BRAD’S SPORTS BLURB

The University of Connecticut women's basketball team is on the brink of breaking history. The team has won 69 consecutive games, one short of the Division I women's record of 70 straight victories held by the 2002-2003 UCONN women's basketball team. If the Huskies (30-0, 16-0 Big East) can surpass their old school mark of 70 consecutive victories, which shouldn't be a problem (UCONN has won all 69 games by double digits), they will look to repeat as national champions and then try to break the UCLA men's record of 88 consecutive victories from 1971-74, which is the most consecutive victories in the history of Division I basketball.

Not only are the top-ranked Huskies winning games, they are also breaking individual school records along the way.

Monday night the Huskies traveled to South Bend, Ind., and handed the No. 8 ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish a 76-51 defeat. In the process, senior center Tina Charles became UCONN's all-time leading scorer and rebounder after knocking in 18 points and collecting eight boards. Charles passed Nykesha Sales (1995-98) as the school's leading scorer with 2,184 points and Rebecca Lobo (1992-95) as the top rebounder, with 1,273.

UCONN Coach Geno Auriemma said it was "a weird coincidence" that Charles set both records in the same game, but he added, "It's not the kind of stuff we talk about.

"When you are coaching this team and are in the position I am in having coached so many good players that do great things, you don't pay attention to those things," Auriemma told reporters. "The kids didn't even know it. I told them after the game that we had a lot of great players and that Tina (had broken the records), and they were shocked. They had no idea.

"We don't talk about it ... Honest, not for one day until it became clear it was going to happen did I even think about it."

Beginning Sunday at the XL Center, there will be more work to do when the Big East Tournament begins for the Huskies with their quarterfinal game at 2 p.m. EST. The Huskies play the winner of Saturday's game between No. 8 Providence College and the winner of the Friday's first-round play-in between No. 9 Syracuse University and No. 16 Seton Hall University.

Auriemma is giving his team two days off before resuming practice Thursday.

"It's going to be good to rest. It's been a long, tough season," senior guard Kalana Greene said. "People don't think it's been hard on our bodies, but it has. We practice more than we play, and the practices are hard. Now it's time to regroup and get mentally prepared for the hardest and most important part of the season."

Auriemma knows he will soon have a replenished team that will chase more history as the season winds down. The Huskies already know their place in history. They just don't want to discuss it until their goal of a seventh National Championship for UCONN is accomplished.