson had 12 points, nine rebounds and five assists.
Bria Hartley also had 12 points and seven rebounds. Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis had 13 points, all of them coming before she left with an injury to left elbow late in the first half. She did return to the game in the second half and the injury was deemed to be not as serious as the first one.
Asia Taylor led Louisville with 18 points and eight rebounds. Sara Hammond added 11 points while Shoni Schimmel and Anita Slaughter both had nine points.
The Huskies got out to a 10 point lead over the first 11 minutes at 21-11 before the Cardinals scored the next seven points to cut the lead to three. Louisville would keep it close for a little bit before UConn pushed the lead back to 11 at 35-24 with a 6-0 run.
The lead would be 11 at the half for the home team.
Tia Gibbs got the Cards within seven points at 47-40 with a three-pointer but a Stewart three kicked off a 16-5 run to allow the Huskies to seize control of the game.
Thankfully for Geno Auriemma and the walking wounded on UConn, they've got some time to get some rest.
They'll be back in action next Sunday when they had to Tampa, FL for a matchup with the South Florida Bulls. Tip is scheduled for 4 p.m.
Louisville Cardinals @ UConn Huskies 2/9/14 box score
Here are UConn's postgame quotes.
Here are UConn's postgame notes.
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photo credit: cloe poisson – hartford courant
