“We came from behind and won the game,” Prince said. “A lot of people doubted us. When people doubt us, that’s when we like to show them they’re wrong.”  Connecticut has plenty of time to rebound and remains a top contender for a national championship. But that does not mean that this one did not sting.  “This is probably the best time for this team to lose, if we were going to lose a game,” Connecticut’s Moore said. “It’s still early in the season. But I don’t think this is one I’m going to forget.”  Kia Vaughn put in a strong effort for Rutgers, scoring 14 points. Renee Montgomery led Connecticut with 24 points.  Paced by Montgomery’s 14 points, Connecticut led at halftime, 33-24. The Huskies led by as many as 10 points early in the second half and appeared to be in control before Prince took over.  “Epiphanny just started making shots, and that got everybody else for them into the flow of the game,” UConn Coach Geno Auriemma said.  The score was tied at 61-61 with 4:17 left when Moore connected on a 3-pointer. But the Scarlet Knights regained their momentum, taking a 66-61 lead on a 3-pointer by Matee Ajavon. Rutgers increased its lead to 70-63 on two free throws by Prince with 1:42 left, but Moore kept UConn in the game, hitting two 3-pointers in the final two minutes.  Leading by 72-69, Rutgers turned the ball over on a shot-clock violation with 34.2 seconds left, giving the Huskies a last chance. But Montgomery mishandled a pass from Ketia Swanier, and Essence Carson recovered the ball for Rutgers. Carson made one of two free throws with 6.9 seconds left.  “It could go either way for us,” Montgomery said. “We could feel sorry for ourselves and get another loss, or we could grow from this. I don’t think this is going to change the rest of our season.”  A version of this article appears in print on , on Page D3 of the New York edition with the headline: Rutgers Women Hand UConn Its First Loss. Order Reprints| Today's Paper|Subscribe
Epiphanny Prince scored a career-high 33 points, including 27 in the decisive second half, to lead Rutgers to a 73-71 victory Tuesday over top-ranked and previously unbeaten Connecticut.