HARTFORD, Conn. -- No balloons fell from the rafters, no confetti rained on the court, no over-the-top celebrations were held.

But perhaps that was appropriate for the occasion because one of the many reasons Connecticut has dominated women's basketball for the better part of the past decade is the Huskies' ability to go about their business minus frills, bells and whistles.

Connecticut beat Notre Dame, 59-44, Monday in a Big East women's tournament semifinal at the XL Center to advance to the championship game for the sixth year in a row and 20th time in the past 22 seasons.

The victory was the Huskies' 71st in a row, which sets an NCAA Division I record and eclipsed the record held by the Huskies in 2001-03.

That team saw its streak come to an end in the 2003 Big East tournament championship against Villanova, which is why this team is not interested in making a big deal out of its winning streak. The only thing they are focused on is winning championships.

"This win was big for us, but only because it put us in the championship game," said senior Tina Charles, who had 16 points and 17 rebounds. "That is what makes it special. We are just happy that we are going to the finals and still be able to compete."

Kalana Green, who had 15 points and seven rebounds added, "We're just not going to sit here and celebrate wins when we have a long way to go and haven't won anything yet."

Although the Huskies won by 15 points, this game was a little different because the Irish made the Huskies sweat and may have given them a glimpse of what it is going to take to defeat Notre Dame.

The Irish, one of two teams that have lost by only 10 points to Connecticut during this streak, trailed by a mere three points, 25-22, at the half. Had the Irish hit a few shots they usually make -- they were 0 for 6 from 3-point range in the first half and shot only 30 percent from the floor -- they likely would have been leading.

The reason they weren't was simple: They slowed down the game. Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw used her timeouts wisely every time it looked like the Huskies were going to run. Notre Dame forced nine turnovers and took away Charles on the inside as an option.

That forced the Huskies to settle for a lot of jump shots and 3-pointers and they weren't falling. Connecticut shot only 35 percent from the floor (10 for 28) in the half.

Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma said the first half showed that the Huskies aren't invincible and, more important, that they still have a lot of room to improve.

"Our defense was great, but we were lousy on the offensive end," he said. "And in that sense, it shows how fragile it all is.

"I don't care about the streak. I just want it to end the right way, not because of an injury or foul trouble, just someone comes out and beats us."

Looking for more from the Post-Gazette? Join PG+, our members-only web site. You'll get exclusive sports content, opinion, financial information, discounts from retailers and restaurants, and more. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.