among American goalkeepers. We added some young players to the fo

HARTFORD, Conn. -- Geno Auriemma and his UConn Huskies keep rolling along.Katie Lou Samuelson scored eight of her 26 points during a key third-quarter run, and No. 1 UConn beat 12th-ranked Ohio State 82-63 on Monday night for the Huskies 85th consecutive victory.Were maximizing what we have right now, Auriemma said. Nov. 14 to Dec. 19, its a month and five days, were 10-0, beat some pretty good teams. ... So far so good.Napheesa Collier had 27 points and 11 rebounds for the Huskies (10-0), who are five games away from matching their NCAA record 90-game winning streak set from 2008-10.UConn led by six before opening the second half with a 15-7 spurt. Samuelson hit two 3-pointers during the run. The second made it 55-41.The Huskies also switched up their defense on Ohio State star Kelsey Mitchell, holding her to four points in the second half after she had 19 at the break. With Mitchell bottled up, the Buckeyes (9-4) couldnt get within single digits.We knew that it was going to be really difficult to guard them and we knew were not going to stay in the same defense the whole game and be able to do it, Auriemma said. Show them a little different look every now and then. (Mitchell) is impossible to guard. You saw that. No shot she wont take.Ohio State trailed 19-7 before scoring the final nine points of the first quarter, capped by Mitchells deep 3-pointer just before the buzzer.The Buckeyes were down 28-24 when UConn went on a 12-2 run capped by Colliers 3-point play that made it 40-26 with 2:22 left in the half. Mitchell then closed the half with eight straight to get the Buckeyes to 40-34 at the break.Mitchell only had eight points in the meeting between the teams last season, going 2 for 14 from the field.To their credit we came out of the locker room flat and they took control of the game, Ohio State coach Kevin McGuff said.BIG PICTUREOhio State: Linnae Harper scored four points in her second game for the Buckeyes after she became eligible. The guard transferred from Kentucky last year. ... Ohio State had 19 turnovers that UConn converted into 28 points.UConn: Starting point guard Saniya Chong is still sidelined with a concussion. She missed the Kansas State game as well. ... The Huskies have won all four meetings with the Buckeyes. ... Mondays game was the annual toy drive for the Huskies where they collect donations for Toys for Tots.SAGER STRONGAuriemma wore a slightly off-blue plaid jacket to honor Craig Sager, a longtime NBA sideline reporter who died last week following a battle with cancer. Auriemma got to know him while coaching USA Basketball to a gold medal in London.He was as into those games as any NBA playoff game. He knew the players and treated them the same as he would the best NBA players, Auriemma said. He didnt mail it in or pretend it wasnt important. I appreciated the interest he took in our players and our team. He had a way about him. He was so disarming.RUNNING THROUGH THE RANKSUConn has already beaten No. 2 Notre Dame, No. 3 Baylor, No. 7 Florida State, No. 16 Texas and DePaul, which was in the Top 25 when the teams met. The Huskies still have games left against No. 4 Maryland and No. 6 South Carolina.QUOTABLEWere not going to win them all, Auriemma said. Not going to win every single game for the rest of eternity.UP NEXTOhio State: The Buckeyes head home to face Winthrop on Wednesday before Big Ten play starts next week.UConn: The Huskies hit the road to face Nebraska on Wednesday. After that they play at No. 4 Maryland on Dec. 29. Rashan Gary Super Bowl Jersey . The Dutchmans tenure got off to a poor start when referee Guido Winkmann awarded a penalty within two minutes for Niklas Starks clumsy challenge on Alexandru Maxim. Davante Adams Super Bowl Jersey . -- Matt Kuchar and Harris English ran away with the Franklin Templeton Shootout, shooting a 14-under 58 on Sunday in the final-round scramble to break the tournament course record. https://www.packersrookiestore.com/Packers-Tony-Brown-Jersey/ . -- The boos poured down on Tom Brady and the New England Patriots at the end of a horrible first half. Paul Hornung Super Bowl Jersey . Peter Gammons, an analyst for Major League Baseballs network and website, drew the ire of hockey fans on Sunday when he criticized the two NHL teams on Twitter for their physical game the night before. Packers Super Bowl Jerseys . On Saturday night, the normally free throw-challenged centre did just that. Howard scored 18 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter, including 13 of 19 free throws in a 2 1/2-minute stretch, and the Houston Rockets beat the Denver Nuggets 122-111. