Other than the brief moment when Ohio State Brittany Johnson hit a pair of 3-pointers 25 seconds apart to give the Buckeyes the early 6-0 lead, it was just another day at the office for the UConn women's basketball team.

The Huskies routed the Buckeyes 81-50 as Tiffany Hayes (26 points), Maya Moore (22 points, seven rebounds, five assists, four steals), Stefanie Dolson (15 rebounds), Bria Hartley (13 points, five assists) and Kelly Faris (eight points, 10 rebounds) played major roles. The victory was the Huskies' 88th in a row, matching the NCAA Division I record - men's or women's - set by the UCLA men from 1971-74.

While the UConn players and coaches were thrilled to reach the magical No. 88, they were more excited about the way the victory came together.

Ohio State features three senior starters including likely WNBA lottery pick Jantel Lavender and dynamic junior guard Samanthia Prahalis and they were run right out of Madison Square Garden.

"It's one of those things that you practice a certain way and you hope when game time comes, you can execute the things that you have practiced," Moore said. "That is exactly what we did. We came out, we ran hard. Coach wanted us to rebound and that's what we did. It was the best transition (offense) we've had all year and it was fun. Everybody was involved. I don't think you could ask for a better team win.

"That's the way you want to win. You want to go to work every day and work your tail off. That's the type of people we have."

UConn coach Geno Auriemma was at his entertaining best while fielding questions about the streak and was a bit emotional when he told of the reaction of former UCLA great Gail Goodrich, who was one of the many dignitaries at Madison Square Garden.

"I saw him after the game and it was almost like he had look in his eye, the only words that came out of his mouth is it was my pleasure, you guys are a real team," Auriemma said. "Those people who played on those teams, although he didn't play on that particular one, but he won a couple of championship, they understand that we are a team and yo u do what teams do. You go out, you play hard, you play together
and you accomplish what you set to do."

Auriemma didn't stop there. Never one to pull punches, he had his own take on why the press room was filled to capacity with reporters - many of whom who don't normally cover women's basketball.

"I just know there wouldn't be this many people in the room if we were chasing a women's record. The reason everybody is in this room, the reason why everybody is having a heart attack these last four or five days is a bunch of women are threatening to break a men's record. Everybody is up in arms about it, all the women are happy as hell and they can't wait to come in and ask questions. All the men who love women's basketball are all excited. All the miserable bastards that follow men's basketball and don't want us to break the record are all here because they are (ticked off).

"That's just the way it is because if we were breaking a women's record, everybody would go 'aren't those girls nice. Let's give them two paragraphs in USA Today, given them one line at the bottom of ESPN and let's send them where they belong, in
the kitchen. But because we are breaking a men's record, we have lots of people paying attention."

CALHOUN ON GENO
Thanks to the Register's UConn men's basketball beat writer David Borges for forwarding me Jim Calhoun's take on what Auriemma has accomplished.

"They're proving they're the greatest women's team in the history of women's basketball.

"The 18-0 by the Patriots has nothing to do with the 56 games by Oklahoma and Bud Wilkinson. I think he's handled exceptionally well, and his kids have, and he's said the right things.

"You win 88 straight games in Parcheesi, you're doing something special … Who's been a better coach in college basketball than Geno? Nobody. It's the greatest women's program in the country, until someone passes them … and I don't think anybody will do it, including them. The game is getting better."

"I'm friends with Vivian Stringer, I know Pat Summitt very well – good person, good coach. But the facts are there: it's the best women's program in the history of women's college basketball."