STORRS, Conn. _ The outcome of the 100th consecutive win was like many of the 99 before, a comfortable margin of victory for the best team in the country.
But on Monday night, the UConn women's basketball team overcame a formidable visitor as it reached yet another milestone. South Carolina, ranked sixth in the country, gave UConn all it could handle throughout a pressure-packed 40 minutes.
UConn, though, did what it has done all season and for the past two years. Leading scorer Katie Lou Samuelson may have struggled with her shot, but Gabby Williams stepped up and seized control of the game.
Williams scored a career-high 26 points and had 14 rebounds, lifting UConn to a 66-55 victory. The No. 1 ranked Huskies haven't lost since Nov. 17, 2014.
UConn entered this season with a 75-game winning streak that was supposed to end early. The difficult nonconference schedule would seemingly end the streak, as UConn was reloading with a young roster.
Instead, the Huskies have passed one test after another. The win was the ninth against a ranked opponent as UConn (25-0) knocked off another team with national title aspirations.
Williams, the dynamic forward/guard, was the best player on the court. But Napheesa Collier (18 points, nine rebounds) was also a difference-maker, as was freshman guard Crystal Dangerfield (seven assists).
The Huskies had a six-point lead at halftime, but South Carolina scored the first four points of the second half as UConn missed its first five shots. The Huskies' first basket of the second half was the first basket of the game by Samuelson, who hit a jumper 3:07 into the second half.
After a South Carolina basket, Saniya Chong converted a three-point play to give UConn a 40-35 lead. And after the Gamecocks cut the lead to three on a basket by Alaina Coates, UConn reeled off six unanswered points.
Williams scored off a pass from Dangerfield and added another basket on a layup before finding Samuelson under the hoop with a quick pass that led to a basket. Tyasha Harris scored on a runner for South Carolina, but Collier took over the final minute of the third quarter.
Collier scored on a layup, battled for a defensive rebound off a miss by Kaela Davis, gathering the ball and pulling it from two defenders. She started a break with an outlet pass and wound up on the receiving end of a pass from Chong, converting a layup and drawing a foul with four seconds left. She hit the free throw and UConn was suddenly ahead 51-39 with 10 minutes left.
But South Carolina began the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer by Harris, a signal the Gamecocks were not fading. UConn, though, answered when Samuelson grabbed a rebound off a Williams miss and drew a foul, converting a pair of foul shots.
The Huskies continued to extend the lead as Williams stepped up. She scored six consecutive points on a basket and four free throws, giving UConn a 61-49 lead midway through the fourth quarter.
With 4:22 left in the game, Kia Nurse hit her first basket of the game. It was a three-pointer that extended UConn's lead to 16 points. The crowd erupted.
Really, the crowd was loud and lively from before the tip, cheering as one ex-Husky after another appeared on the video board. Breanna Stewart, Morgan Tuck, Sue Bird, Maya Moore, Tina Charles and others sat behind the bench, adding to the atmosphere.
Make no mistake: This was a celebration of the program. The anticipation of the 100th victory turned the nationally-televised game into a party.
But the crowd had moments of anguish in the first half, as South Carolina went toe-to-toe with the Huskies. With Samuelson missing shots, the UConn offense struggled to get on track.
Samuelson, UConn's leading scorer, missed all seven shots she attempted in the first half. She was 0-for-3 on 3-pointers and appeared out of sorts, throwing up air balls and playing tentatively. Samuelson missed two practices last week as she dealt with an illness, but she played Saturday against SMU and delivered 23 points in the victory.
But with Samuelson struggling, the Huskies found other sources. Williams proved to be a difficult matchup for South Carolina center Coates, who simply could not keep up with the athletic and quick UConn junior.
Williams had 16 points and nine rebounds in the half. As UConn took a 19-16 lead in the first quarter, Williams had 10 points and made 4 of 6 shots. UConn was 8 of 18 shooting in the quarter, but the Huskies made 4 of their last 6 attempts.
In the second quarter, South Carolina took an early 24-22 lead. After a basket by Williams, Davis hit a 3 to give the Gamecocks a 27-24 lead.
But Williams scored off a steal and Collier converted a basket off a pass from Dangerfield through traffic in the paint.
South Carolina regained the lead on a drive by Allisha Gray and there was an opportunity to extend it when a Samuelson turnover led to a break. But Chong took charge, setting up a UConn run.
Collier hit a 3-pointer, Williams hit a jumper and Collier scored off a steal as the half ended. The crowd was on its feet as the Huskies left the court with a 35-29 lead, despite a scoreless 20 minutes from their leading scorer and some inconsistent play through the half.
