UConn achieved a level of dominance against No. 9 Syracuse that has not been seen in seven years. The historic performance included a stunning 31-0 run that left the opposing coach questioning the entire tournament format.

The Huskies' 98-45 victory marked the first time in seven years in an NCAA tournament game that a team has gone on a 31-0 run, as per ESPN's Alexa Philippou.

"The only time it happened on the men’s side in that span? UConn with 30 unanswered vs. Illinois in the 2024 Elite 8," added Philippou.

UConn did not let Syracuse on the board for 10 minutes and 26 seconds, as they forced 10 straight misses. Six different players from UConn scored during that stretch. The game was basically over way before the first half ended, with the score of 53-8.

Sarah Strong and Blanca Quinonenz took charge with 18 points each, having more points individually than Syracuse did in the first half itself.

Azzi Fudd stole the show in her final home game with the Huskies. The "People's Princess" went off, tying her career-high 34 points, along with eight points from beyond the arc.

Geno Auriemma was a happy head coach. "That's the best half of basketball, best 20 minutes that I've seen in a long, long time from our team, not just this team, but it's happened other times, but this is about as good as it gets," Auriemma said.

UConn now enters its 32nd straight Sweet Sixteen round, looking to extend its winning streak to 37-0 against fourth-seed North Carolina on March 27.

Syracuse HC Slams NCAA Committee After Constant Pairings With UConn

Meanwhile, Syracuse head coach Felisha Legette-Jack was not in the best of moods post-game, criticizing the NCAA committee for consistently putting her team in Storrs' subregional bracket.

"For us to do what we've done to continuously have to come to UConn, and every single school that I go to, from Buffalo to [Syracuse], it's unfair to the young people. We, I thought, deserved a little more respect." The 59-year-old said.

The Huskies and the Orange have now met four times in the second round of the NCAA tournament since 2017, with Legette-Jack adding another trip to Storrs as head coach of Buffalo back in 2019.

The Syracuse head coach's frustration is valid, as looking back at UConn's schedule, they have never faced a program more than twice in the second round.

Nevertheless, while Legette-Jack felt her teams were disrespected, she did not forget to praise Geno Auriemma and the empire he has built during his four-decade tenure with UConn, consistently producing the best players in the country.

"But I think what you're going to notice is that everybody that comes through Geno and UConn is going to get the wrath of what they can bring." The Syracuse head coach added.

The Orange finishes their season 24-9, returning to the NCAA tournament following a less-than-ideal 12-18 record last season.

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Written by

Joy Bassy

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi