Jan. 30, 2007

CINCINNATI (AP) - Kalana Greene made three jumpers during an early 19-point run, and No. 6 Connecticut overcame a second-half slump and reached another program milestone Tuesday night with a 70-60 victory over Cincinnati.

The five-time national champions became the 18th team to win 700 games in Division I. UConn (19-2, 9-0) also remained the only unbeaten team in the Big East, winning its first nine conference games for the second season in a row.

The Huskies struggled in the second half against Cincinnati (12-9, 3-6), which rallied from a 15-point deficit against the team that scores the most points and gives up the fewest in the Big East. Cincinnati has lost six of eight.

Renee Montgomery made a 3-pointer and another jumper during a closing 11-0 run. Greene also had a driving basket during the spurt, and finished with a game-high 20 points.

UConn 3-point leader Mel Thomas got the biggest individual cheer during pregame introductions. The junior guard led Cincinnati's Mt. Notre Dame to an undefeated season and a state prep championship during her senior year.

The game turned into a homecoming for Thomas, who finished with 14 points. Mt. Notre Dame's dance team performed at halftime, and fans wearing the high school's colors cheered from the stands.

Cincinnati sophomore Michelle Jones was a teammate on Thomas' state championship team. Jones finished with 11 points, one of four Bearcats in double figures.

While they warmed up before the game, using purple stretch bands to limber up their legs, several Bearcats players sneaked peaks at a high-energy Huskies passing drill on the other side of the court. A few minutes into the game, they got to see what the Huskies can do when they get their game rolling.

Cincinnati opened with a 6-0 run, then got run over by UConn's fast-paced offense. Greene made three jumpers during a 19-0 spurt that also featured a crowd-pleasing 3-pointer by Thomas.

The Huskies' foul problems in the second half helped Cincinnati turned it into a back-and-forth finish.

UConn freshman center Tina Charles, who set a school and Big East freshman record with nine blocked shots in a win over Notre Dame on Saturday, picked up her fourth foul with 12:43 left. Forward Kaili McLaren also picked up her fourth foul with 9:08 to go, depleting UConn's front line.

Cincinnati took advantage by driving to the basket - bank shots by Angel Morgan and Treasure Humphries cut it to 53-52. Charles then fouled Jill Stephens, who made both free throws with 6:17 left for Cincinnati's first lead since the opening minutes, 56-55.

There were four lead changes before UConn pulled off its clinching run.