NEW YORK — Breanna Stewart scored 23 points and Moriah Jefferson added 17 to help No. 1 UConn beat No. 6 Maryland, 83-73, on Monday night in the Maggie Dixon Classic.
Stewart missed the Huskies’ game last Monday with a sprained right ankle, but showed no signs of the injury bothering her as the Huskies won their 47th consecutive game and tied the third-longest winning streak in school history.
UConn (10-0) had to work hard at Madison Square Garden as Maryland (11-1) wasn’t intimidated by the Huskies.
Maryland trailed, 40-32, early in the third quarter before scoring 11 of the next 12 points and taking a two-point lead after Brianna Fraser made a basket and the ensuing free throw with 4:35 left in the period.
UConn closed the quarter with a 15-4 run to go up nine points. The Huskies extended the lead to 59-47, its first double-digit advantage of the game. Maryland rallied within four points by hitting four 3-pointers, the last by Tierney Pfirman with 1:10 left that made it 75-71.
Saniya Chong, who had missed the previous three games with an IT band injury, responded with a 3-pointer from the corner that restored the seven-point lead.
Maryland used its athleticism to stay close. It forced UConn into 13 first-half turnovers, but only one in the second half.
Brionna Jones scored 24 points to lead the Terrapins.
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