No. 9 seed Syracuse women’s basketball (24-9, 12-6) saw its season come to a close with a 98-45 loss to No. 1 seed Connecticut (36-0, 20-0) in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Monday night.
Syracuse opened the game with a second-chance basket from Journey Thompson, but Connecticut quickly took control. Uche Izoje scored four early points and added a block and a steal, though the Orange fell behind 33-8 after the first quarter. The deficit grew in the second, as Angelica Velez and Keira Scott each added a field goal and Sophie Burrows contributed a block, but Syracuse trailed 65-12 at halftime.
The Orange showed signs of life in the third quarter, sparked by an 11-0 run. Olivia Schmitt knocked down Syracuse’s first three-pointer, while Laila Phelia added two jumpers and free throws during the stretch. Thompson contributed in transition and on second-chance opportunities as Syracuse briefly slowed Connecticut’s offense, holding the Huskies scoreless for over three minutes. Despite the push, the Orange entered the fourth quarter trailing 82-29.
Izoje continued to battle inside, reaching double figures for the 26th time this season, while Phelia also finished in double digits for the 24th time. Syracuse added a late 6-0 run in the fourth, with Burrows and Izoje scoring in the paint, but could not cut into the deficit.
The Orange finished with 20 points in the paint, along with five steals and three blocks, closing their 2026 campaign in the NCAA Tournament second round.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.