No. 1 UConn clinches share of AAC title by routing ECU 84-41

Published Feb. 20, 2016 10:29 p.m. ET

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GREENVILLE, N.C. (AP) Breanna Stewart had 16 points and 11 rebounds, and No. 1 Connecticut clinched a share of its third straight American Athletic Conference title by routing East Carolina 84-41 on Saturday night.

Stewart finished two blocked shots shy of her first triple-double, but passed Kara Wolters for second on the school's career blocks list, while freshman Katie Lou Samuelson added 19 points for the Huskies (26-0, 15-0).

They picked up their 63rd straight victory in their final trip of the regular season, shooting 47 percent while holding East Carolina to 24 percent and forcing 22 turnovers. UConn scored 20 straight points in the first quarter.

I'Tiana Taylor had 12 points for the Pirates (10-17, 4-11), who had just seven players in uniform and have lost seven of eight.

The Huskies were the first No. 1-ranked team to visit East Carolina in 32 years. Now they can probably get comfortable in their home state for a while.

They have three home regular-season games left before the conference tournament in Uncasville, and they're a lock to both host an NCAA Tournament subregional in Storrs and play the regional round in Bridgeport.

So if things go according to plan, they won't have to leave the state again until they head to Indianapolis for their ninth straight Final Four.

This one was all Huskies from the start: Samuelson scored 15 points during a first quarter in which the Huskies all but put the game away while going up 27-4. After one quarter, Stewart had blocked more shots (four) than the Pirates made (three).

The highlight of the night came in the final minute of that quarter, when Moriah Jefferson took a long pass near the free-throw line with her back to the basket and delivered a behind-the-head pass that hit Samuelson in stride. The freshman hit the layup and put UConn up by 20 points.

TIP-INS

Connecticut: Stewart has 377 career blocks, 19 shy of Rebecca Lobo's school record. ... The Huskies have forced at least 20 turnovers in 11 straight conference games.

East Carolina: The Pirates' seven points in the first quarter was a season low for any quarter. ... This was just the third time a No. 1 women's team came to Minges Coliseum - which hasn't played host to a men's team ranked higher than No. 5 (Memphis, 2006).

UP NEXT

Connecticut plays host to SMU on Wednesday.

East Carolina plays at Memphis on Wednesday.

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Follow Joedy McCreary at http://twitter.com/joedyap. His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/joedy-mccreary

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AP college basketball site: http://collegebasketball.ap.org