Dallas — All UConn coach Geno Auriemma could think watching Mississippi State celebrate an overtime victory late Friday night and into Saturday morning was that he's been there.

His teams have known that feeling over and over, more than their share even, through NCAA record-setting feats of 11 national championships and, this year, reaching the mark of 111 consecutive victories, something which may never be equaled.

But although he didn't exactly relish the idea of losing, not this way, not this day, Auriemma was certainly understanding of it, forcing a grin when Mississippi State's Morgan William hit a game-winning shot at the buzzer in overtime to hand UConn its first loss since Nov. 17, 2014, at Stanford.

That's two years, four months and 14 days. Or 865 days, if you're counting.

“Look, nobody's won more than we've won,” Auriemma said. “I understand losing, believe it or not. We haven't lost in awhile, but I understand it. I know how to appreciate it when other people win. The excitement that was in Mississippi State's locker room, we've been there. We've been there lots of times.

“Today, you know, they deserved to win. … When it went in, it was almost like, 'Of course. Of course it's going to go in.' She's had an amazing run so far.”

UConn senior Saniya Chong said the UConn locker room was quiet until Auriemma entered it and began to speak to his team, a group which lost three All-Americans from last season and the WNBA's top three draft picks in Breanna Stewart, Morgan Tuck and Moriah Jefferson, which had already left their mark with an unprecedented four national championships.

“What can you say?” Chong said, asked what, exactly, a Geno Auriemma speech after a loss sounds like. “You can't say much to cheer us up. … We experienced all the happiness with the winning. (This is) something we're not used to.”

UConn juniors Kia Nurse and Gabby Williams came into the interview room with Auriemma after the game after being consoled in the hallway by Auriemma's wife, Kathy.

They listened to Auriemma say once again, as he has often in the past few weeks since the NCAA tournament began, how the team changed for the better since practice began in October. How his players matured. How Friday night, maybe, they just weren't mature enough.

Auriemma said he was proud of the direction they took and what they were unable to accomplish in reaching a 10th straight Final Four.

“It's been incredible and I'm really proud of what we've done,” said a tearful Williams, asked of the significance of UConn's run over the last 111 games and more, “especially this year with the kind of gap we've had to fill.”

“It's been quite a fun ride,” Nurse said. “It's been a challenge. I think we handled it pretty well. It was something, roles we hadn't been in, circumstances we hadn't been in. Unfortunately, it came up short.”

Instead of Auriemma this time, it was Mississippi State coach Vic Schaefer, with his team playing in its first Final Four, who talked into the night. Heck, let's stay longer, he said, in the end repeating his mantra of “praise the lord and go, Dawgs.”

“It's history,” Mississippi State senior Dominque Dillingham said joyfully. “We made history last year (in a 60-point loss to UConn in the NCAA tournament's Sweet 16 in Bridgeport) and this year we made good history.”

And Geno Auriemma understands that joy. Even in defeat. He really does.

v.fulkerson@theday.com