UConn women win physical matchup with UCF to lock up spot in record 28th consecutive Sweet 16

STORRS, Conn. — UConn women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma said he thought he'd seen it all this season, with his team riddled with injuries most of the campaign and dropping the highest number of pre-NCAA tournament games the program had seen since 2004-05.

But Monday's slugfest against former conference foe UCF in front of one of the rowdiest Gampel Pavilion crowds in recent memory, with a spot in the Sweet 16 on the line?

«This was a rather new experience for me,» Auriemma said.

Despite shooting a season-low 29.2% from the field, the Huskies eked out a 52-47 victory in which they trailed early by eight, stormed back to go up 12 midway through the fourth then allowed the Knights to pull back within three with less than a minute to go.

In a season when many of UConn's historic streaks have been snapped (consecutive games without falling to an unranked opponent, years since dropping a conference game), one of the program's most impressive runs remains intact: The Huskies have now advanced to the Sweet 16 in a record 28 consecutive NCAA tournaments. They'll play Indiana, the first meeting in the programs' history, on Saturday at 2 p.m. ET in Bridgeport, Connecticut, for a spot in the Elite Eight.

«Not just the tough games, but I think the adversity we faced off the court, as well, has helped prepare us [to battle Monday],» said Huskies freshman guard Azzi Fudd, who hit four 3s and finished with a team-high 16 points.

UCF (26-4), meanwhile, concluded a historic season in which it earned its first AAC regular-season and tournament titles and won its first NCAA tournament game, over Florida in the first round.

The Huskies left a slew of points on the board across the contest, making just two of 12 layup attempts.

But UCF