STORRS, Conn. -- North Carolina center Chay Shegog would like to think the Tar Heels have nowhere to go but up after suffering the worst loss in the program's history.
Shegog hit two of her 12 shots and finished with four points in the 86-35 blowout loss to the No. 3 Huskies, the third consecutive defeat for North Carolina, which dropped from 22 to 24 in the Top 25 on Monday.
"I don't think we're discouraged," she said. "We're ready to go back and we're looking forward to our next game. We've just got to watch film and learn from everything."
Tar Heels coach Sylvia Hatchell said she didn't want to make any excuses for the rout, but she noted that injuries have kept key players, including Laura Broomfield, Tierra Ruffin-Pratt and freshman Megan Buckland on the bench for long stretches this season.
"Tonight was the first time that group had played together that was out there," she said "We were definitely out of synch."
Broomfield played with protective goggles after suffering an eye injury against Maryland on Jan. 8. Ruffin-Pratt missed the first 13 games with a right shoulder injury, and Buckland is out for the season after tearing a right knee ligament
"We haven't built the chemistry that other teams have built," said Shegog. "But now that we have some people back, we can build from here."
It was the Huskies' fifth straight win against the Tar Heels, with those victories coming by an average of 32 points. North Carolina won five of the first seven meetings.
"There were some times we played them when they were just way bigger, more athletic," UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. "They took advantage of those things and had a lot more offensive players back then. I think that's the difference I see right now. I see they don't have as many offensive players as they used to have."
UConn (15-2) had six players in double figures, led by Bria Hartley's 17 points. Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis added 15, and Kiah Stokes had 11 points and 11 rebounds in 14 minutes.
The Tar Heels (12-5) were held to their lowest point total ever, easily surpassing the previous record of 44 set in 1987 against N.C. State and equaled in 2000 against Georgia Tech.
The 51-point loss topped a 49-point defeat against Virginia in 1990.
"I'm disappointed we didn't give them a better game,'' Hatchell said. "We didn't start out well tonight; UConn is a tremendous team."
Hatchell, fourth on the career wins list with 871, remained one victory short of 600 with North Carolina.
