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SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Walking a tight rope is not an image that comes to mind when thinking about the UConn womens basketball team. Yet the UConn staff said the Huskies are performing without a safety net in regard to players such as Katie Lou Samuelson, Napheesa Collier and Gabby Williams.If so, they look about as sure-footed as The Flying Wallendas. Remember how UConn lost its big three from last season and was probably going to struggle a bit this year trying to replace those amazing players? Yeah, whatever.There is a reason most of us picked the Huskies as preseason No. 1, and it wasnt because we went into default mode. Its because there actually was more to see with UConn last season than just being dazzled by Breanna Stewart, Moriah Jefferson and Morgan Tuck. Yes, it could be hard to look away from them -- but when you did, you saw the future was right there with them, and it looked pretty good, too.Now, the future is the present. Which looks a lot like the past. Thats exactly what UConn wanted.On Wednesday, the Huskies did what theyve done so often: throw the proverbial wet blanket on the so-called wide-open race in womens basketball this season. No, its not. UConn is again the team to beat, with a winning streak that now stands at 83 in a row.The top-ranked Huskies 72-61 victory over No. 2 Notre Dame was the best example yet in an 8-0 season of why theyre the national championship favorites again. UConn showed off a different big three Wednesday; last seasons trio left the Huskies and became the top three WNBA draft picks in April. While this seasons big three dont yet have the acclaim or the experience of last years trio, they are very impressive on their own.Samuelson, Collier and Williams combined for 57 points; they almost outscored the Irish by themselves.While last years star trio each had clearly different roles -- Jefferson was the point guard, Tuck the sturdy forward, Stewart the anything she wanted to be -- the Huskies top scorers against the Irish are harder to define position-wise.Thats one of the things weve learned to use to our advantage, said the 6-foot-3 Sameulson, the tallest of UConns starters. You can say that Gabbys almost playing our center, but shes smaller than almost every center in the country. That shows its a hard matchup. But you have difficult matchups with all three of us. It just opens up the offense a little bit more.Williams is just 5-11, but her leaping ability adds an edge to her lack of height. She had 19 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists against the Irish. UConn coach Geno Auriemma used a descriptor for Williams performance Wednesday that he doesnt toss around lightly: magnificent. Even a fellow tough grader, associate head coach Chris Dailey, said she was eager to watch the game film to see some of Williams sky-high rebounds.Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw also praised Williams, who was limited by injuries as a high school player in Nevada but is now truly coming into her own.She got any rebound she wanted; her stat line was phenomenal, McGraw said. She really did a lot of damage. I was really impressed with her.McGraw said the Irish were expecting a challenge with Samuelson and the 6-1 Collier; theyre averaging 19.0 and 19.1 points, respectively. But Notre Dame wasnt necessarily expecting Williams to make a massive impact. Everybody better get used to that, though.I felt like we were all on the same page tonight, and it was fun, Williams said. I think I understand my team really well, and I know our dynamic. Im trying to be that leader that they can go to when we need to stay calm. I want my team to look at me like, OK, Gab, whats next? I think Ive really grown in that kind of position.Samuelson and Collier had their go-to moments Wednesday, just as they have had several times this season. Samuelson acknowledges there are still moments on the court when she looks around and thinks, Am I really ready to do this? or What should I say to my teammates now?But it really doesnt show on her face or in the way she plays. She looked very confident against Notre Dame.Stewie, Morgan and Mo were calm the whole time last year; nothing fazed them at all, Samuelson said. I think Im still looking to other people when I dont know what to do. Im still trying to learn things.One of the biggest things is, even if youre a little down on yourself or not sure what youre doing, you dont want your opponents to know that.The Huskies didnt show their exhaustion Wednesday. It was a physical, defensive battle with Notre Dame. And three of the Huskies -- Williams, Samuelson and Kia Nurse -- played all 40 minutes.In highlighting UConns big three, we dont mean to shortchange Nurse, the junior guard who is averaging the most minutes (34.4) for UConn. She had eight points and four assists Wednesday and is also a key part of why the Huskies dont seem to have lost any ground -- even though it seems like they should have.Another unbeaten foe awaits UConn on Sunday, though 9-0 Kansas State is unranked. The Huskies have two more games in December against teams currently ranked in the top 10. They host Ohio State on Dec. 19 and travel to Maryland on Dec. 29.But what can stop the Huskies 