Photo: Joe Buglewicz / Getty Images Sport / Getty Images
The Syracuse University women's basketball team's season ended Monday night (March 23) after a tough 98-45 loss to the University of Connecticut (UConn) Huskies in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Connecticut. Ninth-seeded Syracuse, which finished the season with 24 wins and nine losses, struggled against the top-ranked Huskies, who remain undefeated this year.
UConn senior Azzi Fudd delivered a standout performance in her final home game, matching her career high with 34 points and sinking eight three-pointers—just one shy of the NCAA Tournament single-game record. Fudd scored 26 of her points in the first half, helping the Huskies build a commanding 53-point lead by halftime. "My teammates were finding me, setting great screens," Fudd said after the game. "I wasn’t even thinking. I was open—so shoot it" (ESPN recap).
Sarah Strong and Blanca Quinonez added 18 points each for UConn, while the team forced 20 Syracuse turnovers and held the Orange to just one three-pointer on 18 attempts (UConn Blog report).
For Syracuse, Uche Izoje led the team in scoring with 12 points, and Sophie Burrows added 10. The Orange missed 10 straight shots in the first half and went more than 10 minutes without a field goal during a decisive 31-0 UConn run. Syracuse played without injured starting point guard Dominique Darius, making it even harder to handle UConn's aggressive defense (CNY Central coverage).
The Huskies, now 36-0, advance to their 32nd consecutive Sweet Sixteen and will face North Carolina next in the Fort Worth 1 regional semifinal on Friday (March 27). Syracuse's season ends after advancing past Iowa State in the opening round but falling short against the tournament favorites.