MONTVILLE, Conn. _ The crowd squeezed into the Mohegan Sun Arena expecting to witness history.
Like so many of Geno Auriemma's 999 victories before Tuesday, this was supposed to be preordained. The Huskies, facing a team with as many losses as wins, would roll to a victory and Connecticut's favorite coach would notch No. 1,000 before his adoring fans.
But it wasn't quite that easy. Oklahoma never relented while UConn went uncharacteristically cold in the second half of the Hall of Fame Holiday Showcase.
By the time it ended, Auriemma had his 1,000th win _ but it was well earned.
UConn's 88-64 victory was not easy as the score would indicate, as Oklahoma made a spirited third-quarter run that muted the capacity crowd. But the No. 1 Huskies (9-0) were simply too good, finding their footing and pulling away.
Auriemma (1,000-135) joined Pat Summitt, Tara VanDerveer and Sylvia Hatchell as the only 1,000-win coaches in women's college basketball history. And Hatchell notched her 1,000th just hours before Auriemma, as North Carolina won Tuesday afternoon.
But Auriemma reached the milestone quicker than any coach in history. He won his 900th in February 2015, as UConn lost just one game since.
In fact, the Huskies have won 120 of 121 games and 167 of the past 169. Auriemma has 11 national titles and 10 consecutive Final Four appearances on his Hall of Fame resume.
His 1,000th was a reason to pause and celebrate. Many former players were at Mohegan Sun, including members of his 1985-86 team. That was his first year in Storrs, after arriving from Virginia.
Facing Oklahoma (5-6), UConn ran to a 43-22 lead in the second quarter when Kia Nurse connected on a 3-pointer. It was 48-33 at halftime as UConn seemed to have control of the game.
But Oklahoma went on a 7-0 run in the third quarter, as UConn was scoreless for 3 minutes, 35 seconds. It was 51-44 and Oklahoma had a spring in its step when UConn called a timeout.
But a basket by Azura Stevens ended the scoring drought. Napheesa Collier hit a 3-pointer and took a pass from Stevens on the next possession before scoring inside, settling the Huskies.
By the end of the third quarter, it was UConn's game. And the fans sensed history as it turned into a blowout.
Collier had 21 points and nine rebounds while Stevens had 20 points and eight rebounds. Katie Lou Samuelson had 19 points and six assist, and Nurse 17 points.
