UConn Women's Basketball Wins 88 Straight
It's a record long thought to be unapproachable until now. On Sunday the University of Connecticut's women's basketball team won its 88th consecutive game tying the men's record which has stood for 36 years.
CBS News correspondent Seth Doane reports they are poised to shatter a sports record and chisel a crack in the glass ceiling.
"Eighty-eight has always been that magical number," says coach Geno Auriemma. "People just assume that that's just never going to be touched."
The UConn lady Huskies scored their 88th consecutive win Sunday tying legendary coach John Wooden's 1974 UCLA division one NCAA men's team record.
One more victory and the lady Huskies will have the most back-to-back wins of any division one team in basketball history.
The team hasn't lost a game since the national semi-finals in 2008. That means the freshman, sophomores and juniors have never tasted defeat in a college game.
Auriemma has taken the team to seven national championships. "Women basketball players want to play for me because they see me as this gentle person who can guide them where they want to go," he says. "And all that crap," he adds with a laugh.
It's not just about winning on the court. The lady Huskies have a 92 percent graduation rate. Compare that to 31 percent in the men's program. Auriemma's star player carries a 3.7 grade point average.
"There's a lot more to the game than athleticism," says player Maya Moore.
Female athletes must play four years in college to be eligible for the WNBA draft. Meanwhile, the NBA can poach a male athlete at any time.
"They've got a very difficult job on the men's side," says Auriemma. "Very difficult. I get to keep my team for three or four years and get a chance to build a team."
Sunday's win at Madison Square Garden is a historic moment but one most sports fans could not see on television. Women's sports doesn't get the same media attention as male programs. The game was carried only carried on a college sports network.
