UConn's Auriemma ties all-time D-I wins record

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- UConn coach Geno Auriemma tied the NCAA Division I record with his 1,216th career victory Friday night as his No. 2 Huskies beat No. 14 North Carolina 69-58.

The record covers men's and women's basketball.

The 70-year-old Auriemma, in his 40th season at UConn, matched Stanford's Tara VanDerveer, who retired after last season.

Auriemma can break the record Wednesday, when UConn hosts Fairleigh Dickinson. His record with the Huskies is 1,216-162, good for an 88.2% win percentage to go with 11 NCAA championships -- most recently in 2016.

Mike Krzyzewski, who retired in 2022, holds the men's record with 1,202 victories at Army and Duke. Auriemma, VanDerveer and Krzyzewski are the only Division I coaches to reach the 1,200-win plateau.

Paige Bueckers scored 29 points in the UConn win, including 16 in the first quarter. The preseason All-American made 12 of 21 shots from the field with four 3-pointers, four rebounds and four assists. It was her 10th 25-point game against an AP-ranked opponent, moving her past Breanna Stewart to rank No. 2 among UConn women's players all time. Maya Moore leads the way with 19.

Huskies freshman Sarah Strong had 14 points, 13 rebounds and 6 assists.

Indya Nivar had 15 points and nine rebounds to lead the Tar Heels (3-1), who shot 36% from the field and made 7 of 24 3-pointers.

UNC trailed by 21 but clawed its way back to within striking range at 61-52 on Nivar's layup with 7:03 left. The Tar Heels then had five straight empty possessions before UConn got a stick-back from Jana El Alfy and Bueckers got loose on a cut for a layup that pushed the margin back to 13 with 3:16 remaining.

UNC now has lost seven straight in the series, with its last win coming in January 2007.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.