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Kelly Faris stepped up again today in the wake of UConn’s 73-72 loss to Notre Dame. After all, what would you expect from the Huskies’ senior leader.

Faris was not at all pleased with her defensive performance against Kayla McBride, who scored a career-high 21 points to lead the Irish. And she made sure everyone within earshot knew exactly how she felt about it.

“Personally, I take responsibility for this game,’’ Faris said. “I don’t just say that because it sounds like I should say that. As a leader on the team I’m supposed to set the tone. And, defensively, I didn’t do that. And I think that’s usually what’s expected of me, and McBride got any shot she wanted and she hit almost every single one of them. It started from the beginning. I didn’t set the tone and it kind of went from there. We made too many turnovers. We didn’t get rebounds. They out-toughed us. The second half we came out stronger, but it was too late. We can’t hold off a whole half and think that we’re going to come back and just blow the out in the second half.

“We had that issue last year when we came in and different teams and they decided the way to beat us was just to punch us, punch us, punch us. And there’s been a few games this year that we’ve done fine with it and it hasn’t been a problem. And then there was a few games that we let it get to us a little bit. So this is definitely a wake-up call for everybody, and myself included. We knew that was their gameplan. We knew what they were going to do. We’ve played them a thousand times. But from the top down, the upperclassmen to the freshmen, overall we didn’t get done what we needed to get done.’’

When told about Faris’ comments, UConn coach Geno Auriemma has this to say …

“That’s how Kelly is,’’ Auriemma said. “She takes every little thing personally. She feels responsible for everything that happens on our team. There’s only so much that one person can do. We needed … Stefanie (Dolson) played great. Kaleena Lewis played well even though she sat out a lot in those 10 minutes in the first half (with two fouls). So between Kelly and Stefanie, Kaleena … I thought Bria (Hartley) struggled a lot. And (Breanna Stewart) struggled a lot. The other guys may or may not be ready for a game like this. I don’t know. But I think Kelly looks at all that, the big picture, if I’d have done more we would’ve won. That’s just how Kelly is.’’

Rich

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The top-ranked Huskies were outrebounded by Notre Dame 45-44 today. They gave up 18 offensive rebounds. They shot 39.4 percent from the field (5-of-23 3-pointers) and committed 14 turnovers.

Still, UConn had a chance to end its run of futility against No. 5 Notre Dame in the final 28.9 seconds. But Breanna Stewart had a shot blocked. She then missed a jumper. And Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis front-rimmed a potential game-winning 3-pointer with six seconds left.

“We got two really good shots and we got a great shot at the end of the game,’’ UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. “But I think the way we played in the first half … I thought we did a great job coming back from not playing great, and from them playing awfully well. They made a lot of shots in the first half. But if you look at the stat sheet it’s almost like a mirror image of each other, both teams. And a play here and play there can determine the game.’’

Kelly Faris rebounded Stewart’s missed jumper with 25 seconds left. Faris fell to the ground and called time out with 21.1 seconds left before she was tied up. Auriemma drew up a final play, and he could not have wanted to set up Mosqueda-Lewis with a better look at the hoop.

“You’ve got the best 3-point shooter in the country maybe with a wide-open 3 to win it and it doesn’t go in,’’ Auriemma said. “I’d be more upset if we had the wrong guy take the wrong shot at the wrong time. But we came out of a timeout and we got the shot we wanted and it didn’t go in.’’

“It was just Kelly Faris drew in the defense and kicked it out,’’ Mosqueda-Lewis said. “I just missed.’’

Mosqueda-Lewis, who finished with 17 points and eight rebounds, entered the game shooting 52.8 percent from 3-point range. She had been 2-of-4 before the final attempt.

“She’s the one we want the ball in her hands,’’ senior Kelly Faris said. “She had an open shot and unfortunately it didn’t go in and none of us were there to get the ball. It should have never come down to that point. That didn’t lose us the game. There were a lot of mistakes from tip-off to the end that lost us the game.’’

UConn had won 20 straight Big East openers dating back to a 65-60 loss at Georgetown Jan. 3, 1992.

Rich

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The series between UConn and Notre Dame has emerged as the top rivalry in women’s college basketball. The latest chapter did not disappoint.

All American Skylar Diggins made two free throws with 49.4 seconds left to give the fifth-ranked Irish a 73-72 win over the top-ranked Huskies before a sellout crowd of 10,167 at Gampel Pavilion. Notre Dame has now won five of the last six meetings in the series.

UConn Class of 2013 commit Saniya Chong and Class of 2014 target Brianna Turner were in attendance.

UConn and Notre Dame have met four times in each of the past two seasons. This was the 12th meeting since Jan. 16, 2010.

Kayla McBride led the Irish (12-1) with 21 points. Diggins added 19 points (4-of-15 FG), six rebounds, five assists and four steals.

Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis and Stefanie Dolson (six assists) each had 17 points and eight rebounds for the Huskies. Kelly Faris has 13 points (4-of-11 FG), 11 rebounds, seven assists and five steals.

The Huskies had defeated the Irish by a combined 45 points in the last two games played at Gampel Pavilion.

The Huskies trailed by as many as nine in the first half. They used a 10-4 run to close to within 38-36 at halftime despite shooting 35.9 percent from the field.

UConn trailed 68-67 after a 3-pointer by Michala Mabry with 4:18 left. But Mosqueda-Lewis converted a pass from Hartley for a layup and a three-point play 36 seconds later.