83-game win streak? (After all, its still second to the programs 90-game streak.) If Notre Dame couldnt do it, whos going to beat UConn?This is December 7, and I know theres a long way to go between now and the end of the season, Auriemma said. We purposely tried to put together a schedule this year that, going into March, there would be no doubt as to what we can and cannot do.I think up to this point, weve passed every test. I dont know that weve gotten a 100 on every test, but weve passed. And the tests are going to keep coming. But the fact that we are where we are, Im kind of surprised.He probably shouldnt be; he created this juggernaut, after all. And while the names of the stars might change, the overall outcome stays the same. Akiem Hicks Womens Jersey . William Carrier opened the scoring for Cape Breton (6-4-2), but Andrew Ryan tied the game and Brent Andrews put the Mooseheads (8-6-0) in front for good with a short-handed goal at 13:49 of the second period. 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Pedro scored from a pass by Lionel Messi in the 33rd minute and added two more goals in the 47th and 72nd after Valdes saved his second penalty in four days following his stop in Wednesdays 4-0 over Ajax in the Champions League. BATON ROUGE -- LSUs beloved live Tiger mascot, Mike VI, was humanely euthanized Tuesday at the age of 11 following his four-month battle with cancer.The announcement came from the primary caretakers of Mike VI, the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine on the Baton Rouge, Louisiana, campus.Mike VI was diagnosed in late May 2016 with a spindle cell sarcoma, a type of cancer. On June 1, he was anesthetized and taken to Mary Bird Perkins - Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center for stereotactic radiotherapy, or SRT, which delivered a precise, concentrated dose of radiation to Mikes cancer. The radiation dose was delivered in a single treatment and optimized to avoid normal tissues surrounding Mikes cancer in order to reduce the risk complications.On Oct. 3, Mike was taken to the Vet School for further observation and two days later it was announced that the cancer had returned and spread. The Tiger was returned to his habitat and spent much of his last week outside. Tiger fans came to offer flowers and notes and take pictures outside the cage with Mike VI before he was moved to hospice care for the remainder of his time.Mike VI, one of only two live tiger college mascots in the United States, was born on July 23, 2005, and came to LSU as a 2-year-old. At the time of his arrival, he weighed about 320 pounds and put on some 100 pounds during his years in the habitat.Mike VI was donated by Great Cats of Indiana, a nonprofit sanctuary and rescue facility for big cats and other large carnivores, located in Idaville, Ind. He was separated from his mother at two weeks old. He was first moved into the indoor portion of the habitat on Aug. 25, 2007, and was introduced to the LSU community on Sept. 1, 2007.He was known as Roscoe at the sanctuary in Indiana, but was officially christened Mike VI in a Sept. 14, 2007, ceremony. He debuted in Tiger Stadium on the evening of the LSU-Florida game on Saturday, Oct. 6, of that year.Mike VI was the first LSU mascot to have the use of new LSU Tiger Habitat, which was completed in August 20055, from his arrival until his departure.dddddddddddd The habitat incorporates natural substrates, including grass, and also includes elements of LSUs renaissance architecture and facts educating Mikes visitors on the live subspecies of tigers. Mikes yard encompasses 14,010 square feet (including his night house, 15,105).Mike VI had a personal veterinarian from the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. David Baker, who was in charge of his overall healthcare and well-being. Besides Dr. Baker, there have been numerous other specialists at the veterinary school available to assist with the specialized healthcare that Mike has needed. Mikes daily care has been provided by two veterinary students. These students work with Mike in two year rotations until they graduate.Mike VI had a diet of some 20 pounds of food daily. His food was a formulated zoo carnivore diet, the same commercial food used for most of the large cats at the zoo. It consists of beef and all the necessary vitamins and minerals to maintain Mikes needs. It also allowed his student handlers to give him his meal designed during football season in the shape of the opponent or in spellings of words like LSU or Beat Bama.The tradition of the live Bengal Tiger started when the original Mike was purchased form the Little Rock Zoo in 1936 for $750 with money contributed by the student body. Originally known as Sheik at the time of his purchase, his named was changed to Mike to honor Mike Chambers who served as LSUs athletic trainer when the first mascot was purchased.Chambers was inducted into the LSU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015.Dr. Baker has already begun a search for a young Tiger cub that can be brought to LSU to become Mike VII.According to the University announcement, there will not be a formal memorial service for Mike VI, but fans are encouraged to share their memories, stories and photos on social media using #MikeVI. ' ' '