UConn steamrolls Syracuse with record 31-0 scoring run, Azzi Fudd’s career high, looks very much like NCAA tournament favorite
UConn cruised into the Sweet 16 on Monday in overwhelming fashion, dominating 9 seed Syracuse, 98-45 in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
UConn’s defense stifled Syracuse early and throughout. The Huskies held the Orange to 8 first-quarter points while building a 33-8 advantage. Syracuse then came dangerously close to not scoring at all in the second.
The Orange scored their eighth point of the game with 3:18 remaining in the first quarter. They didn’t score again for more than 10 minutes as they cut UConn’s lead to 53-10 with 2:52 remaining in the half. They managed just 4 points in the second quarter.
UConn blitzes Syracuse with 31-0 run
UConn scored 31 straight points during the run and entered the break with a 65-12 lead. The run was the first of 30 points or more in the NCAA tournament since ESPN started tracking such stats seven years ago.
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All-American Azzi Fudd more than doubled Syracuse’s first-half output with 26 points before the break while shooting 6 of 9 from 3. It marked a career-high for any half for Fudd in her final college game at UConn’s Gampel Pavilion.
Azzi Fudd has career night in her home finale
Fudd finished her home finale by tying her career highs in both points and 3-pointers made. She didn’t play in the fourth quarter.
Fudd led the UConn onslaught with 34 points, 5 assists and 3 rebounds. She shot 13 of 18 from the field and 8 of 11 from 3.
UConn’s 53-point halftime lead put it in range of the all-time NCAA tournament scoring margin record of 89 points set by Baylor in 2017 in a 119-30 win over Texas Southern. But Syracuse found signs of life after halftime, and Geno Auriemma called off the dogs by pulling his starters for most of the fourth quarter.
The final margin of 53 points doesn’t crack the top 10 on that list. But against a fellow power conference program in the second round, it’s remarkable nonetheless.
Sarah Strong added 18 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists for UConn while Blanca Quiñonez posted 18 points, 4 assists and 2 steals off the bench.
For the game, the Huskies shot 56% from the field and 50% (13 of 26) from 3. They secured a 46-28 advantage on the boards and a 20-13 advantage in takeaways. Syracuse shot 33% from the field and made just 1 of its 18 3-point attempts (5.6%).
Can anybody beat UConn?
The dominance UConn displayed is a testament to its status as the tournament favorite in a field where fellow 1 seed powers UCLA, South Carolina and Texas are the only teams expected to mount a reasonable challenge to the now 36-0 Huskies. And even that’s up for debate until potential matchups in the Final Four.
Up next is No. 4 seed North Carolina, which advanced to the Sweet 16 via an 82-51 win over Western Illinois in the first round and a 74-66 win over 5 seed Maryland in the second.
The Tar Heels are coming off a third-place finish in the ACC and enter the Sweet 16 with a 28-7 record. They rank in the top 20 in both NET and WAB (wins against bracket) rankings.
They’re strong numbers across the board. But whether they add up to UNC competing with UConn next weekend remains to be seen.
