UConn wipes out Syracuse to claim fourth consecutive national championship

INDIANAPOLIS — When Breanna Stewart was a freshman at Connecticut, she set an ambitious goal: win four national basketball championships.

Athletes who play for Geno Auriemma are almost guaranteed a title or two — maybe three; it has happened before. In fact, the last class that didn’t win a championship at UConn was the freshman class that enrolled in 2005.

Despite that track record, UConn still made history Tuesday by dismantling Syracuse 82-51 to become the first women’s program to clinch a fourth consecutive championship. It is also Auriemma’s 11th overall, the most for a men’s or woman’s program. This is the sixth time Auriemma has hoisted the championship trophy in the last decade.

“That was the goal coming in as freshman and to carry it out as seniors, it’s unbelievable,” Stewart said. “We’re going out with a bang. That’s it. We did what we were supposed to do.”

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On this night, so did Stewart. She led the team with 24 points, six assists and 10 rebounds, which put her over 200 boards all time in NCAA tournament games. She was named the Final Four’s most outstanding player an unprecedented fourth time.

The three-time player of the year and fellow seniors Moriah Jefferson and Morgan Tuck are 151-5 in four years at UConn, the winningest senior class of all time. The trio combined for 56 points in their final game together and achieved that goal Stewart set as a scrawny freshman.

The seniors set the tone early, helping hold Syracuse scoreless for the first four minutes of the game. At halftime the trio were outscoring the Syracuse team 38-23.

The lead for UConn as a team reached 33 in the third quarter as the Huskies extended their winning streak to 75 games (38-0 this season, their sixth unbeaten season), all by double digits. The three left the game as a group with 1:46 left amid smiles and hugs.

“It was perfect,” said Stewart. “We talked about it yesterday and want ed to all come out and play great games and finish it off the way we started.”

Asked how going undefeated and winning another title can be made to look so easy, Auriemma said simply, “There are three ingredients that go into this kind of success.” He then pointed at Stewart, Jefferson and Tuck.

“When you have players like these three and they are the kind of individuals they are and have the kind of character they have and the way they conduct themselves every day,” said, “I’ve never been around a better group of great players who really really love the game (and) appreciate their teammates. “

As in its semifinal win against Oregon State on Sunday, Connecticut didn’t win just because of Stewart. Tuck had 19 points and Jefferson 13, including a three-pointer at the buzzer to end the first quarter. It wasn’t in a dire situation like Villanova’s Kris Jenkins in Monday’s men’s national championship in Houston. But Jefferson’s teammates rushed the court to gang hug her anyway.

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UConn was without freshman starter Katie Lou Samuelson, who broke her left foot against Oregon State. Auriemma said this would be a game they really could use her. The Huskies were just fine. They shot 51.9% and held Syracuse to 35.5% and 10.5% on three-pointers.

This championship comes with a twist for Stewart, who has a soft spot for Syracuse. She grew up in North Syracuse, N.Y., and went to women’s games with her dad. Stewart said this week that facing her hometown team was like coming “full circle.”

If she were emotional about it, she certainly didn’t show it. Because of her leadership, Syracuse never had a chance.

The Orange was behind by 15 in the first quarter and 27 at the half. They made a 16-0 run in the third quarter to give their fans something to cheer about but still trailed by 21 going into the fourth.

The victory sent Auriemma past UCLA legend John Wooden for national championships.

“What those 11 national championship mean to me,” Auriemma said, “is how many great players who have come through our program that I’ve had a chance to coach.”

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