(REUTERS) The longest winning streak in women’s Division I history ended at 70 games Tuesday night. Villanova (No. 14 ESPN/USA Today; No. 18 Associated Press) handed No. 1 Connecticut its first loss since the end of the 2001 season, 52-48 in the championship game of the Big East Conference tournament.

Trish Juhline scored 16 points, and Nicole Druckenmiller scored 11 in a remarkable 17-2 spurt that knocked Connecticut (31-1) from the unbeaten ranks 10 days before the NCAA tournament.

The defeat also ended Connecticut’s bid to tie the Division I record 88-game winning streak set from 1971-74 by UCLA’s men’s team.

As the game ended, the Connecticut players calmly filed toward their wildly celebrating opponents to shake hands. It took a few moments before the Huskies fully realized what had happened, and then several of them burst out in tears.

”When they get the lead, they are just about impossible to play against at times,” Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma said. ”They play a different style of play than most people are used to, and we missed a lot of shots. All credit to Villanova.”

Villanova rallied from a nine-point second-half deficit in stunning the defending national champions, and it was Druckenmiller who turned the tide.

She came off the bench after a timeout and promptly hit a 3-pointer from the right wing to cut the deficit to 36-30.

A baseline lineup by Courtney Mix and another 3-pointer by Druckenmiller with 5:08 to play cut the lead to 36-35. Suddenly, there was a sense that UConn could be had.

After a turnover by Barbara Turner, Mix scored on a drive and converted the free throw for a 38-36 lead with 4:33 to go.

Diana Taurasi, the Big East Player of the Year, had two chances to put the Huskies back in front on 3-point attempts, but the ball bounced off the rim both times.

Druckenmiller eventually was fouled and hit two free throws for a 40-36 lead. Juhline followed with an off-balance jumper.

Taurasi, who had 13 points, ended the drought with a basket inside, but the Huskies never had a chance to tie the rest of the way. Their run of nine conference tournament titles and 51 consecutive victories over conference opponents came to an end.

”We never said we were perfect,” Auriemma said. ”It’s not after winning that you find out about yourself, it is after losing. We’ll bounce back.”