UConn women rolling toward record streak

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The Connecticut women’s basketball team — arguably the most successful 21st-century enterprise in America not propped up by Oprah Winfrey or municipal bonds — goes for its 88th consecutive victory today, which would tie the 1971-74 mark of UCLA’s legendary men’s basketball team.

Like 56 (Joe DiMaggio) and 2,130 (Lou Gehrig), 88 was a number some sports historians thought to be untouchable.

The Huskies’ sustained excellence — their last loss was to Stanford on April 6, 2008, in the national semifinals in Tampa, Fla. — brings to mind other impressive stretches:

◆ Oklahoma’s 47-game winning streak in football from 1953 to 1957.

◆ “American Idol” winning its time slot every week for six consecutive years.

◆ Carmen Electra staying married to Dennis Rodman for nine days in 1998.

For the Connecticut women, the numbers are staggering, reminiscent of the Ottoman Empire’s Southwestern European, Western Asian and North African dominance in the 16th and 17th centuries.

They have gone more than 600 games since losing back-to-back contests.

They have played 236 consecutive games without allowing an opponent to shoot better than 50 percent from the field.

They have won 144 games in a row against unranked teams.

They have won 63 consecutive home games.

During their current streak, they have won 51 of the 87 games by at least 30 points. Only two opponents, Stanford and Baylor, have lost by fewer than 10 points.

They have held their opponents to fewer than 70 points in the last 77 games.

(I like it when I become a real sportswriter and start citing statistics. It makes me recognize that I never fully have realized my potential.)

The 9-0 team this season under coach Geno Auriemma has been typically dominant. The Huskies are outscoring opponents by 38.6 points, outshooting them 51 to 30.5 percent and outrebounding them 43.4 to 27.1.

I have searched the stats far and wide to find a weakness with these Huskies, and I have found it: Freshman forward Michala Johnson has missed the only free throw she has taken this season.

Auriemma’s reign in Storrs has been remarkable. Since going 43-39 in his first three seasons, his record is 701-83 with seven national titles, six since 2000.

(You read that right: 701-83. Think of how many losses Josh McDaniels would’ve piled up before he got to 701 victories. Heck, to make it to 701, the recently vanquished Denver Broncos coach would’ve been videotaping other teams’ practices until 2110.)

Of late, Auriemma’s name most often is linked to those of John Wooden, who was 620-147 at UCLA; Pat Summitt, who has won eight national titles as Tennessee’s women’s coach; and Jim Calhoun, the Connecticut men’s coach.

Auriemma came to Connecticut in 1985; Calhoun came in 1986. In 2004, they won national titles on consecutive nights.

If the Connecticut women beat Ohio State today, they will go for 89 in a row Dec. 21 against Florida State.

America, of course, will — and should — revel in the achievement.

But let it be noted that from 1953 to 1958, while earning four AAU women’s basketball national titles, Wayland Baptist University in Plainview, Texas, won 131 ­— 131! — consecutive games.

However, this was pre-NCAA (which means it probably was more legitimate) and pre-ESPN (which means it really didn’t happen).

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