No. 1 Connecticut Outlast No. 4 Maryland

Katie Lou Samuelson scored 17 of her 23 points in the second half, and top-ranked Connecticut held off No. 4 Maryland 87-81 on Thursday night for its 87th consecutive victory.

Kia Nurse contributed 19 points and Gabby Williams fought through foul trouble to add 16 for the Huskies (12-0), who tied an NCAA women's record with their 30th consecutive road win.

After taking a 36-31 lead at halftime, Connecticut opened the second half with a 14-0 run to seemingly take control. Nurse started and ended the spree with 3-pointers, and Samuelson chipped in with a four-point play.

The Terrapins (12-1) closed to 75-70 with 3:40 left before a layup by Napheesa Collier blunted the comeback. Then, after Maryland got within six, Saniya Chong drilled a jumper from beyond the arc to make it 84-75 with 48 seconds remaining.

Brionna Jones had 19 points and 13 rebounds for the Terrapins. Destiny Slocum scored 23 and Kaila Charles had 18.

The matchup between unbeaten teams drew a crowd of 17,950, the first sellout at a Maryland women's home game since 2007. The previous high this season 3,958.

Nurse and Williams each scored 10 points, and the Huskies forced 10 turnovers in taking a 36-31 halftime lead.

After the Terrapins missed their first four shots to fall behind 7-0, Charles scored made four baskets in a 10-3 run that tied it.

Connecticut answered with eight straight points, including five by Chong, and led 20-12 after the first quarter.

It was 22-14 before Maryland got three baskets from Shatori Walker-Kimbrough in a 13-5 spurt that evened the score for the last time.

Nurse drilled a 3-pointer from the corner while being fouled and added the free throw. Williams followed with a layup off a steal and Nurse again connected from beyond the arc to put the Huskies up by nine.

BIG PICTURE

Connecticut: The Huskies did nothing to tarnish their stature as the best women's basketball team in the country. Playing on the road against the Big Ten favorites, UConn frustrated the Terrapins with their skill, poise and depth. ... UConn tied its own road record that the team which won 90 straight games set from 2008-11 and Notre Dame matched.

Maryland: The Terrapins put up a decent fight against a team that hasn't lost since 2014. Though Maryland remains winless against the Huskies, its performance in this one showed that the gap between the two programs isn't cavernous.

UP NEXT

Connecticut: The Huskies seek to run their road winning streak against non-ranked foes to 100 on New Year's Day at Central Florida.

Maryland: The Terps open Big Ten play on New Year's night at Minnesota.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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