The Irish did not quit. Diggins gave the Irish a 73-72 lead with two free throws with 49.4 seconds left.

UConn retained possession at the other end after Stewart was tied up by Ariel Braker. Faris then rebounded a missed jumper by Breanna Stewart and called a timeout with 21.1 seconds left.

But coming out of the timeout, Mosqueda-Lewis front-rimmed a potential game-winning 3-pointer with six seconds left. The Irish controlled the rebound and Diggins ran out the clock, heaving the ball in the air shortly before the buzzer sounded.

STAR OF THE GAME: Diggins. She continues to burn the Huskies.

KEYS TO THE LOSS: UConn shot 39.4 percent from the field and committed 14 turnovers. … Notre Dame was 17-of-24 from the free throw line. UConn was 11-of-14. … UConn was out-rebounded 45-44, allowing 18 offensive rebounds. … Breanna Stewart had 10 points (5-of-17 FG) and nine rebounds.

NEXT: Wednesday at Georgetown, 7:30 p.m. (SNY)

Rich

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♦♦♦

Notre Dame's Natalie Achonwa, right, blocks a shot by Connecticut's Kelly Faris during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Storrs, Conn., Saturday, Jan. 5, 2013. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

Stefanie Dolson has 11 points, five rebounds and three assists to lead UConn. Kelly Faris has nine points, three rebounds, three assists and four steals.

The Huskies are shooting just 35.9 percent from the field (4-of-15 3pointers).

It was a half filled with runs. The Huskies used a 10-2 run to take an 18-15 lead with 11:45 left in the half. But the Irish answered with a 14-2 run to open a 29-20 lead with 6:57 left.

UConn ultimately finished the half with a 10-4 run.

Kayla McBride has 11 points to lead the Irish.

Rich

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The physical nature of the games between No. 1 UConn and No. 5 Notre Dame has been something to keep an eye on. It will be again today at Gampel Pavilion when the teams meet for the 12th time since Jan. 16, 2010.

The number of fouls drawn by the Irish has been a point of contention with UConn coach Geno Auriemma. During this recent stretch that has seen the Irish win four of the last five games in the series, they are a combined 81-of-110 from the free throw line. UConn is 50-of-72.

Overall, Notre Dame has attempted 283 free throws in 12 games this season (23.6) and is averaging 19.2 made free throws per game. Led by Natalie Achonwa (57) and All-American Skylar Diggins (51), five players have attempted at least 33.

UConn has attempted 174 through 12 games (14.5), averaging 11.8 made free throws. Breanna Stewart has attempted 42. No other member of the Huskies has attempted more than 26.

“They’re still shooting as many free throws as they have in the past,’’ Auriemma said. “They get to the free throw line a lot, a lot more than most teams. It’s just uncanny. They must have a secret formula that I would like to find out what it is. But it’s uncanny that they always shoot a lot more free throws. And the other amazing thing is they don’t foul. So you’ve got two things that you’ve got to deal with when you play them. They get fouled a lot. And they never foul. And when they do they let you know about it.’’

Opponents have attempted 165 free throws (13.8) against Notre Dame this season, making an average of 9.9. Opponents have also been called for 219 fouls. The Irish have been called for 177.

“They do a great job of kind of creating the contact and getting the fouls called,’’ UConn center Stefanie Dolson said. “They’re just a tough team. They’re going to come in and just kind of throw their bodies everywhere, but they’re great at doing that and getting to the basket and getting those fouls called. So we’re just going to have to keep them in front of us. If we don’t let them drive by us, we don’t have to worry about them getting into the basket. So we’ve just got to play good solid team defense.’’

Dolson has been called for at least three fouls in six of the eight games she has played against the Irish, including two games with four. Kelly Faris has had at least four fouls in four of the last five games between the teams (one disqualification).

“I don’t think you can ever go into a game and worry about what the refs are going to do or what they’re going to do to get the fouls,’’ Dolson said. “We’ve just got to know that we’re going to go in and have confidence in our defense as a team and individually, just being able to play 1-on-1 and then kind of helping each other. Hopefully, we won’t foul them. That’s always our goal is not to be in foul trouble.’’

Rich

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Fifth-ranked Notre Dame lost three starters to graduation in Brittany Mallory, Natalie Novosel and Devereaux Peters. They accounted for 32.8 points, 16.1 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game last season as the Irish reached the NCAA tournament final for the second straight year.

However, the addition of 5-foot-10 freshman guard Jewell Loyd has helped ease the transition. Heading into today’s showdown with No. 1 UConn at Gampel Pavilion (4 p.m.; CBS), she is averaging 12.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.3 steals in 27.5 minutes.

Loyd, who had a season-high 24 points in a 73-61 loss to Baylor Dec. 5, is shooting 50.0 percent from the field and 46.2 percent from 3-point range.

UConn coach Geno Auriemma has been impressed with what he has seen from Loyd.

“I think Jewell Loyd is their best player right now,’’ Auriemma said. “She just makes a lot of things happen for them. Because she’s a great individual talent she can take the ball and score from most parts of the floor. She gives them a different look than say Natalie Novosel did. And she’s different than (Kayla) McBride. She’s different than Mallory. She’s different than anybody they’ve had there in a long, long time. And I think that makes the experience that they lost seem not as drastic because she can get shots. She just gets shots.’’

Rich