Piscataway, N.J. ? As the longest winning streak in women’s Division One history ended, the man who coached it found something good to say.

While many of his players were in tears after top-ranked Connecticut’s 70-game streak was snapped Tuesday night by Villanova, Geno Auriemma wasn’t crushed.

“Maybe this is the best thing that could happen to us,” he said after No. 18 Villanova won the Big East Conference tournament 52-48. “We never said we were the best team in America. We’ll find out a lot about Connecticut.”

The Huskies found out just how hard it is to go undefeated two straight seasons.

Villanova handed Connecticut its first loss since the end of the 2001 season, thanks to a remarkable 17-2 spurt in the second half.

Trish Juhline scored 16 points and Nicole Druckenmiller scored 11 in the decisive run that knocked Connecticut (31-1) from the unbeaten ranks on the eve of the NCAA Tournament.

The loss also left Connecticut 18 wins shy of the 88-game record set by UCLA’s men from 1971 to 1974.

The loss ended UConn’s streak of nine conference tournament titles and 51 straight wins against conference foes.

Villanova rallied from a nine-point second-half deficit in stunning the defending national champs, and it was Druckenmiller who turned the tide.

She hit a three-pointer from the right wing to cut the deficit to 36-30. A baseline layup by Courtney Mix and another three-pointer by Druckenmiller with 5:08 to play cut the lead to 36-35. Mix’s three-point play gave Villanova a 38-36 lead with 4:33 to go.

Diana Taurasi, the Big East player of the year, had two chances to put the Huskies in front on three-point attempts, but she missed both.