The Associated Press

HARTFORD, Conn. - Lindsay Harding dribbled nearly the length of the court unimpeded, slicing through Connecticut's defense.

Looking up, the speedy Duke guard whipped a pass to Jessica Foley on the right wing. Before a defender could thwart things, Foley let fly a 3-pointer at the buzzer that gave Duke a 68-67 upset of the top-ranked Huskies, ending UConn's 69-game home winning streak.

Harding, Foley and the rest of the Blue Devils used their impressive quickness to wear down the flagging Huskies in the closing minutes and erase a big deficit Saturday night.

Duke also highlighted the flaws UConn coach Geno Auriemma insists he has been trying to conceal since last season's run to a second straight national championship.

"We were exposed for some of the things that we're not good at," said Auriemma, whose team squandered a 20-point lead in the first half. "I kind of feel pretty good that we've been able to hide it for a couple of years now."

UConn's home winning streak was an NCAA mark it shared with Tennessee. But the record books mattered little to the players or Auriemma, who turned this school into a perennial power.

"We just panicked, big-time," forward Ashley Battle said. "We choked."

UConn's collapse came before a crowd of 16,294, its 103rd straight home sellout, and a national TV audience.

The Huskies have won the last two NCAA titles with teams that are quite different. The 2002 champs finished 39-0 behind four senior All-Americans: Sue Bird, Tamika Williams, Swin Cash and Asjha Jones. Diana Taurasi, the lone returning starter from that squad, helped deliver another title in 2003.

Last season, the Huskies set an NCAA mark of 70 consecutive wins with a team rebuilding. Auriemma says the margin for error is slim.

"Unless we do everything right, unless everybody is exactly where they're supposed to be and every pass is delivered at exactly the right time, we're going to struggle," he said.

The Huskies probably will lose their No. 1 ranking today, ending an eight-week ride at the top. Under Auriemma (519-100), the program has enjoyed a record 93 weeks at No. 1 since 1995, surpassing Tennessee's mark of 90.