Paige Bueckers scored 29 points to help No. 2 UConn beat No. 14 North Carolina 69-58 on Friday night, allowing longtime coach Geno Auriemma to tie the record for career victories in Division I men’s or women’s basketball.
The 70-year-old Auriemma, in his 40th season with the Huskies (3-0), earned his 1,216th career win to match retired Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer.
Freshman Sarah Strong added 14 points, 13 rebounds and six assists for UConn.
Indya Nivar had 15 points and nine rebounds to lead the Tar Heels (3-1), who shot 36% and made 7 of 24 3-pointers.
Takeaways
UConn: Bueckers had 16 first-quarter points, the last coming on a forced-up 3 at the horn over a defender. The preseason All-American made 12 of 21 shots with four 3-pointers, four rebounds and four assists.
UNC: The Tar Heels have lost seven straight in the series, with their last win coming in January 2007.
Key moment
The Tar Heels trailed by 21 but clawed their way back within striking range at 61-52 on Nivar’s layup with 7:03 left. The Tar Heels then had five straight empty possessions before UConn got a stick-back from Jana El Alfy and Bueckers got loose on a cut for a layup that pushed the margin back to 13 with 3:16 remaining.
Key stat
The Tar Heels entered with fifth-year seniors Lexi Donarski (15.0 points) and Alyssa Ustby (10.7 points, 8.7 rebounds) taking charge, but they both struggled offensively. Donarski had five points on three shot attempts, while Ustby had three points on 1-for-9 shooting.
Up next
The Huskies host Fairleigh Dickinson on Wednesday. The Tar Heels head to the Bahamas for the Battle 4 Atlantis and face Ball State on Nov. 23.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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