Stanford women end UConn's winning streak

(12-30) 22:36 PST -- The Streak ended here.

Finally, after 90 games and more than 32 months of non-stop winning, top-ranked Connecticut lost Thursday night. Jeanette Pohlen scored 31 points as Stanford jumped ahead early and rolled merrily away to win 71-59 before a raucous capacity crowd at Maples Pavilion.

It was a convincing and historic outcome. UConn's run of 90 consecutive victories counted as the longest winning streak in NCAA basketball history, men or women. The Huskies won all but two games during the streak by 10 points or more, and they had won all but one game this season by 20 points or more.

They never led Thursday night - not even for one measly second.

"Our team believed," Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer said. "We worked very hard and we're very excited. ... I'm just happy for our team. The streak is something they did. We're about Stanford and what we want to do."

The loss didn't exactly send UConn coach Geno Auriemma into a fit of panic. He strolled into his postgame interview, stared into the pack of cameras and notepads and remained as glib as ever.

"This losing stuff is getting old, man," Auriemma joked. "I hate it."

It was no great mystery how the Huskies (12-1) lost for the first time since April 6, 2008, when they fell to Stanford in the national semifinals. For starters, the Cardinal corralled two-time national player of the year Maya Moore, holding her to 14 points (nearly 11 below her average).

Pohlen relentlessly connected from long range, making five three-point shots. Stanford leaned on its size to control the boards (43-36 rebounding edge). And UConn was uncommonly sloppy and inefficient, shooting only 32.8 percent from the field.

Mix it all together and this is the parting scene: Stanford players prancing around the court in exuberant celebration and firing small white plastic basketballs into the crowd. Few of the 7,329 spectators seemed to have any interest in leaving.

"We were totally out of character tonight - and I think Stanford, with the way they played, took us out of character," Auriemma said.

No. 9 Stanford (9-2) occasionally grew stagnant on offense, unable to create space against UConn's 1-2-2 zone defense. But Pohlen repeatedly came to the rescue, making three-pointers, slashing to the basket and calmly sinking crucial free throws (she was 10-of-10 from the line).

The Cardinal seized an early 17-4 lead, only to see UConn slice the advantage to four by halftime. The Huskies stayed within striking distance throughout the second half, but Stanford responded to every surge with a timely basket or key defensive stop.

UConn's last realistic chance came with 1:42 left. The Huskies trailed by six points when Moore missed the front end of a one-and-one. Stanford then sealed the deal at the free-throw line.

Pohlen, a senior point guard, made six free throws in the final 42 seconds, a fitting way to cap her triumphant night.

"She just took this team on her back," teammate Kayla Pedersen said, "and basically told us, 'We're not losing.' "

This win ended a string of Stanford frustration against UConn. The Cardinal twice took halftime leads against the Huskies last season - and lost both times, including in the NCAA championship game in April.

That didn't seem to matter much Thursday night.

E-mail Ron Kroichick at rkroichick@sfchronicle.com.