NCAA Tournament Round of 32

UConn women’s basketball will look to secure a 32nd consecutive trip to the Sweet 16 Monday evening, taking on former Big East rivals Syracuse in the Round of 32.

The Huskies breezed past UTSA in their NCAA Tournament opener, holding the Roadrunners to just 14 points in the first half. Meanwhile, Syracuse survived a 37-point outburst from Audi Crooks and outlasted Iowa State 72-63 to set up a matchup with UConn and Geno Auriemma. 

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Monday’s matchup:

Coach Felisha Legette-Jack has burned through two timeouts in just six minutes, hoping to find an answer for UConn’s relentless early offense. UConn’s co-stars, Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd, have combined for 16 early points on 7-11 shooting as the Huskies lead 20-6. 

Azzi Fudd and Serah Williams switched up the typical order of operations on UConn’s latest basket, as the Wisconsin transfer delivered a beautiful wrap-around pass to a cutting Fudd, who converted at the rim for two. Fudd’s second basket gives UConn an early 18-6 lead. 

Monday’s action is back on ESPN after Syracuse’s timeout. The game began on ESPNU as the Notre Dame-Ohio State game ran long. 

The Huskies are sprinting off the starting block, forcing a Syracuse timeout just three minutes into Monday’s game after surging to an 11-2 lead. Azzi Fudd opened her account with UConn’s latest basket, and the Huskies have scored on all but one offensive possession so far. 

Auriemma has implored Sarah Strong to become more aggressive on offense in recent weeks, and the prospective Player of the Year is heeding that message so far. Strong has seven of UConn’s first nine points, most recently swishing a 3-pointer. 

UConn’s star forward is hunting her shot immediately, pumpfaking on a left-wing 3-pointer before stepping into an elbow jumper. Huskies lead 2-0

UConn’s Round of 32 matchup is underway, as the Huskies force a miss on their opening defensive possession. 

UConn will begin on ESPNU, switching over to ESPN at the conclusion of the Ohio State-Notre Dame broadcast. 

Gametime is here, but ESPN is currently broadcasting the remainder of the Ohio State-Notre Dame game. Tip-off time is officially listed at 6:02 p.m.

Geno Auriemma’s special day earned the acknowledgement of the UConn students at Gampel Pavilion, who sang “Happy Birthday” to the now-72-year-old coach ahead of UConn’s final game in Connecticut this year. 

UConn will stick with the same starting lineup from Saturday’s NCAA Tournament opener. G KK Arnold, G Azzi Fudd, G Ashlynn Shade, F Serah Williams, F Sarah Strong.

The legendary UConn coach celebrates his 72nd birthday Monday, with the Huskies enjoying a 13-1 record during his tenure on March 23. The lone loss came in the 1998 Elite Eight against NC State. 

A recent Final Four opponent of UConn’s has been bounced in the second round, suffering a double-overtime exit to No. 10 seed Virginia. The Cavaliers have become the first team that participated in the First Four to reach the Sweet 16. 

Carl Adamec: “Syracuse will join St. Francis-Pennsylvania (1999, 2002, 2018) as the only schools to play three NCAA Tournament games against UConn at Gampel Pavilion.  

The Huskies (35-0) lead the overall series with the Orange (24-8) 41-12 and have won 27 straight since a loss at Manley Field House on Jan. 2, 1996. The win streak includes all seven of their postseason games.”

Read more about Syracuse and UConn’s history on the hardwood. 

Monday’s game will tip off at 6 p.m. ET from Gampel Pavilion and will be broadcast on ESPN. Former UConn star Rebecca Lobo will provide color commentary for the second-round action, joined on the broadcast by Ryan Ruocco and Holly Rowe. 

The Orange bring a quartet of primary scorers that will look to keep pace with the Huskies, as Laila Phelia, Sophie Burrows, Uche Izoje and Dominique Darius all average at least 11 points per game. Izoje has continued to impress throughout her breakout freshman season, bumping her scoring output up to 23 points over her last four games. 

Syracuse attacks the glass more effectively than just about any team in the country, currently ranked fourth in offensive rebounding rate as the Orange corral nearly 42% of their missed shots. Coach Felisha Legette-Jack’s squad has also been fairly effective at protecting the rim, averaging north of five blocks per game. 

The Huskies opened as whopping 36.5-point favorites in Monday’s game, with the line shrinking by a point before tip-off. According to the prediction market Kalshi, the Huskies have a 99% chance of winning.