Connecticut's record streak ends at 90

STANFORD, Calif. - Top-ranked Connecticut's record 90-game winning streak is over.

The Huskies never led and were beaten by No. 9 Stanford, 71-59, on Thursday night, ending a remarkable run that drew national attention and acclaim to women's basketball.

Stanford was the last school to beat coach Geno Auriemma's team, in the 2008 NCAA semifinals.

Jeanette Pohlen hit five three-pointers on the way to a career-high 31 points, and the Cardinal (9-2) had the Huskies' number at last - a huge number at that. Stanford won its 52d straight at Maples Pavilion in a rematch of last season's NCAA title game won by two-time defending national champion UConn, 53-47.

Last week, the Huskies (12-1) topped the 88-game winning streak set by John Wooden's UCLA men's team from 1971 to '74 by beating No. 22 Florida State, 93-62, then won their 90th in a row on Tuesday at Pacific.

Huskies star Maya Moore was held to 14 points on 5-of-15 shooting. UConn hadn't lost since an 82-73 defeat by Stanford on April 6, 2008, in the Final Four in Tampa, Fla.

Pohlen sealed it with six free throws in the final 42.5 seconds. She shot 8 for 15 overall and had nine rebounds and six assists. Nnemkadi Ogwumike added 12 points and six rebounds, and Kayla Pedersen pulled down 11 rebounds for an inspired Stanford squad that held a 43-36 advantage on the boards.

Moore's three-pointer with 10 minutes, 50 seconds remaining cut Stanford's lead to 48-44, then Pedersen answered moments later on the other end. Moore tried to will her team back late, scoring eight straight during one stretch. But she missed the front end of a one-and-one off the rim with 1:42 left that could have made it a four-point game.

Kelly Faris scored 19 points and Bria Hartley 14 for the Huskies, who never found their usual dominant form while playing in front of a raucous, sellout crowd of 7,329 for this nationally televised showdown between the top programs from either coast.

UConn was headed home from the Bay Area on what certainly would be an extra-long red-eye flight out of San Francisco. The team had barely beaten the East Coast blizzard to get here, leaving at 6:30 a.m. Sunday.