KNOXVILLE — For the University of Connecticut, neither the opposition nor an onslaught of injuries this season have kept the 11-time NCAA tournament champions from winning far more often than not.
For eight-time national champ Tennessee, the Huskies have become a wall that the Lady Volunteers just can’t seem to break through these days — and one that brought their nine-game winning streak to an end Thursday night.
Lou Lopez Senechal scored 26 points and Aaliyah Edwards added 25 to lead No. 5 UConn to an 84-67 victory over Tennessee in a matchup of iconic women’s basketball programs at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Aubrey Griffen and Dorka Juhasz each scored 13 points for the Huskies (19-2), who led by 16 points at the end of the first quarter and extended their winning streak to 12 games. Nika Muhl had 13 assists and four steals for UConn, the runner-up to South Carolina at last season’s NCAA tournament.
Jordan Horston scored 27 points for the Lady Volunteers (16-7), who closed within two points early in the third period but couldn’t complete the comeback. Rickea Jackson scored 13 points and Jillian Hollingshead added 11 as Tennessee lost for the first time in 10 games.