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Jozy Altidore made U.S. history. So did Christian Pulisic.Altidore scored twice in a three-minute span of the second half, Sacha Kljestan and Paul Arriola had goals and the United States beat Trinidad and Tobago 4-0 on Tuesday night to reach the final round of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup.The Americans (4-1-1) finished atop Group C of the semifinal round in the North and Central American and Caribbean region and open the hexagonal on Nov. 11 against Mexico. That match almost certainly will be in Columbus, Ohio, where the U.S. has won four straight qualifiers over El Tri by 2-0 scores.No doubt in my mind, coach Jurgen Klinsmann said of the site.U.S. Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati later tweeted: Guerra Fria?After U.S. hosts Mexico, it plays four days later at Costa Rica.Altidore, who missed most of the 2014 World Cup and all of this years Copa America because of hamstring injuries, hopes to remain on the field.Im just trying to stay healthy, man, he said. I know I have a lot to give if Im healthy. But thats the key. For me, its just trying to stay on the field, and I know if I do that, I can help the team.Altidore etched his name in the record book by becoming the United States leader with 16 qualifying goals, two more than Clint Dempsey.Pulisic made his first U.S. start after seven appearances as a substitute, and at 17 years, 353 days, became the youngest American to start a qualifier. Landon Donovan had set the mark of 18 years, 184 days against Honduras in 2001 -- the last home qualifier the Americans lost.Pulisic, who had two goals and an assist against St. Vincent and the Grenadines last week, showed pace and an ability to take on defenders down the left flank. He assisted on Altidores second goal.Pulisic also had a memorable miss when his sliding shot in the first half hit the left post, ricocheted across the face of the goal and bounced off the right post.I dont think Ive ever seen anything like that, he said. After that, I didnt think I was going to score because theres no way after something like that. Disappointing.Coaches and teammates raved about the teenagers poise.Its crazy, Altidore said. Seventeen years old and he has a calmness when he gets the ball. He can glide by people almost effortlessly. The challenge for him is to stay hungry and keep improving and for you guys to leave him alone. He doesnt need to be reading about himself too much right now. He just needs to keep his head and keep working.Added Klinsmann: I dont wantt to give him too many compliments.ddddddddddddGot to keep him down on the ground.Trinidad (3-2-1) already had clinched a final-round berth and finished two points back, one ahead of Guatemala (3-2-1), which was eliminated despite a 9-3 rout of St. Vincent that included five goals by Carlos Ruiz.Kljestan put the U.S. ahead in the 44th minute, and Altidore doubled the lead off Fabian Johnsons cross in the 59th. Altidore got his 37th international goal three minutes later, and with the chance for a hat trick chipped over the crossbar after Pulisic helped him break in as injury time started.We were flowing, Altidore said. It was good. Guys were moving and creating space and being crafty. When were like that, were on our game and were at our most dangerous.Kljestan scored with a toe shot from 10 yards out. After a throw in, Johnson played the ball to Kljestan, who flicked it back to the left back. He passed to Pulisic, whose cross was knocked out by Khaleem Hyland to teammate Radanfah Abu Bakr. His clearance hit Kljestans midsection, and Kljestan scored for the second straight game since his return to the national team, his sixth goal in 48 international appearances.Johnson set up the second goal with a cross to Altidore, who juked MeKeil Williams, turned and scored from 13 yards.His second goal was even niftier. Pulisic used a give-and-go with Kljestan to get open and then crossed to Altidore for a tap-in near the far post.Arriola was making his second appearance. He scored in an exhibition win at Puerto Rico on May 22.Were a little bit more dynamic, said Tim Howard, who made his 32nd World Cup qualifying appearance and passed Kasey Keller for the most among American goalkeepers. We added some young players to the fold. Well, maybe they were part of it but theyre getting opportunities now. They make us a little more dynamic. Were shifty. Were able to press. Its been a good change for us.They can only hope it continues against Mexico.Now going into hexagonal with a big chest, saying, `OK, lets take on Mexico in the first game, with a lot of confidence and respect, obviously, Klinsmann said. We see ourselves on the right path.Game notes Costa Rica won Group B, beating second-place Panama 3-1 on two goals by Christian Bolanos and one from Ronald Matarrita. Luis Tejada converted a 90th-minute penalty kick for the visitors. Both teams already had clinched. ' ' '