UConn Women Break Win Record

It seems like many people have an opinion about the now record 89 game winning streak put together by the Connecticut women’s basketball team. Last night’s rout of Florida State allowed the Huskies to break the record set by John Wooden’s UCLA men’s teams, who won 88 in-a-row before losing to Notre Dame in 1974.
The controversy or issue comes when you try and compare the two milestones and in my opinion you simply cannot and don’t need to. What UCLA did 36 years ago and what U. Conn is doing now should stand on their own as separate and remarkable achievements. What is similar is that both teams were able to recruit many of the best players at that time and they played for extraordinary coaches….the late great Wooden and Geno Auriemma. Those who argue that Connecticut’s streak is largely due to inferior competition are not giving the Huskies their due. 30 of their 89 wins have come against nationally ranked opponents which is considerably more than UCLA had during its streak.

But again let’s stop comparing and instead celebrate both records for what they represent….dominance and greatness.

Jackson Memorial, Southern and Toms River South are not only considered the top three wrestling teams at the shore this season but they are all in the same division and their head-to-head matches will decide the Class A South title. The first of those takes place tonight when the Indians head to Manahawkin to wrestle the Rams. South is hoping to return to their glory days of the mid- 70’s when grapplers like Jeff Parker helped Hall of Fame coach John DeMarco win the first four Shore Conference Tournament titles. Ron Laycock, who wore the maroon and white for DeMarco, is now the head coach and he’ll find out how far his program has come when they lock horns with John Stout’s Rams. The winner will still have to get past Jackson later in the winter but they clearly become the top challenger to the Jaguars.