Connecticut players celebrate as they carry head coach Geno Auriemma off the court after defeating Louisville 93-60 in the national championship game of the women's Final Four of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Tuesday, April 9, 2013, in New Orleans. Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma reacts after cutting the net down with Connecticut players celebrating after defeating Louisville 93-60 in the national championship game of the women's Final Four of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Tuesday, April 9, 2013, in New Orleans. Connecticut players celebrate after defeating Louisville 93-60 in the national championship game of the women's Final Four of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Tuesday, April 9, 2013, in New Orleans. Louisville guard Bria Smith, left, and Louisville guard Jude Schimmel (22) sit in the locker room after defeating Louisville 93-60 in the national championship game of the women's Final Four of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Tuesday, April 9, 2013, in New Orleans. NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Geno Auriemma has been chasing Pat Summitt since he started coaching. Now with his eighth national championship, he has finally caught her. It might not be long before Auriemma stands alone with freshman Breanna Stewart leading the way. Stewart scored 18 of her 23 points in a dazzling first half and Connecticut won its eighth NCAA title with a 93-60 rout of Louisville on Tuesday night. It was the most lopsided victory in a title game, and it put the Huskies back atop college basketball after missing the game the past two years. The title tied Auriemma and the Huskies (35-4) with Summitt for the most in women's basketball history. Unlike the Tennessee great, Auriemma has never lost a championship game in eight appearances. "The only person I compare myself to is Pat Summitt and to be there in that spot with her means a lot to me," Auriemma said. The fact that I tied Pat Summitt's record puts you in the category of the greatest women's basketball coach that ever lived. Stewart, his prized freshman, was unstoppable, hitting shots from everywhere on the court to earn Most Outstanding Player honors for the Final Four. She's only the fourth freshman ever to have that honor and first since 1987. Even her father in the stands repeatedly said "wow" as his daughter took the game over and Cardinals men's coach Rick Pitino, in town to cheer on the Louisville women, called her one of the best freshman in basketball. "This is unbelievable," Stewart said. After Auriemma cut down the final strand of the net, his team carried him around the court in celebration. Summitt, who stepped down a year ago and suffers from early-onset dementia, released a statement through her son, Tyler. "Congratulations to Geno Auriemma and the Connecticut Huskies on a remarkable season and an eighth national title," she said. Geno is a proven champion and a leader in our game. My best to him, his family, his team and staff. "The run we went on was remarkable and something I'll always remember" Walz said. We're walking out with our head high and proud of what we've done. Pitino, fresh off his team's 82-76 win in the title game over Michigan on Monday night, was sitting behind the Cardinals bench, trying to spur on the women's team. It wasn't to be. Instead, the trip to the Big Easy marked the beginning of the Stewart era. Sharpshooting from deep or pounding the boards, she had one of the most remarkable runs of any first year player in the history of the NCAA tournament. Stewart finished with 105 points in only five games - she missed the first round rout of Idaho to rest a sore calf - the most by any first-year player since 2000, according to STATS. The 6-foot-4 star passed Moore with a neat tip-in with 7:04 left in the first half and wound up with a performance reminiscent of two of the all-time greats. Stewart scored seven points during the pivotal 19-0 run that turned a four-point deficit into a double-digit lead and put the Cardinals in a hole they couldn't climb out of. "We rushed a lot, we started to panic a bit," Walz said. Stewart later swooped in for an incredible offensive rebound that she put back to make it 39-23. The Huskies led 48-29 at the half as Stewart had 18 points; the 19-point advantage fell four points short of the championship record set by Tennessee against Louisiana Tech in 1998. UConn hit 13 of its 26 3-pointers, including four by senior Kelly Faris, who finished with 16 points, nine rebounds and six assists. "We made a miracle run in this tournament and will remember that the rest of their lives," said Sara Hammond, who led Louisville with 15 points. With UConn's victory, the Big East conference won a ninth national championship. Neither team will be in the new Big East next season. Both will be in the American Athletic Conference. This was the first of UConn's championships when the Huskies didn't win a regular season or Big East tournament championship, making it a little bit sweeter for seniors Faris, Caroline Doty and Heather Buck.