NYU women's team sets D-III mark with 82nd straight win - ESPN

NYU now stands alone atop the Division III women's basketball record book with 82 consecutive victories.

The Violets (20-0) beat Carnegie Mellon 69-58 on Sunday to break a tie with rival Washington University of St. Louis, which won 81 games in a row from 1998-2001.

«Thrilled we beat Wash U for that record,» NYU coach Meg Barber said in a phone interview after the victory. «I'm a competitive person and wildly respect this league and to have any type of streak is incredible.»

Barber knows first-hand about the record her team broke, having been a player at NYU when the team's rival was racking up victories.

«I would say a sigh of relief,» Barber said of setting the record. «Hopefully this quiets the outside noise, let's us get back to our main goals [of winning another national championship].»

UConn holds the overall NCAA record for consecutive wins with a 111-game streak. The Huskies also have the second-longest streak, a 90-game run.

Caroline Peper scored 27 points to lead the way for the two-time defending national champions, who had to work hard for Sunday's win.

«For us, it was super important that it's NYU we're representing to beat our rival's record,» Peper said.

The two teams went back and forth in the first half, and NYU led 32-29 at the break on a 3-pointer by Brooke Batchelor a few seconds before the end of the second quarter.

Peper and Batchelor hit consecutive 3-pointers early in the third quarter to start a 17-6 run to go up by double digits. The Tartans closed to within 56-51 midway through the fourth quarter, but Zahra Alexander, who scored all seven of her points in the final quarter, answered with consecutive layups to extend the cushion and make it 60-53 with 3:19 left.

Peper then hit a 3-pointer just