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CHAPEL HILL — The gap between No. 1 Connecticut and the rest of women's basketball is apparently a lot bigger than anyone thought.

Renee Montgomery scored 21 points to help the Huskies rout No. 2 North Carolina 88-58 on Monday night, dominating a matchup of unbeaten teams from start to finish.

Maya Moore had 19 points and 12 rebounds for Connecticut (18-0), which turned one of the most anticipated games of the season into just another lopsided win. Connecticut built a double-digit lead early in the game and led 46-30 at the break, then increased the margin against a deeper and supposedly more athletic opponent.

Connecticut didn't need a huge day from Moore, who was coming off a 40-point performance against Syracuse on Saturday. Instead, the Huskies constantly beat the Tar Heels' trapping defense for easy baskets and dominated the glass against a team whose coach is obsessed with rebounding.

UConn shot 47 percent and took a 53-32 edge on the boards with 21 offensive rebounds. Several came as the Tar Heels (17-1) desperately tried to get back in the game midway through the second half.

Tina Charles added 17 points and 12 rebound for UConn, while Kalana Greene had 15. Lorin Dixon, who started in place of the injured Caroline Doty, had career-highs with 14 points and eight rebounds to go with six assists.

Connecticut hasn't played a game closer than 11 points all season and improved to 9-2 in games featuring the nation's top two teams. The Huskies also ended the Tar Heels' 31-game home winning streak and handed North Carolina its first nonconference home loss since falling to Oklahoma in January 2001, a span of 76 games.

It was North Carolina's worst loss since falling 97-63 at Duke in February 2003.

The Tar Heels were playing in a 1-vs-2 game for the third time in four seasons and in front of a school-record crowd of 12,722 for a women's home game.

Italee Lucas scored 15 points to lead North Carolina, while Rashanda McCants added 13.

CONNECTICUT (18-0) -- Moore 8-21 0-1 19, Charles 6-14 5-7 17, Greene 6-8 3-4 15, Montgomery 8-17 2-4 21, Dixon 5-5 4-8 14, Hayes 0-2 0-0 0, McLaren 1-5 0-0 2, Williams 0-0 0-0 0, Gardler 0-0 0-0 0, Fernandes 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 34-72 14-24 88.

NORTH CAROLINA (17-1) -- McCants 5-15 3-4 13, Breland 5-11 0-2 10, M.Wood 0-2 0-0 0, Lucas 7-15 0-0 15, DeGraffenreid 3-8 1-2 8, Shegog 0-2 2-2 2, Dewitt 2-5 0-0 5, White 1-4 0-0 2, Miller 0-0 0-0 0, Claytor 1-3 0-0 3, Broomfield 0-0 0-0 0, Bursey 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-65 6-10 58.

Halftime—Connecticut 46-30. 3-Point Goals—Connecticut 6-18 (Montgomery 3-8, Moore 3-9, Greene 0-1), North Carolina 4-20 (Claytor 1-3, Dewitt 1-3, DeGraffenreid 1-3, Lucas 1-6, White 0-2, McCants 0-3). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Connecticut 53 (Charles, Moore 12), North Carolina 32 (Breland, McCants 6). Assists—Connecticut 24 (Dixon 6), North Carolina 11 (DeGraffenreid 4). Total Fouls—Connecticut 15, North Carolina 16. A—12,722.