Moore scores 20 points as top-ranked Huskies rout Catamounts 84-42 for 46th straight win

No. 1 UConn routs Vermont for 46th straight win

STORRS, Conn. — Maya Moore scored 20 points as Connecticut overwhelmed Vermont 84-42 Thursday night in a rematch of last year’s first-round NCAA tournament game.

Tina Charles added 18 points and nine rebounds, giving her 1,059 rebounds for her career and moving her into second place on the school’s all-time list behind Rebecca Lobo.

The Huskies (7-0), who beat the Catamounts 104-65 in March on their way to a sixth national title, have won 46 consecutive games, and 44 in a row at home. All seven wins this season have come by at least 25 points.

Courtney Pilypaitis led Vermont (4-1) with 20 points. May Kotsopoulos, who had been averaging over 20 points a game, was held to five.

The defending America East tournament champions beat Boston College and North Carolina State on the road this season. But they were no match for the Huskies.

UConn led just 5-4 at the first media timeout, but went on an 11-0 run after the break. A touch pass from Moore to a driving Charles with just over 11 minutes left in the half extended the lead to it 25-9.

Charles’ rebound of a missed shot by Kotsopoulos a minute later moved her past Jamelle Elliott on the rebounding list. She needs 209 to catch Lobo.

UConn had one small scare. Caroline Doty left the game in the first half after trying to split two defenders on a drive to the basket. She was fouled hard, got her arms caught behind her and fell face-first to the floor. Kalana Greene made one of the two foul shots, giving UConn a 38-11 lead. Doty returned in the second half and finished with five points.

Meghan Gardler’s putback at the halftime buzzer pushed the lead to 50-18. It was the fifth 50-point first half for the Huskies this season.

Connecticut turned the ball over just 10 times, and shot 59 percent from the floor, while holding Vermont to just 31 percent.

With the win, Connecticut ties Tennessee for the third-longest winning streak in women’s Division I history. The Volunteers won 46 straight between 1996 and 1998.

Connecticut has never lost to Vermont, winning all 11 games between the two schools.

Vermont is now 1-17 all-time against ranked opponents. The team’s only win over a ranked team was a 56-48 victory over No. 22 Boston College on Nov. 25, 2007.