SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) – Jacqueline Batteast scored 23 points, and nemesis Notre Dame handed fourth-ranked Connecticut its second loss in the last four games, beating the Huskies 66-51 Tuesday night.

Batteast had five of her points in a game-ending 11-0 run, and students descended to the floor to celebrate the upset by the Irish (9-6, 2-1 Big East).

Two losses is considered poor by UConn standards.

The Huskies were 37-1 last season and 39-0 in 2001-02, and won the national title both times.

UConn last lost more than two games in 2000-01, when it finished 32-3 and was beaten twice – once in the NCAA semifinals – by eventual champion Notre Dame.

In their first meeting that season, the then-No. 3 Irish beat top-ranked Connecticut 92-76 on Jan. 15, 2001, ending the Huskies’ 30-game winning streak.

The Huskies (11-2, 2-1) closed to 53-51 when Diana Taurasi drove the baseline and hit a pull-up jumper with 4:50 left. But they didn’t score again, missing six straight shots and turning the ball over twice.

Le’Tania Severe scored and then Batteast, who was 10-of-13 shooting, forced her way inside on back-to-back possessions. She scored both times to make it 59-51.

The Irish held the Huskies to a season-low 31-percent shooting. Taurasi, who averages 19.8 points, made only four of 15 shots and wound up with a season-low 11 points.

Courtney LaVere added 14 points, and made just her second career 3-pointer, and Severe added 12 points as the Irish shot 59.5 percent and outscored the Huskies 32-24 inside. The Irish outrebounded the Huskies 33-32.

Jessica Moore and Barbara Turner led the Huskies with 13 points each.

A raucous crowd of 8,574 – the seventh-largest ever for the Irish – was behind the team from the start. After missing their opening shot of the game, the Irish hit their next eight to move ahead 17-12 on a 16-foot jumper by LaVere. They never trailed again.

Although the Irish missed their next three shots, LaVere’s basket was the beginning of a 13-2 run, during which she scored seven straight points.

The Irish moved ahead 30-16 when Batteast powered her way inside for a basket. But UConn finished the half on a 10-3 run to cut the lead to 33-26 at the break.

UConn used an 8-0 run in the second half to close to 42-41 when Liz Sherwood scored inside. But the Irish used a 7-0 run, with Batteast scoring five points, to regain control.

The Irish, who turned the ball over repeatedly while blowing a six-point lead and losing to Georgetown five days earlier, didn’t give the ball away as they beat a Top 25 team for a second straight game. The Irish beat then No. 16 Virginia Tech 53-40 Saturday.

AP-ES-01-13-04 2144EST