STANFORD, Calif. — Amber Orrange made a go-ahead jumper with 1:38 left in overtime and the tying 3-pointer with 1.4 seconds remaining in regulation, sending No. 6 Stanford to an 88-86 victory against top-ranked Connecticut to snap the Huskies’ 47-game winning streak Monday night.
The Cardinal ended another long Huskies’ run nearly four years after snapping the program’s NCAA record 90-game unbeaten run. UConn went 40-0 last season on the way to its second straight championship. UConn lost for the first time since falling to Notre Dame in the 2013 conference tournament.
After Orrange’s basket in overtime made it 85-84, Stanford’s smothering defense took over. They forced UConn into several poor shots, a 5-second violation and prevented the Huskies from getting off a final attempt.
Orrange also came up big at the end of regulation to force the extra session, hitting her 3-pointer from the corner to tie it.
Lili Thompson scored 24 points and Orrange 17 for Stanford (2-0).
Breanna Stewart scored 23 points and Saniya Chong had 20 for the Huskies (1-1).
UConn looked out of sorts for much of the night at Maples Pavilion in a rematch of last season’s NCAA semifinals — and it didn’t help Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis never got going. Mosqueda-Lewis, coming off a 30-point, 10 3-pointer outing in the opener Friday night at UC Davis, struggled all night to find her shot.
She went without a field goal until she made a 3-pointer with 9:40 left in the game, having a tough time getting open looks facing swarming defense by Karlie Samuelson.
Seattle Storm coach Brian Agler and team president Alisha Valavanis were in attendance largely to see her. They have the No. 1 pick in next year’s WNBA draft and Mosqueda-Lewis is a likely top choice.
Stewart’s 3 with 7:29 remaining put UConn ahead 62-53 and Stanford called timeout. Orrange then scored for the Cardinal’s first points in nearly five minutes before later making a pair of lay-ins in the final 30 seconds to keep the Cardinal close.
Stanford extended its home winning streak to 28 games at Maples. The Cardinal hung tough on both ends of the floor in the first half and swarmed Mosqueda-Lewis, regularly getting a hand in her face.
Thompson and Orrange drove the lanes for easy baskets as Stanford displayed its new up-tempo offense, three nights after the sophomore guard Thompson scored a career-best 26 against Boston College.
Bonnie Samuelson knocked down a 3-pointer from the right wing with 1:42 left in the first half to give Stanford its first lead, 36-35. Stewart converted a three-point play moments later and UConn led 40-38 at halftime.
The teams have a unique cross-country rivalry, and Auriemma credited Hall of Fame Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer for continuing to play the Huskies in the preseason when many schools no longer will.
