UConn made history Tuesday by dismantling Syracuse 82-51 to become the first women’s program to clinch a fourth consecutive championship. Four National Championships IN A ROW, 11 National Titles for Auriemma and his staff, the win over Syracuse tonight was the 75th straight victory for UConn – all by double figures and on and on and on.
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Brittney Sykes had 12 points for Syracuse (30-8), which was making its first appearance in the title game. The three left the game as a group with 1:46 left amid smiles and hugs. Eventually, she got up and walked to the bench without assistance.
A layup by Kia Nurse gave UConn a 38-15 lead with 5:49 remaining in the opening half, prompting a Syracuse timeout.
Breanna Stewart is a great player.
Any hope the Orange had of tightening the deficit with pressure defense quickly faded when the Huskies were so adept at breaking it. They turned the ball over six times in the first half and shot 16 for 31 to take a 50-23 lead.
For years, women’s college basketball players never really entertained the idea of leaving early to turn professional.
The officials did not stop the game to address the issue.
Four years later, Breanna Stewart can look back on her freshman year declaration and understand why it was received with such surprise. She grew up in North Syracuse, N.Y., and went to women’s games with her dad.
Stanford Star Nnemkadi Ogwumike is third on the list with 444 points. Syracuse, however, continued to scrap, employing their press through the end of the game.
Those closing scores helped UConn regain their composure for the final quarter and they pushed their lead out to 24 points with less than four minutes elapsed. All of a sudden, the Orange found itself on a 16-0 run that cut the Huskies’ lead to 17.
Tuck and Jefferson added 19 and 13 points, respectively, in the Huskies’ 24th straight victory over Syracuse.
In past years, there has been skepticism about the ability of a women’s coach to make the leap to the National Basketball Association, but recently, the league has been more open to accepting coaches of varying backgrounds.
Time will be spent attempting to explain the legacy of these three players after CT, proving that Goliath must sometimes be Goliath for the legend of David to matter, rolled over Syracuse 82-51 on Tuesday. The other two times, 1995 and 2014, UConn won the D-I championship. “When the Marines – who (my team) know I’m a big fan of – when they showed up on campus and went through a ceremony in their dress uniforms and presented me the sword”.
Sophomore Gabby Williams replaces injured Katie Lou Samuelson in UConn’s starting lineup.
As in its semifinal win against Oregon State on Sunday, Connecticut didn’t win just because of Stewart.
It was complete domination by Breanna Stewart and the senior class, “the fact we’re here and celebrating it, it’s sinking in a little bit but to think my career is done, over and we did what we wanted to do, it doesn’t feel like it’s over”.
The officials for the championship game will be former National Basketball Association referee Dee Kantner, Lisa Jones and Beverly Roberts. And, it wasn’t even close Tuesday night in Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
No women’s basketball team has ever won four straight titles. Legendary UCLA men’s coach John Wooden, who was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame both as a player and a coach, won a total of 10 championships.
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With Lubbock Christian and Thomas More finishing off their undefeated seasons Monday night in the Division II and III title games, this marks the third year that all three champions didn’t have a loss. Syracuse (30-7) has lost its last 23 meetings with UConn, a skid that dates to 1996.
