Huskies crush Orange for fourth straight title

Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS

Breanna Stewart and UConn stand alone. Geno Auriemma, too, after another flawless season by the dominating Huskies.

UConn won an unprecedented fourth straight national championship Tuesday night, capping another perfect season by routing Syracuse 82-51. Until now, only the UCLA men’s team had won four in a row in Division I, rolling to seven consecutive championships under John Wooden from 1967-73. With Tuesday’s victory, Auriemma passed the Wizard of Westwood with his 11th national title.

“What those 11 championships mean to me is how many great players I’ve had the opportunity to coach,” Auriemma said. “How many great people have come through the program. It doesn’t matter whose name is above, or whose name I’m under. As long as I have those players in my memory, I’m good.”

Stewart said when she came to campus four years ago that she wanted to win four titles. She delivered on that promise by scoring 24 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in her final college game.

“It’s unbelievable,” Stewart said. “That was our goal coming in here once we were freshman and to carry it out and win like this as seniors is unbelievable.”

The Huskies (38-0) have been nearly unbeatable since Stewart arrived. They lost four games her freshman year and only one since. The win over Syracuse was the 75th straight for UConn — all by double figures. Stewart and her fellow seniors went 24-0 in NCAA tourney games, too.

Stewart earned the most outstanding player of the Final Four all four years of her career. No other women’s player has won it more than twice and only Lew Alcindor did it three times on the men’s side.

The three-time AP Player of the Year has said it is up to others to decide her place in women’s college basketball lore. There is no denying she is the most accomplished player ever, winning more titles than fellow UConn greats Diana Taurasi and Maya Moore, who watched from the stands at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

UConn’s big three of Stewart, Jefferson and Morgan Tuck helped the Huskies to an NCAA record 151 wins over their four years. Stewart, Tuck and Jefferson left the game for good with 1:46 left. They shared an embrace together before hugging Auriemma. The trio then went down the bench hugging every member of the team.

“We’re going out with a bang, we’re going out with a bang, that’s it, no more. We knew what we’re supposed to do,” Stewart said.

UCONN 82, SYRACUSE 51

SYRACUSE (30-8) — Peterson 5-15 1-2 11, Slim 0-1 0-0 0, Butler 1-8 0-0 3, Sykes 6-15 0-0 12, Brian. Day 2-5 0-0 4, Chandler 0-0 0-0 0, Morrison 1-3 0-0 2, Phillips 0-0 0-0 0, Fondren 6-10 4-8 16, Parris 0-0 0-0 0, Crocetti 0-0 0-0 0, Ford 1-4 0-0 3, Grant 0-0 0-0 0, B. Day 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 22-62 5-10 51.

UCONN (38-0) — Tuck 6-12 7-8 19, Jefferson 5-9 1-2 13, Nurse 3-6 2-2 9, Williams 4-6 1-2 9, Stewart 7-17 7-7 24, Pulido 1-1 0-0 2, Chong 0-0 0-0 0, Lawlor 0-0 0-0 0, Ekmark 0-0 0-0 0, Collier 2-3 2-2 6, Butler 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 28-54 20-23 82.

Syracuse1310208—51

UConn28221418—82

3-Point Goals — Syracuse 2-19 (Ford 1-3, Butler 1-4, Slim 0-1, Morrison 0-2, Sykes 0-3, Peterson 0-6), UConn 6-19 (Stewart 3-8, Jefferson 2-6, Nurse 1-2, Collier 0-1, Tuck 0-2). Fouled Out — None. Rebounds — Syracuse 27 (B. Day 5), UConn 43 (Stewart 10). Assists — Syracuse 6 (Sykes 2), UConn 22 (Stewart 6). Total Fouls — Syracuse 19, UConn 10. A — NA.