The Connecticut-Villanova women’s basketball game on Feb. 24 started like quite a few others — the tip-off, a pass and a quick layup.

But there was one thing wrong: it was an uncontested shot, orchestrated in the name of sympathy.

Senior Nykesha Sales stood at 2,176 points, one short of the Huskies’ career scoring record, when she ripped her Achilles tendon Feb. 21 in a game against Notre Dame.

Her season was over, and along with it, her chance at a place in the UConn record books.

So, in a logical move, the school threw her a party in honor of her still-marvelous accomplishments, and everybody was happy.

Actually, that didn’t happen. Lest you rely too heavily on the logical, put yourself in charge of the situation and dream up something silly.

How about a feel-good moment, where the other nine hoopsters stand idly by while Sales is allowed to score the anti-climactic basket?

Well, that’s what came to mind in a pow-wow between coaches Geno Auriemma and Harry Perretta.

So Sales limped onto the court, took the “no-look” pass from teammate Rita Williams and — oh, the suspense! — banked it in.

Then, to further increase the cheesiness of the occasion, Connecticut let Villanova have a freebie of their own to tie the score at two.

Can you say travesty?

This is not a moment to be saved in the home-video library; this is a sham that all participants should want to forget immediately.

Instead, Big East Commissioner Mike Tranghese decided to smear the mess around a little.

“If it were two men’s teams, I would not have done it,” he said.

While Tranghese shoved his foot in a little farther, Auriemma tried to tell us, “I did the right thing in my mind and that’s the only thing that counts.”

Shhh! Don’t embarrass yourselves any more!

Sales’ “achievement” sends a misguided message to today’s already jaded high school sports stars.

It tells them to shoot for the records, ignoring any effort at dignity.

It tells them to make their teammates watch while they greedily score point after meaningless point.

It tells them to value their own personal glory over the thrill of competition.

The hail of selfish rhetoric has obscured the words of Sir H.J. Newbold:

“To set the cause above renown, to love the game beyond the prize.”