Nashville, Tenn. - It was January 16, 1995, and UConn had just knocked off mighty Tennessee at Gampel Pavilion, 77-66.

The women's basketball world was stunned. Who was this upstart that knocked off the fearsome Lady Volunteers? Were the Huskies for real, or was it an anomaly?

Tonight is the 2014 NCAA women's national championship game. UConn has a chance to win a record ninth national championship in a historic matchup with fellow unbeaten Notre Dame.

Man, how times have changed.

"That day was one of the most amazing days that I've ever experienced," UConn coach Geno Auriemma.

The Music City Throwdown at Bridgestone Arena starts at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN.

No. 1 UConn is 39-0.

The No. 2 Fighting Irish are 37-0.

Welcome to the main event.

"Obviously historically it's pretty cool," Huskies senior Stefanie Dolson said. "It's not something that happens all the time, having two undefeated teams play each other in the national championship game."

Notre Dame coach Muffett McGraw said, "I think it was kind of inevitable, wasn't it? I think you guys probably had that one on your calendars probably by February 1. I think the whole country was so distracted with that and enamored with the matchup."

UConn began women's hoops in 1974. It had just one winning season before Auriemma arrived in 1985.

The Huskies soon become a regular NCAA tournament participant with a Final Four appearance.

But beating Tennessee. … that was off the charts.

"We had come so close to playing them in the NCAA tournament, and we always seemed to lose before we got to them early on," Auriemma said. "ESPN was working really, really hard to try to put together a Martin Luther King Day game, and they approached us and I was really excited that somebody would want to do that.

"When we found out that Tennessee was going to be the opponent, it was just exactly what we needed at that time. We needed to be in that game on national television, to be tested like that."

UConn showed months later that it had the chops to keep hanging with the Lady Volunteers when it beat them for the national championship, 70-64, in Minneapolis.

"For us to win that (first) game and the fan reaction the way it was and the aftermath," Auriemma said. "We went 10 straight years until 2004 where we sold out every single game at Gampel Pavilion and XL Center. That's what that game did. And what it also did was give us a platform to go out and recruit the best players in the country.

"When we won in Minneapolis, I never imagined that it would come to this. That's a little farfetched to think that this was in the cards. So to look back now, whenever I see the numbers and the things that we've done, I kind of just shake my head.

"I would hate us, too."

Tonight will be the first time that two unbeaten teams have played for a NCAA women's basketball championship at any level.

"I think this game is going to give a lot more attention to the women's game," McGraw said. "I think the fans like the rivalry. I think the media likes the rivalry. In some ways I think it would be great for women's basketball if we got some new teams in the Final Four, but I think in order to showcase the best in women's basketball, I think this is it."

n.griffen@theday.com